Player economy, taxes and contracts.

[StuntPotato]

As a new(returning) player, I looked forward to build and sell my wares across the land. Sadly I soon discovered that it was not possible for a couple of reason.

- Short duration on contracts
- exorbiant fees for placing contracts
- contract limit of ten

So I suggest that contract duration be at least a month, and that that they are changeable. 

Creating a contract is just a flat fee around the one hundred to one thousand mark.
The fee to change a contract (pricing) should be even cheaper, maybe one hundred reals. The contract limit should be at least one hundred, maybe even a thousand, ensuring that a player is able to do business.

That the taxes only be paid by the customer, and the tax amount is doubled (resulting in the same amount of taxes being paid on a purchase as the old system, thus preserving the real-sink that the developer have carefully calculated to be correct).

Having alot more contracts, that can be cheaply placed, and with changeable price will allow the players that enjoy this sort of gameplay to really dig into it, and by doing so, making the game better for all.

Buy contracts should have the full amount of reals needed placed in escrow, with remaining funds returned to the player on expiration or cancelation of the contract.
 

Please add a comment.

Edited March 6, 2019 by StuntPotato
attempted to add a poll

[Suppenkelle]

Making money too easily available only results in hyper-inflation. We had this several times already while in early access. 

The taxes go to the owners of the port, so they are taken out of the game only in not capturable ports. The owning clan can set the tax level between 0 and 10% as to their liking. Just choose other ports then.

Trading is possible under the new system and it yields reasonable profit to risk ratios. Just being a billionaire in a week thankfully isn’t possible anymore. 

 

[Macjimm]

As a trader, I think the contact duration and tax rate works well.

Even during the great NA depression 18, it was simple enough to profit in a few hours.  With new goods and higher profits the opportunity to increase wealth has improved.

[StuntPotato]

2 hours ago, Suppenkelle said:

Making money too easily available only results in hyper-inflation. We had this several times already while in early access. 

The taxes go to the owners of the port, so they are taken out of the game only in not capturable ports. The owning clan can set the tax level between 0 and 10% as to their liking. Just choose other ports then.

Trading is possible under the new system and it yields reasonable profit to risk ratios. Just being a billionaire in a week thankfully isn’t possible anymore. 

 

How can moving money from one player to another while taxing it 20% cause inflation. Inflation is caused by trade goods runs, as that injects money from nowhere into the economy. As contracts no longer can be placed on npc trade goods, any change to the contract system should not affect the profitability of the trade runs, and therefore cause inflation. If nothing else, an increase in trade between players using the contracts will decrease inflation as money is taken out of the economy through tax. If the port is player owned, money is just transferred between players, no new money enters the economy. Don't forget that those ports have upkeep, removing money from the economy, decreasing inflation again.

[Suppenkelle]

Inflation is caused by many, many players having too much money. Simple as that, seen several times happen here. 

[Aerospace]

24 minutes ago, Suppenkelle said:

Inflation is caused by many, many players having too much money. Simple as that, seen several times happen here. 

Is caused by printing money, in a closed environment just like NA. 

Printing money is spawning resources by the game, players buying them and selling for profit to the game which spawned them. Same with doubloons. 

Edited March 7, 2019 by Aerospace

[Suppenkelle]

i completely agree. It was too easy and quick to make large amounts of money. Glad that that seems to be reduced

 

[StuntPotato]

As there is now, there are few ways which money enters the economy, faucets (are spawned):

- bounties from battles
- selling goods and ships to npc
- admirality payouts on ship loss

Money leaves the economy by money sinks:
- taxes
- port upkeep
- resource and item manufacture (the buildings)
- expanding warehouse and docks
- building buildings
- creating outposts
- buying from npc

For a single player, wealth is wealth, it matters little where it comes from, but for the game as a whole it matters alot.
An extreme simplification would be that money entering the economy is bad and cause inflation, and money leaving the economy is good and causes deflation.

Increasing the number of contracts a player can create and maintain, would increase the amount of player to player trade, which is taxed. Therefore increasing player to player trade is good. That some players get wealthy of this does no harm to the game. It's when everyone is a billionaire you have a problem.

A saw somewhere else on forum someone complain about the lack of hull repairs. Upping the contract limit will allow players that enjoy that sort of thing, to sell their goods in more ports. Moving the upfront tax burden from the seller (i.e you're being taxed for having your shelves stocked with an ample supply), to the actual point of sale (someone purchasing your goods), will not increase or decrease the total tax paid on the item and won't affect pricing, but it will increase supply, increase player trade and more money will leave, contributing to a healthy economy for all.

I am sure I've forgotten some money faucets or sinks.