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crymerci · 08-18-2004, 02:43 PM

I do think that economies on RPIs are different creatures than those on non-RPI. Example: In a H&S or even RP-lite MUD, players go out and gather resources and use/sell them, or make them into other things to use/sell. This happens on RPIs as well, but in a subtly different fashion. In RPIs, characters do not automatically know that the best sword is the "etched bone scimitar"...the players may know it, but that doesn't mean their characters do. Similarly, though a player may know where to find the vines that their character can weave into baskets, the character may not know, or may disdain grubbing around in the dirt for vines. Rather, they may hire someone to go out gathering vines for them, or buy the vines in a straightforward sale from a vine-gatherer.

So, in short, in an RPI, the players don't necessarily extract as much profit as they can in the gameworld, but only what they think is realistic.

Another example, and I'm sure this happens in non-RPIs as well (but not to the same extent) is that many players specifically DON'T want the best sword, strongest armor, or prettiest clothes. They just want something with the right look, and the right flavor, and it might be one of the most non-descript or shoddiest items in the game. This means that demand is harder to predict and will fluctuate with little notice or reason, because not everyone is after the same coveted items.

Which moves me back to the original topic. If you could code a mechanism that would measure the demand for an item and automatically raise/lower the price, you might be able to approximate a more balanced economy.

For example, pretend that the hottest new item that everyone wants is "a rugged, oversized haversack". When the first one is bought, the price goes up a tiny amount. If no one buys any haversacks for awhile the price will start dropping slowly, back to, and perhaps even below, the original price. If, however, there is a rush on these delightful haversacks, then the price will continue rising with each one sold, until it reaches a level where the demand drops off because the price is too high (and eventually if no one buys any more the price will drop back down gradually). With a system like this, all you have to set is the rock-bottom price (to prevent things from dropping too low, beyond any profit margin over material costs).

Thoughts?

08-18-2004, 02:43 PM	#15
crymerci Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 32	I do think that economies on RPIs are different creatures than those on non-RPI. Example: In a H&S or even RP-lite MUD, players go out and gather resources and use/sell them, or make them into other things to use/sell. This happens on RPIs as well, but in a subtly different fashion. In RPIs, characters do not automatically know that the best sword is the "etched bone scimitar"...the players may know it, but that doesn't mean their characters do. Similarly, though a player may know where to find the vines that their character can weave into baskets, the character may not know, or may disdain grubbing around in the dirt for vines. Rather, they may hire someone to go out gathering vines for them, or buy the vines in a straightforward sale from a vine-gatherer. So, in short, in an RPI, the players don't necessarily extract as much profit as they can in the gameworld, but only what they think is realistic. Another example, and I'm sure this happens in non-RPIs as well (but not to the same extent) is that many players specifically DON'T want the best sword, strongest armor, or prettiest clothes. They just want something with the right look, and the right flavor, and it might be one of the most non-descript or shoddiest items in the game. This means that demand is harder to predict and will fluctuate with little notice or reason, because not everyone is after the same coveted items. Which moves me back to the original topic. If you could code a mechanism that would measure the demand for an item and automatically raise/lower the price, you might be able to approximate a more balanced economy. For example, pretend that the hottest new item that everyone wants is "a rugged, oversized haversack". When the first one is bought, the price goes up a tiny amount. If no one buys any haversacks for awhile the price will start dropping slowly, back to, and perhaps even below, the original price. If, however, there is a rush on these delightful haversacks, then the price will continue rising with each one sold, until it reaches a level where the demand drops off because the price is too high (and eventually if no one buys any more the price will drop back down gradually). With a system like this, all you have to set is the rock-bottom price (to prevent things from dropping too low, beyond any profit margin over material costs). Thoughts?