Fixing economic issues in GMUD - part 1 (single use items)

[The Crazy Animal]

In order to fix some of the more drastic economic issues there needs to be a functioning economic system built into the game that encourages players to spend and use their money rather then hoarding it. I was always a big fan of economic strategy games like tradewars, ports of call?. The thing that allows these games to work with out spiraling out of control economically is that they require you to use your money to get anywhere regardless if you profit from your spending.

The first thing that I would suggest is that we do is kind of like re-inventing the wheel we need to increase the amount of useful single use items. In tradewars these types of items like fighters which you tended to spend a fair amount of money on. In mmud single use items beyond the basic potion were fairly rare and I think we should really look into changing that.

Single Fire Spell Scrolls ? These single fire spell scrolls would be similar to the effects of items like gnarled wands but only good for one shot. I would suggest that not only attack spells be used but also utility spells like wizards knock and perhaps even a spell version of the skill disarm trap. Each spell scroll could have 3 versions to it to represent the min, avg, and max levels of the spells effects.

Potions? Again very similar to the single fire spell scrolls these are limited use items. For potions I was thinking that it would be good to have multiple sized containers each with a different amount of uses attributed to them: single use ones would be vials, double use flasks, triple use bottles, and quadruple use jugs. (There would need to be a slight logic check added to the shops that checks the max amount of swigs against the current and adjusts the sale price.) The reason for the various sizes is that it allows a range of risk to be involved when traveling with them especially if we get to the point when AI NPC thieves go in. The other reason is that it allows more options when giving out chest rewards I.e rather then a huge pile of copper or silver..

Alcohol ? Each type of drink in the game should have some type of effect to make it worth drinking. Alcohol in the game is basically a cheaper potion that?s reduced price is a result of it getting you intoxicated. Both effects (positive and negative) would be stackable similar to the old spell bug. I mentioned in a previous post I?d like to actually have the game use some action filters to enforce the effects of drinking so I won?t repost these you can see them here http://greatermud.com/forums/index.php?topic=913.0. The way I see this working is the ability controlling this would be rated 1 ? current health stat @ the max value your basically mortally wounded but above a 0 hp amount. i.e shit faced and unable to do anything. The intoxication points would wear off with time and or by use of other items.

For example: All at the cost of a few intoxication points added to your tally.

A Bottle of Draconian Gut Rot might make you belch up the occasional random fire ball at the room for minor damage as a hit spell.

A bottle of Absinth might let you see hidden passages.

A bottle of Orcish Draught might raise your str by 2 points while lowering your intellect by 2 points.

A bottle of Dwarven Golden Surprise might remove or negate the effects of fear.

A bottle of Fermented Blood Root ? A kang drink of choice ? Its poisonous but after drinking it so will be your breath. Similar to the gut rot you get the occasional poison belch. Its no wonder the kangs are the only ones that like to drink the stuff.

Food ? Another seldom used object in the game is food. To make food useful again we need ways of allowing it to effect that go beyond the simple 1-4 heal that is useless later on in the game. The first change I would suggest to make food more viable as a purchased commodity is have food increase the HPregen of the player rather then act as a simple heal. Since HPregen will remain at a constant value (worth in terms of ability to aid the player) to the player it makes the item more worth while for the entirety of the game. It might be a good idea to have it add to manaregen too since not all players are as reliant on that single aspect.

If we go the route of putting intoxication points in the game food could also be used to remove those points prior to them just wearing off over time. Something like this would also be valued since it would allow those items to be used more often.

Medicine ? In the realm of MMUD medicine was not something that was needed or used however there is no reason why we need to be so generic about our diseases and poisons in the game or making the only way of curing them be through magical means. We could represent diseases much like the negative effects of some of the gypsy fortune teller cards. This would make them detrimental to the PC but not harmful enough to kill of the PC with out help from other sources. Each individual disease would affect a single or double aspect of the PC such as HPregen and accuracy or crits and magic resistance or temporarily lowers your encumbrance? The way characters would contract the diseases is through interacting with NPCs and or as the result of randomized spawnings of MOBs that have a special disease flag that works like a deathspeall ?plague infected blood sprays on you? or combat spell ?the Orc coughs on you or spits at you??. This would encourage non-healer based PCs to buy and carry various cures that are common to different areas of the realm.  As for poisons we could explore stuff like fungal spore clouds and poison ivy like rashes various other toxins that have nag type effects on the PC such as you stop to scratch yourself or you begin to cough loudly. The goal being is to increase the dynamics of the virtual conditions that the players exist in and then encourage them to spend money to remedy these small annoyances and stay at the top of their performance capabilities without impeding too much on the quality of play for those who try to ignore it till the effects wear off.

