How to Actually Deflate Icecrown's Economy: From an Economist

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Originally Posted by xandor

I have 15 accounts. So with rates like that I could send 4999g to each account and then keep 74985g at a 20% rate while someone else that has 5000g would suffer a 50% gold squish.

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That's why something like 10-25% seems more reasonable than 10-50%. When the difference is lower, possibilities to abuse something are lower. Of course you could still send the gold to multiple accounts but the effect would not be that large.

Actually just making it 25% for everyone could also be a good solution. It would not have as high effect on players with low amount of gold as 50% would and at the same time 25% is low enough for players with high amount of gold to just keep their gold and take the cut instead of looking for workarounds. In my opinion, that makes it more effective than 50% squish, even though percentage is lower.

You are missing one piece.

How hard is it to implement the other ideas vs a squish? The squish is an easy, divide everyone's gold into 2. Not saying whether it is good or bad, but it is so easy for them to do I bet that is part of it.

I think my idea would only take 5 min of work (more when considering they would have to decide what items to use and what prices, but the community could request items to be sold so that would take out most of the work).

I think it only would require changing some values in a file to add certain items to be sold. It might be troublesome to add a new npc but they could just do it to some existing npc in dalaran.

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Originally Posted by anyone0

That could work but 50% squish still seems too high since it incentivizes people to look for workarounds.

Allowing some amount to have 0% squish would just create more chances to abuse something. Simply having 10% minimum seems like a better solution. In real life such systems work better since a person can only use it once. Here you can use it with multiple accounts.

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Yeah but at least it's a higher amount of deflation per capita. The problem is that there's no way to completely avoid people trying to hedge their bets, as xandor exemplifies. It's only in their self-interest to try to avoid as much loss as possible. However, the point of the discussion is to be completely fair about this gold squish. Personally I would rather have people try to avoid the gold split, while not punishing newer players and alt characters as hard. Another method could be just the original 50% gold squish, and to even out those players, also reduce vendor goods by 50%, that way the variable and fixed price ratio is even.

Imo the highest priority should be to find a solution against the enormous amount of bots.
As long as professional Gold seller companys and their armys of bots exist, its pointless to make any gold deflation measures because its only a matter of time until the bots inflate the economy again.

I go even further and claim that the Gold seller companys will benefit greatly from the gold squish that gonna happen soon.
After the squish there will be a high demand in gold and the gold seller business will boom.

Conclusion:
First solve the bot problem and then implement deflation measures.

As a finance and investment student I wont indulge in any economics theories but I'd rather suggest something new.

The problem with the 50% gold squish is that everyone is aware where and when it's going to happen. If it's a random day every year you will actually reduce the gold in circulation by 50%. People won't have 10g in their accounts and 200k in gems/primos/whatever. They'll have their operating gold and it'll be actually reduced. They will be surprised and furious but the purpose will be achieved.

I expected a much longer post. You say that this is coming from an "economist" but you did not state your credentials? If you work for a large firm,bank or a government, excuse me. But if you don't, how can we know you know anything about economics?

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Originally Posted by Jakkre

Imo the highest priority should be to find a solution against the enormous amount of bots.
As long as professional Gold seller companys and their armys of bots exist, its pointless to make any gold deflation measures because its only a matter of time until the bots inflate the economy again.

I go even further and claim that the Gold seller companys will benefit greatly from the gold squish that gonna happen soon.
After the squish there will be a high demand in gold and the gold seller business will boom.

Conclusion:
First solve the bot problem and then implement deflation measures.

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I agree. Fix the bots then squish gold. After the server is 99% bot free i'm okay with 70% gold squish too. But Warmane gotta be consistent in kicking the botter's as-s.

I've read your post and the comments below, and that's the idea I've made myself.
Just follow my thought.


There is too much gold in warmane realms, why?
1) players earn a lot of money and spend on vendors and training just a little part of their income
2) gold spent on AH goes to other players, so it doesn't disappear
3) you can buy large amounts of gold from warmane or third parties bots

Idi0t-proof solutions?
1) give players something cool and expensive to buy from vendors (like pets, mounts, haircuts, funny stuff)
2) putting taxes on AH, like a higher cut on sold items. (So the "gold squish" is more gradual, and affects only "player to player" deals)
3) stop selling gold from the website and focus on illegal gold sellers
4) gold squish, that also decrease population (as many people stop playing) and increase the number of players that try to get gold from third parties, thanks warmane..................

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Originally Posted by Dianketo

3) you can buy large amounts of gold from warmane

3) stop selling gold from the website and focus on illegal gold sellers

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We don't sell gold. We allow players to put the gold they earned for sale.

I see nothing in the suggestions given so far that would not be open to exploitation, without a massive amount of resources spent. The current system works decently, is harder to exploit, and requires less resources. It's not perfect, but I would rather Warmane spend their time on more useful things.