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Aircraft Pricing Issues

Posted by Registration on 22 December 2017 - 09:14 PM

Just recently, I noticed that jets such as those in the A320 series and the 737 series have received massive price hikes in the Sandbox World. I do not think that this was a deliberate arrangement but is a bug within the system. The game is highly unbalanced now with these jets going for as much as long-range jets like the 767. 


We are currently reviewing the prices of aircraft within the game to standardise them and make them more realistic, something we started in 2014. As a result of this some of the aircraft have been updated. This was probably not a good idea in hindsight as it causes the issues you describe.

 

I've asked the wider team for their opinion as this is obviously a big issue - we have collated major amounts of data but there are still quite a lot of aircraft without the data.

 

Sorry for the inconvenience, which is my fault & we will resolve this as soon as we can.



Following on from discussions with Yuxi, we have decided to implement the new prices into the game. You will have noticed that Boeing and Airbus prices have been revised, with others being updated in the coming days.

 

Please let us know how the revised prices impact gameplay. Your feedback is appreciated.



I'm pretty sure now the game will be impossible to play at the start because of the increased costs. I would suggest that you also increase the starting capital ($7.5 million is not realistic in the real world, especially now that you have realistic prices) to counter the increased leasing/maintenance costs for aircraft. It was hard enough to make a decent profit and lease more airplanes with the lower prices, and now that the prices have more than doubled we might find that the game is impossible to play. Have you considered beta testing a world with the new prices to see how it would function instead of doing it right now and updating worlds that are already in progress?

 

I mean maybe I'm being naive and that's why so many airlines are going bankrupt early these days, but I think we should remember that this is an arcade game and might have to be played as such, meaning that the demand and prices might be unrealistic but it's how the game functions and is enjoyed. Adjusting one item or aspect of the game can have many repercussions that you may not be able to account for or forsee.

 

With the increase in costs, if you wish to lease a 737-300 you can now only lease 1 as opposed to maybe 3. It continues a vicious cycle of trying to lease more aircraft to increase profits, but finding that you don't have enough money to do so, and your airline will go bankrupt. Add to that the fact that 100 cabin crew are hired for every flight and you've got a serious cash flow problem.

 

I would appreciate if you would keep these things in mind before you make changes, and try to beta test it as best as you can without immediately implementing it in current worlds (possibly S worlds are best to do this).



I'm pretty sure now the game will be impossible to play at the start because of the increased costs. I would suggest that you also increase the starting capital ($7.5 million is not realistic in the real world, especially now that you have realistic prices) to counter the increased leasing/maintenance costs for aircraft. It was hard enough to make a decent profit and lease more airplanes with the lower prices, and now that the prices have more than doubled we might find that the game is impossible to play. Have you considered beta testing a world with the new prices to see how it would function instead of doing it right now and updating worlds that are already in progress?

 

I mean maybe I'm being naive and that's why so many airlines are going bankrupt early these days, but I think we should remember that this is an arcade game and might have to be played as such, meaning that the demand and prices might be unrealistic but it's how the game functions and is enjoyed. Adjusting one item or aspect of the game can have many repercussions that you may not be able to account for or forsee.

 

With the increase in costs, if you wish to lease a 737-300 you can now only lease 1 as opposed to maybe 3. It continues a vicious cycle of trying to lease more aircraft to increase profits, but finding that you don't have enough money to do so, and your airline will go bankrupt. Add to that the fact that 100 cabin crew are hired for every flight and you've got a serious cash flow problem.

 

I would appreciate if you would keep these things in mind before you make changes, and try to beta test it as best as you can without immediately implementing it in current worlds (possibly S worlds are best to do this).

 

After discussing with Yuxi, he and I believe that the changes don't have a major implication on gameplay. It will slow growth, yes, but AE airlines are notorious for being ridiculously wealthy. For example, an airline of yours has 37,000 aircraft - this is unrealistic and highlights the economic issues of the game, while changing aircraft prices will not fix the economics of the game, it will make it more challenging at first and slightly impact airlines.

 

For those struggling, try to consider being more tactical on start up, for example:

  • Stick with one aircraft type (lower base costs)
  • Take a bond - many airlines in the real world must use this method to raise capita for growth
  • Extend leases to reduce lease costs
  • Focus on higher profit routes
  • Create a fair, dynamic and profitable IFS/IFE if it is in your airlines interest

 

Of course we will keep an eye on how things go and listen to members feedback regarding the changes.



Again I am not sure about how the game will be affected. I applaud you for making these changes and who knows? Maybe the game will surprise me as it has done before!





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