Economy

[sjanimal]

The game economy was brought up in recent threads.

Several points were brought up which were generally agreed upon.

1) The game economy encourages twinkers

2) The game economy encouraged people to work independently of clans

3) For people who aren't twinkers, involved in a clan or seriously cash driven, it can take an inordinate amount of time just to scrape by.  Specifically, an inordinant amount of time that would be better spent role-playing and in character development, for people who don't care all that much about money.

No one could seem to agree on the solutions to these problems in the other threads.  In essence, a solution which might fix one problem, would probably screw the other two up worse, or not even really fix the first problem.

Does anyone have any additional observations or ideas?

[Carnage]

2) The game economy encouraged people to work independently of clans

Try and make clans more enjoyable?

[My 2 sids]

Part of what I see going on is that Earth culture is seeping into game culture.  I'm not saying it is terrible or even that players are consciously doing thing, I'm just saying its happening.  Ever sense Earth's rise of merchant power shortly after the Dark Ages, we've become more and more a money based society.  Add to that that America (which would influence other industrious countries and is where most of Arm's players are from) celebrates it's independent and money = equality attitude, and we're starting to see how players are sometimes unable to role-play a game whose rules and cultures varies so greatly.  Slowly Earth's culture of capitalism has swept into Zalanthas.  It is this Capitalism that leads some players to feel that whoever has the most money, wins.

The fact is however; Zalanthas is not a capitalistic world.  Birth and title are still what determines the main level of status and power in Zalanthas.  In such a world not everything should be sold for a price to anyone with the money.  Nobles are betters in spite of, not because of, their House's wealth.  It is the name and bloodline that put nobles in charge.  The same is true with race, humans and non-humans will never truly be equal regardless of finances.  The fact that titles bring about status and power is what make clans so important.  It's not that someone can simply get clothing, gear, food, water, shelter, cash, and security if they join a House (or any group or clan); its that by joining that person is entitled to a better life.  House members should know they are the ones people envy and they are the ones people fear.  They are the ones who should be served ale first or the ones who the templarate always listen to.  

Like a MUSH, a role-play based game such as Armageddon requires its participants to make realistic judgments about appropriate behaviors.  It is up to players to ensure the majority of the PC base does understand the hierarchy of the society.  Up to the players to make sure that for the every-day commoner joining a clan or a house should be something to strive to get!  

I see in game that the old way of titles is starting to come to a head with this new idea that money is the ultimate power.  What I'd like to see is some real IC hot issues starting to form and lines starting to be drawn in the sand.

[EvilRoeSlade]

1) The game economy encourages twinkers

2) The game economy encouraged people to work independently of clans

Make it less profitable to work independantly of clans.  It doesn't have to be harder to survive, but I think that if those problems indeed exist that would be the solution.  But I wouldn't be the one to say if those problems exist or not, since I don't pay attention to those sort of things.

3) For people who aren't twinkers, involved in a clan or seriously cash driven, it can take an inordinate amount of time just to scrape by.  Specifically, an inordinant amount of time that would be better spent role-playing and in character development, for people who don't care all that much about money.

I think that the biggest reason that it takes so long to survive (and I've just experienced a role in which I wasn't a twink, involved in a clan, or seriously cash driven) is because finding water can take a long time.

There's nothing to be done about it though.  I certainly wouldn't suggest that water become more plentiful.

[Agent_137]

I thought that poll placed 75 percent of the people that read these boards and voted in clans.