[sort of answered] First steps, dealing with prices

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 06:25

I started "properly" yesterday morning, by deciding that I should stick with what the tutorial gave me i.e fruits and vegs (even though that seems to be a big no-no according to other threads).
While messing around I realized (I could be wrong) that production cost isn't just that nice low number next to the product/produce. It's the cost of all components together. So I set up a small excel sheet to keep track of things.

For instance - Potatoes. The total price of 1kg would be 1.35c after adding up total seed production cost (water+prod. cost) and total potato cost (water+prod. cost).
Note: I add cost for water because I have insufficient funds to build my own well, and need to go shopping once in a while.

So I worked out some prices, for my shop, +50% price, and +50% price + commision fee.

I thought I was on a go. Then I had a look at the market and it's ... all over the place. I can only grow Q0 at the moment so I kept looking at that. And in my imagination, better quality should generate more money. But the price range of Q0 are sometimes higher than let's say Q1. ...and looking at pigs, they're not even selling for 1/2 of total production cost (233,05c)

Then I had a look at cotton (just for kicks) in the purchase section of the forum, and someone is buying for almost 1/3 of the total cost I calculated.

So my roundabout question is, after reading topics and not really getting it, how on earth are prices calculated?

I could probably improve my business without using the market, and just produce everything I need and sell it in my shop. But it would be nice to interact with other businesses. Especially producing contest stuff.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 07:33

Don't knock yourself out, use the simple strategies people give you. Build mines and wells (in yellow) and sell stones and water or oil to the market. By the time you're ready to build factories, you'll know what to do.

Fill all your slots before expanding existing buildings. Build a tech or chemical RC (in red) to research wardrobes or gas.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 07:54

Straw Man wrote:Build a tech or chemical RC (in red) to research wardrobes or gas.

Or maybe some other product?

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 08:08

Thanks for the advice. It's a bit far-into-the-future advise as I don't have enough funds to buy additional buildings right now. But a well is definitely the first thing on my list of buildings to buy.

I did find a thread that sort of confirmes my theory on total production prices. I have been selling some fruit at the market and made some profit. I guess it's a start.

Wish it wasn't difficult to choose what kind of research to go from now. I did seeds 3, and apple 2.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 09:06

Dealing with prices can be confusing since sometimes the prices offered on the market make no sense at all, you are right about that.
I wrote this in another thread concerning research.

I do not recommend researching apples except if you would do it for future contests.
with Q0 apples you can make applejuice Q0 (ofcourse you will have to add sugar to that as well), which players need for their special building quests.
Applejuice Q0 sells for a much higher price then higher qualities because of that.
For apple juice you would need a beveragefactory, but other then to make applejuice and perhaps bottled cocoa Q0, (also a special building quest product) a beveragefactory is not very profitable.

Research leather, wardrobes, glass, plastic, seeds, corn, oil, gas, televisions.
Those researches may come in handy when you decide to go into one of these businesses in the future.

About the prices, just calculate everything with marketprice even if you produce it yourself, ( like water and power and seeds.) except ofcourse when the prices offered are below your cost of production, then you just have to calculate your own price like you did.

Problem with fruits is (and almost any other food and beverages for that matter), they just don't sell well and you don't make a lot of cash with it.

Like everybody says, raw materials that don't require any quality are the best way to start with.

If I were you I would start over and build a mine and a well and a plantation, much better then a fruitplantation.

With mines and plantations you have a full range of different products to produce and you can make money.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 11:56

Hmm you just made me realize something. I completely forgot (do not ask how because I don't know) I have basic stock left-over from the tutorial that I haven't really used. Wood and power. I sold 10 wood just now to test the market and it sold. If I can sell a bit of it, because I don't need it right now, then I will have the cash for my own well or powerplant.

Besides, I can produce my own wood. Didn't think of that.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 12:42

You can send all your steel to me if you want. I'll give you 135 each for it.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 16:29

podge wrote:You can send all your steel to me if you want. I'll give you 135 each for it.

I cannot produce steel yet. I don't have the facility. Trying to collect cash for a well and powerplant.
But thanks for the offer.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 16:30

he was talking about the steel you have left xD

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 16:47

Oh look at that. I have steel. O.o
So much to pay attenton to.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 16:56

so send it to him...
and if you need steel you can always buy some from the npc for 135 each xD

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 18:00

You wont need the steel till you start expanding, and you shouldn't do that till you have filled all your building slots, Except for Research centre or store maybe.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 20:09

Building: Food factory
Area: Mauritania

Build now?

This building will be constructed on a premium building lot. Once your
Premium Account expires, you won't be able to use it until you renew your Premium Account.
Every construction needs the following resources:
221 stones, 111 steel and 23 wood.

you need steel to build buildings...

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 20:52

I'm currently pondering starting over. It may make things a little bit easier to get it "right" from the start. Because I don't have a well and in order to mass produce wood for cash I have to buy an insane amount of water. Going to wait with my decision until the morning because I'm quite tired and can't really absorb much more info.

But there is one thing I'd like to know. I saw this list of facilities somewhere, listing where to plant them all. Now I can't find it. Most facilities were in red and a few were in green. I vaguely remember Powerplant going in the red zones. Is this true?

If I have a HQ in Oman, will shops elsewhere force me to pay shipping fees?

Thanks for the advice and help. I'd be a very frustrated advanced business owner if I met someone like myself.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » 17.09.2009, 21:04

1. Here is the list: http://www.forum.kapilands.com/viewtopi ... 900#109900

2. Don't bother building a well for water or a power plant for power. Just buy what you need off the market. It will save you money and trouble down the road trying to sell the buildings off. (I have used 6 billion power a day before. Even then, I wouldn't have considered a Power Plant.)

3. You have to pay a stocking cost to place items in stores not in your HQ country. However, it is really rather low. (Same thing with contract shiping costs which you pay when shiping goods to another country.)