Airline Mogul Forum
Airline Mogul => General Chat => Topic started by: Morgan on August 19, 2007, 11:43:43 am
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Well, how can i become a broker?
Is that classified to official or unofficial?
Thanks. :)
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To be an offical broker (from memory) you need to:
Send an ingame or forum message to Stephen
Sorry, I can't really elaborate more, but maybe one of the others can.
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To become an official broker, you have to
1. Send pm to StephenM
2. Convince him you are the right choice among others
3. Wait for a vacancy (an official broker leaving or going inactive for a long time)... or convince StephenM AND the current brokers that more brokers are needed
4. Wait and wait a bit more until StephenM gets back to you
5. Don't piss off the current official brokers while waiting because they would probably be consulted by StephenM as to who should be selected when a new broker has to be chosen.
... and some warnings,
- Don't think it is a glamourous job to be an official broker, it takes a lot of time, work, and patience
- Don't think official brokers get a lot of benefit... in fact, we don't have extra cash or planes when starting, nor do we have extra discounts when buying planes for our own use.
- Think twice before applying, this is an obligation to the game
- We do help with other things in the game, such as beta testing, searching and inputting data, thinking up new feature suggestions, writing the AM Wiki... etc.
- Think twice before applying... there is no turning back!
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Too many people are asking this question. Stop asking. If you can't even read the forum, you are not qualified anyway.
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To become an official broker, you have to
1. Send pm to StephenM
2. Convince him you are the right choice among others
3. Wait for a vacancy (an official broker leaving or going inactive for a long time)... or convince StephenM AND the current brokers that more brokers are needed
4. Wait and wait a bit more until StephenM gets back to you
5. Don't piss off the current official brokers while waiting because they would probably be consulted by StephenM as to who should be selected when a new broker has to be chosen.
... and some warnings,
- Don't think it is a glamourous job to be an official broker, it takes a lot of time, work, and patients
- Don't think official brokers get a lot of benefit... in fact, we don't have extra cash or planes when starting, nor do we have extra discounts when buying planes for our own use.
- Think twice before applying, this is an obligation to the game
- We do help with other things in the game, such as beta testing, searching and inputting data, thinking up new feature suggestions, writing the AM Wiki... etc.
- Think twice before applying... there is no turning back!
There is deffinetly a lot of obligation and it is time consuming especially when you get those orders for 50+ aircraft for immediate delivery. And yes there is a lot of waiting for StephenM to get back to you :lol: but it can be rewarding in its own ways.
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Someone please APPLY. We need another broker! Especially since we only have 1 broker currently taking orders!
OrangeAir :: Away until 10/27/2007!
DEX Brokerage (partly reopened)
.:Hampo Brokerage:. NOT TAKING ORDERS ... Away 23rd - 26th
[BROKER INACTIVE] StarCross Airlines Aircraft Liquidation!!!
[BROKER INACTIVE] -ILFC-
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Applying doesn't mean you would get the job, nor that there would be brokers added. :wink:
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I'd suggest D Express to be more active in brokerage .. then all things are solved :lol:
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I'd suggest D Express to be more active in brokerage .. then all things are solved :lol:
Its not his fault or responsibility, its the design of the broker system that is effecting him.
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one part of the playerbase screams "BROKERS ARE UNFAIR" (because they think that the other players are better due to getting free planes from brokers or something), the other half screams "MORE BROKERS WE CANT GET PLANES".
i wish players would start seeing as human element that tries to increase gameplay, that is you can do more "human" deals than just ordering planes clickety click.
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one part of the playerbase screams "BROKERS ARE UNFAIR" (because they think that the other players are better due to getting free planes from brokers or something), the other half screams "MORE BROKERS WE CANT GET PLANES".
i wish players would start seeing as human element that tries to increase gameplay, that is you can do more "human" deals than just ordering planes clickety click.
