A couple of weeks ago on the MassivelyOP New World roundtable podcast, we criticized the game’s fledgling economy, wondering aloud whether it would perk up eventually and escape from the oversupply problem that seemed to make the trading posts a wasteland. As it turns out, just the opposite has transpired in the last few weeks. MOP reader r00ch sent us in a couple of posts from Reddit and the Player Auctions blog that argue it’s not oversupply of goods and materials causing the problem but an undersupply of currency – deflation, as opposed to the inflation we’re used to seeing in most other MMORPGs.
The issue, players argue, is that Amazon has put so much effort into curbing inflation that it’s created too many drains for the low amount of currency being pumped into the game. Usually, games have too few for the number of faucets game dev just can’t help but create. But in New World, players are strapped for cash because the game isn’t rewarding much currency in exchange for PvE activities but is constantly asking them to pay huge fees for everything from crafting to housing, not to mention taxes on territory. It’s even apparently led to a barter economy on some servers, hence the empty trading posts we’ve seen from town to town. It’s become cheaper to buy new items than to repair them, which makes it pointless to craft – and expensive to risk wear-and-tear on the items you do have, especially if your primary activity in the game is something that doesn’t generate much cash, like PvP.
Are you seeing similar effects on your New World server? Is New World’s economy already in trouble, and if so, what should Amazon do about it?
Every morning, the Massively Overpowered writers team up with mascot Mo to ask MMORPG players pointed questions about the massively multiplayer online roleplaying genre. Grab a mug of your preferred beverage and take a stab at answering the question posed in today’s Daily Grind!
