Why would anyone want an NPC Building in their POT?

Discussion in 'Player Owned Towns' started by Poor game design, Nov 20, 2014.

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  1. Rufus D`Asperdi

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    oh, look... the Baron has found another cause...

    NPC vendor, selling basic equipment at a reasonable price are a hedge against inflation (as is their primary function as a gold sink, which is necessary) insuring that as the game matures, new players aren't priced our of the market to such a degree that they cannot afford to bootstrap themselves.

    If and NPC vendor sells basic arms and armor, then there is financial incentive for a player merchant to either meet or beat that price.
     
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  2. Selene

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    In-game economics roughly follow the same pattern as real world economics. As someone with a degree in that area, Spoon's Ikea analogy and subsequent argument are sound. Plus, vendors that are not in competition with player made goods, such as crafting fuel vendors, banks, and stable masters will probably be the most popular choices by town owners. But, not every player is money driven, and some will choose npc vendors as window dressing or just for their own enjoyment. It is a game after all.
     
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  3. Rufus D`Asperdi

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    His Excellency has difficulty viewing Player Owned Towns as anything other than a mechanism for personal financial enrichment. Any options, or opposition to options that might limit a town owner's opportunities for profit seem to befuddle him.
     
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  4. Drocis the Devious

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    You are entitled to presume whatever you wish. I'm comfortable with my assessment.
     
  5. Lord Andernut

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    To be fair this was a pre-existing cause from 2014 that got necro'd.
     
  6. Amethyst

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    On behalf of solo players, I can only say that as long as you have no advantage over others that you should get what ever you want, otherwise no you should not. I base this on the fact that this game is global and not solely American. I will not discuss economics or politics to go into detail about what I am saying, but I will say that most civilized countries are democratic not republican. In other words, you might get an advantage most people world-wide would not find fair but many Americans would. I hope that if you get no advantage that you get everything you want in your pot. I want you to enjoy this game more than any game you have every played, just not at the expense of others. This game's economics already bother many people (I do not include myself).
     
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  7. draykor darkale

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    I love NPCs

    Walrus.

    Yeah, I don't get your point of view in the slightest.
     
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  8. Gypsy Lou

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    Of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But Spoon's is based on logic and observable behavior. The OP's is based on his repetition of the same non sequitir over and over again, apparently without any consideration of points made in the thread. Comfort with one's assessment isn't very persuasive.
     
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  9. Drocis the Devious

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    Yet I still have a Metropolis with no NPC shops. I guess we'll see.

    Btw, walrus.
     
  10. StarLord

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    I do not get the point in this discussion here.
    From my point of view NPC vendors are not a sink but a source of gold.
    We have quite a couple of sinks (like lot deeds, lot taxes, buying otherwise not available or tedious goods), so we also need gold sources.
    The only source I am aware of are NPC vendors (other players are only distributing, but not creating gold - unless we get a mint; also not counting one time quest rewards and some looting). Currently I only earn money with selling loot or crafted items (looted gold is minimal).
    So why not have an NPC vendor in my POT to have a money source?
     
  11. sn0tub

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    A BANK!
     
  12. rune_74

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    How much more in game incentive do people want?

    I am getting Leary of requests like this that look to add another in game bonus to a player in NPC taxation. I would like to think when the game goes live everyone will be playing on the same level field but this type of thing would ensure that would NOT be the case.
     
  13. Drocis the Devious

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    I will have a bank in my town. But Banks don't charge players anything or take anything out of the game, do they?
     
  14. Drocis the Devious

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    That's an interesting way to look at it actually. I think on the surface you're right, it does convert things like "rusty swords" to gold. But in doing so, those NPC vendors also take resources out of the world (in this case, Metal Scrap). And that's my problem with the NPC's, is that they are literally REMOVING something from the world, as a sink.

    So my local economy has stuff that gets pushed out of it with NPC's, where as players would need to take these things to another town to push them out of the local economy if I didn't have NPC's. Think about it this way for a moment. If you go kill stuff in the Shardfall and you bring back all kinds of resources and other items that maybe you don't want - maybe you just want the gold equivalent from that. If there are only players to sell and trade with, all the those resources say in the city. NPC's aren't making them go *POOF* they can be retraded and used in crafting. That should create a more stable market place to buy and sell goods, crafters should like that, warriors should like that.
     
  15. Gypsy Lou

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    Your walrus is misplaced. My endorsement of Spoon logic is an on-topic comment.
     
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  16. Drocis the Devious

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    You're right, that was unfair. You're certainly on topic. Which is why I responded with more than just walrus. However I felt the extra spice:
    could only be replied to with, walrus.
     
  17. Drocis the Devious

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    Can anyone answer this for me? If all the deeds are taken in the game, why do you need a Housing Merchant? :)

    How does this even work with a deed lottery? It doesn't make a lot of sense.
    [​IMG]
     
  18. redfish

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    Also same reason the devs would want NPC buildings in NPC towns.

    You've already made it clear that you don't like the idea of NPCs selling things to begin with because it competes with the player economy. But players might not be online, or putting much work into stocking their vendors, and then your town becomes a ghost town with nothing really to offer.
     
    Last edited: Sep 13, 2015
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  19. Drocis the Devious

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    That is a considerable risk. If we didn't have selective multiplayer I think that risk would be far too great and I would think NPC merchants were more valuable. But because the scene population will always be controlled, buyers and sellers will always be able to find each other.

    We still have a "work order" program that the devs have mentioned before in hang outs that might show its way into episode I too. So I'm not that concerned with players stocking their vendors and being able to trade in Rats' Nest. I actually think that the lack of NPC shops will just make it more attractive for traders to go there and sell Rats' Nest stuff that they picked up from NPC's in the next town over.
     
  20. StarLord

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    Please consider ALL players. All transactions between players are zero-sum - someone gets gold, the other losses it, no gain in total (maybe even a loss if transactions are taxed)
    Still all players together have a sink due to e.g. taxes. So we NEED non player gold sources.
    The example with scrap is a perfect reason to have NPC vendors: you get scrap for free in unlimited numbers and can convert it to gold.
    Please give another example on how to obtain gold for e.g. taxes except taking it from another player.
     
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