LOL!!!!... which side are you on? :lol:
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one part of the playerbase screams "BROKERS ARE UNFAIR" (because they think that the other players are better due to getting free planes from brokers or something), the other half screams "MORE BROKERS WE CANT GET PLANES".
i wish players would start seeing as human element that tries to increase gameplay, that is you can do more "human" deals than just ordering planes clickety click.
LOL!!!!... which side are you on? :lol:
with the minority who think that brokers are a good service to the community, they just dont happen to be of help to everyone. i do think that players who outvalue brokers dont need their help but they are a great way to offer financing to new players who cant pay all the money up front.
the further down the ranks you are, the more you benefit from using the broker system.
last round, i started in LATE LATE 2003 (oct), it was great being able to order planes ahead of the own growth, without paying before delivery.
now, this round, i am one of the more wealthy players, and quickly gave up trying to use the broker system ;) i think i have used less than 10 broker orders through the whole round so far, simply because it dont really help me to order one martin 404 a day from a broker, when i have to buy 50 to sustain growth
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one part of the playerbase screams "BROKERS ARE UNFAIR" (because they think that the other players are better due to getting free planes from brokers or something), the other half screams "MORE BROKERS WE CANT GET PLANES".
i wish players would start seeing as human element that tries to increase gameplay, that is you can do more "human" deals than just ordering planes clickety click.
LOL!!!!... which side are you on? :lol:
with the minority who think that brokers are a good service to the community, they just dont happen to be of help to everyone. i do think that players who outvalue brokers dont need their help but they are a great way to offer financing to new players who cant pay all the money up front.
the further down the ranks you are, the more you benefit from using the broker system.
last round, i started in LATE LATE 2003 (oct), it was great being able to order planes ahead of the own growth, without paying before delivery.
now, this round, i am one of the more wealthy players, and quickly gave up trying to use the broker system ;) i think i have used less than 10 broker orders through the whole round so far, simply because it dont really help me to order one martin 404 a day from a broker, when i have to buy 50 to sustain growth
Exactly the same way I think as well. D Express gave me some good leases on ATR72s which got me really going.
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I agree with you two. Last round when I came in late the brokers were all way bigger than me and could always afford to broker me planes. Today I'd be interested in someone who could broker me 10 super constellations, but which broker is able to offer me that?
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Will there be an opening for an official broker soon since Hampo is leaving?
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i have a few nominations for official brokers:
Green though he spams too much and might not be liked by other players
Virgin America good choice, he partners with Orange already
Planet Express seems like a responsible player[/list]
Anyone else have nominations? :D
and don't nominate yourself, that's just a strange thing to do... :razz:
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Will there be an opening for an official broker soon since Hampo is leaving?
The Airline Mogul staff have not been officially told of any such action (ie Email) so I cannot say.
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As far as I know, Hampo never said a thing about leaving? His store is just "closed".
EDIT: I'd love to be a broker. But not take over a place of Hampo.
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The reason I am closed is explained in my thread in the 'Airline Reports' bit of the forum.
I think that the game can cope with just 2 brokers over the festive period and there isn't a need for even more brokers.
Sam
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Too bad, Hampo is the best official broker in this game....he's pioneering the -10% markup....and i respect him for that :(
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If you're going to vote on new official brokers, instead of casting a vote, I'd like to take away a vote from Jps for spamming. :)
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HE'S COMING BACK NEXT ROUND!
So stop complaining. And prepare to welcome him back :D
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Too bad, Hampo is the best official broker in this game....he's pioneering the -10% markup....and i respect him for that :(
Me too, strangely. For some reason, he was always the first broker to start off a small price war, and I kinda enjoyed that.
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For some reason, he was always the first broker to start off a small price war,
he is the baby amongst us? :P
Seriously though, I will miss him... but i will miss myself too :lol:
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He might well be the youngest, actually.
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He might well be the youngest, actually.
Physically, he is. Mentally, I am :P
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I didn´t want to state the obvious. But yes, you´re absolutely right on that.
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:lol:
(we need to have one of those deep conversations I had with Bruno the other day, to get rid of your impression of me being immature :wink: )
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I didn´t want to state the obvious. But yes, you´re absolutely right on that.
