A regional and world-wide marketplace in a game?

[Digital]

So this is a what about post, which is basically me throwing an idea out there, and seeing what discussion happens about it. Let's discuss!

What if a game were to have a regional based marketplace, as well as a global based marketplace. Perhaps you can find more items from different regions on the world-wide market, but the taxation thus cost is higher, but you can find locally found goods on your regional marketplace for cheaper. This also allows perhaps (unrelated to this thread) the concept of player factions.

Thoughts, additions, ideas?

[Anoua]

Sounds pretty interesting actually. I think it could make it feel more immersive, like you are part of the world and living in it which can be really cool. Obviously will depend on how it's executed too though and you'd want to have balance for players in less populated areas to not be too punished for it or perhaps users can move and just decided themselves.

[Digital]

14 hours ago, Anoua said:

Sounds pretty interesting actually. I think it could make it feel more immersive, like you are part of the world and living in it which can be really cool. Obviously will depend on how it's executed too though and you'd want to have balance for players in less populated areas to not be too punished for it or perhaps users can move and just decided themselves.

I think how user are divided into regions could be an entire different discussion. Many different games handle this very differently. Flight Rising allows a choice, where games such as World of Warcraft separate players not by choice, but their servers themselves are separated into Battlegroups regionally as well for PvP and such as well.

Balance on such is always difficult.

I agree on it not being a punishment though.

[Nate]

It is a pretty good idea, and i feel it could make the game more interesting and dynamic.

I think the only downside to it though would be enforcing it. In my experience, with things like this, users would end up making multiple accounts to avoid the additional taxation costs >_>

[Digital]

18 minutes ago, Nate said:

I think the only downside to it though would be enforcing it. In my experience, with things like this, users would end up making multiple accounts to avoid the additional taxation costs >_>

If you think about this concept though, in every economy, isn't smuggling (which you describe) actually necessary as a economic tool?

I have never bought into the hard-line moderation of game. If a player is breaking a game mechanics directly, then fine. If they are complicating their lives with multiple accounts to move goods across the marketplace, in order to sell, it isn't necessarily a bad thing.

If you were to compare this concept in most scaled games, you will see that smuggling is usually a normal practice. Heck, Eve Online makes it necessary since their economy and universe is so large it takes a lot of time and energy for players to move goods.

[Aminirus]

I actually plan to implement this idea into Wild Howlz. There is a general market place for your average, every day items and then the special, buy it with real money items. This shop never changes. Then, on another region, you can find monthly special items. As in the store restocks every month but not usually with the same thing. Some of it will be seasonal based and the shop is only open from the 1st to the 28th.

We do also have plans for certain locations to have a traveler who might sell some items specific to that region if you are not able to find them in that region.

I always enjoy seeing different markets. Feels more... realistic.

[Digital]

18 hours ago, Aminirus said:

We do also have plans for certain locations to have a traveler who might sell some items specific to that region if you are not able to find them in that region.

I like the idea of traveling merchants that might travel between regions based on certain times or even certain months. It helps spreads perhaps hard to find items evenly across regional markets.