Re-Rethinking Gold as a Currency

This isn't about economics in reality, but rather in a game. That means, it is oriented on being fun and rewarding, rather than being a 100% functional and easy to handle. And in my book, if something is very easy, it's boring. This also isn't the place for showing off your economics knowledge, because it simply doesn't apply in the conventional sense. There is no specific right or wrong, but the answer how the system should be, would be more like "what we want to achieve by using this sytem" rather than the other. Maybe even only half the facts in the devblog are straight with reality. That doesn't change the fact that the system right now is fun, and most people playing the beta are in an agreement at that. To all the orb haters: Show us one economic system in a game implementing gold that is fun. I know that's not an objective argument against gold, but why should we change it? I hate gold and the devs probably do the same. It's subjective, because everyone finds different things to be fun. Deal with it.

Your complaining is exactly the same, as if you were complaining about gameplay elements you would like to change. Yeah, the system OP described is different to most systems other games have, but, farming gold will be the same boring shit as in every of these games. If you think farming gold is fun, my personal opinion is simply that you're wrong. Picking up the same small stuff all the time, it's a repetitve boring activity. Tell my why this would be any different. Also a specific kind of orb can't be farmed as easy, and by that the game discourages you to simply farm stuff in every way, which I personally find very compelling.

Also, if you're going to barter will people, you will talk to them. I have enjoyed a bit small talk with trade partners, and I find it very refreshing. If you still feel the need for having a universal currency, you're free to go to jsp or whatever. I don't see where your problem is.

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This isn't about economics in reality, but rather in a game. That means, it is oriented on being fun and rewarding, rather than being a 100% functional and easy to handle. And in my book, if something is very easy, it's boring. This also isn't the place for showing off your economics knowledge, because it simply doesn't apply in the conventional sense.

Economical principles still apply.
If something is 100% functional it will be more fund an rewarding.
The whole point is to make trading more fun and rewarding!

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Yeah, the system OP described is different to most systems other games have, but, farming gold will be the same boring shit as in every of these games. If you think farming gold is fun, my personal opinion is simply that you're wrong. Picking up the same small stuff all the time, it's a repetitve boring activity. Tell my why this would be any different.

How will farming gold be any different from farming orbs?
It's the same! So if farming gold is boring shit, then farming orbs is boring shit.

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Also a specific kind of orb can't be farmed as easy, and by that the game discourages you to simply farm stuff in every way, which I personally find very compelling.

That you can't farm a specific orb dos not in any way or shape discourage farming.

If you want a specific orb you farm until you find it or until you find enough stuff so you can trade for it. Exactly like the proposed system, except that with this you will have an easier time converting what you have found to what you are looking for.

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Also, if you're going to barter will people, you will talk to them. I have enjoyed a bit small talk with trade partners, and I find it very refreshing

You still have to talk to people. You are just more likely to find someone to trade with. I don't really see the fun and exciting social aspect of looking for someone to trade with.
Global chat spam is not a conversation, a forum trade post is not a conversation.

You can still barter if you prefer it btw.

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Strill wrote:

Why do people talk about "flooding" the auction house as though it's somehow a bad thing? Just sort by lowest unit price. Voila. No need to worry about "flooding" bothering you ever again.

lets say you want to find a new amulet. you sort by lowest unit price and your level range and get 50 pages of amulets. 99% of them are useless junk and nobody will ever buy it.

But if there is no listing fee..if you are the seller: why not give it a try, maybe someone is stupid enough to buy it.

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Sickness wrote:

Economical principles still apply.
If something is 100% functional it will be more fund an rewarding.
The whole point is to make trading more fun and rewarding!

Fun is subjective and you're simply stating the opposite of what I said. I find 100% functional boring. GGG seems to agree with me. Where is your argument? I dare say you're simply on the wrong side.

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Sickness wrote:

How will farming gold be any different from farming orbs?
It's the same! So if farming gold is boring shit, then farming orbs is boring shit.

No, because picking up simply "Gold" will be way more repetetive and it's always the same stuff. You don't find anything new. You don't have the possibility of finding that incredibly rare Zod Rune, and these kinda things were the things to make Diablo pretty fun. You're simplifying for the sake of your argument. Perception is different for people.

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Sickness wrote:

That you can't farm a specific orb dos not in any way or shape discourage farming.
If you want a specific orb you farm until you find it or until you find enough stuff so you can trade for it. Exactly like the proposed system, except that with this you will have an easier time converting what you have found to what you are looking for.

I think if you have to trade to convert your farm loot first, to actually get what you want, it's not as inviting to do it. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're too. You're simply stating your hypothesis like I am.

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Sickness wrote:

You still have to talk to people. You are just more likely to find someone to trade with. I don't really see the fun and exciting social aspect of looking for someone to trade with.
Global chat spam is not a conversation, a forum trade post is not a conversation.

