DayZ Item Economy \ Value

[Yuval 221]

I've never seen a proper way of people actually trading their items. Obviously if 2 players meet and both of them need stuff others have they'll attempt to trade them but I think we (the community) should try to assemble as much items as we can and build an item economy as general guidelines for trading. We can take a popular item and set it as some kind of "currency" (Not the "currency" as in trade a Mosin for 12 Xs but as a value for items).

 

So let's go and come up with items and their worth.

 

I suggest we use Rags as our currency model. So we can set values to items with amounts of Rags (e.g Duct Tape - 15 Rags).

 

If this thing actually goes nice, I'll try to update the main post as much as possible!

 

Note: This thread is not for trading. There's a pinned trading post (Click here)

Edited September 13, 2015 by StanleyWasHappy

[Yuval 221]

Okay my first suggestion is to deal with the common items first (such as clothing, tools etc...).

 

It's obvious that clothes that can be teared to rags will have the same value as the rags they give.

 

Civillian clothes like Raincoat and Check Shirts should be somewhere around - 2 rags * item slots -. Military grade clothes should be - 5 rags * item slots - and so on.

[cash81 506]

Unless there are "stores" that will exchange this currency for goods people actually need, this won't work.

Trading will always be whatever the other is willing to pay for the item they need.

If i need mosin rounds and all i have are shirts to give, if the guy doesnt want shirts im screwed - ya dig?

[nl 986]

Just like a real economy - value is a personal thing dictated by personal circumstances.

So at some time duct tape may be worth a mosin, at another time I would not trade a can of peaches for duct tape, depending on my needs.

I don't think it will work and trading in the game will always be based on personal needs between two players who happen to have what the other needs.

[KandyCid 30]

startya server dedicated to only trading, lets says any1 who kills on said server is banned for a weekermmmever

[klesh 2423]

An economy that gets wiped forcing you to start all over every couple of weeks?

[Whyherro123 2283]

An "economy" will only work if there is actual "value" to items, which there will effectively never be, due to items re-spawning.

 

Value would also be tied to need. If someone has no need for rags, and that is all you have for trade, you are SOL. If you have 9mm, and they don't have a firearm in 9mm, you are SOL. Get it?

 

Items that could be used for "commodity money" (that is, items that are valuable due to the material of which it is made, and the uses of said material https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Commodity_money)include things like bullets ( I know bullets were used as a commodity currency in real life, but I am rather iffy on the premise, if just for the sheer number of different calibers there are), alcohol (hard alcohol, like moonshine, is hands-down my favorite idea for a post-apocalypse commodity currency, due to the sheer number of uses), medicines (antibiotics, painkillers, etc, not bandages), specific amounts of food (1 bushel of potatoes, 1 pound of corn, etc. Many medieval farmers paid their taxes in produce), animal hides (the reason the US $1 bill is called a 'buck" is because deer hides ["buckskins"] used to be worth $1 at frontier trading posts), bolts of cloth, or, yes, precious metals, most likely copper and gold, which can be gathered (relatively) easily by melting down electronics or piping

 

Basically, anything that can be easily measured, be "useful", easily stored, carried, and can have a consistent "value" (ie make moonshine to the same alcoholic content, food is only good if it is safe to eat, etc) would be good as a "currency", or, at the very least, a basis of exchange. 

 

Of course, none of this is going to happen, because literally everything can respawn eventually. My "personal favorite" dream for Day Z is for there to be a mod where eventually, nothing respawns. No bullets, no clothing, no canned food, no meds. The playerbase would have to make everything themselves, which would lead to the above things to actually be valuable. Shooting bullets would be literally burning money. Do I tough out this infection, or use these meds and have less to trade? A clan might set up a farm in order to grow food and build up a stockpile of potassium nitrate for reloading spent bullets.

 

Sort of like "the Road", or Fallout.

Edited September 13, 2015 by Whyherro123

[MrAerospace 87]

Yep, post-apocalyptic economy boils down to bartering between two or more people with differing needs.

[scriptfactory 620]

Just like a real economy - value is a personal thing dictated by personal circumstances.

 

What kind of economy are you referring to? IRL, an economy is based around the production, trade and consumption of goods. It has nothing to do with "personal circumstances".

 

Here are a couple examples:

1. Finite resource: There is a specific resource (e.g. gold) that will only spawn a fixed number of times. Players must trade or kill each other to get it. This is the easiest system to balance since inflation/deflation only needs to be taken into account based on player activity (i.e. players logging out with gold in inventory).
2. Player-driven resource: There is a specific resource (e.g. bullets/fuel) that players can create and consume. This system is harder to balance since the economic resource cannot be finite. Players will have no reason to trade with other players unless the creation process is time consuming/boring or based on a finite item in some way (e.g. bullets can only be created in a workshop and do not spawn).

Players can also provide creation/repair services as the basis for an economy.

1. Player-driven resource generation example: Bullet press only spawns a fixed number of times. Players that owns the press can exchange finished bullets for the raw material necessary to create them.
2. Vehicle repair: Make advanced vehicle repair (i.e. anything but fixing a broken tire) require a workshop building. Only players that control the workshops can repair their vehicles. A tow truck would be necessary for this to work. Since there are a fixed number of workshops around the map this creates value for this service.
3. Item repair: Make workshop be able to repair all items to Pristine status. See above.
4. Job class item creation: If players are spawned with a fixed skill that allows the creation of a specific item this could provide the entire basis for an economy. Some players can create vehicles from a specific finite resource (e.g. vehicle components, weapons components, etc.) Trade would be based around these raw components.

