<!-- MHonArc v2.4.4 --> <!--X-Subject: Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner --> <!--X-From-R13: X Q Znjerapr <pynjNxnatn.ah> --> <!--X-Date: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 21:39:58 -0800 --> <!--X-Message-Id: 27568.953185190#kanga,nu --> <!--X-Content-Type: text/plain --> <!--X-Reference: NDBBJNMFMLADGHGILJHEGELLCFAA.joe#andrieu,net --> <!--X-Reference: 4667.953174764#kanga,nu --> <!--X-Head-End--> <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN"> <html> <head> <title>MUD-Dev message, Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</title> <!-- meta name="robots" content="noindex,nofollow" --> <link rev="made" href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu"> </head> <body background="/backgrounds/paperback.gif" bgcolor="#ffffff" text="#000000" link="#0000FF" alink="#FF0000" vlink="#006000"> <font size="+4" color="#804040"> <strong><em>MUD-Dev<br>mailing list archive</em></strong> </font> <br> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] <br clear=all><hr> <!--X-Body-Begin--> <!--X-User-Header--> <!--X-User-Header-End--> <!--X-TopPNI--> Date: [ <a href="msg00619.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00621.html">Next</a> ] Thread: [ <a href="msg00619.html">Previous</a> | <a href="msg00630.html">Next</a> ] Index: [ <A HREF="author.html#00620">Author</A> | <A HREF="#00620">Date</A> | <A HREF="thread.html#00620">Thread</A> ] <!--X-TopPNI-End--> <!--X-MsgBody--> <!--X-Subject-Header-Begin--> <H1>Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</H1> <HR> <!--X-Subject-Header-End--> <!--X-Head-of-Message--> <UL> <LI><em>To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Subject</em>: Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner </LI> <LI><em>From</em>: J C Lawrence <<A HREF="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</A>></LI> <LI><em>Date</em>: Wed, 15 Mar 2000 21:39:50 -0800</LI> <LI><em>Reply-To</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev#kanga,nu">mud-dev#kanga,nu</A></LI> <LI><em>Sender</em>: <A HREF="mailto:mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu">mud-dev-admin#kanga,nu</A></LI> </UL> <!--X-Head-of-Message-End--> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-Begin--> <HR> <!--X-Head-Body-Sep-End--> <!--X-Body-of-Message--> <PRE> On Wed, 15 Mar 2000 18:46:04 -0800 J C Lawrence <claw#kanga,nu> wrote: > Conceptually I look at the two as potential engergy versus kinetic > energy. They're both exactly the same thing, measured in exactly > the same units, it just that one is in the process of moving. > This has the advantage of also bring in the concept of the > difference between static and dynamic friction in regards to rates > of change of energy levels. If you look at it that way, the > problems with hoarding degrade into problems with over-charged > batteries or large weights being held up -- things that the RL > universe conspires against thru simple decay (unpopular with > players), and its less obvious osmotic counterpart entropy (things > leak back towards zero-sum steady-state (ie decay)). > Entrpoy is a concept that doesn't seem tobe directly dealt with > much in current game designs (other than the crude level of direct > object decay). The Ur/Meta/Instantiated object concept > potentially provides a model here for gross entropic events (bank > robberies?, thief silently replaces your mega-sword with a tinfoil > sham without your noticing?). Bryce Harrington pointed me at the following WorldForge article. Its more than a little simplistic, but discusses the sorts of feedback loops and systems we've discussed here (tho I have a penchant for more osciallating systems than he does). <A HREF="http://www.worldforge.org/website/news/newsletters/issues/aug99/economics">http://www.worldforge.org/website/news/newsletters/issues/aug99/economics</A> <<I wouldn't mind if someone would enter such documents into the Library>> He also takes the view of making the feedback systems directly reactionary to the desired metrics, whereas I've tended towards much simpler self-correcting (with enough latency to encourage oscillation) systems that operate on simple resource consumption feedback loops (usually second order effects of the desired metics). eg: X breeds at a rate (dorectly or exponentially) proportional to the availability of Y resource. The rate of increase of X's breeding behaviour is lagged by X's gestation period (see the TC thread with particular attention paid to the spores, or to the king/fighter/breeder/orc scenaio with attention paid the growth rate of the typed populations for examples). This lag is critical to allowing the pendulmn effect to get swinging such that the state of the system is allowed to oscillate interestingly. The population of Xes at some point exceeds the production rate of Y, the available Y collapses (usually exponentially) and the Xes begins to starve, ulimately collapsing their own population. With a little coarse tuning you can get a system with the wave function you require. A couple relevent links from the Library: <A