[MUD-Dev2] [DESIGN] Crafting Systems: Supply-Driven vs. Demand-Driven

[cruise]

Thus spake Shannon Sullivan...
> What I'm envisioning is a system driven by demand instead of supply.For
> example, a player might be able to open a menu-style interfacewith all
> the various crafting recipes and select one to be crafted bythe first
> crafter who wants to make a profit.  They're putting in anorder,
> basically, and the first crafter willing to fill that ordergets it. 
> Perhaps the buyer might even be told right up front thematerial cost of
> the product and be given an interface to adjust howmuch mark-up they're
> willing to pay (possibly with a default amount toencourage
> standardization).  The interface could even show the averageprice that
> item has sold for recently so they know whether they'remaking a
> competitive offer.  Crafters might even choose from theinterface to be
> notified when items they can produce are in demand soorders can be
> responded to with greater immediacy.

NPC's in Vanguard offer this - you go to the right NPC, they tell you 
want they want, and you make it. It's effectively "quests" for crafters.

Allowing players to offer these isn't much more difficult technically, 
but runs into all sorts of interesting powergaming problems that 
allowing players to create quests for each other does.