The Economy - Some Guy's Perspective
Posted: August 29th, 2021, 10:45 pm
I'll preface this suggestion with what I feel to be a needed foreword. As one's intended tone can oftentimes be difficult to infer from text alone. It is not my aim to diminish the systems in place, or thought or work put into them; no matter how direct the writing which follows might be with its criticisms.
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Currently, we're in an age of plenty on the server, far as I've experienced. The welcoming atmosphere of Prae, abundance of coin and charity being a bit at odds with the desperate times outlined in the lore. Part of this, I feel, is due to the economy being 'upside down', where rather than skilled tradesmen and savvy merchants new gold gets brought into the server at the tip of the sword. Meaning warriors produce the wealth rather than crafters, this is less desirable than the other way around and I'd like to outline why:
1) You want dangerous people to be more pressured for coin than not, because that drives conflict. Conflict with those that can't protect themselves but also with those that would protect others. MOB's that drop coin should be far and few between, or such payouts placed in locked chests deep in somewhere potentially fatal. Better to bring back things crafters would have trouble getting themselves and thus be willing to pay for or look for a wage from a patron/faction
2) Having crafters generate the wealth would put them in more danger. That's a good thing! That's interaction and RP and other players seeking you out (for good or ill). Pay a bodyguard to hang around, or hire some toughs to rough up the competition while they're mugging you! Bribe some legionaires to bend the law a little in your favor, etc. etc.
3) Having less to go around is better than thinking up more and more goldsinks for what we already have. Individuals will clump up into factions and factions will butt heads over resources. That breeds diplomacy, drama and a tug-of-war between established powers. It'd be great if some of those on the fringes formed an uneasy alliance and started coming for Prae's nodes.
So, all in all, the way I'd do it is this:
Instead of how it is now, where crafters only really have a profitable market for their good stuff: the EO's, MW's, etc. And tend to throw out their 'merely exceptional' crafts. (Which is insane) Crafters would load their crafts up and take them outside the safety of the fort walls to sell at the checkpoint between the province and the wider world. (Times are desperate and they need every resource they can get. Especially when they can pay less than they would at home.)
This, I think, would be great because:
Having a known point A and point B gives both nefarious and lawful forces a place to patrol.
It's a known danger, meaning those with goods to sell would be encouraged to make the trip either in capable company, cautious stealth or contract a trusted group/faction to deliver it in their stead. Do you risk going alone with what you can carry? Or load everything up on a packhorse or two and travel in force? Do you set traps along the road, target the pack animals? Disguise yourself in the colors of a rival faction? There's so much more room for roleplay and development when the gold doesn't just fall out of zombie's pockets.
In summary. These changes encourage crafters to hire non-crafters and groups to come into conflict over wealth that will feel more precious.
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Currently, we're in an age of plenty on the server, far as I've experienced. The welcoming atmosphere of Prae, abundance of coin and charity being a bit at odds with the desperate times outlined in the lore. Part of this, I feel, is due to the economy being 'upside down', where rather than skilled tradesmen and savvy merchants new gold gets brought into the server at the tip of the sword. Meaning warriors produce the wealth rather than crafters, this is less desirable than the other way around and I'd like to outline why:
1) You want dangerous people to be more pressured for coin than not, because that drives conflict. Conflict with those that can't protect themselves but also with those that would protect others. MOB's that drop coin should be far and few between, or such payouts placed in locked chests deep in somewhere potentially fatal. Better to bring back things crafters would have trouble getting themselves and thus be willing to pay for or look for a wage from a patron/faction
2) Having crafters generate the wealth would put them in more danger. That's a good thing! That's interaction and RP and other players seeking you out (for good or ill). Pay a bodyguard to hang around, or hire some toughs to rough up the competition while they're mugging you! Bribe some legionaires to bend the law a little in your favor, etc. etc.
3) Having less to go around is better than thinking up more and more goldsinks for what we already have. Individuals will clump up into factions and factions will butt heads over resources. That breeds diplomacy, drama and a tug-of-war between established powers. It'd be great if some of those on the fringes formed an uneasy alliance and started coming for Prae's nodes.
So, all in all, the way I'd do it is this:
Instead of how it is now, where crafters only really have a profitable market for their good stuff: the EO's, MW's, etc. And tend to throw out their 'merely exceptional' crafts. (Which is insane) Crafters would load their crafts up and take them outside the safety of the fort walls to sell at the checkpoint between the province and the wider world. (Times are desperate and they need every resource they can get. Especially when they can pay less than they would at home.)
This, I think, would be great because:
Having a known point A and point B gives both nefarious and lawful forces a place to patrol.
It's a known danger, meaning those with goods to sell would be encouraged to make the trip either in capable company, cautious stealth or contract a trusted group/faction to deliver it in their stead. Do you risk going alone with what you can carry? Or load everything up on a packhorse or two and travel in force? Do you set traps along the road, target the pack animals? Disguise yourself in the colors of a rival faction? There's so much more room for roleplay and development when the gold doesn't just fall out of zombie's pockets.
In summary. These changes encourage crafters to hire non-crafters and groups to come into conflict over wealth that will feel more precious.