Nah, Dex has his uses. Without him I don't know what state AM would be in currently. :)
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:lol:
(we need to have one of those deep conversations I had with Bruno the other day, to get rid of your impression of me being immature :wink: )
Shame on you! :p You were really depressed on that day.
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:lol:
(we need to have one of those deep conversations I had with Bruno the other day, to get rid of your impression of me being immature :wink: )
D, it's not just an impression, trust me :lol: It's more like a fixed memory.
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Could I nominee myself to be a broker next round?? 8)
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the game should have more brokers not cuz it needs it but to create the element of airline managing. most airlines have brokers with contract wars, all of em trying to profit. with more brokers, or if you had everyone be able to broker, or with a new broker system, that kinda competition could exist in AM too
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the game should have more brokers not cuz it needs it but to create the element of airline managing. most airlines have brokers with contract wars, all of em trying to profit. with more brokers, or if you had everyone be able to broker, or with a new broker system, that kinda competition could exist in AM too
First, this is not brokerage mogul.
Second, airlines are not brokerage. As I was telling someone else on IRC and trying to convince Stephen, if brokerage = no airlines, airlines = no brokering. Simple. Don't tell me ILFC got their cash from operating an airline, because we all know that is BS.
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BS B*ll Sh*t or BS Blue Skies? :P :P
kidding
well i believe in something stephen is the creator of AM so he knows what the best for AM as simple as that
by the way is it ok if i make lets say a 5 dollars donation :oops:
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by the way is it ok if i make lets say a 5 dollars donation :oops:
Yeah, of course :)
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It was fun to read the little pow-wow between all the admins in there, and I wish I could have participated, but back to the thread topic:
I remember reading the suggestions thread started by Aytchman (http://www.stephenm.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5796) and it seems a lot of people (including myself) would like more diversity of strategy. Perhaps expanding the brokerage system to all players and making it a viable strategy (i.e. making it much more profitable) would be a simple and code-lite way of adding diversity to the game.
Right now, to be the top player, you essentially have to start in Europe or NA (maybe Asia), open hubs at all the biggest airports, and then fly to every pipsqueak airline in the continent, and then edit your routes constantly all day. There seems to be no other way to become #1 in airline value.
Perhaps if all players were allowed to make a profit when brokering (so getting planes at discounts like official brokers when brokering for others), we would see the emergence of another viable strategy to get to the top.
Also, I must point out that I don't understand why we need human players in the brokerage system. We could easily just set up an automated 'bank' that brokers all planes for people, thereby creating two ways for an airline to order planes (direct from manufacturer, which requires all the money up front, or through a broker, which requires less money up front but may take a little bit longer if you include the order acceptance times). I think it's unfair that brokering becomes a chore for all the official brokers, and like people said in this thread, it doesn't really benefit their airline anyways. So it begs the question - why do we even have the brokerage system in the first place, if not to make another viable strategy for a company to succeed in Airline Mogul.
So in closing, I propose scrapping the 'official' system and allow everyone to get discounts when brokering. Thus, players will have a lot more choice in how they use their money for the highest return. And why isn't Airline Mogul also Broker Mogul? I think it'll be more fun that Airline Mogul also includes Broker Mogul. I have yet to hear a convincing argument to the contrary.
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I will tell you this, if official broker is scrap, no one would get to use the brokerage system with any discount. Simple as that.
No airline broker new planes out there. Simple as that as well.
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I will tell you this, if official broker is scrap, no one would get to use the brokerage system with any discount. Simple as that.
No airline broker new planes out there. Simple as that as well.
