How about starting small? Like having the prices of items evaluated from a post-apoc perspective, and not pre-apoc one? Far from perfect, but better. One step at a time…
What, we’re playing Cataclysm Fortress Dark Dorfs Ahead, don’t we?
What I was describing is bascially part of a full economy.
And I’m aware that this, as I described it, will probably never happen. I would already be happy if we get proper npcs and maybe some more settlement types.
Going a bit off the rails, making some kind of system where NPC groups or bands go around dynamically the same way hordes work would be absolutely incredible, especially if tied to a bigger system of travelling between settlements and being attacked by other dynamic bandit groups. We just need some good NPC infighting.
If people want to start adding post-apocalyptic prices to items there’s nothing stopping them right now, but we need some way of determining those prices, or they’ll just shuffle around endlessly.
The value/price system should be overhauled completely to not even use cash/credit at all as Kevin already suggested(shocking we can agree on something XD).
Consumable items should yield a higher value based upon need/function. While other items of function should have a high value as well.
Lets say I have a fitting pair of boots to an NPC. Those boots not fitting would have a low value. A multi-tool would have a high value because of how useful it is compared to a basic screw driver which is also not especially rare.
Antibiotics should be incredibly high value for obvious reasons…yet have almost no value >_>
In place of cash/credit cards and concerning barter. A simple 0-1000 value could be added to items in place of cash value. Anything functional can have value UNLESS off set by the determining rarity of the item. Knife has value? No. Multi-tool has value? Yes!
Perhaps a value could be a side value regarding the temperament of the NPC. Adding this specific value to each NPC would work as a tipping scale.
Ex:
1;NPC is perfectly healthy and the value of first-aid / food items is average.
2;NPC is hungry or hurt and the value placed on first-aid and food is higher.
Simple enough to overhaul…just time consuming because of all the crap we have in game lol
I still advocate for having two values for everything: the pre-apocalypse $ value and the post-apocalypse barter value. That would give intuitive behavior, like vending machines wanting cash cards, while preventing not so intuitive behavior, like not caring about any of the money making opportunities at the Refugee Center because you have $100K in looted zombie cash cards and selling valuable bandages for $6 a stack is a terrible, terrible joke.
[quote=“ZoneWizard, post:25, topic:13203”]The value/price system should be overhauled completely to not even use cash/credit at all as Kevin already suggested(shocking we can agree on something XD).
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Simple enough to overhaul…just time consuming because of all the crap we have in game lol[/quote]
Yeah, and that’s exactly why it’s not going to happen unless one of you actually goes out of their way to make this a thing. I suggest you compile a list of all the items in the game in a Word or a Notepad document and just start writing what their new values will be.
Think about what kind of grading system they will have to begin with (I saw 0-1000 being suggested, for example), then start giving each item a value based on said system. Have 0 be scraps of paper and other trash items, and 1000 be, say, the rarest bionic in the game. I don’t know. Either way, do that, then create multiple scenarios in which a few items will have their value changed - e.g when an NPC is damaged, items ABCDEF are valued in X more than what they would sell for without severe wounds or a medical emergency.
This would incentivize programmers to actually work on implementing your value system instead of having to go through the process of making this all up on their own. They’ll have a base which they can then criticize, improve and get player feedback on. Otherwise it’s just more “sounds neat - let’s not ever touch this again” talk, which is also fine, if you’re not really passionate about that something and don’t actually want it to be in the game. Somebody always has to do the dirty work, it just so happens that if you want change you might as well have to go and do it yourself.
It would also be a “range” of possible values, that would be affected depending on the bartering of both trader and player, and other circumstances, or just to be applied randomly at least.
Like “antibiotics” 800-1000, and make it closer to 1000 if the NPCs bartering is high enough, if you are infected or need it for a mission, or if you don’t have it and it’s scarce.
Latest example: I can buy from a NPC 16 Prussian blue tablets for 3.36$ but a lighter with 18 uses is sold for 20$. How these prices are supposed to be pre apocalypse prices? Nowadays, a lighter with 100 use is at most 1$.
So the current prices are not pre apocalypses price either. They have been for the most part randomly generated. And again, two choices ahead. Either comes with a complex system that will never be done (like the ongoing discussions on throwing skill where some advocates we should get IRL statistical data from athletes and such and estimate how we translate that in game) … OR OR … people get a reality check, are pragmatics, and do quickfixes that are much much better than doing nothing.
I can help and do some part of rebalancing, just give me an excel sheet or a text file and I can edit it.