Solutions! Solutions For Sale! I Have Solutions!!

[kwirl]

Problem: Constant decline of value/worth of physical currency in game.
Cause: The fact that money is literally created from nothing in this game means that it will inevitably accumulate to the point of saturation and beyond.
Solution: A large-scale implemented economy with risk-based investment/reward system.

The geographic world of Toril will be divided into economic regions, perhaps 5-7 or so in total for the surface, I'm not qualified to estimate how many would quantify a similar balance for the subsurface georgraphy.

Each economic region will have a table of needs and resources available for that region, preferrably created as classes that include groups of individual components. (example: Ten Towns Region could have a need for fabrics and grains, and you could go there to get fish and metals.)

The values for imports/exports should fluctuate more often than a player would be able to complete, but less often than they would want to sit and wait for the ideal price to spawn (but determined players could in fact, do this). I would say perhaps a 90 minute recalculation timetable would be in order. In addition, once a certain quantity of materials of a given type have been made available to an import location, the value of that material should be recalculated to reflect the supply/demand of this effort. Player A cashes in a load of fish, Player B cashes in a load of fish, now Player C shows up with a load of fish, but that region's need for fish has been temporarily sated, so the value of those fish will be marginally reduced.

Now, the implementation of the trading routes themselves should invect some form of 'danger' depending on what value of item you are attempting to trade. A small trade run of fish from calimport to zhentil keep could for example give a level 15 player 25-40 platinum profit. A small number, but for a character of that level, certainly a worthwhile endeavor.

However, JoeBlow a level 50 Bad ass wants to take a run of Gems from the MH trading post and deliver them to the DK trading post. A full caravan or envoy could be a 5-10 thousand platinum investment, and maybe more than one PC would be needed to protect the caravan from the mobile pirates/bandits who might 'appear' along the way to cause problems. Essentially, this 5-10k platinum investment might return a profit of anywhere from 1k to 20k platinum depending on the market need of that product at the arrival time, if the PC's manage to deliver the gems in one piece despite bandit/pirate/raider intervention.

The materials could be delivered via packhorses, mules, wagons, whatever - but the delivery method would control the available route of deliver, as well as the material quantity available. a mule could take a shortcut through the mountains, but carry 2 bushels, while a wagon could carry 10, but no mountain shortcut for you!

The delivery devices would be slow moving, and while they would 'follow' a PC master, they would not do so at the speedwalk pace most people employ. New hazards would be thrown at merchants along the way, from small traps and raids, to large scale mercenary attacks.

While this won't remove money from the game, it will give value and use to existing money, which there currently is a marginal need for until/if guild halls/homes become available.

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Trading could be used for prestige and vice versa, with prestige affecting available materials at given merchants or trading posts.


PS - the trade "paths" should be predetermined using room flags, even if multiple paths are available, beasts of burden should not be allowed off the pre-built trade routes

[Lorsalian]

http://www.torilmud.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=11837

Pretty much the exact same idea (cluttered with some tangeants, granted)

[kwirl]

I tried to include specifics, details, and workings whenever possible to make the implementation as understood as the conception.

That said, this trading system is what has been on Medievia for 10 years now, in usable, functional, and efficient practice.

[Selias]

They used to have almost exactly this trade idea before. It was yanked b/c people would just sit in hometowns until the stuff they bought received a higher selling price, making money hand over fist just by sitting in one room. However this could be combated. Say CP only sells beer and wine. However they do not buy beer or wine, so those wanks who want to try and wait out the market are in tough luck because no matter what the CP market won't buy back the items they sell.

As for dynamic spawning of mercenaries/bandits/etc. I remember running a load of platinum bars from WD to MH and spawning a red dragon. I thought I was safe when I got on the MH ferry, but dragon relocated to me on there. It wound up smiting me and everyone on the ferry at the time. Needless to say they were pissed at me =)

[kiryan]

Problem: Constant decline of value/worth of physical currency in game.

ok

Cause: The fact that money is literally created from nothing in this game means that it will inevitably accumulate to the point of saturation and beyond.

errr, while money is created from nothing, you do have to fight and kill to obtain it, so your investing time to earn money.

Solution: A large-scale implemented economy with risk-based investment/reward system.

what are you rewarding with? We already had "trade" code however at the end of the day you just earned more money. If the system is so tight that people always lose money then no one will do it if its loose then everyones going to make more wealth... how is this different than creating wealth in fighting mobs and looting?

To have an economy you have to have something worth selling. And at that point you don't need an investment system because people will use whatever money they have to buy things... You state that enabling this system will give value and use to money in that there will be a use for money however it seems that the use you propose is to make more money.... Is that really a use?

While this old idea would add something else to do in game that could be fun for some people some of the time, i don't think it comes anywhere close to being a "solution". I don't know why trade code was taken out, but if the worst thing it did was add more money to the game I think we should put it back in, cuz money is already ridiculous and it would be something new to do.