Then unofficial ones will rule the market... :twisted:
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Then unofficial ones will rule the market... :twisted:
I don't mind that... if the players at large don't mind paying 133% for every plane they buy, and 50% lease rates... :roll:
Oh... why shouldn't AM be Pet Shop Mogul? School Mogul? Shipping Mogul? Hotel Mogul? Restaurant Mogul? Hardware Store Mogul? I have yet to hear a valid argument is well :roll: (<- completely sarcastic)
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I wont charge that much if the official ones went bye bye.. :lol:
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I wont charge that much if the official ones went bye bye.. :lol:
Yaya... just that people will need to pay more. Not a big change. :roll:
It is not like they are not paying ridiculously high prices/rates to you right now :roll:
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Fine... rip them all off! :twisted: (While the brokers have no scrap) :lol:
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Perhaps if all players were allowed to make a profit when brokering (so getting planes at discounts like official brokers when brokering for others), we would see the emergence of another viable strategy to get to the top.
Also, I must point out that I don't understand why we need human players in the brokerage system. We could easily just set up an automated 'bank' that brokers all planes for people, thereby creating two ways for an airline to order planes (direct from manufacturer, which requires all the money up front, or through a broker, which requires less money up front but may take a little bit longer if you include the order acceptance times). I think it's unfair that brokering becomes a chore for all the official brokers, and like people said in this thread, it doesn't really benefit their airline anyways. So it begs the question - why do we even have the brokerage system in the first place, if not to make another viable strategy for a company to succeed in Airline Mogul.
What you are describing here is the ever-ongoing argument between realism and gameplay. What I'm missing in your proposal, no matter how thought trough it seems, is why we would want to get rid of an at least remotely realistic function and replace it with something that is, in no way, to be seen in the actual airline industry. Airlines don't make money brokering aircraft to other airlines, they make money transporting passengers or other random stuff. I don't see why we should make the brokerage system profitable, therefore creating another type of gameplay that in real life as well as in the current setup is limited to a select group of businesses only, simply because right now you need to be in a big airport and have free time to become the number 1. Which, might I add, is quite realistic as well. I am yet to see some obscure bush airline based in Africa servicing major airports like JFK, FRA or even RTM because of their world domination. Big airports have more passengers, more passengers generally equals more profits, therefore big airports generally equal more profits.
@Jps: This thread is not about unofficial brokers, stop the argument or get it going elsewhere.
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Im adding to the discussion. :lol: Brokers are realistic.. (in a way... just that receiving scraps at 12.5% seems way off)
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Im adding to the discussion. :lol: Brokers are realistic.. (in a way... just that receiving scraps at 12.5% seems way off)
Agree. Consider that we are pulling DC's out from the desert... we should be paying even less :twisted: :roll:
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DC's can be sold easily... Just that it doesn't happen when Hampo and DEX flood the market. :lol:
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Then unofficial ones will rule the market... :twisted:
I don't mind that... if the players at large don't mind paying 133% for every plane they buy, and 50% lease rates... :roll:
Oh... why shouldn't AM be Pet Shop Mogul? School Mogul? Shipping Mogul? Hotel Mogul? Restaurant Mogul? Hardware Store Mogul? I have yet to hear a valid argument is well :roll: (<- completely sarcastic)
What's wrong with people having to pay more? The structure of a broker deal seems to be a premium service: you get the plane in roughly the same amount of time, but the timing of cashflows is more advantageous for the airline. As well, the airline gets to pick the timing of when he 'picks up' the airline. For instance, if I buy an aircraft right now, I have to log in 24 hours later exactly, or else I feel I didn't optimize my purchase. With a brokered aircraft, I don't have to be so precise.
Therefore, I argue it is a premium service. As well, we keep on talking about how fast airlines are growing in this game. If we take away -10% discount planes, people will grow just a tad slower.
I also feel your sarcasm is unwarranted dktc, but I can understand that this is an issue you've debated for a very long time, and you're thinking back to all the arguments you had before, which unfortunately I am not privy to, and hence I cannot sympathise with your position.
As for realism, MrOrange, I think we all agree this game is not really realistic. As I mentioned elsewhere, allowing profitable B737 routes from Chicago to Anakulak in Alaska (PAX 6000) is ludicrous. When I mentioned this should be 'fixed', you said that there are many more airlines in this game than in real life, so we must create a more accommodative market to 'soak up the companies', if you will. So then, yes, it's still an argument between playability and realism, but I think playability should trump realism, because like someone else said (in the aforementioned 'philosophical' suggestion thread by Aytch), sometimes too much realism doesn't lead to more diversity of strategy, but just more tedium (e.g. class-separated fares).
