Elements the Game Forum - Free Online Fantasy Card Game
Elements the Game => Cards => Topic started by: GG on January 06, 2011, 12:11:50 pm
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In the game, the buying/selling prices of cards are shown in the Bazaar. Apparently some cards are more expensive than the other, and most cards have different prices. An obvious pattern to notice is that the selling prices are blatantly lower than the buying prices.
Apparently, these prices are not random numbers, but specific numbers generated by a mathematical formula. They also reveal an interesting division between cards, set by the developer. Let's find out.
1. The Formula
1) Unupgraded cards
Let's start with buying prices. In order to figure out the formula, go to the Bazaar and look at the prices. Then, subtract the quanta cost of the card from its buying price.
You'll see one of the four numbers showing up: 6, 24, 54, 96. These numbers are even more interesting because they are 6 multiplied to squares of 1, 2, 3, 4. We can call these raw buying cost.
Same goes with the selling prices, but this time you'll see the following numbers: 4, 16, 36, 64. These are 4 multipiled to the squares. These can be raw selling cost.
Judging from this pattern, we can see that every card is given a certain Tier that determines its cost.
Tier 1 - Pillars, Skeleton (a funny exception)
Tier 2 - All 0 quanta cost cards, some of 1~5 quanta cost cards.
Tier 3 - Everything else
Tier 4 - All dragons, Fallen Elf, Chimera, Emerald Shield, Rain of Fire, Phoenix, Reflective Shield, Firefly Queen, Anubis, Sundial
2) Rares
Since it is impossible to buy them, look at their selling costs.
- All unupgraded Shards and Mark Cards cost 5 coins to sell, meaning they are in Class 1.
- Relic costs 65. 65-1 = 64 = 4*(4^2). Surprisingly, it's a Tier 4 card.
- All rare weapons and Miracle give 144 raw cost. 144 = 4*(6^2). They are Tier 6.
- Pharaoh and Arctic Squid, the most expensive rares, give 256 = 4*(8^2). They are Tier 8.
- Nymphs' raw cost is 900 = 4*(15^2). They are whopping Tier 15.
3) Upgraded Cards
Strangely, the pattern is much simpler if the cards are upgraded. For selling price, the only two numbers that show up as raw costs are 1156 for normal cards and 1296.
1156 = 4*(17^2) ---> Tier 17
1296 = 4*(18^2) ---> Tier 18
Upgraded Nymphs, owned by only a few in the community, have a raw cost of 1600.
1600 = 4*(20^2) ---> Tier 20.
4) Conclusion
Buying price of a card : 6 * (Tier)^2 + (Quanta Cost)
Selling price of a card : 4 * (Tier)^2 + (Quanta Cost)
2. Its Uses
This study does not have any special use. There is one interesting use, though: by going through the formula backwards, figure out how much a rare card would've cost if it was buyable in Bazaar.
For example, a Titan (Tier 6) would cost...
6 * (6^2) + 5 = 221 coins.
An upgraded Titan (Tier 18) (and all other 5 quanta cost rare weapons) would cost...
6 * (18^2) + 5 = 1949 coins.
3. List of Cards by Tier
For the reader's convenience, here is the organized list of all cards by their Tier.
Tier 1
- Pillars
- Unupgraded Shards
- Mark Cards
:death Skeleton
Tier 2
- Pendulums
- Dagger
:entropy Abomination, Chaos Seed, Nova, Schrodinger's Cat
:death Virus, Flesh Spider, Poison, Mummy, Deathstalker, Soul Catcher
:gravity Graviton Mercenary, Momentum, Gravity Pull
:earth Antlion, Hematite Golem, Plate Armor, Gnome Rider
:life Horned Frog, Rustler, Cockatrice, Forest Spirit, Heal, Forest Scorpion
:fire Ash Eater, Fire Spirit, Fire Bolt, Deflagration, Immolation
:water Chrysaora, Blue Crawler, Freeze, Purify, Toadfish
:light Photon, Holy Light, Guardian Angel
:air Dragonfly, Wyrm, Thunderstorm, Firefly
:time Deja Vu, Reverse Time, Scarab, Precognition, Dune Scorpion
:darkness Gargoyle, Nightmare
:aether Spark, Lightning, Phase Spider
Tier 3
- Short Sword, Hammer, Short Bow, Relic
- All cards that do not belong in any of the other Tiers
Tier 4
- Dragons
:entropy Fallen Elf
:gravity Chimera
:life Emerald Shield
:fire Rain of Fire, Phoenix
:light Reflective Shield
:air Firefly Queen
:time Anubis, Sundial
Tier 6
- Rare weapons
:light Miracle
Tier 8
:water Arctic Squid
:time Pharaoh
Tier 15
- Unupgraded Nymphs
Tier 16
- Upgraded Relics
Tier 17
- Upgraded non-rare cards
Tier 18
- Upgraded rare cards
Tier 20
- Upgraded Nymphs
* This article is written based on an article on the old Wiki. Thanks Teffy for letting me know of this article.
