Limiting Pawnshop Buying

[D Blaze]

The suggestion is to put a cap on what the pawnshops will even accept, not on the amount of money a pawn shop will give back to a character for a sold item (which is already in place).

But based on how much money the item is worth, the pawnshop might not even accept it, put the cap at something reasonable for all pawns, like 40-90(maybe even 100, dunno) gold based on the ranking of the pawns; small, average, large, or one flat rate across the board.

Example:
glass vial - 1 gold, no problem; Any pawnshop would buy it off you.
iron longsword - 50-ish gold; small problem, small pawns wouldn't buy it, the average and large pawns might buy it though.
Adamantium Longsword 200+ gold?  All pawnshops would not even accept the item, because it is too expensive.

This would keep people from pawning high-priced items(especially crafted goods in bulk, or looted items that are useless to them, but still better-than-average goods), that bleed the pawnshops dry so fast.
They are there to buy up misc. items, not batches of items whose gold-worth could feed, cloth, and probably house several families comfortably in less than a day. *rolls eyes*

Then people would have to figure out other ways to get rid of those expensive items:
Sell to other characters
Donations
or the Trashbin

they won't get easy gold out of it.

[Ravemore]

Although frustrating at times, I like the current pawshop system based on cash. It prods me to travel around more. Also, a system based on number of items would be abused more I think because players would just make up the loss in high end items by selling the others in bulk. What about allowing the pawnshops to sell non-craftable items to the public and using the income to fund further pawning. (Not sure if it can be engineered) This would pretty much maintain the player-based economy by protecting the crafting market. The purchase prices could even be a little higer too.

[lonnarin]

On the flip side, crafters aren't likely to just throw out their inventory, and would cut their prices to make money from PCs.  Then we have the cries about the economy being "bad" or "broken".  Curious claims, seeing that a world of darkness and cold would likely be suffering from shortages of goods and coin; not surpluses.  One would assume that an economy where there's more to buy at cheaper prices was a thiving bear economy, but lowering prices of goods is what gets the stygma of "breaking the economy".

I will say one thing... Having just visited Krashin, one of the less travelled to places in game, Raven's Watch pawnshop ran out of gold at around the 54gp mark.  That was sad, since it was one of the only untapped pawnshops in game.  Kind of a low gp count for a persistant shop whose only purpose in existing is to buy excess items.

Either the shops need to have more gold or pay out less per item or both.  We almost in total agreement that the drops are a bit heavy for items, to the point where its not very profitable for crafters of said items.  Though as I pointed out earlier, once you start getting past the +1 mark into +2 gear.  There is indeed an open market for adamantium longswords, if one simply actively advertises them and keeps an ear out for prospective buyers.

Donation drives are nice and all, but one cannot entirely rely upon communal charity to alleviate economic turmoil.  The clarion calls that everybody has too much money and too many items made by the have-plenties ar of course immediately disbelieved by the far larger population of have-nots.  If higher level crafters are having such difficulty selling their wares, they could always take breaks between the crafting to sit in town and actually sell their items, instead of amassing ludicrous piles of inventory in their homes while training and wondering why nobody ever buys any of it.  Selling takes effort, and can easily be done without slashing the prices.

Perhaps if donations were rewarded with minor titleship and discernable political rewards from the established monarchies and feudal states, donations of excess inventory would be more frequent.  Simply getting a thank you from a collector or a receipt from the temple isn't much motivation for most.  If however, it was entirely necessary for clerics and paladins to actively donate to their temples with set benchmarks in order to ascend in their respective hierarchies, like Being dubbed a "Sir" as a Paladin, an official Justicar of Rofirien, and the progressions from Greenstone -> Diamond for Berylites... etc, then there would likely be more donations.  