Any Opinions or suggestions for more single use items that would help in this method of increasing player spending?

[The Crazy Animal]

Just adding in a potion type...

Magic strike potions: This type of potion adds a hitspell to your swings. Note - Caution on using more then one at the same time as they sometimes cancel each other out. ie. fire might cancel ice out type of scheme.

[Oaco]

Another thing that would help with excessive cash issues is to add in the equipment deterioration idea.  I have some elaborate ideas with regards to durability if you are interested, but I don't see this as too difficult of a concept.

The other thing which WoW does to eliminate excessive cash is to create "money sink" type items.  For example they have a ring that you can buy for an unreasonable amount of gold BUT it's a great ring and has a unique ability.  It's not a "best item" but it's good enough that people would buy it.

The realm could also have events that require materials of some sort that players would have to buy and then just "turn in" otherwise some sort of catastrophe would happen.  An avalanche has created a road block and the city of silvermere needs resources to clear the path.  Or a bridge has collapsed and needs repair.  Have these events actually change the environment (not sure if this is a possibility) and cause "difficulties" for players to access areas of the realm because of them.  Khazarad is under attack and needs weapon supplies to retake the city, for the period of time until enough "weapon supplies" have been reached have Khazarad only spawn some sort of nasty creature where all the guards etc would be. 

Or you could have random bank robbings - not very often but say it happens and the thieves were able to steal 10% of the banks total worth.

Random muggings on certain roads (along the lines of those stupid flavor text things that come up randomly) - instead of having those be pointless make it so sometimes a thief jumps out of the bushes and steals some of your money and runs away never to be seen again.

Create an addiction.  A certain potion that increases an attribute for a period of time then when it wears off it has negative effects, unless you resupply yourself with that potion again.  Have the negative effects be harmful enough that it is something the player will WANT to get rid of, make it permanent unless the player goes to rehab (a temple).

I love the idea of more single use items as well.  Definitely more potions IMO -- but make them more accessible.

Whore houses.  Who doesn't love em, and they sure can suck the money out your pockets.  But it has to have ANSI graphics - little stick figure women, oh yea.

Make spells take reagents -- at least bigger spells. <-- new edit

[Exodus]

Buy Tattoos from various Tattoo shops in the realms. When looking at a player, the tattoos could be displayed for no other reason than it being a money sink.

Greatly increase the markup on magical items in shops.

Increase the amount of variety of magical items in the game sold at stores (more +1 accuracy rings, or more +1 critical items).

Increase the number of player worn item slots. 8 ring slots. Multiple neck slots. Multiple earring slots.

[Thergin]

What is fun for some is not fun for others, I agree that having a solution to inflation is important, but also addressing how money is earned is also, because somepeople have the ability to make a lot more money then others, so if you make money more important then have to balance that as well.

In the area of keeping it fun, and not like another job. I enjoy low maintanence characters, im sure others do as well, its why we script. To feel like we are gaining lots from not much effort/work. To feel the satisfaction of setting up a good script, that works and is optomized to give max exp/hr. To be more powerfull when you do hand play.

[kalus]

Potions are a good one! Limit potions to one potion use per round and let black potions for example be available in shops. More cool potions are needed.

[Gardner Denver]

Increase the number of player worn item slots. 8 ring slots. Multiple neck slots. Multiple earring slots.

Nipple rings anyone? :)

[The Crazy Animal]

Nipple rings anyone? :)

That would go on the worn slot... Which btw I wouldn't mind having additional worn type slots.

[Gardner Denver]

That would go on the worn slot... Which btw I wouldn't mind having additional worn type slots.

The new slot system Vitoc is working on will make it much easier to add additional slots to players.

[The Crazy Animal]

The new slot system Vitoc is working on will make it much easier to add additional slots to players.

Thats good I know I'd like to pursue a few ideas that would require addtional slots.

I had another thought the other day about how to create money sink items and that was a "charge for recharge method". Like you have a nice HP healer item that has a number of charges and when it runs out you need to go to say a temple and have it re-blessed to recharge it. Any thoughts on the method?