Global Currency or Item for Item Barter?

[Tybalt]

In an item-to-item trading system all items might have a value, but it'd more of a relative value. What I mean by this is that if I'm trying to trade my axe, and the only thing you have to trade to me is logs, but I already have enough logs and I want iron ore, then I'm not going to want to trade as easily. Sure I could try to barter those logs that you traded me for ore, but it's an inconvience and I'd likely favor someone else that has what I need, or, I wouldn't want to even bother. I'm still not saying it's bad, but it shouldn't be the only method to trading. Can you imagine the chat log? Brings back horrorible memories of lobby chat in Diablo 2.

That is kind of the idea, isn't it?
If you are not in need of "Logs" and you are trading to a tribe that has nothing to offer but logs, you would not want to trade to that tribe. Instead you would trade to a tribe that does have what you want. And in doing so you have stimulated their economy. They get rewarded for having an active and more diverse economy. If you can not find a tribe with items you are willing to trade for, you could always use the Tribal Questing system to Post your axe as a reward for the item(s) you feel are Equal in value to your axe.

[Venciera]

Really, I like Tybalt's system the best. Its a combination barter/currency system that is very sandboxy, and might produce a global currency that everyone trades with.

More than anything I want a market that can be accessed at anytime (or when its opened) and is either centralized like EVE, or privately owned. Having privately owned markets would allow players to shop around within tribe for the best deals. Which would look cool and be interesting I think.

[Tybalt]

Yes, I love that. My view has been narrow to the Tribal Trade instead of the player to player trade. But adding private markets would allow for much more diversity within a tribe. Also if/when Currency is introduced, it would be a great way to balance the item value within a region. "We got's ta beat that competition... mhmm."

[mrcalhou]

That is kind of the idea, isn't it?
If you are not in need of "Logs" and you are trading to a tribe that has nothing to offer but logs, you would not want to trade to that tribe. Instead you would trade to a tribe that does have what you want. And in doing so you have stimulated their economy. They get rewarded for having an active and more diverse economy. If you can not find a tribe with items you are willing to trade for, you could always use the Tribal Questing system to Post your axe as a reward for the item(s) you feel are Equal in value to your axe.

I uhh, umm... /facepalm. My excuse is that my brain is fried from writing two research papers and designing a lab experiment (that ironically is working so well I have no way of measuring my results) for my education internship class. Yep, those are my excuses and I'm sticking to it!

[Tybalt]

XD I'll let you off this time. =P

[Nails]

Global currency would be easier, item bartering would be more fun. I can see tribes assigning values to items anyway to work out fair trades etc.
But atm, I'm not sure what we'd be trading for, as long as your starting area is near a lake and has some trees u can get everything you need.

[KeithStone]

Global currency would be easier, item bartering would be more fun. I can see tribes assigning values to items anyway to work out fair trades etc.
But atm, I'm not sure what we'd be trading for, as long as your starting area is near a lake and has some trees u can get everything you need.

I've seen 2 things so far that seems to be rare and in limited locations, which is tar and basalt.

[aliksteel]

I voted "Global Standard Currency" as I liked the way Darenkel put it.

I voted for Global, but not as an 'active' currency so much as a 'passive' one. As a passive currency, it would be based on perceived item value (which is just as exploitable in real life as it would be in-game).

Even though I would prefer this, I do not see it as needed for release. I'm looking at the long-term, here.

My decision is based on my view of tribes as potential nations.

Long term is what we should be looking at here, The "Item for Item Barter System" will work great at start, Because there will be so few things to be made and found at the first of the game. But later when tribes are more established, It will be hell trying to find the right tribe that will be willing to trade you item X for item Y. Tribes at this point will have most any thing they need, And will not be willing to trade you item X as it's something they can use now, For item Y that they already have plenty of.

So yea, I say GSC FTW ;-)

[Kitsume]

The problem with using the scavenged money, bottlecaps or beer can tabs is that as these items are found, the currency value is reduced. As more and more of these items are introduced, with out a way to remove them from the system, there will be rapidly increasing inflation of that currency.

It would make more sense to use small lightweight items which are consumed as a currency, like buttons, feathers or nails. This would help keep the inflation rate down. As any experienced MMO player knows, inflation is a curse of any currency based system that is hard to keep under control.

[Kinslayer]

I would have to say Global currency is definitely the best way to go, and I dont mean buttons or nails, I mean actual gold, silver, copper, iron coins, or whatever else you wish, but coins. I like Jadzia's description of a barter system and how it fails.

I would also point out, that this thread discusses only resources as its typical trades. Wouldnt crafted items be more of worth in the trading system? Perhaps not everyone will have access to a master carpenter, or architect. If I was to hire out my services as an architect, I certainly wouldnt want 500 logs in return, I would want real money I could use to buy whatever I needed, when I needed it. Of course another pain then becomes if we're dealing in logs and metal scrap or whatever, is transport and storage. Why should I have to try and store all this crap I probably will never get around to using, just cos Im doing well as a master architect.

You might say, well, you should ask for what you want instead of logs then, right? Well if you want the business, and the only customers you can find are ones that can only trade logs, then the economy becomes stagnant. Good old fashioned gp's would serve much better, so that can throw them in your bank, or your tribes bank, and then visit the privately tribe owned markets to shop around for exactly what you want, how much you want of it, and when you want it.

Eve is very widely regarded as the best economy of any MMO, along with the best trading system. Jooky has said he wants to take the great things from other games and combine them all in Xsyon. So my question would be then, why wouldnt you take a leaf out of Eve's book in regards to this?