Finite economy

[Draygo]

Monsters, even though they are sometimes portrayed as \'dumb\' really are not. They usually have the ability to use weapons like daggers and swords to fight off thier opponets. Usually they fight in groups instead of alone. And so on and so forth, maybe the monsters find the coins to be \'shiny\' and just like to have them for that reason.

I think the money pool for monster types is an excellent idea. Also money that is dropped and disappears should be split up and added to the monster pools, like a monster \'finds\' the money.

Also when someone creates a character 1000 (or so) is split up between all monster pools, that way as more people play more money will automaticly be added to the game at a steady rate. If you dont have a way of new money getting introduced to the game, (like 1000 added TO the game when you connect.. [not to your player]) when players quit they tend to keep some items and those are lost. As players quit playing they may have substantial amounts of money in their bank accounts or on their characters. This money will not be deleted or moved to the monsters because what if this guy decided to come back a year or so later?

[Ravenmaster]

Well, there could be a tax for players who have not played for a month or more.  Every so much time you lose so much money. Also, as for the starting money pool, people could donate to it (and some people probably would) in order to allow newbs to get something. It is possible that eventually you would start with no money without rich or very rich, and some money would have to be added into the system if you chose one of those options. However, later in the game, this could be an easy exploit to get rich.

[Fanomatic2000]

Hmmm, I actually like the idea about poor and rich people. The poor people with dirt all over them who have to beg to survive and who dresses in rags, and the rich people who can do what pleases them. It adds some athmosphere into the game (=

\"Who\'s that, then?\"
\"I don\'t know. Must be a king.\"
\"Why?\"
\"He hasn\'t got sh#t all over him.\"

[Wormtail_]

Here are my ideas and questions on the idea of a finite economy.

Monster Loot

I agree with Xandria\'s view on why monsters carry around money, especially money used in the same system as others. I see the point of dropping weapons and items they are carrying, but not similar money. The only exception would be if the monster is \'civilized\' or there is a common money translation for all, like gold or something similar. Now, take Orcs as an example. How does their society work? What is the common Orc\'s life like? If they use a system of money, what is it, and is it similar to that of the races of Yliklum (however you spell it)? Now, if they carry money around a city, that makes sense, but I don\'t see how someone will survive in a city of Orcs. Unless they are an Orc, but that\'s not exactly an exception.

What I\'m trying to say is that certain types of creatures carry money, like Orcs, and others don\'t. I never saw why dragons sccumalted wealth. What DO they use it for, anyway? Orcs live in a common society, so there is a reason for them to carry around gold. Any creature living in a somewhat civilized society (this includes Orcs), any that actually knows how to build a crude hut at best, should carry money. Otherwise, they should not carry around any, unless they have a system of trade going on.

I agree with teh idea of a monster loot pool, but only for creatures like I have stated above. This could also mean a finite economy for other societies of peoples.

Finite Money and Gaining More

How do NPCs get the money to buy everything PCs sell? They are paid by the government. How does the government get their money? With taxes, mints, and trade. Now please excuse my ignorance of how governments work, but here are my ideas. I agree with the idea of a tax, even if it does get annoying, but that at least forces players to get a job and get money other than killing.

WIll add more later.

[Aruneko]

But players are hardly ever tied down to a certain town, they will always be traveling and going to different places.  Also few people will have houses and things to tax, so...

[Ravenmaster]

Tax should only be for really rich people who horde money and therefore reduce the money everyone else could have and people who haven\'t played for a long time, to reuse money from people who no longer play.

Here\'s a good reason why monsters would carry money:
If you get money off a monster, it may not REALLY be gold, or whatever the currency is.  It could just be anything of value, but no particular purpose other than trade, like a gem or a tusk.  Therefore, it gets all these things and just calls them money, perhaps even gives them the money icon. AS for dragons hording gold and gems, well they don\'t need a reason. They\'re bigger than you.

[explorer]

Originally posted by Ravenmaster
Tax should only be for really rich people who horde money and therefore reduce the money everyone else could have and people who haven\'t played for a long time, to reuse money from people who no longer play.

I dont like that idea. Chances are that most rich people have worked hard to get their money. So a tax on everybody wouldnt be too cool in my taste. I think that bank accounts should have some intrest, and as your money hit a certain mark, your intrest would stop, or become very small. Poor peoples intrest would go up more than a rich persons. But the intrest would only go up for every say, two hours you played. If you didnt play in like a month or so, your money would start decreasing to a limit of ~200.

A tax should only be put onto a person if the money is coming in at a steady rate. Otherwise, they\'d be losing the money that they\'ve made.

[Monkeys eat peanuts]

Maybe it would help if merchants have actual money pools. Monsters in this case would drop little to no money but herbs could be find in parts of the labyrint or ore and they could drop weapons as far as they use them and they are not total crap.

NPC\'s would buy these items as long as they have enough money. So eg. a chemist would buy the herbs you find for small amounts of money untill he has wasted all the money he owns. He would regain money by selling potions to players.

Same would go for the owner of a weaponshop and the weapons monsters drop, blacksmith and ore... you catch my drift

Some money would have to be added tho to compensate for increase of players and money loss (if that will be possible) but i think game mods could easily adjust total money if they program in a way  to keep track of total money and active players.

This should of course work for player merchants as well. The starting cash could come from making potions from easy to find herbs or something (not too usefull potions they shouldn\'t be capable of making good profit of these herbs/the potions shouldn\'t sell in large qauntities)
It\'ll probably be tricky to keep balanced tho...

[Starchild]

For those of you who wish to know, dragons use their valuables as bait.

Some monsters could well drop some gold, as undigested remains from players... This could also account for some gold in lairs, probably no huge amounts though....


/Starchild

[Jalix Amundus]

not only do dragons use their valuables as bait but they also just enjoy hording things in their spare time(elipses)....... .. ... ..... ... ... .... ... ..... .... ... ....

[Lorune]

Duh!
Dragons need gold to lay on.
It\'s they\'re most comfortable bedding material.

Or that\'s something I remember reading some where.
I think it was the Hobbit or AD&D monsters guide.

[hook]

Originally posted by Lorune
Duh!
Dragons need gold to lay on.
It\'s they\'re most comfortable bedding material.

ooooohhh yeaaaa if i was a dragon i would also lay on gold ...maybe rahter on siver, platin, perls and gems - but gold would do

[Tearlach]

The best system is if the players makes the money themselfs in a mint.

They must of course have resources to make money from and they must also watch carefully so they don\'t inject to much or little money (can anyone say Inflation and Deflation.)

The currency might be forced to be backed up by other goods to have an real value but that is another cake.

And if we are going to have mints then we can\'t have any npc traders, all selling must be handled by players so they can adjust their prices after the availability of money...

[hook]

the thing is that even IRL there\'s no finite economy - the money\'s forged as soon as it is needed ...so if there will be a limit to money, then that limit should depend on the number of (active) players

p.s. maybe that was already said, but i\'m sorry, i didn\'t have time to read the whole topic ...gotta study )

[zedd_owd]

Originally posted by Ravenmaster
Without finite money the game would just get more and more money. Basically, inflation would be through the roof and you could only buy from NPCs.  If the economy is supposed to be monetary and not mercantile, you would need to have a finite money system.  Basically, if money were infinite, there would be so much that it would not be worth anything.

i agree with u on the inflation part, but in order to control that is have some sort of central bank that can influence the supply of money in the game. and only it can issued money.