guys I just love talking about economics let me tell you why

[jorb]

I think the main problem why coins don't work is the fact that there are no proper metal sinks. The closest you get is metal plough, and that doesn't need all that much metal for repairs. We need something that eats metal and gives something in return, analogous to food/stats system.

I think that's part of the issue, but I think the main thing is that the extra granularity provided by the coins simply isn't required. Coins are a hassle to use (And also fairly expensive, since a coinpress certainly isn't free), and even with the precious metals the value per coin is simply too low to really bother with it. Other goods (Avu has mentioned bricks somewhere) can fill the function of providing that extra granularity whenever its needed. (In the case of gold and silver the issue might actually be the opposite. They are easier to sell on a per-nugget basis than as coins, as they are only useful as whole nuggets, but also much to expensive, thus non-granular, on a per nugget basis to actually be useful as a medium of exchange.)

I also think that the economy is so relatively non-complex (limited number of goods types, limited number of relevant dimensions to the goods types, essentially just type and q) that a more generalized medium of exchange isn't really required. Goods are easy to compare anyway. Simpler forms of barter work quite well.

I think gold and silver could have the potential to monetarize the economy by virtue of being q-less. The one thing that makes them useless in that function presently is probably that gold and silver are effectively expended qua gold and silver as soon as you turn it into jewelry/symbel stuff. I believe that one of the historical functions of precious metal jewelry was to be able to carry something valuable on ones immediate person, quite simply. If jewelry could be turned back into nuggets, I think it could be much more useful as a trade medium, but given the present implementation of jewelry and bling that would just turn silly.

[jorb]

But I'm not overly concerned with the issue either. They're there as an option. If people use them or not is really not that big of a deal to me.

[Zirikana]

Am I way off base with this thought? Historically, stable and robust currencies only occurred in times of relative peace, or at least in larger empires where the interior regions were relatively peaceful. (Rome, Babylonia, China, etc). As a counter-example, the currency situation in classical greece (c. the peloponnesian war, persian wars, constant inter-city squabbling, etc.) was an absolute boondoggle. It seems to me that world 3 has been relatively peaceful, without very many large scale existential struggles between large factions, and not many bands of marauders out destroying things just for the hell of it, and so that's why we're all talking about money and currencies.

Agree? Disagree?

[saltmummy626]

Pick one.

I like the look of the coin better. I may be an American who likes my shitty paper money, but a coin just looks more valuable, and they are more fun to hoard.

click

read the first paragraph, sounded too much like communism, I got nothing against communism it just doesn't work. Human nature makes it not work.

The guy who stands behind The Venus Project has designed a house that produces it's own electricity, water and even food and is 4x cheaper to build than ordinary, traditional house. Simply put, you can cut yourself off from the system. Large part of material you use for construction is just garbage - old car tires, aluminium cans and plastic bottles.
Houses look like this.

I always liked the look of those houses.

Aaaaaand Ive forgotten what I was actually going to say on the subject of economics.

[juhubert]

read the first paragraph, sounded too much like communism, I got nothing against communism it just doesn't work. Human nature makes it not work.

maybe the anarcho-sydicalistic system would work better?

[Thurrok]

I find it funny now that so many people are trying to bring into the game an aspect of life which is the primary cause of RL grief and hopelessness. I might not be a scholar of economy, but in my opinion, the current form of uncontrolled capitalism has already been going the wrong way for far too long, leading the world into an endless spiral of increasing poverty among individual citizens while transferring their (monetary) might to the already mighty. This, however, results in the mighty being able to dominate the market completely. In a few decades, we will all be bowing down to corporate rule, for they will have taken over all that's left of every single governmental apparatus in existence.

So you see, I'm plagued by thoughts like this whenever I see the word "economy" and the likes. But here's the solution: double-click on that run.bat file, wait for the HnH screen to pop up, and have fun playing a game without having to think deeply about its economic future. As for stamping coins and currencies, why not? It should be technically possible to do it, afterwards it would still be up to the playerbase whether they'd actually use the system or not.

[jorb]

I find it funny now that so many people are trying to bring into the game an aspect of life which is the primary cause of RL grief and hopelessness. I might not be a scholar of economy, but in my opinion, the current form of uncontrolled governmental interference with the natural proceedings and operations of the free market has already been going the wrong way for far too long, leading the world into an endless spiral of increasing poverty among individual citizens while transferring their (monetary) might to the already mighty.

Fixed that for you.

[burgingham]

Only a Swede can argue that way.

[jorb]

I speak from experience.

[burgingham]

Your experience one should add.