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[[Category:Systems|Economy and Persistence]]
{{OOCKnowledge}}
Online Avlis is attempting to develop a self-sustaining player run economy. What is meant by this? In single-player NWN there is no economy to speak of. Your single-player PC will soon gain much more wealth than he can possible use. But in Avlis an attempt has been made to balance the amount of money in the game world, such that the amount of money entering the game is the same as the amount of money going out. How does money enter the game? There are two primary ways:
 
# Adventurers gain money by killing monsters and taking their treasure, and
{{Systems}}
# Crafters sell the items they made.
 
Since almost all crafting ingredients are free and never run out, this means that gold is constantly entering the game, just as in single-player NWN. If Avlis were the same as single-player NWN in terms of how money could be spent, then many Avlis PCs would soon become multimillionaires, with nothing to spend their money on. This is because all they would really need to buy are potions and ammunition, since your weapons, armor and other worn items never rust or wear from use.
Online Avlis is attempting to develop a self-sustaining player run economy. What is meant by this? In single-player NWN there is no economy to speak of. Your single-player PC will soon gain much more wealth than he can possible use. But in Avlis an attempt has been made to balance the amount of money in the game world, such that the amount of money entering the game is the same as the amount of money going out.
 
== How money enters the game ==
 
There are two primary ways:
# Adventurers gain money by killing monsters and taking their treasure, or completing quests and
# Crafters sell the items they have made.
 
Since most crafting ingredients are free and never run out, this means that gold is constantly entering the game, just as in single-player NWN. If Avlis were the same as single-player NWN in terms of how money could be spent, then many Avlis player characters (PCs) would soon become multimillionaires, with nothing to spend their money on. This is because all they would really need to buy are potions and ammunition, since your weapons, armor and other worn items never rust or wear from use.
 
See also: [[Making Money]], an introduction
 
=== Dungeons ===
 
Dungeons are subject to the [[DPLS|Dynamic Placeable Loot System (DPLS)]], which will produce gold or [[Recycling System|recyclable items]]. Individual dungeons offer thematic loot as well.
 
See also: [[List of Dungeons]]
 
=== Quests ===
 
Your PC can make money through selling dungeon loot (and some crafted items) to NPCs in '''''Collectors Quests''''', as well as running '''''Delivery Quests''''' (also known as Fed-Ex quests). Other quests exist as well, which will result in net gain of gold pieces (GP) and experience points (XP).
 
See also: [[Experience_System#Sources_of_XP|Experience System]]
 
=== Crafting ===
 
PCs involved in the [[Crafting System]] (crafters) can sell their finished goods to other PCs, as well as to Collectors Quests NPCs and Biomerchants. They can also trade them for tokens using the [[Recycling System]] (see below).
 
=== Biomerchants ===
 
"Of course! I'll buy pretty much anything you've got, long as it ain't stolen. Granted, I won't give you as much for it as a specialist would - for example, Grimli the weaponsmith will give you a good price for weapons and armor, but that's all he'll buy." -Fofur Blockdelver, [[Verloghokbol]] Biomerchant
 
The standard Avlis Bioware merchants (Biomerchants) function much like those in single-player NWN, with the following modifications:
# A [[Biomerchants#Generalist System|Generalist]] Biomerchant will buy whatever a PC sells to them. There is at least one of those on every Avlis server.
# A [[Trap System|trap]] supplier Biomerchant and some [[Rogue]] [[:Category:Guilds|guilds]] Biomerchants may buy stolen goods as well, if you know where to find them.
# A merchant selling specific goods (a specialist) will only buy this kind of goods, typically at a better price than a generalist. eg. a cobbler will buy boots.
 
The net gain may vary depending on whether or not the Biomerchant allows for the [[nwn:Appraise|Appraise]] PC skill (most of them do).
 