[Dagwood 680]

I think tanned leather could work currently. Takes time to find and create, and can be used to create a wide variety of items. But as others have said, in a low transaction landscape like the apocalypse, bartering is much simpler. Can't say I would trade an AK for even 100 stacks of leather or any other potential currency. But depending on my situation, I might trade it for some other weapon or tents or what not.

[scriptfactory 620]

I think tanned leather could work currently. Takes time to find and create, and can be used to create a wide variety of items. But as others have said, in a low transaction landscape like the apocalypse, bartering is much simpler. Can't say I would trade an AK for even 100 stacks of leather or any other potential currency. But depending on my situation, I might trade it for some other weapon or tents or what not.

 

If it would create 6-slot pants/shirts, 20-slot backpacks and tents then perhaps it could provide a portion of the basis for an economy. But that alone isn't enough.

 

IMO buildings need to be able to provide services functionality and players need to be able to claim territory ownership. It would require some suspension of realism (i.e. players can't be allowed to just build anywhere) but I feel it would move SA from the realm of "murder simulator"/"generic tactical shooter" to "post-apocalypse game".

Edited September 14, 2015 by scriptfactory

[hekeetsu 86]

Having a finite amount of items is kinda stupid when people can log out with them so if all of them are on people that are offline there would be nothing for the people who come after them. This could be countered by having bodies stay on the server when offline like Rust.

[lrp1984 199]

startya server dedicated to only trading, lets says any1 who kills on said server is banned for a weekermmmever

 

To be able to ban it'd need to be a private hive server. So the traded goods would only be usable on that server. Seems kinda pointless.

[scriptfactory 620]

I made a suggestion for a trade window a while ago. A new game called "Hide and Hold Out - H2O" added this item. DayZ could definitely use something like this to allow for safe trading.

[lrp1984 199]

I made a suggestion for a trade window a while ago. A new game called "Hide and Hold Out - H2O" added this item. DayZ could definitely use something like this to allow for safe trading.

 

 

I think any kind of safe zone takes away from the spirit of the game.

 

I already have a safe trading method. I shoot the person in the head and take what I need.

[KandyCid 30]

To be able to ban it'd need to be a private hive server. So the traded goods would only be usable on that server. Seems kinda pointless.

 

To be able to ban it'd need to be a private hive server. So the traded goods would only be usable on that server. Seems kinda pointless.

 

guess we need a legitified server for trading purposes, kills turned off, restraints turned off..no bans or admins needed

[scriptfactory 620]

I think any kind of safe zone takes away from the spirit of the game.

 

It's not really a safe zone. It's an in-game item that allows players to trade with each other. Players can build an utilize this item just like a weapon.

[blackberrygoo 1416]

Trading is incredibly fun and simple already .... I've in game traded with 5 people so far .... 2 have killed me (I was an idiot and wasn't wagching them , I was too ecstatic that they wanted to trade -_-) and the other three were successful trades ! I would love to see a "hand to hand" giving animation in which you would present an item selected and when the other person enters the animation the two weapons would swap (just so we don't have to drop items on the ground). But I have to say right now it's pretty close to perfect and like said above , people don't need "General currency" in an apocalypse (unless it's booze/cigarettes which are coming) they need what they need when they need it ... So In the words of two other survivors from this thread , "get it ? Ya dig ? "!

[Grimey Rick 3417]

I will just continue shopping at Your Corpse™.

[lrp1984 199]

I will just continue shopping at Your Corpse™.

 

The corpse store always has a varied stock, 25% useful stuff, 75% why were they carrying this shit?

Edited September 15, 2015 by McTabish

[pillock 850]

It'd be useful if there were some way of directly exchanging items between players. Such as: stand near trading partner -> place item in hands -> perform 'exchange' gesture -> both players confirm exchange within (say) 5 seconds -> items swap places.

 

Something like that?

[RagedDrew 209]

I will just continue shopping at Your Corpse™.

 

I wish I could say the same.

 

The corpse store always has a varied stock, 25% useful stuff, 75% why were they carrying this shit?

 

Not when I visit them, usually 100% ruined

 

When I got HAM on someone nothing survives lol.

[lrp1984 199]

I wish I could say the same.

 

 

Not when I visit them, usually 100% ruined

 

When I got HAM on someone nothing survives lol.

 

You need to give up on those automatic rifles :P

[q.S Sachiel 470]

As others have said, this game - and what i expect the apocalypse or any cataclysmic event - brings a pure market economy.

Bandages may be one of the better examples

 

when you're fine they're worthless, perhaps even negative value because they take up space (though you'd be mad not to carry a stack)

but when you need them, and don't have them, the seller can dictate whatever price they need.  (this is where KoS plays a role ;) )

[scriptfactory 620]

As others have said, this game - and what i expect the apocalypse or any cataclysmic event - brings a pure market economy.

Bandages may be one of the better examples

 

But in a pure market economy don't you still need production capabilities (raw materials to product) and some kind of authority for a financial asset (e.g. generic fiat currency, finite resource, the produced good, etc.)? It's not like we can just go out and farm cotton, build cotton gins and factories and hire workers and pay them in our products. I feel like we are missing a part of a working economy.