Yeah, but small talk while bartering is. Maybe you're not social person, so you don't do this kinda things. Fact is, you're "meeting" someone. It is conversation. It's human interaction. Also I find Global Chat Spam to be fun. It's still all subjective, you know?

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You can still barter if you prefer it btw.

If there's a gold currency like OP suggested no one is going to barter with items. I'm not saying that OPs solution doesn't work, I'm only saying I personally prefer GGGs solution.

Helionova you can still trade in orbs if you like that.

If you will not find anybody who wants to trade in orbs it would probably because most of us would actually prefer easy trade?

edit: sorry i didnt read your last sentence:

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Helionova wrote:

If there's a gold currency like OP suggested no one is going to barter with items. I'm not saying that OPs solution doesn't work, I'm only saying I personally prefer GGGs solution.

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Baki wrote:

Helionova you can still trade in orbs if you like that.

Anyone offering his items only for other orbs will be at a disadvantage, so no one will do it. So even if I wanted to, I would probably find no one to do it.

Edit:Well, after your edit this makes no sense. But yes, I agree, most will use the faster way gameplaywise if available.

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Fun is subjective and you're simply stating the opposite of what I said. I find 100% functional boring. GGG seems to agree with me. Where is your argument? I dare say you're simply on the wrong side.

No GGG does not agree with you, if they were they would not try to defend their currenct system with arguments about functionality.
Everyone in this thread is doing just that.
If it's 100% functional there will be less frustration.
Saying if something functions then it's boring is rediculous. You are just doing it for the sake of argument.
"It's better becaue it's not as functional" is a silly statement.

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No, because picking up simply "Gold" will be way more repetetive and it's always the same stuff. You don't find anything new. You don't have the possibility of finding that incredibly rare Zod Rune, and these kinda things were the things to make Diablo pretty fun. You're simplifying for the sake of your argument. Perception is different for people.

You are simply wrong. Picking up obs with different names is every bit as repetitive as picking up different amounts of gold.

You have same possibility to find a large pile of gold as you have to find a rare orb. And their value is equal.

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I think if you have to trade to convert your farm loot first, to actually get what you want, it's not as inviting to do it. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you're too. You're simply stating your hypothesis like I am.

But you will still need to farm to get what you are looking for! So what is gained from this? Making something that people "have to do" less inviting seems stupid.
Farming would also be discouraged if you put in 10 minute waiting times in every loading screen, but that doesn't mean it's a good idea.

Farm to gear up your character is largely what these kinds of games are about.

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Yeah, but small talk while bartering is. Maybe you're not social person, so you don't do this kinda things. Fact is, you're "meeting" someone. It is conversation. It's human interaction. Also I find Global Chat Spam to be fun. It's still all subjective, you know?

You still have small talk when trading. Trading doesn't become automatic just because you change the currency.

The interaction remains, but the part where you just wait is significantly lessened.

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If there's a gold currency like OP suggested no one is going to barter with items. I'm not saying that OPs solution doesn't work, I'm only saying I personally prefer GGGs solution.

The option to barter remains. Why will no one do it? Because they prefer not to! Which is the whole point.

On second thought i think you would find trade partners. At least when you are the seller. Then the buyers would just quickly go to town, buy the orbs you two agreed on and complete the trade.

Though if you are one of many buyers you have a significant disadvantage in comparision to the gold bidders.

This thread, right here, proves the point that people are NEVER satisfied.

All we see on the "interwebs" is common complaints like: "why is this game such a clone of X game?", or "why can't we have an original game for once, or at least with some original features?"

When people do get their originality, they immediately change stance: "why is this game not using feature X like all other games, it was easier for my simple mind"

Response to above person: "well, you wanted something original so we/I provided"

And then all goes to hell from there.


Why, oh why, can't people just accept things for what they are? If you asked for a unique game and decided to play it, why want to change it into a clone of X game you're sick of already?

P.S had a great laugh reading some of the replies in this thread.

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lupasvasile wrote:

This thread, right here, proves the point that people are NEVER satisfied.

All we see on the "interwebs" is common complaints like: "why is this game such a clone of X game?", or "why can't we have an original game for once, or at least with some original features?"

When people do get their originality, they immediately change stance: "why is this game not using feature X like all other games, it was easier for my simple mind"

Response to above person: "well, you wanted something original so we/I provided"

And then all goes to hell from there.


Why, oh why, can't people just accept things for what they are? If you asked for a unique game and decided to play it, why want to change it into a clone of X game you're sick of already?

P.S had a great laugh reading some of the replies in this thread.

Your post fails because there are more than 1 person on the internet and also, no one has yet been able to name a game with a currency system like the OP suggested.