HREF="http://www.ling.ed.ac.uk/~oliphant/gte/">http://www.ling.ed.ac.uk/~oliphant/gte/</A> --<cut>-- Control of Economics in WorldForge by Bryce Harrington Trade provides an alternate means of involvement in the virtual world beyond combat. Crafts will have profit motivations and, theoretically, practicing a craft could be as profitable (or even moreso) than killing monsters and raiding ancient vaults. The economy is set up in a manner that allows society to take care of itself, independent of all the adventurers galavanting about. Moreover, it needs to be designed in such a way that strong pertubations don't upset the economic balance, throwing it off spiraling into inflation or depression. The economy, including of trade and craft, needs to be set up as a steady flow. Input equals output. Input into the economy comes in several forms: Unearthed treasures (that were not in the economy previously), labor input (through spell casting or skill use, a low-value set of ingredients becomes a more valuable product), and raw materials (trees, peat moss, stone, etc.) Keep in mind that possessions (or even the fleshy bodies) of new characters introduced into the game, need to be included to balance the equation. Output from the economy results in the reduction of the total value of the virtual world, and can come about in several different ways: Character death (any paid-for improvements to the character are removed from the game on death), automated disintegration/rot of valuable items (wear and tear on tools and other gear), tapping (direct removal of excess wealth through taxation, thievery, etc.), destruction (fire burning valuable buildings and their goods, etc.), and consumption (food that is eaten equals value removed from the game). The goal is to seek an equilibrium balance - inflation is kept in check, wealth is circulated sufficiently to minimize blackmarketeering, and prices do not increase out of control. There are several ways to reach and maintain this state. First is through direct manipulation. The admin actively applies the above mentioned means to infuse the economy or apply the break to it, watching the overall situation through internal gages and such. This is undesireable because it rests responsibility on one person who could possibly fail in their duty. The second is through careful balance. Input and output mechanisms are arranged to equal each other, and over time the admin simply adjusts the parameters to tune the economy as needed. This is a better approach but requires much skill and effort to achieve and maintain. As well, in a dynamic environment like this, the rates of input and output would vary with the changing player loads, making balancing hard. The third method is feedback loops. In this approach, mechanisms are created that come into play if the economy strays too far in one direction or the other, and apply the appropriate measures to push the system back towardsneutrality. This last approach is obviously the most desireable since it requires little effort beyond the initial set up, and ideally, should require little or no tuning. So how is a negative feedback loop designed into an online economy? There are several characteristics to be taken into account. The first is the rate of increase or decrease of the economy. Slow increases will need a different mechanism than moderate or fast increases. Second is type of increase or decrease. Increased wealth represented by development of property is different and requires different treatment than hoarding or market capitalization. Third is sustainability. Increases or decreases due to random fluctuations of the world are less in need of serious correction than steady changes, or positive feedback loops. We will need a feedback loop for situations described by each combination of the above characteristics. How is the feedback loop itself designed? The first requirement is that it be unpreventable. If the loop can be disabled or subverted, then it will no longer serve as a safety valve. Second, it needs to shut off when its trigger level is reached (else it will be a positive feedback loop, which will destroy the economy). Third, it needs to be hidden; if the players are always aware of it, it could harm gameplay. Trigger levels should be adjustable in-game by the admin, or perhaps tied to something the players could influence for experimentation. For instance, the control levels could be set to slowly rise over time, thus simulating the historical trend of increasing agregation of wealth. Since these feedback loops would damp out economic effects of inventions, allowances could be made to "raise the bar" as invention changes society's productivity rates. Example Feedback Loops Externally supplied consumables: Items with infinite demand and minimal permanence are supplied and priced in a manner proportional with the excess wealth in the economy. For example, superior healing potions that decay within a week of purchase, exotic drugs that allow a character to remain awake for a full night, herbs that temporarily increase strength a number of points (but require expensive co-ingredients and decay within a few days). These are