Economic Controls

Economic Controls

Ration power – Newbies shouldn’t be wielding ultra-powerful armaments. A well-functioning economy will limit access to powerful items.

Support specialization – An economy which limits what a player may possess though pricing will force players to choose their items carefully. For example, it tools-of-trade are expensive, then players will need to specialize in only one trade. This encourages individual players to find a niche.

Encourage interaction – A well-functioning economy can motivate players to meet with each other for trade and work.

Provide goals – There are many possible goals in a complex game, just as in real life. Acquiring wealth will generally help a player along the road towards any goal they select. In fact, acquiring wealth can serve as a default goal when the game setting or the player’s imagination temporarily fails.

Support economic role-playing – some players will always enjoy taking on specific economic roles such as artisan, merchant, or trader. A well-functioning economy is crucial to supporting these natural roles.

vendors now charge a fee based on the value of the goods assigned by the player. Thus, players can still set the values too high, but they will be charged rent proportionately