Do people use item sinks?

[Boltgreywing]

I heard of people using point sinks and point sources to balance the economy. However what should a pet site owner do if they have too many items in the economy? How does one get rid of the excess items?

I heard mentioned that item sinks are important in getting rid of an overflow of items. How often are these things used?

I am thinking of implementing an item sink that exchanges the items for points and having the items themselves decay after each use. Once the durability of an item hits 0 it is removed from the economy.

How do pet site owners handle too many items in an economy?

 

[Anoua]

One thing I do is that items are consumable. So toys break (this doesn't necessarily mean one use) and food is eaten for instance. So anything that is used will be used up eventually. This may not make sense with all items in every system but both my games have this type of system in place. 

Currently I don't have much else implemented for removing items (though you can throw them away if you choose too) but was wanting to add something in where users are able to sell excess items to an in game character that will buy them for a faction of their worth. I have not planned out the full details for my system yet. But I have seen this kind of thing done where it's a straight currency conversion, so points in your case or other times where it's a special currency type which can then be used to by specific other items in game. And I have seen it done where the character will take in specific items, or any item, or any item but specific ones are worth more and the specific ones would rotate.  

 

[Pepper-Head]

I think item sinks can be just as important as currency sinks, as long as it's well balanced!

It really depends on how items function for your game. Are there quests to take some items out of the game? Do most items have uses (consumption, crafting material, etc)? If items last forever, does that make them special, or do players gradually try to upgrade or use&sell? What do you think players will do with "junk items" (I think of Neopets and all the stuff given out through dailies)?

 

[Boltgreywing]

One thing I do is that items are consumable. So toys break (this doesn't necessarily mean one use) and food is eaten for instance. So anything that is used will be used up eventually. This may not make sense with all items in every system but both my games have this type of system in place. 

Currently I don't have much else implemented for removing items (though you can throw them away if you choose too) but was wanting to add something in where users are able to sell excess items to an in game character that will buy them for a faction of their worth. I have not planned out the full details for my system yet. But I have seen this kind of thing done where it's a straight currency conversion, so points in your case or other times where it's a special currency type which can then be used to by specific other items in game. And I have seen it done where the character will take in specific items, or any item, or any item but specific ones are worth more and the specific ones would rotate.  

@Anoua: I do like the idea of items being consumable even weapons and armor.

I think item sinks can be just as important as currency sinks, as long as it's well balanced!

It really depends on how items function for your game. Are there quests to take some items out of the game? Do most items have uses (consumption, crafting material, etc)? If items last forever, does that make them special, or do players gradually try to upgrade or use&sell? What do you think players will do with "junk items" (I think of Neopets and all the stuff given out through dailies)?

@Pepper-Head: I don't really have quest items, for my site I want every item I have to have a purpose and not have any form of junk item. Junk items as dung and rotten apples sound boring. However if they can be used as maybe a type of fertiler for a farm or such then I might consider it. The way i see my site is one who's items where out over time regardless if they are rare or common.

 

[Digital]

I would agree with both @Anoua and @Pepper-Head statements on this. Instead of using item sinks a ton, I would focus on items being consumed. You can do quests where users have to turn in items, provide a system of crafting to use up items, and make items consumable. It should feel natural to the user. If you have a sink to deliver x apples somewhere, but you cannot eat the apple, whats the use?

 

[Boltgreywing]

I would agree with both @Anoua and @Pepper-Head statements on this. Instead of using item sinks a ton, I would focus on items being consumed. You can do quests where users have to turn in items, provide a system of crafting to use up items, and make items consumable. It should feel natural to the user. If you have a sink to deliver x apples somewhere, but you cannot eat the apple, whats the use?

@Digital: I do agree with what they mentioned. My plan is to make items consumable by having a type of drop down counter that starts at x and drops to 0 whether they eat it, or use it in battle. The quest idea is a nice idea but I don't know how to implement something like that yet. For example if an item is like close to 1 and the user doesn't want it anymore then they give it to an npc who gives points in exchange for it.