Skyrim's Economy : V - Skyrim

» Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:14 pm

Most of what you actually wrote went right over my head, because I do not know much of what goes on behind the scenes during a games development.
From my point of view, the simplest change to the economy might just be altering the exact value of items to reflect a more realistic economy - we do now know that, in Skyrim, prices can be altered based on region (a town who's main industry is broken will have items priced higher than another to simulate the town purchasing they're goods from out-of-region.)

With that confirmed, it may be simplest to "get by," without overhauling the economy system like you said - which might be something to consider in the next TES game.

If we hope for too much of an overhaul, we won't get it, unfortunately.

yeah i agree. i just felt i had to put out my idea somehow.
in a nutshell all my idea was is instead of seeing exact prices, you kind of use judgment to guess how much something is worth, so it actually feels like olden day bartering instead of giving cash for an item with a specific price. that, with safeguards to keep it balanced and fluid.

but yeah i don't expect to see anything like that in a game for a while.
if it ain't broke, don't fix it i guess haha.
i just think it would be cool to see in a game as something new.

and i am pretty excited to see how the whole specific town economy based on a region works.

» Tue Mar 15, 2011 7:55 am

Agreeing with everything.

» Mon Mar 14, 2011 11:46 pm

^ That would be a good repeating quest, once in a while you have to save the town from economic collapse.

@TheEldestScroll sounds like a merchant mini-game to me. I'd like to see the ability to combine speechcraft and merchantile to be able to push items on to anyone for a good sum. Especially if you have drained the shop keepers funds, why not go on to fleece the locals? "See this dagger? Doesn't its sharp blade shine with such brilliance? And today I am offering it for only 20 gold. It's a steal!" and the NPC says "Well, I don't know, I already have a dagger..."

I agree that the oblivion trade system was especially strange. Part of a new system could be that shop keepers may create NPC demand from groups of adventurers and bandits that might buy weapons or armor, etc. This would give the merchant an excuse to buy your items even though they have a few already. Some merchants might openly state that they are the official merchant supplier to the royal guard, and any weapon you sell might end up gleaming at the side of a patrolman. If implemented poorly, it could result in a constant loop between the inhabitants of dungeon-X and their items, so when you sell them, the items are basically re-appropriated to the same dungeon.

actually it is kind of a merchant mini game. what i like about being able to do stuff like that is everyone is pleased. the hardcoe audience knows that there is some serious stuff going on in the background while the casuals don't have to worry about it because its a pretty streamline process anyways. and i also agree with the part about suppliers and affecting the economy in more than one way.

like instead of "buy a bunch of stuff, town economy goes up" its more like you buy a bunch of stuff, that money goes to the merchant who has to buy supplies so the money is more evenly spread, the more evenly spread the money, the better the economy. it can get really deep with the radiant AI if they do it right.

» Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:11 pm

What the ... ????

This is a SINGLEPLAYER GAME.

We dont need an excessively complex economy - just make sure the player can spent the money he gets on useful stuff.

Many players do play, and have always played, Elder Scrolls game for the roleplaying, not just hack and slashing looting. Those players would argue you do need a complex economy. Thats what the topic is trying to define, neither "side" of the argument is "right."

I can suspend my disbelief about the stolen items. Maybe shops mark the items with a seal that only the shop has when you purchase the item. If you steal the item then the mark wouldn't be on it. Kind of like an ancient security tag. I'm not saying they would do that or even suggest that but I can suspend my disbelief regarding that matter.

My biggest beef with stolen items wasn't even that shopkeepers already knew around the globe who owned what, but the red tag itself. I didn't like the highlight for "owned" items, i'd rather see the player use some common sense.

» Mon Mar 14, 2011 9:34 pm

i agree with the last point. the shop keepers wouldnt know if the item was stolen unless you told them, but why would you ever do that unless you want jail time or a fight? :intergalactic: :jammasterjay:

» Tue Mar 15, 2011 6:38 am

i agree with the last point. the shop keepers wouldnt know if the item was stolen unless you told them, but why would you ever do that unless you want jail time or a fight? :intergalactic: :jammasterjay:

Even than, its not particularly bad for a shopkeeper to buy a stolen vase, unless the guards are as all-knowing as the Oblivion merchants were.