|
I think a lot of it also depends on the player base and the style of game you're playing. Sorry, but RP -really does- have a lot to do with this, as much as you might wish it didn't.
In a game where the players' characters value basic survival in a harsh wilderness over pretty stuff and uber magickal items, those common things like tents to sleep in, water, are going to be the most highly valued among those who dwell in the desert. Pretty fluff things, luxury items, will be valued among those who exist only to be pretty and luxurious, who already have a well of clean water in their marble courtyard and down-filled king-sized beds in their boudoir.
In a game where the players take this kind of thing seriously and delve deeply into the RP, the RP will certainly affect the price and the supply/demand.
In a game where the players just want to get from point A to point B and beat the tar out of the nearest Level 20 critter mob, none of those things will matter, and the players will just want critters that drop neato treasures so they don't have to buy much of anything anyway.
Then there's the hybrid, where your character can be both quasi-realistic and a "stat-monster" at the same time, where the items available for sale cater to the *players'* whims rather than the *characters'* whims. Gemstone is a great example of that. Sure, that +25 imflass club with acid crits will garner several millions of coins, but so will that tiny jam-speckled halfling satchel that has a "script" attached so when you pull on it, it sends an echo of a pet bird squawking from inside.
Then you have to take into account whether or not players buy and sell this stuff for real life cash. That will certainly affect the value of things in the game itself.
The answer? There isn't any difinitive answer. It all boils down to the usual "It depends."
|