Economies: GS vs WoW

[Lobster]

I keep hearing people complain about how the economy of WoW is being ruined by Chinese farmers and I have generally agreed that there is a problem.

After refreshing my memory of prices in GS I would have to say the prices in WoW aren't bad at all, compared to the insanity that is pricing in GS.

What does a top of the line 10x weapon run you in GS? Maybe 200-300m silvers? I saw in a posting that the discounted price on silvers was $12 per 1m silvers. Saying you can buy an awesome weapon for $200m at even $10 per 1m silvers, that's $2,000 for that one weapon.

I've heard people joking on general chat in WoW that you can get 100g for $10-$20. Saying you wanted to get that 1000g epic from the AH, it would theoretically cost you $100.

I'm sure the guesses on prices are off, but GS prices(for top end items) looks to be about 20X the cost of WoW.

I know at some point in the next few months I'll be able to afford some of the top end WoW gear, but I doubt I could afford the top GS gear in the next year, unless I was a 24/7 merchant.

I know the top stuff in GS is often times truly unique and anyone in WoW can get the top stuff, if they just run enough instances. That being said, it's a joke what some of these people will pay for stuff in GS. The economy in WoW is strong and healthy in comparison.

What will happen to those that hold vaults of uber-loot in GS when the game finally goes the way of lawn darts and pong, and dies? I would be happy to see them come over to WoW so I could sell them an Arcanite Reaper at GS-comparable prices.

:smug:

Am I way off base in my comparison?

[crazymage]

Yes

[Soulpieced]

Well, Gemstone has been around 28 times longer than WOW...

[StrayRogue]

Originally posted by Lobster


What does a top of the line 10x weapon run you in GS? Maybe 200-300m silvers? I saw in a posting that the discounted price on silvers was $12 per 1m silvers. Saying you can buy an awesome weapon for $200m at even $10 per 1m silvers, that's $2,000 for that one weapon.



I stopped reading after the "10x costs 200 mil" retarded comment.

[Drew]

Originally posted by StrayRogue

Originally posted by Lobster


What does a top of the line 10x weapon run you in GS? Maybe 200-300m silvers? I saw in a posting that the discounted price on silvers was $12 per 1m silvers. Saying you can buy an awesome weapon for $200m at even $10 per 1m silvers, that's $2,000 for that one weapon.



I stopped reading after the "10x costs 200 mil" retarded comment.

I think he means something crazy like 10x permablessed incredibly crit weighted falchion, not just a 10x weapon, because on the scale of things a plain ol' 10x weapon is rather mundane.

[Edited on 6-27-2005 by Drew]

[crazymage]

10x perma isnt 200m.

[Farquar]

The two games' economic systems are so fundamentally different that any attempt at comparison would be a useless and inane exercise.

For one, you answered your own question. Anyone who is willing to invest time in WoW can and will have access to top end gear, while the same isn't neccessarily true in GS. One can master WoW in a year, while the same is not possible in GS.

Gold in wow is virtually useless after level 40, while silvers are always useful in GS. Although some items in WoW are rare, none of them are ever truly unique, nor can they have the wide variety of properties as a special gs item can.

What will happen when GS is "over"? We're already seeing signs of its slow decline, as the on peak population can barely hit 700 these days. It's probably safe to assume at this point that most of the people who would have left GS have already left. The core mass of 200-300 people that play religiously will probably keep it on life support for another 5 years. When Whatley decides to pull the plug, one of the GS lifers (the kind of deviant wackjobs that pay for TWO premium accounts) will probably buy the GS server and run it as a free mud. Esentially, the game will never truly die.

[Gan]

<I would be happy to see them come over to WoW so I could sell them an Arcanite Reaper at GS-comparable prices. >

How can you match that logic with your previous statement:

<I know the top stuff in GS is often times truly unique and anyone in WoW can get the top stuff, if they just run enough instances.>


Nice try, but you've got miles to go before you can compare the economies of WoW and GS if thats the examples and the logic you're going to use.

[Drew]

Originally posted by crazymage
10x perma isnt 200m.


My imaginary weapon was 10x perma incredibly crit weighted. I imagine that ought to fetch 200m if it existed.

