Shattered Kingdoms

BOYCOTT! No one buy anything for 6 weeks. We can do it!

Edit: it might not take this long, but he did say "X weeks" so I went with 6. Don't know why, but let's boycott the shops until the price goes back down.

So, wait a minute...

I have just realized something.

What is one thing we need in SK? More players.

Along with more players comes more buying.

Along with more buying comes higher demand.

Along with higher demand comes higher prices and lower sell value.

More players = higher prices and lower sell value.

Are you absolutely sure you want this? I know I don't.

It's kind of hard to be motivated to get new players knowing that it's going to make the economy that much worse.

EDIT: I hesitate to propose this, because it will be very tedious for the builders, but I still think it's a good idea and should have been there from the start.

A cap on every sold item of 500%. That would make the vials that started around 7 gold max out around 3.5 platinum.

To justify, at 500% of demand, the suppliers by now realize there is a need for their product and kick it into overdrive, hence keeping up with the demand at a steady pace, balancing out the supply and demand equation at 500%.

I have no problem with things like Vials being so expensive, I mean its usually vets who go out and buy that crap. However things like bronze armor in nerina is something which hurts noobs more then vets.

I suppose what I am saying is I am bothered more by objects which are silly expensive if its a leveling item instead of something a max level would us in PvP.

What jhorleb said.

The whole economy system in the game is broken because it tries to imitate a RL economy but only accounts for a couple of variables. As a result, the current system fails miserably in two ways: It makes the game less fun, and is not realistic.

Farming coin is not fun. This is why having everything cost 8+platinum is not fun.

Also, in real life, if someone started selling those crappy vials for an obsidian a piece, another vendor would pop up and sell them more cheaply.

I like achernar's idea for trade skills. Not saying imitate world of Warcraft or anything with the broad range Skills. But let everyone pick one tradeskill they can do. Like with scouts they can sell their herbs to someone that can do alchemy and develop potions themselves on a much more potent value. Glassmaking would be another for vials and such. The list could go on but limit it to one skill per person. Or even make it class oriented so that each class would have a key tradeskill to imput into the game.

This is one of those situations where realism sucks. The game is accurately replicating a failing economic model.

Basically, now all that's going to happen is that Builders are yet again going to be relied on to make up for code that isn't fun by putting in obscure vendor locations and/or quests to barter acquirable materials items for basic, everday items akin to the results of a trade skill.

I think I get what Dulrik said.. but what about the odd items I see varying in price in ranges of five and six platinum? Things you never see anyone wear.. for example the scale sold in the abandoned mines? The North's coffers haven't emptied out completely in I don't know how long.. at least not for more than a couple hours.. and we were in a recession while they were completely full for a month. So.. I'm missing some overarching scheme here I know it.

Often solving one problem gives you a different one. This is the case with the economy. The original problem was that money was completely worthless. It was easy to get and there was almost no reason to bother spending what you had. The economy code has largely solved that problem.

The new "problem" is that people now have to work hard to be able to pay for useful items. No surprise - that was pretty much the goal.

As players, you can make life easier for yourself in the same way that governments around the world urge people to do in real life. Spend most of your money instead of hoarding it in the bank. More than half of the money in the economy is languishing in a player's bank account. When money is spent, it goes back out into the world into NPC pockets and you gain more money at a faster rate while you are out doing your job (killing NPCs). Having said that, the staff has also recently had discussions about applying the monthly dehoard code to money as well as items if you are inactive.

And there are already built in ways to the system to ease the problem of currency inflation if we get more players. Simply put, an admin can do what countries that control their own currency do: print more money. In my case, I can change a variable that controls the total number of obsidian pieces that are circulating in the game economy. I assure you that if and when our player base rises above the current average, that will be done.

In response to Zekeage, the economy is more than supply and demand. Each kingdom is on its own scale that modifies the price of all items bought and sold there, based on how it is succeeding economically. Also, every shopkeeper has its own modifiers for buying and selling of goods in that shop, so the shop next door might buy an item for more than its neighbor.

Look, I want to respect you a lot, but sometimes, man, you make it really difficult.

You just admitted that even coins can be hoarded in your game.


Thanks a bunch.


But, really, if you can figure out how to convince people to stop saving money and spend it on things that are fluctuating in value, please, go ahead, and tell America how to do it. I came here to escape economic problems, not roleplay them.


Though now I am motivated to create a character whose goal is to have all the money in the world, especially since that's actually something we know we can do now.

You are correct in recognizing that some solutions do not end problems, but rather, move them around. I would say this is one of them, much like the weapon system.