4 replies to this topic

[Khanublikhan]

I have the beginnings of the germination of an idea on what could be done to represent salvage better than its current implimentation.

Concept:

As it stands now, when a mech component is destroyed (weapons specifically) the person who severed the component gets an XP and C-Bill bonus. This is an abstract rather than direct reference to salvage. i.e. the winner does not get the salvaged part in their own inventory.

What if, further to this abstract representation there was the optional ability to attend an auction? (Imagine NPC scavengers not allied to either side quickly move in after a battle and recover mech parts). This auction allows winners and losers to bid C-Bills on that component part?

Now, a normal scavenged part might be worth 1% - 99% of the normal market price of a brand new factory made item. This would allow pilots to buy those items more cheaply.

If regional or manufacture differences in weapons was introduced, this would allow that tech to cross Inner Sphere borders.

Could a simple after battle auction be added in such a way to add (over the abstract layer of rewards), benefiting the game without complicating it?

[Hotthedd]

The main thing I see wrong with it is the fact that it opens the door to potential abuse.

[Khanublikhan]

Hotthedd, on 04 April 2013 - 09:51 AM, said:

The main thing I see wrong with it is the fact that it opens the door to potential abuse.

What abuses spring to mind? Would you care to elaborate?

[Hotthedd]

Any time you have a player to player economy, you have those that will abuse it. The worst case scenario would be farm-bots.

[Khanublikhan]

Hmm.

Farming to me implies excess profit for time invested. Hmm. Let us say a battle typically takes X amount of time. Let us say an auction takes Y amount of time. Also consider, there may be only a limited number of components recovered per match and both sides might be interested in bidding. Could taking part in an auction be time balanced to be inefficient for farming? Simply run another match to get more C-bills? (X+X = greater profit than X =Y?)

So... the benefit to auctions would be in i) supplementing income ii) making build experimentation more likely by having additional salvage?

Farmbots and abuse are risk, I can see.

Do other players find the abstract system a turn off? Would the draw of an auction system for new players outweigh the risk and associated costs of building systems to police against it?

Edited by Khanublikhan, 04 April 2013 - 10:21 AM.