[Mud-Dev] Broken currencies

[Jim S]

[Matt Mihaly wrote:]

[SNIP]

> The other problem I can see is that since there isn't really a way
> to earn interest, or to invest, then _any_ currency inflation is
> going to kill much of the value of the currency. Some inflation is
> acceptable to people in the physical world because it's a natural
> effect of economic growth, and because you're able to make money
> with your money at at least an equal rate to the rate of inflation.

This last part brought a question to my mind.  Has anyone tried
limiting the total amount of currency in their MMOG?  By this I mean
taking up a role similar to the Feds and only 'producing' so much
coin.  For an example let's say the limit is 200 million gold coins
total.  This could be any combonation of lesser or greater valued
coins such as silver, copper, platinum or what-have-you all relative
with exchange rates between the different types of coins.  This would
be an absolute limit that would span the entire world.  The only way a
player would be able to earn currency is to take it from the game
world.  The only way the game world can get it back is to take it in
the form of drains on the economy such as sold items from shops, ect.

Eventually, I think, with this system you'd run into a situation where
the currency was very valuable because with an expanding player base
it would grow more and more rare.  Also you'd have players who would
hoarde the currency by trying best they can to circumvent the economy
drains.  Eventually these players would become rich and the rest poor.

On a grand scale and with some intuative simulation this could evolve
into a situation where players in your world become richer than NPC
barons or even kings(or whatever fits the world) and eventually take
over their land for themselves.  Combine this with active trading and
banks which loan out money with interest and keep your money 'safe'
while paying out interest and you might end up with a diverse economy.

Also because you'd be acting similar to the Feds you could release
more currency into the game if it becomes too scarse and devalue it.
You could even have players who set themselves up as loan
institutions.  These players could play with their interest rates in
order to make themselves richer and could also require collatoral
which if the loanee defuncts on the loan could be collected by hired
mercenaries.

Anyways now I'm rambling.  I guess what I'm getting at is that my
experience is limited mostly to text MUDs and maybe this is along the
lines of what UO tried before the gold duping bug destroyed it.  But
I've never played UO so I wouldn't know I guess :)

Jim Sykora
Co-Owner & Head Areas - ExileMUD
www.exile.ca
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