[StrayRogue]

A 7x icw costs more. But thats not the point. In WoW there is nothing unique. Anyone can get anything if they're lucky and put in the time. There are no artefacts. There are in GS and the economy is the way it is because of such unique and historical items. I always find it funny that the ones who whine about the GS economy are usually poor people.

[Drew]

Originally posted by StrayRogue
I always find it funny that the ones who whine about the GS economy are usually poor people.


And you real life socialists are usually poor people too :lol: ;)

[Kitsun]

Seriously, wait 10 years and see how smoothly the economy in WoW is running then.


Farquer
When Whatley decides to pull the plug, one of the GS lifers (the kind of deviant wackjobs that pay for TWO premium accounts) will probably buy the GS server and run it as a free mud. Esentially, the game will never truly die.


Considering MO has like 10 players and no dedicated GMs, I don't think Simu ever pulls the plug on games.

[Drew]

Originally posted by Kitsun

Farquer
When Whatley decides to pull the plug, one of the GS lifers (the kind of deviant wackjobs that pay for TWO premium accounts) will probably buy the GS server and run it as a free mud. Esentially, the game will never truly die.


Considering MO has like 10 players and no dedicated GMs, I don't think Simu ever pulls the plug on games.


Don't you kind of think DR and GS kind of subsidize MO? I don't think MO would still be running if not for it's sister games.

[Fallen]

And Hero's Journey will likely subsidize GS and DR.

[Kitsun]

I don't see why Simu would keep any game open that generates negative returns. That goes against any practical business sense.

Considering the code is there, no GM development, server is there... all you have to pay for is the electricity to keep the server up and someone to reboot it when it fails.

[Xcalibur]

Wow's economy is a joke.

Since you can't buy furnitures/houses/towers/big stuff, eventually, you're just ubber like anyone.

GS is different and it's their greatest point, their economy is cool.

[Hulkein]

Thank God the economy of WoW isn't like Gemstone...

[Artha]

GemStone's non-liquid (item) economy is so much better than WoW's that it's like comparing apples and supercomputers. However, WoW's currency economy is better by leaps and bounds simply because wealth is available for a reasonable amount of time and work. After a certain point, though, there's not really much reason to have that liquid wealth because there are items which are the best or flashiest or whatever, and no upgrades.

[Hulkein]

Yeah...

Pretty much WoW favors the guy that hasn't played 30 hours a week for 15 years.

[Edaarin]

There are what, maybe 7000 active Gemstone players? When I quit, there were (tops) 800 people online at any point during the week, so I think somewhere around 7000 is a good guess.

That's a percentage of the number of WoW players out there. More supply than demand there, so naturally prices are going to be lower.

[AnticorRifling]

Don't forget to carry the 1 and you have to remember it's based on the strength of the yen, at least I think so I'm not real good at such things.

[Trouble]

Originally posted by Farquar
Gold in wow is virtually useless after level 40, while silvers are always useful in GS.


Can you explain why this is so? I'm new to WoW...

[StrayRogue]

Because all the best items cannot be directly bought by players. And all the best items can be gained by players through grinding/hunting.

[Landrion]

Originally posted by Drew

Originally posted by Kitsun

Farquer
When Whatley decides to pull the plug, one of the GS lifers (the kind of deviant wackjobs that pay for TWO premium accounts) will probably buy the GS server and run it as a free mud. Esentially, the game will never truly die.


Considering MO has like 10 players and no dedicated GMs, I don't think Simu ever pulls the plug on games.


Don't you kind of think DR and GS kind of subsidize MO? I don't think MO would still be running if not for it's sister games.

MO, AoH and Cyberstrike are like the canaries on a miner's shoulder. If Simu is doing bad enough that it has to shut them down then start to worry about GS and DR.

[Atlanteax]

Originally posted by Landrion
MO, AoH and Cyberstrike are like the canaries on a miner's shoulder. If Simu is doing bad enough that it has to shut them down then start to worry about GS and DR.

Agreed. Nice analogy too.

[Drew]

Originally posted by Landrion

MO, AoH and Cyberstrike are like the canaries on a miner's shoulder. If Simu is doing bad enough that it has to shut them down then start to worry about GS and DR.


Yeah, very good point.