One of the ways I spent my time while I was sans computer this weekend (long story) was in attempting to brainstorm some ideas about how I would implement a Gamma World style setting in an MMO. As long-time readers may know, GW is one of my all-time favorite settings… something about the concept just fascinates me.
My trigger for the cataclysm for this implementation is biological, an imaginary disease (rabies variant?) that quickly (but sneakily) reduces the victim to paranoid delusions. It spreads rapidly through the Ancient population, some of the infected with security clearances are not recognized in time, a little too much automation, a few too many unquestioning in the wrong places, and Boom…
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Anyway, when I got to economics, I ran into a bit of a quandary. One of the facets I enjoy about the GW concept is the juxtaposition of various levels of technological development: everything from Stone Age to Star Trek can be fit in somewhere, one way or another.
Logically, the same should apply to forms of transaction and currency. The possible forms I had listed after a few minutes of contemplation were as follows:
Barter: straight up trade of goods and services for other goods and services. Perhaps implement a ”bargaining/haggling” system (optional?), similar to Vanguard diplomacy, to add gameplay value and help clarify comparative values without resorting to direct currency references?
Precious Metals: ingots and coins of various possible materials. Relatively easy to implement, comfortable to players. Weight/encumbrance and possibility of loss via robbery/destruction potential issues to be dealt with.
Bearer Bonds/Paper Money: Next step up the ladder, potentially decouples local economy from gold standard, convenience due to lower weight/encumbrance. Easier to steal and/or destroy.
Ancient Coinage: the future history I am postulating had an economy which had not gone entirely virtual as of the cataclysm which was it’s downfall. Small, light coins of varying denominations made of nearly indestructible alloys (duralloy was a common imaginary material in the old GW settings) were still in use to a minor degree. Easiest form to convert between various economic levels: assume conversion to/from virtual economy could occur at ancient vending machines and ATMs.
Virtual Economy: one of the accomplishments the intrepid post-Cataclysm Adventurer should eventually be able to gain is an “account” within the Ancient communications/financial network. (It is assumed that this system was eventually made largely automatic and self-sustaining, such that it survived the Cataclysm largely intact, and is only slowly degrading over time, although access to it is limited).
Access to this virtual economy should represent significant added (if only randomly accessible) utility to the character: consider an ability to order additional ammo for delivery “to nearly any location in the continental US by 1-hour robo-courier, guaranteed! (Not available in all areas, void where prohibited…)” Or an ability to summon a hover-taxi for a quick jaunt downtown (only 25 credits per tenth of a mile, minimum charge 2000 credits)?
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The quandary is, while I think there is a decent path of progression that could be built up through the various levels such that players would have time to learn each system separately, is it too confusing for most players (even the hardcore ones I would really be focusing on) to want to deal with so many different forms of commerce? Arbitrage opportunities would run rampant, values of various goods would logically fluctuate wildly from location to location… is it too many options?
Any feedback would be welcome… thanks!
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November 27, 2007 at 10:14 am
JuJutsu
Is it safe to assume that the different forms of clearing transactions will vary by locale i.e. barter in stone age areas, virtual in hi tech pockets?
November 27, 2007 at 11:44 am
damianov
Exactly, though there could be several avenues for potential crossover between systems (the “Shaman” in the stone age area has had the process for activating the old ATM kiosk explained to him, passed down from generation to generation, the Mutated Pine Tree in the high tech pocket can’t get the old technology to recognize him as sentient, so he deals in coin… that kind of thing).
November 28, 2007 at 9:39 am
Lucifrank
Yeah, economy would be a tricky hurdle in a post-apocalyptic context just because you’re dealing with such a range of different societies/tribes each with their own distinctive economic structures. When I think Gamma World, I immediately think scavenging/bartering.
I think the rules of commerce could introduce a major “sphere” of gameplay to a Gamma World-esque game–playing just as significant a role as adventuring and survival.
I’m getting ahead of myself, and probably ahead of what our comps can handle for another couple years–but if this game were set in an environment players could alter and impact–versus the static MMO worlds we’ve all become accustomed to–as player clans/guilds evolve, build cities, and scavenge technology, their economic systems would naturally evolve in complexity.
November 28, 2007 at 10:40 am
Aaron
In regard to barter, the difference between that and currency isn’t very significant if you just gave barter items fixed values. The essence of bartering is that any given item is likely to be more valuable to one person/society than to another. Of course, there’s supply and demand with currency, but the value range of an item in a barter system is far less static and predictable.
A way to translate that into a game mechanic is to give NPCs various desires and assign particular items to categories which match those desires, ala the desire system in The Sims: 2 (I never played the first Sims game). The longer a character goes without eating, the higher his desire for foodstuffs becomes and the more he is willing to trade for it.
Different societies and NPC types would have different inclinations, meaning one NPC’s desire for food would increase quicker than another’s.
What items and the quantities that an NPC is willing to trade might be determined through a little cheating… the computer is aware of the player character’s desires and appeals to those needs. The better barterer the individual NPC, the less willing he is willing to diverge from his original offer to the player, in item types and quantities.
As for using a variety of trade systems in one game… I’d split them up by purpose. For common items, only currency and barter work. For faction, only barter and ancient coins work. To hire a blacksmith for custom weapons, armor and vehicles, you have to pay him in metals (precious metals being worth more). You get the general idea.
November 29, 2007 at 8:21 am
damianov
@Lucifrank: I would think that economic evolution should be possible, even with only minimal changes to existing structures. I suspect the main thing that would need to change would be the heavy reliance on money and equipment as a direct reward mechanism, both for quests and just normal hunting/XP-grinding activity. What could effectively replace that is open to question, obviously…
@Aaron: building on the Sims concept is somewhat what I had in mind, as well, but I’m also looking at trying to build on that by offering players a gameplay option which would allow them to try to detect and manipulate such NPC drives as well. I guess I’m looking at barter as, in a loose sense, a form of conversational combat.
I certainly agree that a barter system becomes pretty irrelevant when everything has an assigned cash value.
Is splitting trade systems up by purpose sufficient simplification, do you think? I think I could live with that, maybe with a few “special exceptions”, if I knew that it would avoid creating excessive frustration given a relatively experienced player base…
December 12, 2007 at 6:06 am
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