Dynamic Pricing

This page explains, based on source behavior, how dynamic pricing is calculated, when it changes, and why it changes.

In This Page

• Where it applies and where it does not
• Core fields and common calculation flow
• 7 algorithm formulas and parameters
• Fault tolerance, fallback, and errors

1. Where Dynamic Pricing Applies

Enabled only in:

• Official products: GIVE_ITEM, RECYCLE_ITEM
• Player market: SELL listings with tradeMode=DIRECT and dynamicPricingEnabled=true

Common cases where it does not apply:

• Official product type is COMMAND, POTION_EFFECT, or GROUP_BUY_VOUCHER
• Market listing is BUY
• Market listing is AUCTION

2. Core Fields

Field	Description
dynamicBasePrice	Base price (falls back to current price if empty)
dynamicDemandScore	Demand heat score
dynamicPriceStep	Step parameter (default slope)
dynamicFloorPrice	Floor price (nullable)
dynamicCapPrice	Cap price (nullable)
dynamicAlgorithm	Algorithm enum
dynamicParamsJson	Algorithm parameter JSON

Unified flow:

1. Calculate raw price by algorithm
2. Floor to long
3. Enforce >= 1
4. Apply floor/cap if configured

3. Demand Score Updates

3.1 Buy and Recycle

• After buy: demand += delta
• After recycle: demand = max(0, demand - delta)

Current default behavior increments delta by quantity (minimum 1).

3.2 Periodic Decay

• Both official and market dynamic prices decay periodically.
• Each decay step is fixed at 1.
• Scheduler period is 6000 ticks (about 5 minutes, affected by TPS).

4. How to Read Algorithms on the Page

The page shows the active algorithm name while buying. Knowing the model helps you choose better timing and opportunities:

• Linear Demand LINEAR_DEMAND_V1
  • Behavior: more buying causes steady upward price changes; easiest to understand.
  • Common items: basic minerals (iron ingot, coal), common building blocks (oak, cobblestone).
• Diminishing Return DIMINISHING_RETURN_V1
  • Behavior: price rises faster at first, then growth slows gradually.
  • Common items: bulk building materials (glass, stone bricks, concrete), dirt, sand.
• Log Smooth LOG_SMOOTH_V1
  • Behavior: gentle change under frequent small purchases, less sudden spikes.
  • Common items: daily consumables (bread, cooked meat, torch, arrows).
• Exponential Defense EXPONENTIAL_DEFENSE_V1
  • Behavior: large one-time buyouts cause very fast price spikes; designed to prevent monopolization.
  • Common items: strategic scarce resources (diamond, netherite ingot, beacon, top enchanted books).
• Threshold Step THRESHOLD_STEP_V1
  • Behavior: little change for small purchases; clear jump after threshold.
  • Common items: functional items (shulker shell, experience bottle, ender pearl, spawn egg).
• Elasticity Model ELASTICITY_V1
  • Behavior: larger elasticity coefficient means smoother prices; smaller means higher sensitivity to buying.
  • Common items: special server tokens, emeralds, gold ingots.
• Panic Buying PANIC_BUYING_V1
  • Behavior: once demand crosses critical point, price accelerates upward.
  • Common items: holiday-limited items, rare decorative heads, enchanted golden apples.

5. Fault Tolerance and Fallback

• Invalid algorithm name: fallback to LINEAR_DEMAND_V1
• Invalid dynamicParamsJson: treated as empty object
• Numeric values are protected against negative/non-positive issues
• floor > cap: error (invalid_dynamic_bounds or invalid_dynamic_range)

6. Strategy Suggestions for Players

1. Base decisions on current price, not only dynamicBasePrice.
2. In high-demand conditions, buy in batches to avoid pushing price too high at once.
3. If cap is configured, chasing after a spike is usually riskier.
4. Dynamic pricing fits DIRECT quick trades, not auction-style gameplay.