The Bazaar Problem on Random Loot Servers, and a suggestion.

Are you aware of the logical fallacy known as the false dilemma? Google it. By your logic, devs should never add, change, or fix anything, for fear that they make break something, somewhere.

You misread. The statement was that some people were saying that a change to monetary handling would require updating essentially the entire engine.

Again, you misunderstand plain English. What I said was exactly the opposite: that the development challenges faced by an aged videogame like EQ are NOT cutting edge, and thus they don't tend to attract a quality talent pool.

I guess you are going to say that the devs who said this in the past are also wrong?

https://forums.daybreakgames.com/eq...at-limit-in-bazaar.243675/page-2#post-3580755

You're either trolling or English isn't your native language, if you believe anything in that quote contradicts my previous post.

In any case, I'm not the one advocating for 64-bit monetary values. There's a much better (and easier) fix. The problem isn't the handling of large values, the problem is the necessity for them in the first place. In other words, the hyperinflation that servers. especially TLPs face, a problem caused by monetary sources vastly outnumbering sinks.

The best solution? A per-server batch job that routinely inspects the total server coinbase. If it exceeds a certain (perhaps era-specific) value, it adjusts downward the drop rate of coin and vendor-trash items. If the value drops too low, the job adjusts them upward. Assuming loot tables are stored in a SQL db or otherwise distinctly, this would require NO changes to the existing codebase; it would solve hyperinflation, obviate the need for multi-million plat values, bring back the utility of gold and silver into the game, and restore the cost relevance of certain component-based spells.

Leave everything as is, enjoy the Mischief!

I believe it says they are aware of the problem and have decided that the work/risk is not worth it as I have been saying all along. As for your best solution that sounds like a horrible idea especially once you consider the fact that it would leave some people unable top pay for the play sinks of making gear.

How long do you think the game could have 0 plat drop before live servers ran out of money? Because unless this auto inflator doesn't drive the plat to 0 it probably won't make a dent in any current server. All servers share the codebase so having a future server with plat inflation mechanics in place seems less likely but they did manage to make random loot only for 2 servers so maybe?

You forgot housing and various quests. I can imagine the uproar if changing the money system broke the Jboot quest.

In JChans interview with Lovingrobot she mentioned Housing being the hardest system to deal with.