MMOG Business and Commerce

Kindelnol

I am not much of a crafting fan. I don’t care to create fixed items simply to enjoy its virtually worthless “improvements”.

 

I still think that the idea of crafting and trade can be fun though.

 

I think a commerce system would be an interesting addition to MMOs. I am sure I am not the first to actually propose something like this but I will still take this time to explain it.

 

I think it would be more enjoyable to actually run a business than to run around hunting and gathering like primitive people. Through business, one could expand his resources, hiring people to do his the job of gathering materials. For example, one could hire people to mine, and he will be able to control the materials gathered for the mining expedition. The people would be NPCs, and the mining would probably be best unseen. I suppose it would be more assumed as to not clutter territories up with a vast amount of laborers from different businesses.

 

The owner can choose areas to work, thus choosing the materials he wishes to retrieve. For something like gathering plants, it would be worked through gardens. Now, this would probably be a difficult task, requiring the individual to either purchase, or find certain plants, which would in turn allow the individual to breed more plants. Likewise, instead of hunting, the player would progress with breeding. This could be a difficult task as the player would have to domesticate his own animals.

 

It should probably remain possible for the player to reap the benefits of his own labor and gather materials as well, but it is not required. It might be used as a good way to start a business without having to spend your money on NPCs. It could also be present simply for enjoyment, assuming there are those that enjoy it.

 

Commerce:

 

The next step is fairly simple. You will receive a stock of materials. From this point, you have two options:

 

1)      Sell the raw materials to a merchant.

2)      Craft items and sell those items to the merchant.

 

The merchant will then sell it to players seeking such materials/items. It would work best with an advanced crafting system which allows the player to craft items that are unique, and likely branded with the promised quality of their business. Thus, instead of a crafting system where you build from established patterns and upon fixed sets, each item will have different characteristics that may not be present among similar items.

 

The commerce system I am proposing actually helps regular players that are not participating in the business world too. Players would find easier access to materials and a greater variety of items. Other additions could be added as well (like brand bonuses, allowing players with a set crafted by a certain business to offer a small bonus specified by the business).

 

The price one can get from selling their stock to a vendor would vary based on supply and demand. If the business can afford it, they are allowed to pay an NPC to sell items at a specified rate, thus they control the prices.

 

Now, this next element is not detrimental, it would just be a fun addition (IMO). With a fluctuating market, the businesses should fluctuate as well. An MMO could offer a stock market. Essentially, players could invest in businesses. I do believe that this could be abused to many precautions would have to be taken before allowing such a system. Still, it would be fun to gain money based on the success of others.

 

On a final note, I would like to suggest a method of advancing the business. In a system like this, it might be made possible to expand your business, allowing you to cultivate and gather from new areas (and thus gain new materials). This could either be a factor of money (how much one is willing to pay to be in that area) or a business rank, which clearly the higher it is the more that is available.

 

For crafting unique items, people would create their own patterns, formulas, and blueprints, etc. The items they craft can gain a level of expertise, eventually reaching a point, after repeated crafting, where it can essentially be mass produced by the laborers (obviously still limited to resources just like before it reached this point). This would allow the player to focus on new combinations and items, while still funding the project from older ones.