[Javen]

The fundamental problem is that the devaluation of the currency in the game is caused by Mudflation. Mudflation can happen in many differant ways, introduction of new content or new gameplay, fundamental imbalances in the ingame economy ( game currency versus money sinks ), or even the spread of information allowing previously rare resources to be accessed more easily. A balance must be struck between currency sources and sinks. Generally, games possess numerous sources of new currency for players to earn. However, some possess no effective "sinks", or methods of removing currency from circulation. If other factors remain constant, greater currency supply weakens the buying power of a given amount; a process known as inflation. In practice, this results in constantly rising prices for traded commodities. With the proper balance of growth in player base, currency sources, and sinks, a virtual economy could remain stable indefinitely.

Here are some examples of some money sinks:

* Quests requiring a certain amount to continue with the task at hand. This is offset by quest rewards and items that may be resold.
* Fees associated with NPC services and tasks.
* Fees associated with travel and convenience.
* Crafting, often requiring an initial investment and a continued chance of failure. Items may be crafted at a loss to increase crafting skill.
* Auction House Taxes
* 'Luxury' items sold at high prices
* 'Rare Collectables' which have no in-game value.
* Item degradation: items may have a small chance to degrade or break when used, repairing or replacement cost time and/or money
*Selling items to NPC "pawnbrokers" who resell them to other players at a substantial markup.
*Buying food, potions and supplies from the game that will be consumed during play

To achieve effective moneyflow/moneysink ratios youll need proper monitoring of the money in the game and a strong and explicit player feedback system.