It is a debate that will rage on (playability vs realism), but I don't think you should immediately dismiss my suggestion because it makes the game 'less realistic'.
Also, nobody addressed the fact that this would free up more time for the current 'official' brokers.
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there are many more airlines in this game than in real life, so we must create a more accommodative market to 'soak up the companies', if you will.
Did I say that? :? Not that I don't believe you, it's more like I don't believe myself. I get that a lot. It could also be my English, which sometimes only makes sense if you translate each word separately to Dutch and then translate the entire Dutch sentence again.
No, AM isn't realistic. Multiworlds adds a lot of realism already, making the individual worlds less saturated and keeping the number of airlines to a more realistic level. It also, because of the setup of it, costs me a lot of time to set up brokerages, simply because I would have to look after six airlines, which is not what I want. I'd be happy with one. I would have been really happy with an automated broker system, where some random computer-driven broker has a lot of planes at different ages and different prices and leases/sells them like crazy, but we don't have that. As soon as we have that, I'll give up the brokerage, but for now, indeed time is a problem. Really, all that keeps me in 4 worlds at the same time right now is my conscience. On a sidenote, the realism/playability debate will probably keep on buggering us, simply because it is essential in deciding how AM will progress from here. I'm more in favor of realism, because eventually realism, when incorporated into the game in the right way, should make the game as playable as a game of chess. There are some really good examples of realistic-yet-playable (even airline management) sims on the internet, to illustrate my point. Your suggestion is OK, don't misunderstand me, it only probably comes at the wrong time for some of the longer-present players. You can't help that though.
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First, you are privy to the arguments. Just read back several pages, in general chats, bugs, and suggestions. You can read all those information you are asking for. Therefore, I don't understand your complaint when you have not put enough effort into solve that issue yourself.
Second, this is airline mogul. I could argue that airlines operate hotels, CD stores, cruise... etc. (See EasyJet and Virgin's). Do we need to add those in here as well? They are at least somewhat realistic while brokering new planes has never been a business for airlines.
Third, as I have said, this is not my issue that someone else have to pay more for the same thing. I understand perfectly well that having someone finance a plane for you is a premium service. However, ask those players out there. 90% of them do not understand that, and 60% think we are already overcharging them with 1% profit. :roll:
Fourth, it is not the issue of whether it is a premium service. It is more like when you could pay $1 for something now, why would you ask to pay $5 for the same thing tomorrow (assuming no inflation / inflation in one day is less than 500%). :roll:
Fifth, when you said you don't have to be using the plane precisely at 24 hours, that is BS. It is only your perception, while fact is, if you don't get the plane precisely within the hour that is it ready, you are leaving it idle and wasting the chance to make profit out of it. You are just giving unwarranted excuse to yourself, or you don't understand time-value-money. Either way, that concept is incorrect.
Sixth, this would not free up more time for the current official brokers. This would get rid of them. Those are concepts that you should be able to differentiate and please don't ask me to argue why they are not the same.
Seven, we are not the one who dismiss your "suggestion" because of realism. The majority of players are saying that official brokers should not have airlines because of realistic reasons, and we are trying to address that. (In fact, we have come up with a solution of which Stephen and Will rejected.) Seeing that on this topic, realism trumps playability for the majority of players, there is no reason for us to go against them and allow airlines to broker. It is only fair in that case. You can't have everything you want at the same time.
Eighth, continuing on the previous point, as you have pointed out, this is an on-going debate and for a very long time. Can you at least give us some credit that we have debated it? Would you consider that we have thought this out before your "suggestion"? Have it ever occured to you that your "suggestion" is new only to you, but is well worned for us and that a decision have already been made long ago? Relating back to the first point, please read the old post on this topic.