Managing Scarcity

[Wolfe(^..^) 9]

After watching some talks given by Dean Hall about his vision of Day Z in the future, as well as reading up on the general ideas behind the central economy, I've come to realize that there are some potential problems that can arise from the way it is intended to be implemented, which I will summarize briefly, as well as to offer some suggestions on how the regulation of the economy can be done in a more fluid way that avoids a lot of these problems.

 

The main issue that arises from having a central economy in which there is a limited number of items spread across multiple servers, is that there will always be people who gear up their character then stop playing, effectively removing those items permanently from the economy.  Trying to determine which items fall under this "limbo" status then becomes a huge headache, because it becomes impossible to regulate it in a way that doesn't either steal items from characters who have been idle for long periods, accidentally create unwanted duplicates, or effectively make it impossible for new players to acquire rare items later on in the game's lifetime.  This problem is only compounded by the other known abuses such as server hopping, which create more scarcity than is desired.

 

One potential solution to this problem that I've seen proposed recently is to implement a one server, one character rule, then force all characters to remain in game even when a player is logged out.  The problem with this solution is that it requires a certain style of gameplay that doesn't suit many of the players who enjoy the game in its current state, so it's less than ideal for everyone involved.

 

I propose instead to implement a system in which scarcity is achieved not by limiting the total number of items on a global scale, but instead by ensuring that all items remain tied to resources that are expendable and/or integrally tied to parts that inevitably degrade, then limiting the rate or frequency that those items spawn in game.  The reason that this is a better way of managing the in-game economy is because it crates scarcity while still ensuring that there is a circulated supply of items, without caring about what has happened to the items that spawned at some earlier state of the game.

 

For example, let's take my favourite item in Day Z, the mp5.  One of the most obvious way to create scarcity in this case would be to reduce the drop rate of 9mm ammo to a level where using the gun is not feasible on a regular basis.  This immediately creates the situation where the player might have the gun but will not be able to use it without expending a resource that is in scarce supply.  In addition to limiting the ammo supply, one could also implement weapon degradation as a function of bullet fire, then significantly reduce the drop rate of weapon cleaning kits across all servers.

 

The nice thing about doing things this way is that it doesn't require too many tweaks to the already existing system.  Clothes and containers already function this way, for example, because it is very easy for them to get ruined if you are not careful when fighting the zeds.  If systems were implemented to limit ammo and degrade weapons over time, you would be able to create a similar type of scarcity without running into a lot of the potential problems that could arise by capping the total number of rare items across all servers to some set limit.

 

As another example, let's take the helicopter.  Instead of forcing one clan to join another clan's server in order to steal a helicopter part because there is only one part across all servers, a better thing would be to make the parts degrade over time, then limit the drop rate of fuel and parts to something low enough that invading another clan's base to steal their fuel or parts becomes very, very tempting.  Instead of forcing character interaction, and in the process introducing a huge list of potential problems, instead encourage player interaction by managing the economy in a way that makes players decide that such interaction is to their advantage. 

[gibonez 3633]

 

One potential solution to this problem that I've seen proposed recently is to implement a one server, one character rule, then force all characters to remain in game even when a player is logged out.  The problem with this solution is that it requires a certain style of gameplay that doesn't suit many of the players who enjoy the game in its current state, so it's less than ideal for everyone involved.

 

 

Ultimately it's the best solution.

 

If people don't like it then they can wait for a mod or play another game.

 

The current hive character implementation is horrible and has always been terrible.

[Caboose187 (DayZ) 3036]

Ultimately it's the best solution.

 

If people don't like it then they can wait for a mod or play another game.

 

The current hive character implementation is horrible and has always been terrible.

The problem with that solution is the fact that "we" the players rent those servers and they could shut down at any given time having people lose characters on a constant basis forcing them to constantly have to find a home.  I personally do not have an issue with it but a large and extremely loud group of forum goers do.

Edited October 1, 2014 by Caboose187

[gibonez 3633]

The problem with that solution is the fact that "we" the players rent those servers and they could shut down at any given time having people lose characters on a constant basis forcing them to constantly have to find a home.  I personally do not have an issue with it but a large and extremely loud group of forum goers do.

That is a valid complaint however that rarely happens and even when it does happen what do you really lose ?

 

You just start over again in another server and with some time and effort you are back where you started.