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really awesome article, never new this stuff :P
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Thanks.
The old article is here (http://elementsthegame.wikia.com/wiki/Card_Price_Formula).
Edit: I should also thank you, that you have mentioned me.
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Upgraded Nymphs sell for 1608-1609 electrum, thought I'd mention it, since they are excluded in your list :P
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Upgraded Nymphs sell for 1608-1609 electrum, thought I'd mention it, since they are excluded in your list :P
I was about to ask that to someone cuz I don't own an upgraded Nymph. That means they're Tier 20 o_O
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Relics used to cost more. They were most likely tier 6. They were "nerfed" when relics farms were starting to get more common.
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Reminds me of the electron figuration on the periodic table, 1,2,13,14
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Added upgraded Relic - Tier 16. Thank you Zeru for reporting it
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This probably doesnt help the formula but the rare sword Morning star sells for 149 not 144 D:
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This probably doesnt help the formula but the rare sword Morning star sells for 149 not 144 D:
144+5=149. The formula does not need "helping" because it's true.
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this is really great. thanks girlsgeneration for a long i've been trying to figure out what the buying/selling formula was. at first i thought it was a percentage of the original cost but now i can stop spending valuable time searching :D
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It is always intresting to get new information about this game.
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Wow..this is absolutely fascinating. Thank you, GG. +Karma for incredible research and devotion to the game.
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- All unupgraded Shards and Mark Cards cost 5 coins to sell, meaning they are in Class 1.
Patch 1.29:
Shard now sell for the regular price of rares (4*6^2+ quanta cost). Don´t know the price of mark cards.
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Don´t know the price of mark cards.
Tier 0. Nothing has changed. It's pretty silly that the most rare card in the game is sold for 4 :electrum, but what can you do?
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Don´t know the price of mark cards.
Tier 0. Nothing has changed. It's pretty silly that the most rare card in the game is sold for 4 :electrum, but what can you do?
LOL Seriously, the mark cards selling cost needs to change. Anyways, nice article. :D
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Tier 1 - Pillars, Skeleton (a funny exception)
Wasn't it because Skeleton was pure vanilla back then? Now that it gains the ability to turn to a random creature after reverse timed, shouldn't its price increase?
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Tier 1 - Pillars, Skeleton (a funny exception)
Wasn't it because Skeleton was pure vanilla back then? Now that it gains the ability to turn to a random creature after reverse timed, shouldn't its price increase?
photon is pure vanilla, and cost 17 :electrum
zanz doesn't love skellies (or the fact that skellie is your first arena card has something to do with is price)
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Well maybe because Skeletons are easy to generate (Boneyard and Skull Shield).
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Tier 1 - Pillars, Skeleton (a funny exception)
Wasn't it because Skeleton was pure vanilla back then? Now that it gains the ability to turn to a random creature after reverse timed, shouldn't its price increase?
photon is pure vanilla, and cost 17 :electrum
Not entirely; it's airborne. What's more, it's 0 cost, which is an enormous difference deckbuilding-wise compared to 1 cost (as you can see by Tier 2 being mostly 0-cost cards).
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Tier 1 - Pillars, Skeleton (a funny exception)
Wasn't it because Skeleton was pure vanilla back then? Now that it gains the ability to turn to a random creature after reverse timed, shouldn't its price increase?
photon is pure vanilla, and cost 17 :electrum
Not entirely; it's airborne. What's more, it's 0 cost, which is an enormous difference deckbuilding-wise compared to 1 cost (as you can see by Tier 2 being mostly 0-cost cards).
totally forgot about airborne
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Tier 1 - Pillars, Skeleton (a funny exception)
Wasn't it because Skeleton was pure vanilla back then? Now that it gains the ability to turn to a random creature after reverse timed, shouldn't its price increase?
photon is pure vanilla, and cost 17 :electrum
Not entirely; it's airborne. What's more, it's 0 cost, which is an enormous difference deckbuilding-wise compared to 1 cost (as you can see by Tier 2 being mostly 0-cost cards).
totally forgot about 0 cost
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Mind = Blown