See also: [[Shop Locations]], [[Biomerchants]]
 
== How money leaves the game ==
 
The word 'persistence' is the key. Avlis is a persistent world (PW). That means that the servers are running almost all of the time, and even when they aren't they have saved your inventory and location. So if you log out of the game, no matter how much time has passed, when you log back in you will find your character with the same inventory and GP as before.
 
This is not true of most ''things'' in the game. Whenever a server is reset, anything that PCs have sold to a standard Bioware merchant is now gone – those merchants are now selling only the items that they usually sell. Dungeon loot containers are reset to their default state. Persistent storage and merchants are what remains the same and owning one comes at a cost.
 
In what ways is gold disposed of?
 
=== Gold Sinks ===
 
When a PC buys an item from a Biomerchant, that gold leaves the game. Some of the more powerful items that can be crafted require expensive ingredients that can only be bought from a Biomerchant (the so-called gold sinks). Crafting tools and appliances befall the same category. Consumables such as ammunition, healers kits or potions, if purchased from a Biomerchant (as opposed to a [[#Persistent_Merchants|persistent merchant]]), also contribute to gold leaving the game.
 
=== Inn Room Rental ===
 
Perhaps you would like access to a persistent chest but cannot afford one. In that case you can rent a room in one of the many inns and taverns located across the servers of Avlis. Your character pays a monthly fee and in return gets a key to that room and access to its persistent chest.
 
See also: [[Tavern Locations]]
 
=== Player Housing ===
 
Yet another way is character-owned housing. Some characters that have become well-established in the community may want to own a house in a city, or a cottage in the woods, a mage tower, or even an inn to run as a business. And some player-run guilds may want to build some sort of meeting place where they can organize meetings and discuss guild business. All of these buildings are also persistent, and can contain persistent storage chests and even [[Persistent_Merchants|persistent merchants]]. Persistent storage and merchants can be acquired at a markedly higher cost than the expenses of everyday adventuring.
 
See also: [[Rules:Player_Housing|Player Housing]] Guidelines
 


How does money leave the game? The word 'persistence' is the key. Avlis is a persistent world (PW). That means that the servers are running almost all of the time, and even when they aren't they have saved your inventory and location. So if you log out of the game, no matter how much time has passed (within 90 days – inactive characters are deleted after 90 days) when you log back in you will be right where you logged out, with the same inventory as before.
== What bridges the gap ==


This is not true of things in the game. Whenever a server is reset, all items in chests go back to their default values. Anything that PCs sold to a standard Bioware merchant (see below) is now gone – those merchants are now selling only the items that they usually sell. So what happens when your PC's inventory becomes full but you want to accumulate more stuff? In Avlis you have the option of buying a persistent chest. The items stored in such a chest have their information stored in Avlis' secure database. Even if a server goes down due to lag, or a power outage, or for routine maintenance, whenever the server comes back online you can open that chest and find all of the items that you put in it still there, just as you left them.
=== Recycling ===


But persistent chests are not easy to get. They are expensive – extremely expensive. This is one way that money is removed from the economy.
The money flow is influenced by the [[Recycling System]]. It creates a continuous process tasked towards the disposal of loot drops and crafted durable goods, combined with a way to obtain crafting ingredients through a token exchange system.


Another way is tavern room rental. Perhaps you would like access to a persistent chest but cannot afford one. In that case you can rent a room in one of the many inns and taverns located on the servers of Avlis. Your character pays a monthly fee and in return gets a key to that room and access to its persistent chest.
A PC has the option to trade in junk for gold. However, their net gain will likely be much higher if they opt to have the junk [[Junk Processing|processed]] into crafting ingredients, in exchange for a small fee. If the PC is not a crafter, they can sell the ingredients to crafter PCs (through [[#Persistent_Merchants|Persistent Merchants]] or in person). Similarly, a PC can convert tokens obtained from the Recycling System to crafting ingredients (at a token store), or sell the tokens to another PC.


