Allow Voting on Bud Prices in USD

[Distinctively Vincent]

http://steamcommunity.com/groups/meetthestats/discussions/2/864958451730896468/

 

As detailed there. The long and short of it, having all items priced in USD from a base of refined USD is causing a number of problems in the site.

 

1. Unusual prices are set based on USD in the system but set in ranges of keys and buds. The end result is that every single unusual on the site is inaccurately priced in the very currency they're stored in, as they are being priced through inaccurate Key/Bud USD values.

 

2. The site is making depicted unusual prices inaccurate. Refined->Key and Key->bud relationships have been continually changing the past few months, resulting in continually changing bud ranges as depicted in the unusual price list. All the while, bud USD value has been largely constant and many of the site-induced changes end up needing to be put back into original state by suggesters. A single scrap change on the key results in bud+ worth of changes on all unusuals in the 10 bud+ range. This is unfair both to those who go to the unusual section to check a price, who then receive inaccurate bud ranges, and to the unusual suggesters, who have their ranges regularly changed on them against their will.

 

3. The USD graph currency is being made incorrect, as all items priced in keys or buds are not being given realistic values.

 

I don't know about the technical side of things, in having items be priced in USD based on the currency that's used to price them instead of all coming off a single source, but it will be very much worth it in the end. Unusuals can still be collectively updated given any major bud USD changes in the future while not making a significant amount of unusual ranges significantly inaccurate every 1-2 months. USD values everywhere for items will be significantly more accurate, improving the Backpack portion of the site.

 

Alternatively, switching from the current base refined USD to a base bud USD should be a simplier, if slightly less accurate, solution. Items priced in refined will be off, but that only impacts low cost items at a few cents and, ultimately, only the backpack portion of the site. Meanwhile, the more valuable items that are more likely to see cash transactions will be accurately priced, which is ultimately more useful for the site's users. Further, since the only items on the site that rely on USD are typically priced in buds, it will resolve the issue of price ranges being inaccurately altered every time a key/bud suggestion passes.

 

Edit: I lied. This ended up being strictly the long of it. Apologies.

[jjjon123]

Edit: I lied. This ended up being strictly the long of it. Apologies.

 

Lol, but I agree with this, I came up with this same idea a month or two ago. Its the best solution out there right now.

[MeatballHLM]

Nice idea.

[XisTeNcE]

Support.

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Take 2. 

 

(Damnit Brad, why you no listen)

[Pintend]

I agree with said notion.

[Herty]

Yeah, agreed. Support.

[@@@@@@]

Buds are valued at $37 right now... aren't they closer to $34-35?

[AwesomeMcCoolName]

Buds are like 33~, but Bud $-value is based on the Ref $-value, which makes no sense since these items are completely independent from each other. Buds are rarely bought/sold for Metal, and Ref $-value doesn't mean much since almost noone wants metal. 

[Woifi The Viking]

I say it again. Buds should be priced in $. If possible keys and ref too.

[Jester]

*signed in support. Also, I posted this in another thread, but it fits here:

 

FYI, I did PM Brad on this. Addressing this is on his radar, but I don't know when he's going to get to it. It seems like his angle will be to do cash voting on all 3 but I don't think that's final. It will be a ton of code he's going to have to rewrite and he's been busy with all these other new features. 

I guess we just need to keep coming up with options and be patient until he can get around to it :L

Here's options that have been brought up before: (no particular order)
1. PC unusuals only using usd
2. Separate website for unusuals
3. Vote on cash value of buds/keys/ref
4. Make buds or keys the primary currency instead of ref
5. Introduce an internal correction factor that would take the refined price and adjust the cash prices of keys/buds.

Quoting Brad:
"I tried to make keys worth 5% less than its metal value and buds 10% less than ref value (example).. But there's a LOT of code to change. Couldn't really finish anything close to reality and had so many features planned that it's on the back burner.

It'd probably be easier to allow dual currencies for these 3 items and re-write some stuff. It's still a lot of work."

So that's my update for you guys. News is news, good or bad, gotta report it.

[☣Long218☢]

Buds are valued at $37 right now... aren't they closer to $34-35?

I sell plenty(like 20+) at $37 but I also have no problem buying them at $35. so maybe 35-37 sounds nice.

[☣Long218☢]

I say it again. Buds should be priced in $. If possible keys and ref too.

yea, items' dollar value will be based on what currency it is being priced right now. This would be so much fairer.

[Jester]

Keys changed. Buds are now back to over $38. Real life price is like 33-34

 

That's 13% off. That means hats that cost as little as 2 buds are displayed at 1.75 buds on backpack.tf. (Assuming the cash price is right of course.)

 

Price checking pretty much any unusual is a waste of time since the displayed price is wrong almost immediately.

[Jester]

Bump

[Jester]

Any one know if brad is working on this issue?

[Chief D]

Doubt it, I think he's still busy with other stuff. (site related and IRL)