Expediency
12-21-2015, 01:03 PM
Friends:
As <Dial a Port> continues to expand, many druids and wizards ask themselves "How can I compete with such a cartel? They have numbers, they have organization, and they have a commercial reputation. What is an independent teleporter supposed to do against such a monolith?"
Many believe that they must either join this cartel, or form with others in a similar business model if they wish to compete. This is a mistake. <Dial a Port> has a clear goal and strong leadership, fighting them on their terms will only result in a trade war that they will probably win. The answer lies instead in using the success of <Dial a Port> against them, making their union a weakness that can be exploited.
There is no way that we can organize, either in public or in private, to counter this organization collectively. They could easily infiltrate us and learn of our plans, or sabotage them. Therefore our plans must be out in the open to begin with, with every person operating independently in their own way to keep this cartel in check.
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to release this manifesto to p99 so that all may learn how to get their piece of the pie.
Tactics for combating <Dial a Port>
I. Claim your territory and fight over it. /duel any <Dial a Porter> who is showing their tag where ever you are trying to operate your small business. They are soft as butter and rarely will accept. If they refuse, mock them and send up your macro whenever they do. If you win, demand they leave the area for 24 hours. If you lose, keep your word and leave the area for the same, secure in the knowledge that you tested their strength and wasted their time/mana.
II. Offer additional services. Many <Dial a Port> members can not offer a full selection of ports, evacs, etc. If you can succor/abscond, make sure your customers know. If you can OT hammer, make sure to spread that info. Offer luxury services to high rollers.
III. Avoid advertising your porting business in zones known to offer small returns. Let <Dial a Port> have the CRs at the freeport gate or the newbs with 10 silver in qeynos hills. In this way we use their organization against them, while we are free to take the more lucrative business.
IV. Offer protection as much as you can. <Dial a Port> deals in volume and many of their members are level 30-45. This means that when you touch down in Emerald Jungle, Skyfire, or Cobalt Scar (just to name a few) and get attacked, your <Dial a Porter> is more useless than Nature Walker's Behest.
V. Conveniently offer charged WC caps (and other raid items) for sale but at an increased price, and have one on hand. Dont advertise loudly, and dont push it, just mention it to any clients in the top raiding guilds, particularly melee characters. <Dial a Port> only makes money off them one way, you can get them coming and going. Other products such as mallets and sow potions can be marketed in this way.
What do we hope to gain? And can we better the community while at war with <Dial a Port?>
The first question is easy: we hope to gain a larger piece of the pie by cutting into their business. Our goal is not to get <Dial a Port> banned or disbanded, but rather to use it from the outside to help ourselves. The second is more nuanced; but the results are already showing. By organizing against <Dial a Port> we force them to offer more services to stay competitive, which helps everyone. <Dial a Port> now boasts one epic cleric and another who can 50% rez. The more we push them, the more they must offer the public.
Predicting the future of <Dial a Port>
A. <Dial a Port> is too well integrated into the culture of p99 to go anywhere any time soon. They have strong leadership and likely have others willing to direct it should the current leadership resign.
B. Expect <Dial a Port> to get into other services, such as cap recharges, ranger tracking, or alchemy.
C. Outlaying the money for an epic cleric was a smart move that plays to their strengths; expect this business to mature and for <Dial a Port> to standardize the payment system for rezzes. Be alert for ways to counter this.
D. The wildcard: <Tell a Port> is a guild name that is being camped by a very smart everquester. Unfortunately this guild has failed to grow or to take off, and I would recommend the owner of <Tell a Port> to get in the action, or to sell his guild tag to someone who can put it to good use.
Thank you for reading, feel free to disseminate this document and I hope you will consider shopping local and flying with an independent teleporter for your next trip around Norrath!
As <Dial a Port> continues to expand, many druids and wizards ask themselves "How can I compete with such a cartel? They have numbers, they have organization, and they have a commercial reputation. What is an independent teleporter supposed to do against such a monolith?"
Many believe that they must either join this cartel, or form with others in a similar business model if they wish to compete. This is a mistake. <Dial a Port> has a clear goal and strong leadership, fighting them on their terms will only result in a trade war that they will probably win. The answer lies instead in using the success of <Dial a Port> against them, making their union a weakness that can be exploited.
There is no way that we can organize, either in public or in private, to counter this organization collectively. They could easily infiltrate us and learn of our plans, or sabotage them. Therefore our plans must be out in the open to begin with, with every person operating independently in their own way to keep this cartel in check.
After much thought and consideration, I have decided to release this manifesto to p99 so that all may learn how to get their piece of the pie.
Tactics for combating <Dial a Port>
I. Claim your territory and fight over it. /duel any <Dial a Porter> who is showing their tag where ever you are trying to operate your small business. They are soft as butter and rarely will accept. If they refuse, mock them and send up your macro whenever they do. If you win, demand they leave the area for 24 hours. If you lose, keep your word and leave the area for the same, secure in the knowledge that you tested their strength and wasted their time/mana.
II. Offer additional services. Many <Dial a Port> members can not offer a full selection of ports, evacs, etc. If you can succor/abscond, make sure your customers know. If you can OT hammer, make sure to spread that info. Offer luxury services to high rollers.
III. Avoid advertising your porting business in zones known to offer small returns. Let <Dial a Port> have the CRs at the freeport gate or the newbs with 10 silver in qeynos hills. In this way we use their organization against them, while we are free to take the more lucrative business.
IV. Offer protection as much as you can. <Dial a Port> deals in volume and many of their members are level 30-45. This means that when you touch down in Emerald Jungle, Skyfire, or Cobalt Scar (just to name a few) and get attacked, your <Dial a Porter> is more useless than Nature Walker's Behest.
V. Conveniently offer charged WC caps (and other raid items) for sale but at an increased price, and have one on hand. Dont advertise loudly, and dont push it, just mention it to any clients in the top raiding guilds, particularly melee characters. <Dial a Port> only makes money off them one way, you can get them coming and going. Other products such as mallets and sow potions can be marketed in this way.
What do we hope to gain? And can we better the community while at war with <Dial a Port?>
The first question is easy: we hope to gain a larger piece of the pie by cutting into their business. Our goal is not to get <Dial a Port> banned or disbanded, but rather to use it from the outside to help ourselves. The second is more nuanced; but the results are already showing. By organizing against <Dial a Port> we force them to offer more services to stay competitive, which helps everyone. <Dial a Port> now boasts one epic cleric and another who can 50% rez. The more we push them, the more they must offer the public.
Predicting the future of <Dial a Port>
A. <Dial a Port> is too well integrated into the culture of p99 to go anywhere any time soon. They have strong leadership and likely have others willing to direct it should the current leadership resign.
B. Expect <Dial a Port> to get into other services, such as cap recharges, ranger tracking, or alchemy.
C. Outlaying the money for an epic cleric was a smart move that plays to their strengths; expect this business to mature and for <Dial a Port> to standardize the payment system for rezzes. Be alert for ways to counter this.
D. The wildcard: <Tell a Port> is a guild name that is being camped by a very smart everquester. Unfortunately this guild has failed to grow or to take off, and I would recommend the owner of <Tell a Port> to get in the action, or to sell his guild tag to someone who can put it to good use.
Thank you for reading, feel free to disseminate this document and I hope you will consider shopping local and flying with an independent teleporter for your next trip around Norrath!