@MichaelMichael, I will take you up on your offer and expect never to see you or your FS mate that also trades without producing Sentient goods take any of my trades or that of my Significant Other, "Allanonn" is the account name.
Do you accept?
I don't tell other people how to play. I can ask, but I can only commit to how I play. That said, but your arguments about mistakes due to the interface and the sweet person that intentionally offers 6000 for 5000 same tier trades to help unknown others are compelling. I will do what I can do. First off, I acknowledge the obvious. My trading is for my own benefit. If it did not help me, I wouldn't offer the trades I do. But I don't ever want to exploit others errors or intercept intentional generosity - I don't need to do that. I like to win, but not that way. I was perhaps Gordon Gekko-esk, arguing for capitalism and free markets to justify taking a profit. Frankly, I believe all profitable strategies are fair game when everyone is playing to win in a fair game. In those situations, there is no need to apologize for a profit. However, the situation in this game is not that simple. Consequently I will change my actions concerning same tier trades. Going forward, the only 3 star trades I will accept are those that offer a lower valued sentient good. These 3 star offers will be ignored as they represent players playing a different game or those that entered typos.
I know that is not what you asked, but if your offer is 10,000 Platinum for 9,999 Gum Tree, I will ignore it. Frankly, my strategy rarely accepts trades, and I may not need to accept any trades outside of my bid-ask spread to progress, When I remember, I will try to ignore your (and your partner's) 1:1 trades as well and will consider ignoring most, if not all, 1:1 trades of higher valued goods entirely. I will continue to accept and make periodic ad hoc trades and acceptances and offers for balancing across tiers, but they seem to be a lower concern.
Unfortunately, the genie is out of the bottle. I don't think any action I might take will change the situation much. As a student of economics, any trade below market rates are arbitrage opportunities. I believe enough people are opportunistic that some will likely take my trade at a higher price and yours at a lower price and take a quick profit when available. I think that would be the case even if my "mate", also did as you request.
I trade about 5 million or so goods every day so it is impossible to remember and review individual trades successfully every time so I can't promise you that. If the interface allowed me to ignore certain player's offers, I would. If you are playing a different game, and my direct action of accepting your trade hurt you let me know, I will do what I can to make it right. On the other hand, know that I am playing a different strategy and I will put out my trades every day as I have. I find that challenging and find joy in finding the best strategy I can. I am not alone with that objective. I had many players that were good players seeking to progress, that came and went. They left when a better offer at a larger stronger fellowship came knocking. I myself have receive numerous offers to join other fellowship. Many players are playing Elvenar as a competitive game, and the fellowship are also in competition. As I sought my path forward, at one point my fellowship had a lot of empty slots, and I approached many small fellowships about mergers to get further on the spire and in the tournament. I discovered that there truly are two games going on. The ambitious group with a singular purpose of growing bigger and faster and a lot of low stress groups that were playing a social game with a nice group of people. That social group had no interest in anything beyond a friendly game with their own group of buds.
I play to win, that is why I play games, Even more so when I was a young adult. As I've gotten older, people have become more important to me. I also enjoy helping others - to progress if that is their desire or I will gladly give stuff away if that produces happiness and gratitude. My behavior changed about games when I used to visit a couple to play games. Over time, I realized they were letting me win as it seemed to give me joy and they enjoyed my company. I stopped trying to win when I visited them going forward We spread around the winning (as it didn't matter to any of us) and I tried hard to enjoy their company more. Life and values change over time, but I still enjoy the challenge of finding optima and that is why I play Elvenar. I will also admit that I do have a little chip on my shoulder concerning the very largest and elitist fellowships advertising their 10 chests every week, They are playing to win and some have poached some of my best players that produced goods I needed. I think most are playing the same game and for the same reason I do. If they don't like my strategy, I am far less understanding of their plight. They are winning and I am playing by the rules and I don't mind if they dislike hearing my footsteps. That is the area that causes some trepidation on committing to bypass acceptance of all 1:1 trades of high value goods - the large fellowship's actions of posting large 1:1 trades of more valuable goods disrupts my strategy. If they are playing to win, the battle must be joined and may the best player and strategy win!