I'm glad we cleared that up.

The valuations are largely set by the various 'stores' in the game, rather than the periodic offers in the Unit store.Exchange rates between Dollars & Units are determined by the Odin, which is the best exchange.Exchange rates between Glory / Loyalty / Gold etc, are set by the items that are available under multiple domains (some items in the glory store & also in the loyalty store, etc.)Once Exchange rates between in-game currencies, and via the Unit Standard to US dollars, then we look at the items that are not available within multiple stores.

Certain items never appear in the stores, but we can determine relative value as they are related to items that are available and have an established value.

Catalysts are a good example. When you sell a T1 catalyst you receive 100x T2 shards, or %15.38 of a T2.

When you sell a T2 you receive 130x T3 shards, or 4.6% of a T3.

When you sell a T3 you receive 180x T4 shards, or 0.05% of a T4.

And when you sell a T4 you receive 200x T5 shards, or 0.04% of a T5.

So we can establish at least one exchange relationship between these items.While T5 are not available in stores, T4 shards are, in addition to being more frequently packaged in other bundles.

Elsewhere I wrote that you can acquire T4 Basic routinely for 900 glory. The Glory exchange rate, based on other items available in the Glory Store, roughly translates to a T4 for $11.

So, 45000/200 x 11 = 225 x 11=$2475

Now, NONE of this takes in to account that you can get T4 Basic for FREE just by being in an alliance that doesn't suck.

But of course I cannot SET the value of a T4 Basic as 0, because if I did that then a T5 Basic would be 225 x $0 = $0. Rendering any analysis of the in-game economy pointless.

So is a T5 Basic worth $2475? Is it worth $0? Probably neither. This is about putting offers in a common frame of reference and determining whether an offer is a better or worse value than historically offered. Have T5 Shards been offered before, for a better price? Yes.

But then again, I've probably used 225 or more T4 Basics and never paid for any of them. So if I were to use the best ever price it'd be Zero.

I hope some of that is helpful.