This just popped into my mind when I read the repeatable quests thread.
Let me start by stating emphatically that I am NOT into MMO economic theory at all - i.e. how to keep the in game economy healthy. What I DO know is that pretty much invariably, the costs of tradeskill mats from players gets way out of whack at times. SO - here's my idea (for all of your commentary and considration).
What if tradeskill items were able to be sold to vendors specific to that trade - with those vendors then being able to resell them to players for some standard value for that item. This would essentially set a price cap for these items because players likely won't pay more than that.
At the core of my concept is this:
- These items become a known cash source for people who get them. i.e. Get a high quality bear skin, you know you can sell it for X to the right in-game vendor
- The price to buy those items becomes standardized. You aren't going to pay 3x the price to a player for an item you can get from an in-game vendor
- As a player, you can choose to sell these items to vendors for the quick lower price
- As a player, you can compete for sales by trying to sell your items for something more than the minimum price you would get for it (the vendor buy price) and the artificial maximum price (the vendor sell price)
Nothing would stop a player from trying to sell their items for much more than the vendor... they probably won't make many sales, but they can try.
MMO Economic models are fairly complex. At their heart, however, is the simple truism:
All players, over time, ADD money to the system. (killing a mob makes cash)
MORE money chasing fewer goods generates 'MUD-flation' (MMO Inflation). (Price of goods rises)
Most MMO designers (since back in 1999) have fought this MUD-flation by putting cash-sinks into the system.
TAXES / RENMTS -> remove money from world
SPELL/CRAFTING COMPONENTS -> remove drops/cash from world
ITEM DAMAGE/UPKEEP -> drains as if a TAX on used items
There are, however, better ways to combat this than merely 'taxation'.
1. Reduce 'hard cash' drops on mobs in favour of 'resources' where possible (eg instead of 20sp from alligator it drops 3x LQ skin swatches + 4x MQ scales)
2. Keep NPC vendors/markets local. Thus the price NPCs pay for 'rusty scimitars' will tumble as more and more and sold to the local NPCs. This price is linked to a local_demand_rate, thus the price recovers as long as local_demand_rate exceeds supply from PCs and drops if it continues to exceed it. This NPC vendor factor should also account for the Spending_capital an NPC vendor has.
3. Only basic items should be available from NPC vendors and at a (local) production_rate. This stimulates the PC economy while ensuring NPC price-matching maintains a 'freely moving' price for local goods.
4. All gathered resources should need refining before usage. This is a lossy process (both in terms of materials and cost).
You will STILL have inflationary effects and will STILL have to use money-sinks, but the economy as a whole should become more and more PC oriented. The (drastic) reduction of 'cash' loot in favour of resources will, in itself, make a huge difference.
Have harvesting skills for both 'nodes' (digging, chopping, mining etc) and mobs (skinning, butchering etc) to determine quality (in conjunction with node/mob quality).
'You are going giant croc hunting *without* a master skinner?
Are you mad? We wouldn't get enough loot to cover even our spell components and armour repair bills!'