supplied into the economy via infrequent auctions, and the frequency of these auctions is inversely proportional to the final bid price - the higher the sale price, the sooner the next auction will occur. This feedback loop provides a fine tuning of the economy's growth - if there is too much disposable wealth and ready cash in the economy, money will be diverted into sale of these consumables to take out the excess. Note that these things enter the virtual world from the outside (in the form of NPC caravans or ships, for instance.) Natural disasters: Periodic disasters such as floods, fires, tornados, and so forth occasionally scour the game world, destroying developed property and thus removing wealth from it. The frequency of these occurances is constant - it is the rate of growth of developed property that varies. The frequency and size of loss to disasters is proportional to how widespread development has reached; as wealth grows, this checks and curbs it. Externally supplied luxuries: These tap away large sums by providing overpriced valuables (chandeliers, jewelry, etc.) that can be resold but only at lower price. These items are only made available when the state of the economy allows sale of these items at above their "true" value. This works by tracking when resale of the luxuries occurs - if the sale price is higher than the price for the external supplies, then external supplies are increased to drive prices back down. External development: These serve to correct overabundance of wealth by moving it into development of land or person. This will be a natural occurance - people will build homes, buildings for businesses, and walls around cities. The materials (or labor) required to create these things drains off-stage, thus providing a money sink. Of course, the developed land retains value, so the overall balance of value in the world remains unchanged. War: This feedback loop is arranged to be triggered only when the economy reaches a certain height. Unstoppable invaders are "attracted" to the source of wealth, desiring to destroy it completely. This serves to reset both property development and character development. The players can drive off or defeat the invaders, but only at great cost. And if they are completely driven off, another set will arise and try again. External demand for omnipresent items: This loop prevents complete economic collapse. Some omnipresent, internally low-value material - grass, sand, dirt, labor - is desired by external customers. The income is slight, and in a normally balanced economy too low to bother with. But if the bottom drops out of the economy, this low income will provide a base for the economy. This is a slow and steady force that rectifies lack of cash. External investment: This feedback loop seeks to correct lack of developed property. Materials are provided from off-stage (via a far away emperor, for instance) to build structures and businesses in the form of grants or subsidies. For instance, the king could provide funds for creation of walls around cities, or digging canals and dams for flood protection and irrigation. These investments are triggered by certain economic disasters - threat of invasion, rapid loss of property value, etc. Once the world begins to develop, this feedback system would cease being important. Cash Circulation All the feedback loops in the world won't make a difference if everyone hoards. Hoarding is okay in moderation - it buffers excessive wealth, taking it out of the system and slowing the growth of the economy. But if hoarding is the norm, then wealth will gravitate to the few - those with the most ability to amass the wealth. The rest of the population will be without. Which is somewhat realistic with medieval fantasy, but not much fun. Money expenditures should be continually required for the life of the character, regardless of his economic position. The way to keep the economy moving is consumption. There must be items that every player character needs, and on a regular basis. Food will be the primary consumed item, and will serve as the basis for the entire economy. Clothing, housing, furniture, and tools will also play a part. Adventurers will have a number of needed items to be outfitted: Horses, weapons and armor, herbs, drugs, potions, single use magic items, hirelings, and rations. These items should be considerably more expensive than the basic economic units of the world. Spending is needed at higher levels as well, thus permitting Ye Olde Tryckle Downe. By and large, this will be via employees and servants. The more wealthy will need to pay bankers to manage their money, servants to care for their needs, guards to guard their homes, etc. This will probably be insufficient to recirculate from the highest levels, so taxes, theft, and "encouraged" charity would need to be employed. Further research and brainstorming will be needed to find good ways to divest the rich of their riches. ;-) Economy Initialization It'll be most interesting if we let the economy "grow" into place, rather than implement the game such that it pops into its economic equilibrium