Curse

**cosyfiep** · May 06, 2011, 07:16 PM // 19:16

I have never bought a summoning stone so I dont really think of them as gold sinks (and I have stacks of them).

some materials that dont drop from foes are also money traps (elonian squares, damask, vellum...)..though they can be made from other items, you still need to have the orginal items and cash to craft them.

Verene · May 06, 2011, 07:37 PM // 19:37

Quote:

Originally Posted by dagrdagaz

A broken Lockpick disappears from the game yes, but most or all Lockpicks that r sold by players r dropped ones.
If i buy Lockpicks, gold changes player, doesnt disappear.
That u may break a lockpick is not relevant to that.
So, i am thinking buying lockpicks is NOT a gold sick.
(Unless u buy them in large quantities from the merchant....)

People who buy lockpicks are doing so from merchants. If they buy from another player, the other player originally bought them from a faction merchant.

How often do you get lockpicks as drops? They're not common at all. I've gotten about equal numbers of black and white dyes (together) as I have lockpicks as drops.

thedarkmarine · May 06, 2011, 07:44 PM // 19:44

Quote:

Originally Posted by Saldonus Darkholme

Sorry, I disagree. I have had over 500K (Usually float between 700-800K) for at least 2 years now. Whenever I get to around 800-900K, I buy 100 lockpicks, a new armor set, or give it to my wife for HER titles. Once I max my TH title, I won't buy near as many lockpicks.

Now, you COULD say, "Then buy minis or rare weapons from players". However, those are not gold sinks: that is moving gold from one account to another.

Also, merchants are only gold sinks when you buy something from them. However, they generate much more gold than they remove from the game.

As the game gets older, there is going to be a need to do something about the gold floating in the economy. Otherwise, it becomes as worthless as exp. points!

Rich people can exist within a healthy economy.

Gold is worth a lot more than xp atm.

There is no problem.

Your argument is invalid.

Swingline · May 06, 2011, 07:49 PM // 19:49

I do see what you mean about removing currency from the game especially at this late stage in the game but crafters, merchants and HoM still do it pretty well. With the game being six years though it does start to clutter with piles of cash(mostly in ectos) so I believe some new armor or weapons that costs a great amount of ecto would probably be the best choice. Also I think the NPCs that give out the bounties to gain rep points should ask for 1k at the start.

w00t! · May 06, 2011, 08:01 PM // 20:01

Quote:

Originally Posted by Surgo

Yes, the whole point of a gold sink is to remove money from the game. What's the point of removing money from the game? If it isn't to provide downward pressure on prices, I don't see what the point is.

That is really an exceptional point, and a highlight of the quirks in the Guild Wars economy.

Gold is in unlimited supply (just like dollars are in the US atm). There are no physical limits on the gold supply, which would make one conclude that prices should inflate, not deflate. The fact that we see consistent deflation in the GW economy proves that point that those forces that remove money from Guild Wars are stronger than the forces that add money.

Probably the other force that removes money from the GW economy is the number of players that continually leave the game. As an example, I was a rich Runescape player, and when I left, I removed money from the game. Most likely permanently, as I can no longer remember my password!

Ghull Ka · May 06, 2011, 08:11 PM // 20:11

I would think that a really effective gold sink would be one which you use more than once.

Paying the trainers to reset your talent specs in WoW, for instance, was a nice gold sink. You did that often. Identification kits and Lockpicks are good gold sinks, since it's something that continually drains gold out of the universe.

Obsidian armor? Vabbian armor? I wouldn't call those "gold sinks" at all. They're super-expensive items, sure, but you don't buy a new set of Obsidian armor once every month.

Iuris · May 06, 2011, 08:25 PM // 20:25

I guess I'm the only one with gold and no meaningful way to spend it. OK, great to be you, sucks to be me...

Sk8tborderx · May 06, 2011, 08:36 PM // 20:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by w00t!

That is really an exceptional point, and a highlight of the quirks in the Guild Wars economy.

Gold is in unlimited supply (just like dollars are in the US atm). There are no physical limits on the gold supply, which would make one conclude that prices should inflate, not deflate. The fact that we see consistent deflation in the GW economy proves that point that those forces that remove money from Guild Wars are stronger than the forces that add money.

The only way that conclusion makes sense is if player population and supply of items is static. The real reason for price drops is supply and demand.

Mireles · May 06, 2011, 08:43 PM // 20:43

i don't thing the words "gold sink" and "meaningful" exist in the same thought in this game....There is already a huge gold sink z-rank... spent about 2-3 years throwing money into it for r11 z-rank...may or may not finish it this year... 8,000 z-keys doesn't seem worth it so close to gw2....

