As it currently stands, ship buffs are essentially free. Yes, you have to contribute with plat (and/or tokens for crystals), guild renown to make ship buffs possible, but once you have it, you have it basically for free. The cost of the buff vendors is practically nothing, and the cost of usage is zero. (and don't even get me started on ship buff moochers, they literally get it for free)
Before we had ship buffs, we had something more balanced, we had potions and House J/P buffs. And most of us happily purchased the buffs when we needed it. Now days we just get all ship buffs, because it's free and lasts longer. (yes, we still buy and use potions, but not to the same extent, because we don't need to)
Why don't we change it? AFAIK there is a lot of plat inflation going on. So here is what I propose, make ship buffs cost money to use.
How much money? Lets compare with the normal buffs.
Aid/Stats/Resists at house j cost 30 plat each, by this logic, improved ship energy resist (20 resist) should cost 60 plat, since it lasts twice as long but gives the same benefit.
Greater, perhaps double, 120 plat.
For stat enhancers, the minor could cost the same as the improved, and the lesser the same as the greater. I.e 60 and 120 plat respectively.
The house buffs could be seen as equal to the improved energy resist, 60 plat each.
The experience shrines on the other hand, to get exp bonus you normally have to pay turbine points, so this one should be more expensive. A lot more.
For the 1% bonus, 60 plat, 2% 120 plat, 3% 200 plat, 5% 800 plat
So to review the new prices I propose.
Lesser energy resist 30 plat
Improved energy resist 60 plat
Greater energy resist 120 plat
Minor stat enhancement 60 plat
Lesser stat enhancement 120 plat
House buffs 60 plat
Experience: 1% 60, 2% 120, 3% 200, 5% 800
If you buy everything it would cost 1600 plat, still less than 3 yugo pots, (still more effective and easier to obtain)
I would also propose that if you are a member of the guild paying for these you should get a discount, 10% less per buff, and if you are not a member you pay more 25% more per buff.
What would be the effects of doing this?
The first is that people would be more vary of using ship buffs, only buying the ones they need for the quest, only buying them if the quest reward outweighs the cost (or if you just have a huge pile of money).
That would reverse a great deal of the power creep that has come with the ship buffs. Don't get me wrong, I love that guilds can have renown and be eligible to buy ships and stuff for it! But it has come with a great deal of power creep, a great deal that needs to be reversed. (In my opinion)
Thoughts?