Feature Specification: Currency System

Ronan · Post by **Ronan** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:19 am

Obsolete. Another system will be posted here in its place.

HEEGZ · Post by **HEEGZ** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 12:53 am

Wow, if this can be implemented I would really enjoy this. Spending 2 gp for an ale just never seemed right to me.

Fionn · Post by **Fionn** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:00 am

Meh.

We can easily change the label on your char sheet to read "CP" rather than "GP". From there, we just need to price everything 100X and sell SP, GP and PP coins at 10, 100, 1000. Seems a lot simpler to me, no scripting needed, and cannot be exploited (unless somebody starts selling BW stock gear).

Ronan · Post by **Ronan** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 2:18 am

Fionn wrote:We can easily change the label on your char sheet to read "CP" rather than "GP".

Unless NWN2 makes use of tlk files in a different manner than NWN1 (and I hope it does), we won't be able to do this without requiring ALFA members to overwrite their dialog.tlk, something which would effect all NWN2 games on that client.

Fionn · Post by **Fionn** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:58 am

Ronan wrote:
Fionn wrote:We can easily change the label on your char sheet to read "CP" rather than "GP".
Unless NWN2 makes use of tlk files in a different manner than NWN1 (and I hope it does), we won't be able to do this without requiring ALFA members to overwrite their dialog.tlk, something which would effect all NWN2 games on that client.

There's only one NWN2 game ;)

Blackwill · Post by **Blackwill** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 10:55 am

I really like this proposal. I would love seeing that in action.

ç i p h é r · Post by **ç i p h é r** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 4:45 pm

I like the proposal. I think it's assumed from the dependencies that cp and sp items can also drop as loot, correct? Certain critters (especially low CR ones) would not be carrying around gold pieces and you wouldn't expect to find gold disposed of in things like barrels, crates, refuse and such.

Mark me down on the list of volunteers for this if you want to include it in our ACR. I've got a scripted system that already covers most of these requirements so we can get a running start.

Ronan · Post by **Ronan** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 5:57 pm

ç i p h é r wrote:I like the proposal. I think it's assumed from the dependencies that cp and sp items can also drop as loot, correct?

Yup, it is.

If we want to track the numbers of each coin for weight and realism purposes (I wouldn't suggest requiring exact change for anything, though), we could do the following:

Represent all coinage as invetory items of .1 weight each, with a 20% weight reduction property (50 coins per pound, just like 3.5 rules). Keep the PC's displayed GP value as the aggregate value of his coin purse, plus a 0-99cp local integer. Any "normal" gold picked up becomes a gold item, and any "normal" gold dropped is replaced by the gold item if the PC has enough of it. We can't do this approach currently because the OnUnacquire event doesn't fire when gold is dropped or bartered. Assuming this changes in NWN2, this system still has the disadvantage of looping through some/all inventory items whenever a transaction is made in which "normal" NWN gold is used (such as dropped gold, or buying something from a store).

Would you rather wait and see what NWN2 brings us? I do like the idea of keeping a sum total of all coins and weight, especially since platinum pieces can just be used in place of trade bars or the like. The ability to weigh down a party of PCs with a horde of coppers is something I'd like to have

darrenhfx · Post by **darrenhfx** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:52 pm

Devil's advocate time

Would a change in the system of currency necessitate a revision of wealth standards? How about the crafting system?

Ronan · Post by **Ronan** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 6:54 pm

darrenhfx wrote:Would a change in the system of currency necessitate a revision of wealth standards? How about the crafting system?

No and no. Both those systems are based off of the value of the gold piece, which is not changing.

darrenhfx · Post by **darrenhfx** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 7:49 pm

That was easy... hmm I'll have to think up some hard-nosed questions.

Ronan · Post by **Ronan** » Mon Jul 10, 2006 8:27 pm

Another thought: If NWN2 allows a sell mark up of 0%, we could feasibly use the system where all transactions are handled in script. This would have an additional benifit of being able to adjust merchant rates based on our wealth standards, thus being able to changing merchant rates all across ALFA with a single update to our wealth standards script.

Blackwill · Post by **Blackwill** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:40 am

Two more points that could be taken into account of the currancy system.

Adding Trade Bars. The Power of Faerûn sourcebook has a lot to say about them that could be usefull. Would we want to add those to ALFA?

Secondly, a bit more far fetched, but it could add some falvor, and perhaps a lot of confusion. Regional coins. Many types of coins exist. Some coins aren't accepted everywhere. Some are, but at reduced rates. Getting complicated huh? Well it was just a though.

Sandermann · Post by **Sandermann** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:25 am

just to chime in with an alternative suggestion:

coins as actual items in the inventory is very possible, and not as cludgy as might be imagined...some points first before I begin an explanation.

Stores have an on store open, and store close event.

Coins are carried as stackable items with weight, in the inventory of the PC, they can be placed into containers or anything else.

"coins" does not necessarily mean a coin, it could also cover gems and tradebars or letters of credit. "Coin" here means any item in game whos sole purpose is as a means of portable wealth.

The NWN GP value of all items is inflated *100 to make the NWN GP value the value in copper pieces.

The PCs character sheet will almost always read 0GP.

Explanation:
When a PC first speaks to a merchant and opens a store, an OOC store opens in which the PC can sell coins for their GP value, effectivley exchanging the coin items in the inventory for NWN GP. On exiting this store, the on_store_close event is used to fire open the real merchant. Here the PC buys whatever goods they wish and can afford as normal.

When this real store is closed, the on_store_close event is used convert the NWN GP the PC has back into coin items, which are automatically put back into the PCs inventory.

This script always fires on_store_close, even if the PC does not close the store but hits ESC to quick exit, the only loophole is if a player crashes during the transaction, but adding the same system to on_client_load will remove this problem.

Coins can be of varying values in this system, for example: If a PC has a GP from Sembia, its value can be adjusted in Cormyr so that it is not worth as much, this can be done in an on_enter script, either for a module or an area. When the PC returns to Sembia his GP will once again be worth face value, however any Cormyrian coins he now has will be worth less.

This system would necessitate the inclusion of appropriate item icons in the haks

Runestaff · Post by **Runestaff** » Mon Nov 13, 2006 5:16 am

Sandermann wrote:Stores have an on store open, and store close event.

Coins are carried as stackable items with weight, in the inventory of the PC, they can be placed into containers or anything else.

I haven't delved into the scripts to see the details, but this sounds very similar to the currency system implemented in the NWN module Almraiven, which you may want to explore if you have not done so (aside from the fact that it is an excellent module in its own right).

Almraiven uses a gem-based currency system in lieu of gold; when you peruse a shopkeeper's inventory, they get converted into gold pieces, and when you exit out of one, your gold gets converted back into gems of appropriate denominations. The system is transparent to the player, and monetary loot drops are in gems rather than standard gold.

The module is available on the vault: http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=mo ... il&id=5007

And a currency script supposedly inspired by it is here: http://nwvault.ign.com/View.php?view=sc ... il&id=3058