Saldonus Darkholme · May 06, 2011, 09:00 PM // 21:00

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedarkmarine

Rich people can exist within a healthy economy.

Yes, they can. That isn't the argument.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedarkmarine

Gold is worth a lot more than xp atm.

Not to me or the OP, apparently.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedarkmarine

There is no problem.

For you, perhaps.

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedarkmarine

Your argument is invalid.

Wrong. My argument is valid. Yours is flawed.

Hobbs · May 06, 2011, 09:15 PM // 21:15

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mireles

i don't thing the words "gold sink" and "meaningful" exist in the same thought in this game....There is already a huge gold sink z-rank... spent about 2-3 years throwing money into it for r11 z-rank...may or may not finish it this year... 8,000 z-keys doesn't seem worth it so close to gw2....

That's not a gold sink, it just moves money around. This does not stall inflation.

Reformed · May 06, 2011, 09:16 PM // 21:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by Verene

How often do you get lockpicks as drops? They're not common at all.

While I agree the overwhelming majority come from merchants, many do enter the market as drops or from end chests (zchest, chest of woe, underworld chest). For some bizarre reason they have also dropped in normal mode EotN for a long time now.

majoho · May 06, 2011, 09:31 PM // 21:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reformed

For some bizarre reason they have also dropped in normal mode EotN for a long time now.

Not bizzare at all, EotN chests can only be opened with a lockpick.

Mireles · May 06, 2011, 09:46 PM // 21:46

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hobbs

That's not a gold sink, it just moves money around. This does not stall inflation.

So this forums definition of "gold sink" is things that destroy gold not to be confused with items of value.... you would need a title that involves a NPC like skill capture or another class of armor that is more expensive than obsidian....

Bright Star Shine · May 06, 2011, 09:56 PM // 21:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mireles

So this forums definition of "gold sink" is things that destroy gold not to be confused with items of value.... you would need a title that involves a NPC like skill capture or another class of armor that is more expensive than obsidian....

Welcome to the first post of this thread... That was the entire point of..

Ghull Ka · May 06, 2011, 10:06 PM // 22:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mireles

So this forums definition of "gold sink" is things that destroy gold not to be confused with items of value.... you would need a title that involves a NPC like skill capture or another class of armor that is more expensive than obsidian....

It's not really "this forum's definition" -- it's the acutal definition.

One player selling an item to another playing isn't a gold sink. A gold sink is a mechanic which removes gold from the game.

To wit:
Buying a lockpick from a merchant is a gold sink.
Buying a lockpick from a player is not a gold sink.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gold_sink

Also, this is why Obsidian armor is *somewhat* of a gold sink, but it's not really effective as one, because that vendor is only used once, max, per character; usually once, max per account.

ID kits, Salvage kits, lockpicks and the markup at the rune/material trader are our main gold sinks in GW1.

JONO51 · May 06, 2011, 10:10 PM // 22:10

All i know is weird shit happens with gw monies. weird shit.

w00t! · May 06, 2011, 10:43 PM // 22:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sk8tborderx

The only way that conclusion makes sense is if player population and supply of items is static. The real reason for price drops is supply and demand.

Maybe I should have phrased it slightly differently. But let's look at the statement:

"The fact that we see consistent deflation in the GW economy proves that point that those forces that remove money from Guild Wars are stronger than the forces that add money."

Sure, supply and demand plays a dominant role, as it does in any economy. But the simple supply/demand relationship can't explain the fact that we see a general deflation in GW, and not just in the latest tulip item (given that we have an unlimited supply of money, and a limited supply of storage for capital).

The money has to go somewhere, and even if we can't explain exactly where it's going, the forces removing capital from the economy are greater than the forces injecting it, otherwise we'd see inflation in something. I can't find a good example of it anywhere, at least not anywhere that would make an appreciable dent in the economy.

Chico · May 06, 2011, 10:48 PM // 22:48

Want the biggest sink of them all?

Add a Zaishen Casino. Casino style chances be it on slots, dice, roulette, blackjack. Make it so you can actually win big but still lose if you don't know when to quit or just play for too long. I know that for many the Zchest is kind of a gamble but it doesn't have the same gambling feel as a slot machine would.

Surgo · May 07, 2011, 12:08 AM // 00:08

That is actually...a really good idea.

Not because of the gold sink bit (because it's unnecessary at the moment), but because playing poker and craps with GW gold with my friends would be amazing. Sardelac sanitarium, now.