The launch of our latest international server (Tempelhof) has shown that, starting with the first IPOs, there has been an excessive level of abuse of the stock markets. For that reason, the run-up period to an IPO on the latest German server (Fornebu) was extended to give us time to work out some important changes to the stock market rules. Discussions regarding this problem took place on the German forums and were based on the following premises:
- Both the problems affecting IPOs and later share trading need to be addressed.
- The stock market is not in itself a key game feature. As such, the strategic element takes precedence over the speculative one.
The discussion resulted in the following measures being decided upon, to be implemented in the upcoming version 1.5.4:
- IPOs can only be subscribed to a maximum of 200% of the shares offered.
- The stock rate follows a given base rate, tied closely to the company value, and gives a rough prognosis on the company's development.
- Stock rate changes through trade will only be possible within +/- 10% of the base rate.
As a result, players who are active on the stock market should be aware that, when the patch is implemented, stock listings may change significantly. The magnitude of this can be approximated based on the company value of any publicly traded company.
Important: The formula for the calculations of the base rate is not yet final and will most likely need optimizing after the patch is implemented. If you're seeing significant losses on the stock market, it is recommended that you sit out and wait for future changes to the calculation methods.
We expect to apply this patch towards the end of next week, depending on the results of further internal testing.