Did nobody point this out before we implemented it?
It seems HUGELY obvious to me now.
By allowing fragmenting we have allowed people to control markets for items.
If you had 75 (semi) worthless items before you can now fragment 74 and gain benefit, and have #75 hanging out there as FSP bait. (Maybe 76-85 if no-one else has them...) You will still benefit by using your 74 fragments to invent whatever the Cows decide can be made. Win/Win. Until then you can SQUEEZE the market and INFLATE prices. THIS is happening NOW!!
To the show me the evidence crowd I say this: Bite me. I cannot prove this behaviour. But I ask you, my fellow players, to tell me I am wrong in key valuable item markets.
The proponents of this system repeatedly said it would require frequent legendary and spine events. The dissolution of items was started on its own. BEFORE replacement systems were in place. In a finite system profit would be easy to find. I would like to say I told you so............ but I did not see it happening so quickly. But it has. I argued that no benefit should be added to FF dissolution precisely to slow down this abuse.... but I did not see the full effect in advance.
HCS introduced fragmentation independently of the rest of their new system. Their choice. They wanted to show us players, as greedy and shortsighted, as venal and self defeating as we are.. that they are still thinking of us......
That was a HUGE mistake. It meant folk could buy then fragment many items cheaply, and then control a suddenly inflated market.
Did anyone see this coming? If so (other than the clever boys and girls who knew this would make them FSP, and to whom I can only bow sardonically to and hope they will give me a glass of wine) : I wish I had heard you. I did not see enough on the forum clearly enough to make me shout out against this idea.
Should we have seen this coming?
Yes. Maybe.
Should the game designers have seen this form of opportunism arising? Yes. It is your JOB!
Is my analysis wrong? (maybe)
Is everything fine? (maybe)
Talk back and discuss. Please.