Yet another way is [[Rules:Player_Housing|character-owned housing]]. Some characters that have become well-established in the community may want to own a house in a city, or a cottage in the woods, a mage tower, or even an inn to run as a business. And some player-run guilds may want to build some sort of meeting place where they can organize meetings and discuss guild business. All of these buildings are also persistent, and can contain persistent chests. But like those chests they are extremely expensive, and hence are another way that money leaves the game.
=== Persistent Merchants ===


While speaking of persistence we must also mention [[Persistent Merchants|persistent merchants]] ''(abbr. p-merchants)''. In Avlis there are two types of merchants. The standard Bioware merchants function just like those in single-player NWN. They will endlessly buy whatever a PC sells to them. And while they can have items whose stock will run out, they usually sell things in endless supply. An advantage to Bioware merchants is that when a PC buys an item from them that gold leaves the game. But a big disadvantage is that if anyone sells an item to that merchant and the server is reset, that item disappears, meaning that no one else will have a chance to buy that item.
Persistent Merchants are available to Avlis players through [[Player Housing]]. When someone sells an item to a persistent merchant it stays in the merchant's inventory, even after a server reset. As well, any gold in the merchant's inventory remains there unless spent buying items offered by PCs. Persistent merchants have [[NWN:Artificial intelligence | Artificial Intelligence]] – they keep track of how much they have bought and sold, and they attempt to make a profit. Though, ultimately, profit is up to the intelligence of the player.


Persistent merchants are different. When someone sells an item to a persistent merchant it stays in their inventory, even after a server reset. And persistent merchants have [http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/AI AI] – they keep track of how much they have bought and sold, and they attempt to make a profit. While persistent merchants usually offer better buying prices compared to Bioware merchants, they will not buy just anything, because doing so would cause them to go bankrupt.
=== Rare Item Auctions ===


The final way that money is removed from the game is through certain crafting ingredients. Some of the more powerful items that can be crafted require expensive ingredients that can only be bought.
Events such as the [[Ferrell Trade Fair]] or the [[Deglos Craft Fair]], as well as the [https://avlis.org/viewforum.php?f=360 Avlis Marketplace] (forums) often see rare items auctioned off for a fortune in gold. If the auction is held by a PC, gold remains in the game. If the auction is held by a DM (NPC), gold leaves the game.


===Useful Links===


* '''[[Persistent Merchants|Guide to P-Merchants]]'''
[[Category:Systems|Economy and Persistence]]

Latest revision as of 08:06, 6 July 2023


Systems and Tools


Online Avlis is attempting to develop a self-sustaining player run economy. What is meant by this? In single-player NWN there is no economy to speak of. Your single-player PC will soon gain much more wealth than he can possible use. But in Avlis an attempt has been made to balance the amount of money in the game world, such that the amount of money entering the game is the same as the amount of money going out.

How money enters the game

There are two primary ways:

  1. Adventurers gain money by killing monsters and taking their treasure, or completing quests and
  2. Crafters sell the items they have made.

Since most crafting ingredients are free and never run out, this means that gold is constantly entering the game, just as in single-player NWN. If Avlis were the same as single-player NWN in terms of how money could be spent, then many Avlis player characters (PCs) would soon become multimillionaires, with nothing to spend their money on. This is because all they would really need to buy are potions and ammunition, since your weapons, armor and other worn items never rust or wear from use.

See also: Making Money, an introduction

Dungeons

Dungeons are subject to the Dynamic Placeable Loot System (DPLS), which will produce gold or recyclable items. Individual dungeons offer thematic loot as well.

See also: List of Dungeons

Quests

Your PC can make money through selling dungeon loot (and some crafted items) to NPCs in Collectors Quests, as well as running Delivery Quests (also known as Fed-Ex quests). Other quests exist as well, which will result in net gain of gold pieces (GP) and experience points (XP).

See also: Experience System

Crafting

PCs involved in the Crafting System (crafters) can sell their finished goods to other PCs, as well as to Collectors Quests NPCs and Biomerchants. They can also trade them for tokens using the Recycling System (see below).