 

I just see it as one of those things that needs to be done and will be for our own good. Kinda like vaccination children hate it but after a while when they are adults they will realize that it was the best solution all along.

[fowang 60]

Adding more items into the spawn list also dilutes the spawn ratio which is happening!

[Wolfe(^..^) 9]

Ultimately it's the best solution.

 

If people don't like it then they can wait for a mod or play another game.

 

The current hive character implementation is horrible and has always been terrible.

 

Don't get me wrong.  I'm not opposed to 1 server 1 character.  In fact, the ideas I've suggested for managing the economy would work in that case.  I have however seen a lot of people against the idea of forcing your character to remain in game after logging though.  And unfortunately, you cannot have a strict limit on items without implementing this.  The ideas I've suggested would solve the problem in a way that doesn't force a particular play style.  It would leave the options open to the servers, instead of forcing them to adhere to something that many players would not like.

[BeefBacon 1185]

 

One potential solution to this problem that I've seen proposed recently is to implement a one server, one character rule, then force all characters to remain in game even when a player is logged out.  The problem with this solution is that it requires a certain style of gameplay that doesn't suit many of the players who enjoy the game in its current state, so it's less than ideal for everyone involved.

 

 

What? So a giant 'fuck you' to players who don't play for 16 hours a day every day?

 

 

 

For example, let's take my favourite item in Day Z, the mp5.  One of the most obvious way to create scarcity in this case would be to reduce the drop rate of 9mm ammo to a level where using the gun is not feasible on a regular basis.  This immediately creates the situation where the player might have the gun but will not be able to use it without expending a resource that is in scarce supply.  In addition to limiting the ammo supply, one could also implement weapon degradation as a function of bullet fire, then significantly reduce the drop rate of weapon cleaning kits across all servers.

 

 

Reduce 9mm ammo spawns considerably? Good luck firing a 9mm pistol, then.

 

Of course if by 'drop rate' you mean make it so 20rnd boxes of various ammo types are rare as fuck, then absolutely. I think ammo should be extremely common - even more common than it is now - but no more than 5 rounds should ever spawn at a time. This means that players that have guns will have a good chance at finding ammo for that gun, but they'll only have a couple of shots (as opposed to stumbling across a 20rnd box of 7.62 and being pretty much set for life).

[nokyookami 63]

think Guns Realy Shouldn't Be so Scarce But Ammo Needs to Be For sure

BackPacks Full Pristine Boxes and Mags of Ammo But the Guns Which Are Useless without Ammo are the Scarce Part

I think In Survival Scenario Many People Would Be Carrying Empty Guns For intimidation Like The Play in Games Like "I am Alive" Which Relies on Making it Seem Like you Have Rounds When Given Trouble Or to Take Someone Down in Desperation with your Last Bullet  then Regretting Not Having that Round Later
Bullets in that Game Provided a Psychologicaly more Safe Feeling Rather than Being Able to Rely on it Every Conflict
Most of the Banditing Was Be Done With Melee and Bandit Pack Numbers Intimidation

Players Should Find More Spent Rounds than Pristine Boxes this Being a Zombie Appocolypse Would Only Make Ammo More Scarce than Other Types of Disasters, Survivors Running Around Having More Ammo than a Well Stocked Barracks is Unlikely 

Less ammo Would Definitely Be Nice and Perhaps Solve some KOS as Well as Constant Heavy Firing you Hear anytime you Visit Berezino, NEAF,or Balota

would Make Fresh Helicopter Crashes Even More Tempting Knowing that Nato Forces are Most Likely Sent in With Ammo, rather than Just risk For the Vanity Item M4A1

[Wolfe(^..^) 9]

What? So a giant 'fuck you' to players who don't play for 16 hours a day every day?

 

 

It's been suggested in other posts, but like I said, I don't think it's a viable solution because it forces a particular style of game play.

 

As far as the ammo drop rates are concerned, keep in mind that the example I gave was just an example.  If you wanted to create scarcity specific to one gun, you could always reduce the drop rate on that gun in particular, while increasing the rate at which the weapon degrades due to firing it, for example. 

 

When reading my examples, keep in mind that I'm just using them to explain how such a thing would be implemented, and I'm not strictly saying that "this or that needs to more more/less common".  The main point is to suggest a method to create scarcity that does not introduce the headaches involved with setting strict limits to the number of items in game.