Okay. Let me try to explain better.

A bartender at a bar which only serves beer and wine would only sell beer and wine tokens. While a food shop that only has wine kegs would only sell wine tokens. Since the script on the keg itself determines which token is accepted, obviously the types of tokens accepted at any establishment would be determined by what types of kegs they have. That's absolutely reasonable, and I'm with you so far.

This is where you begin to lose me. I suppose it would complicate the game somewhat, but I can't imagine how it could possibly complicate it enough to be a BAD thing, unless you're seriously underestimating the intelligence of the average Morrowind player.

This is where I'm TOTALLY lost. We appear to already agree that some establishments would only offer certain types of beverages, so they would only sell (and accept) those types of tokens. Why would it simplify the complication for every alcohol dealing establishment to offer all three types of alcohol, and why would it aggravate the situation if they don't?

[edit] Also, it appears we've just passed that 200 post point. Let's put the discussion on hold until Gluby has a chance to start a new thread. Since it's his project I don't feel comfortable starting a new one myself.

I'm not saying that it would complicate matters to the point of making it a bad experience overall.

If every bar had the same inventory, you would only need one type of token, using multipes of that one for comparative value, like one token for a glass Dogwater beer and three tokens for a good malt, and five for good vintage wine.

If different establishments have different libations, they will want tokens that encourage the customer to patronize their place, a custom token, if you will.

Of course we all have our favorite bar or inn. Using Balmora as an example, you could prefer eight plates over the Lucky lockup, and South Wall over both of the others. If you happen to see your character as prefering beer, you won't be too happy if the South Wall and Eight Plates only serve wine. That's an overt example of what I'm saying.

As I pointed out, I really don't have a clear cut opinion of which method would work best from both the modding and the playing point of view. I was just pointing at some of the differences.
What I was saying I suppose is that this concept can be as simple or as complicated as we care to make it.

On the face of it, I'm fine with Toccata's script idea. My concern is that I thought it would be complicated later on by the fact that publicans only sell their own booze, not someone else's, and with the tokens idea as you're currently discussing it you get to buy booze from someone who likes you and take the results from someone who doesn't (for example). So what, if anything, do you think should be done about that?

IS that a fact? I missed that somewhere. I was operating under the assumption that someone actually supplied beer, wine, and liquor to the various pubs. i.e. that they buy it from some distributor somewhere. If there's some lore in the game that says every pub brews its own alcohol, I overlooked it. Certainly the hall at Thirsk has to import its mead, and I presume that the brewer's hall in St Olms Canton of Vivec has something to do with an actual brewer's guild.

To use a real-world example, you get a manufacturer's coupon for a free dozen eggs, and you take it to whatever store you want. Virtually any store will accept a manufacturer's coupon, regardless of who owns the store. They know they'll get paid for the eggs because the distributor will reimburse them for every coupon they turn in.

In the case of Morrowind, the Vintner's guild and the Brewer's guild are the distributor as well as the manufacturer. When a bartender orders a new keg of wine and has too few tokens, he has to purchase more. If he has too many, he turns them in and is reimbursed. The bartender that redeems your token without selling you one doesn't get a bad deal because the distributor buys the excess token from him the next time he receives a shipment. The bartender that sells you a token without redeeming it doesn't get an unfair GOOD deal because he has to buy a replacement the next time he receives a shipment. Everyone gets a fair profit, and the bartenders all get the good deal because the serving staff is only accepting tokens and not gold. Since the staff can't really do anything with the tokens accept turn them in, and since the bartender is the only one that actually accepts gold for the tokens (or vice versa) it's also a security thing that works out well for everyone.

Of course, keep in mind that the above statements are entirely rationalization and have no basis in lore. It explains why things might be the way they are, but it isn't anything I would expect the player to ever really find out... or care about for that matter.



Nothing.

In that case it should be fine. Sorry, I guess it takes me a while to catch up sometimes, and I'd totally forgotten that mead was imported to Thirsk - in that context, it does make sense that the manufacture and distribution of alcohol would be more organised and centralised in Vvardenfell. And now that I've finally understood where you're coming from with the tokens idea, I agree it does sound like a good thing.


Probably because I didn't think to mention it. I think I also forgot to mention that I have some communication issues sometimes, but I daresay you've figured that out for yourself by now

Thread #2 posted. See OP for link.

(As for myself, I'm trying to get RoF kicked out the door so I can focus full-time, as it were, on this project.)