Something as simple as a Writ of Titleship or Appreciation in one's inventory that could be shown to others and to NPCs in GM-led quests in order to vouch for their deeds and influence the NPC reactions would be useful.  Say the Royal Guard of Mistone is not allowing you to meet the chancellor without waiting 3 months without an appointment, showing him an official writ noting that you donated 200 iron platmails and longswords to his very garrison would certainly change his tune, especially if you remarked how all future donations could just go to Prantz if you aren't admitted.  On that note, perhaps Lord Broegar would be willing to offer writs of waiver regarding certain laws in town in payment for services to his army.  The wizard who takes the time to donate 500,000 true of enchanted gems to his cause wouldn't exaclty be allowed to blow up buildings with fireballs, but certainly he and his guard would be far less worried about that staff being out if it was known that this person literally paid for half the upkeep of the city out of their own pockets.  Who knows, maybe if you donate 50 platinum platemails to the army, he could make you an honorary guard and allow you to bear a weapon or use an ox in town; his official right-hand mage certainly has the waiver to have summons in town and spells up currently.  These writs of course would have to be regulated to know who earned what and priveledges/titles bartered on a case by case basis; but it could be done I think.

[Interia_Discordius]

I think that's a great idea. Honestly, donations are fine and dandy, but it's very true that it's lacking motivation because people don't know you're donating, really...The writ idea would certaintly get me going, at least.

[Skywatcher]

I think donations would be increased if there was a way for individual donators to get credit for their donations.  There was a suggestion I saw about having an NPC that could collect donations like the ones at the temples and give receipts.  I think if recognition for donations was given to the donors there would be a lot more of it.  As far as the pawnshops go it seems like a hard problem to fix so I'll just leave that one up to the team.  We should at least wait until the next update to see how to change in the drop affects things.  I don't remember people feeling like the pawnshops were broken before the new drop system started so maybe that tweak will fix the problem.

[Joyrock]

From keep the ear to the ground this is a porblem I know MANY, OLD NWN face, it often one of the leading factors when they decide to do a wipe why they did one, it becomes that big of a problem with no simple answer.

The best way I know to deal with this? Make crafting a few things harder and make it to where you have to trade in lesser crafting goods to make a bigger one, like it takes 5 swords of light to make one sword of very brightness. thus making players use there resources. Or you can make things called gears, pullie, etc parts of things that use resoruces to make to make things.

Another good way to help and can be done right away with no time being taken from the builders, head and other busy folks. Is for players to sell there goods. I don't care what it is but if you sit there and RP trying to sale it I will probly by in in support of what your doing, and then I will look for a item you saling that I can use.

I find this works the best. because I am sure the poor builds don't need anymore work when the players can help out.

[Hellblazer]

Or you can do the easy thing and use common sense. Keep at all time only four of one item and pawn or donate the surplus that you made by practicing. A lot of you have deities, but how many really do take advantages of the donation center for your deities? Remember, in a purely rp way the more renown (gold, well equipped npc clerics and temples etc) a Deity has the more powerful it is in Layo  (at least, thats what was intended behind the donation  center if I remember the post correctly)

[Stephen_Zuckerman]

@Hellblazer:

Actually, the donations directly affect the strength of the church in the gameworld, as I understand it.


And... I think the whole point of this was DON'T pawn the surplus, but... Do something else with it. Or! Or! Don't make surplus to begin with. If you make weapons just to practice (or whatever), sell them, donate them, or trash them. If nothing else, there's a neutral donation spot in Hempstead.

[Interia_Discordius]

Well, I just donated 20k+ worth of things to the Shadonite temple. Let's see if anything happens

Really though, it was addictive...I'm pretty glad it was implemented. I know I'll be using it a lot more often now. *Shrug*

[Hellblazer]

@Hellblazer:

Actually, the donations directly affect the strength of the church in the gameworld, as I understand it.


And... I think the whole point of this was DON'T pawn the surplus, but... Do something else with it. Or! Or! Don't make surplus to begin with. If you make weapons just to practice (or whatever), sell them, donate them, or trash them. If nothing else, there's a neutral donation spot in Hempstead.

well thats basically what i just said, donate them if you make surplus.