Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

1. Karond the player is not Karond the PC. That seems to be lost here.
2. If it wasn't for a TOTALLY BROKEN ECONOMY because of unlimited gold coins—which defies all reality, even a fantasy one—gold would have a real value, on par with items.
3. Enchanting and/or crafting could easily utilize the current, broken gold-has-no-value economy of NWN2, because one wouldn't have to rely on luck, just persistence...and definitely not have to deal with the super evilness that is Karond (player or PC! )

Oh, and I guess there is 4, as well: just don't care about uber items. Period. Role-play doesn't require cool things. It's the easiest thing to dismiss the wealth and any "brutal powerbuilder," by simply not wanting what they have or do.

Sure, there are players that aren't interested in items and that's fine of course

And indeed, crafting can make up for part of what the shops would do for the economy, but you're wrong on point 2. Limiting gold, as in either minimizing it or have its total amount fixed in the economy doesn't solve anything. It's a flawed theory that theVoid keps telling people.

Gold is only as valuable as what it can buy. If you can't buy everything with it, it loses value. That's what shops remedies, but since players will still keep the mentality of Bob in the comic with limited gold because it comes naturally, limited gold doesn't produce the same effect. It has virtually no noticable effect on the economy at all.

This was a fun read, thank you.

I'm curious, do you see any other way this PC power disparity (that tilting board thingy with the monkey on it, very nice) can be rectified? Would more items through for example non-epic events help? Or would they simply risk becoming more shiny trinkets for some to use for epics, and further event chasing? If the items are reasonably balanced, I mean, and not epic straight off the bat.

The problem with DM events is when they give out items better than what you can aquire elsewhere, but also how much easier it is to aquire them compared to spending effort elsewhere. It leads to event-chasing and indeed bias, as not everyone gets to participate since DMs aren't everywhere at once. What your suggestion would do is just tilting the numbers. If we've 5% rich and 95% not rich now when it comes to equipment, that suggestion would just increase the amount being rich, but not to the point where those who are not rich is 0%.

Shops have the benefit that it's an even playing ground for everyone. It's some luck, as some will get gold faster depending on what they manage to loot and of course the time they put into it, but everyone has a chance on their own.

Karond wrote:Gold is only as valuable as what it can buy. If you can't buy everything with it, it loses value.

What you say above is true, however, that has little to do with a limited supply of gold, and an economy that requires it. If gold coin was just a limited as Karond's inventory, and gold coin was the ONLY thing you could use to buy Heal potions, scrolls, ales, etc....what then?

Comparing rare, limited things to common, unlimited things, is comparing, as is said, apples to oranges. That, however, does not a label of flawed theory, make.

BTW, my No. 1 was the most important point.

That was pretty cool!

Nicely wrapped up.

For economics in a game, EVE Online is the example that I often point toward.

I agree fully with the sentiment that majority of high end gear should be available in shops. BG not only has a notoriously low level of magic in terms of equipment (which is fine), but obtaining that equipment can sometimes be a painful process. I have no problem with acquiring gold over time, but trying to loot specific items can get ridiculous.


Magical items, "uber" or not, are very much a core part of the Forgotten Realms setting. Roleplay quite often revolves around them, be it a piece of equipment or an ancient Netherese Scroll. Characters and NPC's in FR are often partially defined by their notable equipment.

I certainly don't blame someone for operating this way since the server rules allow it and in certain ways even encourages it.... But, the fact that the server economy allows individuals to do this speaks to how broken it is.

Steve wrote:Role-play doesn't require cool things.

^^ This, so much this.

It would be a good way to get gold out of the economy at least, But you would want the price to still be higher then buying from a PC to encourage PC merchants.

Well written and a fun read. Definitely agree epic items should be more readily available as currently there are many sitting unused, hoarded collecting dust... Crafting would have the largest impact imo

Build more item vendors Karond! Shouldn't there be a premium "EPIC" item vendor Kraak? Or at least available in the outskirts area or something.........I agree though it is rather frustrating for those of us who do not have the mad skillz of Karond.

Lmao that comic is amazing.

This server seems to have a huge problem with making tough decisions and the implementation of literally.....anything. I took a year long break recently and it's astounding how little has been changed and/or added since then. Once you are around awhile you realize the harsh truth that gold is almost without value on this server. That alone should spark desperate change but sadly it hasn't for years.

What usually happens is these great ideas and discussions just slowly die, forever suffocated under a mountain of backlogs and "will-never-be" patches. I suspect the issues are far deeper and debilitating then simply changing X or Y. When new players are still making characters around classes that don't even exist, like Warsling Sniper that shows a server sickness that needs to be addressed before any meaningful change can occur.