immediately. The world will be set up with an initial (empty) town, and populated by monsters and teasures. Tools, weapons, and such will be scattered about. The first characters will emerge in a "safe" but useless area of the world, where there will be some rocks and clubs. These characters will need to work together to retake the town from the monsters that occupy it. Then they will either continue adventuring around, or set up shop. They'll want to collect the tools for sale to future characters. They'll also need to organize some defense against the remaining wandering monsters and hunting parties to go gather the herds and collect meat. Setting up some farms will also be an important first step. The initial focus of the game world will be simply staying alive and staying fed. Ideally, this will remain a driving concern for the life of the game world. Gradually, as characters get better at farming and herding, more food will be available and players will be able to start mines, become blacksmiths, make weapons, etc. Over time there will remain a division between characters who stay in town and build the trades, and those who venture out, risking life and limb, to collect treasures. For players who prefer adventuring over mercantile operations, there will be suitable employment as guards, rangers, and mercenary groups. --<cut>-- -- J C Lawrence Home: claw#kanga,nu ----------(*) Other: coder#kanga,nu --=| A man is as sane as he is dangerous to his environment |=-- _______________________________________________ MUD-Dev mailing list MUD-Dev#kanga,nu <A HREF="http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev">http://www.kanga.nu/lists/listinfo/mud-dev</A> </PRE> <!--X-Body-of-Message-End--> <!--X-MsgBody-End--> <!--X-Follow-Ups--> <HR> <!--X-Follow-Ups-End--> <!--X-References--> <UL><LI><STRONG>References</STRONG>: <UL> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00584" HREF="msg00584.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> "Joe Andrieu" <joe#andrieu,net></LI></UL></LI> <LI><STRONG><A NAME="00619" HREF="msg00619.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></STRONG> <UL><LI><EM>From:</EM> J C Lawrence <claw#kanga,nu></LI></UL></LI> </UL></LI></UL> <!--X-References-End--> <!--X-BotPNI--> <UL> <LI>Prev by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00619.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by Date: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00621.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] Open Source Online Gaming</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Prev by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00619.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Next by thread: <STRONG><A HREF="msg00630.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></STRONG> </LI> <LI>Index(es): <UL> <LI><A HREF="index.html#00620"><STRONG>Date</STRONG></A></LI> <LI><A HREF="thread.html#00620"><STRONG>Thread</STRONG></A></LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> <!--X-BotPNI-End--> <!--X-User-Footer--> <!--X-User-Footer-End--> <ul><li>Thread context: <BLOCKQUOTE><UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00577" HREF="msg00577.html">[MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</a>, Sat 11 Mar 2000, 18:36 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00584" HREF="msg00584.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, Joe Andrieu <a href="mailto:joe#andrieu,net">joe#andrieu,net</a>, Mon 13 Mar 2000, 07:00 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00592" HREF="msg00592.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, Ryan Palacio <a href="mailto:rpalacio#verant,com">rpalacio#verant,com</a>, Mon 13 Mar 2000, 17:24 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00619" HREF="msg00619.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</a>, Thu 16 Mar 2000, 02:46 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00620" HREF="msg00620.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</a>, Thu 16 Mar 2000, 05:39 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00630" HREF="msg00630.html">RE: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, Joe Andrieu <a href="mailto:joe#andrieu,net">joe#andrieu,net</a>, Thu 16 Mar 2000, 17:39 GMT </LI> <LI><strong><A NAME="00639" HREF="msg00639.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, Derek Snider <a href="mailto:derek#idirect,com">derek#idirect,com</a>, Thu 16 Mar 2000, 22:26 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00645" HREF="msg00645.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, J C Lawrence <a href="mailto:claw#kanga,nu">claw#kanga,nu</a>, Fri 17 Mar 2000, 06:29 GMT <UL> <LI><strong><A NAME="00653" HREF="msg00653.html">Re: [MUD-Dev] CGDC dinner</A></strong>, Wes Connell <a href="mailto:wconnell#skotos,net">wconnell#skotos,net</a>, Fri 17 Mar 2000, 19:28 GMT </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL> </LI> </UL></BLOCKQUOTE> </ul> <hr> <center> [ <a href="../">Other Periods</a> | <a href="../../">Other mailing lists</a> | <a href="/search.php3">Search</a> ] </center> <hr> </body> </html>