Biomerchants

"Of course! I'll buy pretty much anything you've got, long as it ain't stolen. Granted, I won't give you as much for it as a specialist would - for example, Grimli the weaponsmith will give you a good price for weapons and armor, but that's all he'll buy." -Fofur Blockdelver, Verloghokbol Biomerchant

The standard Avlis Bioware merchants (Biomerchants) function much like those in single-player NWN, with the following modifications:

  1. A Generalist Biomerchant will buy whatever a PC sells to them. There is at least one of those on every Avlis server.
  2. A trap supplier Biomerchant and some Rogue guilds Biomerchants may buy stolen goods as well, if you know where to find them.
  3. A merchant selling specific goods (a specialist) will only buy this kind of goods, typically at a better price than a generalist. eg. a cobbler will buy boots.

The net gain may vary depending on whether or not the Biomerchant allows for the Appraise PC skill (most of them do).

See also: Shop Locations, Biomerchants

How money leaves the game

The word 'persistence' is the key. Avlis is a persistent world (PW). That means that the servers are running almost all of the time, and even when they aren't they have saved your inventory and location. So if you log out of the game, no matter how much time has passed, when you log back in you will find your character with the same inventory and GP as before.

This is not true of most things in the game. Whenever a server is reset, anything that PCs have sold to a standard Bioware merchant is now gone – those merchants are now selling only the items that they usually sell. Dungeon loot containers are reset to their default state. Persistent storage and merchants are what remains the same and owning one comes at a cost.

In what ways is gold disposed of?

Gold Sinks

When a PC buys an item from a Biomerchant, that gold leaves the game. Some of the more powerful items that can be crafted require expensive ingredients that can only be bought from a Biomerchant (the so-called gold sinks). Crafting tools and appliances befall the same category. Consumables such as ammunition, healers kits or potions, if purchased from a Biomerchant (as opposed to a persistent merchant), also contribute to gold leaving the game.

Inn Room Rental

Perhaps you would like access to a persistent chest but cannot afford one. In that case you can rent a room in one of the many inns and taverns located across the servers of Avlis. Your character pays a monthly fee and in return gets a key to that room and access to its persistent chest.

See also: Tavern Locations

Player Housing

Yet another way is character-owned housing. Some characters that have become well-established in the community may want to own a house in a city, or a cottage in the woods, a mage tower, or even an inn to run as a business. And some player-run guilds may want to build some sort of meeting place where they can organize meetings and discuss guild business. All of these buildings are also persistent, and can contain persistent storage chests and even persistent merchants. Persistent storage and merchants can be acquired at a markedly higher cost than the expenses of everyday adventuring.

See also: Player Housing Guidelines


What bridges the gap

Recycling

The money flow is influenced by the Recycling System. It creates a continuous process tasked towards the disposal of loot drops and crafted durable goods, combined with a way to obtain crafting ingredients through a token exchange system.

A PC has the option to trade in junk for gold. However, their net gain will likely be much higher if they opt to have the junk processed into crafting ingredients, in exchange for a small fee. If the PC is not a crafter, they can sell the ingredients to crafter PCs (through Persistent Merchants or in person). Similarly, a PC can convert tokens obtained from the Recycling System to crafting ingredients (at a token store), or sell the tokens to another PC.

Persistent Merchants

Persistent Merchants are available to Avlis players through Player Housing. When someone sells an item to a persistent merchant it stays in the merchant's inventory, even after a server reset. As well, any gold in the merchant's inventory remains there unless spent buying items offered by PCs. Persistent merchants have Artificial Intelligence – they keep track of how much they have bought and sold, and they attempt to make a profit. Though, ultimately, profit is up to the intelligence of the player.

Rare Item Auctions

Events such as the Ferrell Trade Fair or the Deglos Craft Fair, as well as the Avlis Marketplace (forums) often see rare items auctioned off for a fortune in gold. If the auction is held by a PC, gold remains in the game. If the auction is held by a DM (NPC), gold leaves the game.