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Alpha Two Phase II testing is currently taking place five days each week. More information about testing schedule can be found here
If you have Alpha Two, you can download the game launcher here, and we encourage you to join us on our Official Discord Server for the most up to date testing news.
NPCs are scammers - Incorrect math behind final price calculation
TheAshenWolf
Member, Alpha One, Alpha Two, Early Alpha Two
Summary
If you are not interested in the math and stuff, but want to know everything, this is the core of the problem:
The final price at an NPC is calculated incorrectly - it is higher than it should be. The worst part about this is that its is not uniform across the board. Bags are, for example, 1 copper more expensive. Rations, however, have 45% higher price.
No matter what I have taken into account, the math just seems wrong. And one would believe that adding few numbers is not such a big deal.
Images used
Since each screenshot is large and contains a bunch of additional information that is not relevant, I decided to make some smaller pictures by removing what I didn't need.
Observation
Here are several trades I took as an example.
I used a trader in Winstead (9% tax) and Briarmoor farms (cookhouse, lab, etc.; 0% tax)
Seeing these numbers makes me believe that the lower the price per item is, the worse is the difference. You may not notice it when buying 100 scrolls for over 1.5 gold, but it still shows.
What does this affect?
- Every vendor NPC, regardless of currency, both items and materials
(Yes, including tax receipts)
Math
Let's look at each example one by one.
Now, we can clearly see that the percentage is not the same even for the same item (20 rations vs 80 rations), but it does stay the same for the same quantity and price (HP Salve and Mana Salve).
We can also see that the higher the asking price per item, the lower the increase, however, even this seems to be all over the place.
Another thing that can be observed is that taxes in fact do exist. If we compare ration asking prices.
Theory 1: "It's taxes bro."
No. It's not. As we can see from the tables, the percentage is all over the place and doesn't follow the 9%
Theory 2: "Maybe the tax is applied to each item, then it is rounded up and then summed up?"
Now, at the first glance, that sounded plausible.
Okay, close enough. But 60 is not 58. And then we can look at the example of Briarmoor's cookhouse and the whole theory falls apart. Nice try tho.
Theory 3: "What if it's rounded to nearest integer instead?"
Based on the previous theory and no data from Briarmoor. Understandable conclusion, but wrong for the same reason.
Theory(?) 4: "Isn't it just visual?"
Sadly, no. What can I say, I am broke for a reason*.
*The reason I am broke has nothing to do with this bug.
Theory 5:
I actually didn't think about it, but good point!
Sadly, selling is counted properly, so no counter-scam from us.
If you are not interested in the math and stuff, but want to know everything, this is the core of the problem:
The final price at an NPC is calculated incorrectly - it is higher than it should be. The worst part about this is that its is not uniform across the board. Bags are, for example, 1 copper more expensive. Rations, however, have 45% higher price.
No matter what I have taken into account, the math just seems wrong. And one would believe that adding few numbers is not such a big deal.
Images used
Since each screenshot is large and contains a bunch of additional information that is not relevant, I decided to make some smaller pictures by removing what I didn't need.
Observation
Here are several trades I took as an example.
I used a trader in Winstead (9% tax) and Briarmoor farms (cookhouse, lab, etc.; 0% tax)
Seeing these numbers makes me believe that the lower the price per item is, the worse is the difference. You may not notice it when buying 100 scrolls for over 1.5 gold, but it still shows.
What does this affect?
- Every vendor NPC, regardless of currency, both items and materials
(Yes, including tax receipts)
Math
Let's look at each example one by one.
Winstead =================================================================================== | Item(s) | Price per item | Price sum | Price asked | Increase | | 20 Rations | 2 | 40 | 58 | 45 % | | 80 Rations | 2 | 160 | 234 | 46.25 % | | 1 Copper Sword | 738 | 738 | 738 | 0 % | | 3 Apprentice Mining Bags | 280 | 840 | 844 | 0.47 % | | 100 Recipes | 175 | 17,500 | 17,598 | 0.56 % | | 20 Apprentice Exp Scrolls | 140 | 2,800 | 2,815 | 0.54 % | | 40 Apprentice Exp Scrolls | 140 | 5,600 | 5,631 | 0.55 % | =================================================================================== Briarmoor =================================================================================== | Item(s) | Price per item | Price sum | Price asked | Increase | | 20 Rations | 2 | 40 | 53 | 32.5 % | | 80 Rations | 2 | 160 | 213 | 33.13 % | | 3 Novice Fishing bags | 95 | 285 | 287 | 0.7 % | | 100 Recipes | 159 | 15,900 | 15,998 | 0.62 % | | 100 Novice Con Scrolls | 47 | 4,700 | 4,799 | 2.11 % | | 20 Novice Health Salve | 9 | 180 | 187 | 3.89 % | | 20 Novice Mana Salve | 9 | 180 | 187 | 3.89 % | | 80 Various Materials | --- | 680 | 740 | 8.82 % | ===================================================================================
Now, we can clearly see that the percentage is not the same even for the same item (20 rations vs 80 rations), but it does stay the same for the same quantity and price (HP Salve and Mana Salve).
We can also see that the higher the asking price per item, the lower the increase, however, even this seems to be all over the place.
Another thing that can be observed is that taxes in fact do exist. If we compare ration asking prices.
Briarmoor (0% tax) at 53 vs Winstead (9% tax) at 58 // By multiplying base price by 1.09, we get result after 9% tax 53 * 1.09 = 57.77 // By rounding 57.77 up, we get observed 58 ⌊57.77⌋ = 58
Theory 1: "It's taxes bro."
No. It's not. As we can see from the tables, the percentage is all over the place and doesn't follow the 9%
Theory 2: "Maybe the tax is applied to each item, then it is rounded up and then summed up?"
Now, at the first glance, that sounded plausible.
20 Rations at 2 copper each: // Apply tax 2 * 1.09 = 2.18 // Round up ⌊2.18⌋ = 3 // Sum up 3 * 20 = 60
Okay, close enough. But 60 is not 58. And then we can look at the example of Briarmoor's cookhouse and the whole theory falls apart. Nice try tho.
Theory 3: "What if it's rounded to nearest integer instead?"
Based on the previous theory and no data from Briarmoor. Understandable conclusion, but wrong for the same reason.
Theory(?) 4: "Isn't it just visual?"
Sadly, no. What can I say, I am broke for a reason*.
*The reason I am broke has nothing to do with this bug.
Theory 5:
I actually didn't think about it, but good point!
Sadly, selling is counted properly, so no counter-scam from us.
I think I am broken.
1
Comments
Naturally, I did. In the middle of January.