The Economy: Is it worth it?

[MisterMystery]

With all this talk about economies, and what we think is better, there is an overall desire to make the economy more human-controlled, rather than NPC- My question for you forum posters is this- How will this make the Game more desirable overall? It is true that economists and merchants out in real life will have a blast, but isn't there the potential of a few players being able to totally destroy it through economic means? Isn't the human desire to always achieve the highest success? What if the amount of success is achieved on a server, how can other new players get in on the fun, without getting mowed down by the older merchants? If you have an awsome answer, please post! I have read a lot of excellent answers for other posts, and i hope this gets the same

[Shinzon]

It provides naturaly roles for players to fill; also provides the means of actualy fighting over meaningfull resources instead of a static bland world. A player economy also allows for things like monopolies and inturn economic warfare. A player economy puts emphasis on the crafters instead of raiding in order to get "Loot". This puts a demand on all natural resources and organicaly sparks territorial conflicts between different player groups; which could escolate into full blown wars.

In short: It promotes player interaction on a higher level than a static economy ever would.

[Alaster]

In your post OP, you implicitly bring up the subject of fairness. I would argue fairness has little to do with it. How would you even attempt to control it? WHY would you even want to? Remove the thought that the game can only be fun when it's perceived by you to be 'fair.'

[Lyllyth]

Originally Posted by MisterMystery

With all this talk about economies, and what we think is better, there is an overall desire to make the economy more human-controlled, rather than NPC- My question for you forum posters is this- How will this make the Game more desirable overall?

Easy answer, to have an actual effect on the game world!

Originally Posted by MisterMystery

It is true that economists and merchants out in real life will have a blast, but isn't there the potential of a few players being able to totally destroy it through economic means?

Yes, but there's also the greater chance to repair it, unlike current MMOs

Originally Posted by MisterMystery

Isn't the human desire to always achieve the highest success? What if the amount of success is achieved on a server, how can other new players get in on the fun, without getting mowed down by the older merchants?

How do current small businesses make it when there are huge corporations in the world?

Originally Posted by MisterMystery

If you have an awsome answer, please post! I have read a lot of excellent answers for other posts, and i hope this gets the same

I can't say my answers were "awesome", but they were mine. =)

[postell_service]

well, the benifit of a player driven economy can be easily seen in games like Eve Online. If you want something, you got to find it yourself or 9/10 times, buy it from someone else. However, player based economies are often very cruel to the new comers. Once the game kicks off, the prices will be essentialy be controlled by supply and demand and the player(s) who control the most of the supply can and usually will set the prices for the demand, naturaly these prices will steadily raise over time to fit the economy and more off, how much are the richest people on the server usualy willing to pay for such comodities.

But player driven economies with a few essential NPC's to help out with the essentials and stuff, I'm suspecting everyone will get used to it and there wont be too much of a financial crunch on people as long as farming drop rates arnt like diablos. A rare item being a 0.0000001 and less from a single monster :P perhaps a once - an - hour for such items that control the economy could be farmed by the majority of the players in the game, decreasing the chance of such monopolies being ever created

[Lachrymose]

Originally Posted by postell_service

well, the benifit of a player driven economy can be easily seen in games like Eve Online. If you want something, you got to find it yourself or 9/10 times, buy it from someone else. However, player based economies are often very cruel to the new comers. Once the game kicks off, the prices will be essentialy be controlled by supply and demand and the player(s) who control the most of the supply can and usually will set the prices for the demand, naturaly these prices will steadily raise over time to fit the economy and more off, how much are the richest people on the server usualy willing to pay for such comodities.

But player driven economies with a few essential NPC's to help out with the essentials and stuff, I'm suspecting everyone will get used to it and there wont be too much of a financial crunch on people as long as farming drop rates arnt like diablos. A rare item being a 0.0000001 and less from a single monster :P perhaps a once - an - hour for such items that control the economy could be farmed by the majority of the players in the game, decreasing the chance of such monopolies being ever created

i think the looting in MO will be the difference needed to make a player driven economy work. it's been said that creatures won't drop unrealistic loot, which means farming won't be as profitable as it is in many other games. so for instance, wolves might be allowed to be skinned, but they won't drop money or some rare sword. even then, there probably won't be any "uber" items dropping, so people won't farm for 20 hours on end hoping to get something that they can sell for a small fortune.

[Shinzon]

However, player based economies are often very cruel to the new comers. Once the game kicks off, the prices will be essentialy be controlled by supply and demand and the player(s) who control the most of the supply can and usually will set the prices for the demand

I see nothing wrong in that, they established themselves in an influencial position through economic foundations. Absolutley nothing wrong with that.

As for the price rising, I don't think so. If anything the prices will only lower as the sever matures, as more and more people join, more and more resources are avalable, and more and more crafters become more efficient and skilled. So everyone can make a "Steel Short Sword", therefore, anyone who jacks up the price will just get laughed at, as there are so many other people capable of crafting it for cheaper.

So at first a simple Lioncloth will cost you an arm and a leg, as the server matures; and time passes, the only thing that will cost you an arm and a leg would be a mistake in combat.

[melanko]

What I am hoping to see from the Economy in MO, is how resources effects the landscape of the game. Most likely we will be seeing most player made towns and cities arising around large nodes of resources. Thus if you want a certain resource, you have to go to Town A to get resource A or you have head off and try to find it yourself. When you cannot find any more of a certain resource outside of a player town, they have a monopoly. This makes them prime target number one to attack that town/guild.

Also I'd love to see an emphasis on trade routes. If you need to move a large amount of resources, they need to be manually taken form one place to another via a horse-driven cart or something. This adds the need for mercenaries for hire for protection, either NPC or players.

[postell_service]

well for trade routes, those would sort of "evolve" on their own. Some guy will end up discovering a quicker way to hike from point A ----> B and he will tell his buddies who will tell others. Soon, we'll see more and more people use that particular path until it becomes too crowded and people will start looking for shorter/ less traveled paths to minimize potential run-in's with the more agressive player types

[Reverend Mundane]

war needs economy
without it's not a war
but a school yard brawl

[Apollo]

Originally Posted by Shinzon

It provides naturaly roles for players to fill; also provides the means of actualy fighting over meaningfull resources instead of a static bland world. A player economy also allows for things like monopolies and inturn economic warfare. A player economy puts emphasis on the crafters instead of raiding in order to get "Loot". This puts a demand on all natural resources and organicaly sparks territorial conflicts between different player groups; which could escolate into full blown wars.

In short: It promotes player interaction on a higher level than a static economy ever would.

Exactly. Well said Shinzon. The entire idea behind a player run economy is to give a more open field to Mortal Online. If this is to be a true sand box MMORPG then a player based economy is an essential part to the game. We need it primarily for exactly what Shinzon said, to spark conflict, which is why most of us play games correct? To have conflict?