Trade limit



The Trade limit is a mechanism in the trade system that prevents players from making trades considered to be too "unbalanced", that is, where one of the two players involved in the trade is giving much more than they are receiving. Jagex introduced it as part of measures to curb real world trading. As a side benefit, the trade limit also discourages and mostly eliminates item scamming and "hacking" other players' accounts.

For free players, the imbalance can be up to 10,000 coins every 15 minutes; for members, the limit increases with quest points up to a maximum of 60,000 coins every 15 minutes. This limit also affects stakes made when duelling, any charge made for lending items, and the Rat Pits.

Jagex's intention to implement the limit was announced in the Trade and Drop Changes update on 10 December 2007, as part of several other updates, to allow players to prepare for the limit. In fact, the trade limit was already applied to new players who signed up after 10 December 2007, as well as various other "high risk" players. The limit was instituted for all players in the Unbalanced Trade Removal update on 2 January 2008.

Limit amounts
As initially planned, the trade cap would have been 3,000 coins for all players. After considering suggestions from players, Jagex decided to increase this limit, depending on quest points. Below is a table with trade limits for given numbers of quest points, as provided by Jagex.


 * {| class="wikitable"

! Quest points !! Margin
 * -valign="top"
 * style="text-align: center;"|0 to 10
 * style="text-align: right;" |5,000
 * style="text-align: center;"|34
 * style="text-align: right;" |10,000
 * style="text-align: center;"|75
 * style="text-align: right;" |18,750
 * style="text-align: center;"|150
 * style="text-align: right;" |34,615
 * style="text-align: center;"|225
 * style="text-align: right;" |50,480
 * style="text-align: center;"|270
 * style="text-align: right;" |60,000
 * }
 * style="text-align: right;" |50,480
 * style="text-align: center;"|270
 * style="text-align: right;" |60,000
 * }
 * }

Calculating trade limits
The formulae below can be used to calculate trade limits:


 * {| class="wikitable"

! Range !! Formula
 * 10 < QP <= 34 || $$QP * 170 + 3300$$
 * 34 < QP <= 75 || $$QP * (213 + 17/41) + (2743 + 9/10)$$
 * 75 < QP <= 225 || $$QP * (211 + 8/15) + 2885$$
 * 225 < QP <= 270 || $$QP * (211 + 5/9) + 2880$$
 * }
 * 75 < QP <= 225 || $$QP * (211 + 8/15) + 2885$$
 * 225 < QP <= 270 || $$QP * (211 + 5/9) + 2880$$
 * }
 * }

Criticisms


The announcement of the limit resulted in much criticism from players, and was a factor in the well-known Pay to Pk Riot (though that was primarily in protest at the changes to the Wilderness, which coincided with the trade limit announcement). Many players disliked the update, as it prevents larger gifts from being given to others, and reduces the amount of help that can be provided to fellow players. On 3 January 2008, shortly after the implementation of the limit, the Unbalanced Trade Riot occurred as a result.

In addition, some players disliked the fact that quest points were the determining factor in the trade cap, as some experienced pures don't meet the requirement. In addition, some free players disliked that the trade cap was widely varied between free and member accounts. It would seem that Jagex made an inconvenience to free players instead of an incentive for getting a member account.

On 25 June 2008, Mod Stevew was on Arcanists 9, speaking about the trade limit. One player asked him about it, and Mod Stevew did not know whether or not it would be removed.

Workarounds
Since the update, players have tried various ways to bypass the trade limit, such as using Bounty Hunter, despite the high risk that it carries. However, you can only take combat items into the crater. Some players have also used the Party Room, in very non-busy worlds and having totals of just enough value that it is not advertised throughout RuneScape.

A recent method is to look for items that have a large discrepancy between the Grand Exchange value and the player market value. For example, various items have a relatively high Grand Exchange value compared to their street value. Players often use these items to "balance" a trade. This practice is known as junk trading, and the junk is sometimes called "trade fodder".