Re: [HoE] Observations on bartering

[Steve Crow <crow_steve@hotmail.com>]

>While some folks (rather stridently) earlier decried a simple cash/value
>system, I'm not sure how else this can function in any reasonable way.  
>When
>you factor in gluts, shortages, whatever, while this may work for a
>particular item (like in our kevlar discussion earlier), trying to keep
>track of them in an area where the players frequent and purchase/sell 
>stuff,
>this can be a logistical nightmare.  Or so it seems.
>


One other note:  it strikes me that with this kind of bartering system, it 
might encourage players to more...actively take advantage of it.  In other 
words:  "Buy Low - Sell High."  If I wanted to play a trade/merchant-type 
game, I can dig out my old FASA Star Trek merchants rules, or Traveller, or 
whatever.  I'd rather play a post-apocalyptic save the world type game, 
since that's what HoE is basically presented as.

It also strikes me that more enterprising players might...engineer such 
shortages to be to their benefit trade-wise.  "Let's have our syker sneak 
into town with Chameleon and blow up the major food caches.  Then we'll wait 
a week and show up with our extra milrats and make a killing."  Yeah, the 
townsfolk might suspect something, but what are they going to do?  Starve?  
Shoot it out with a party that's already demonstrated a flair for high 
explosives and military expertise?

Granted, Templars and Law Dogs and most good-guy Doomsayers won't have a 
problem with this, but if your party lacks those...

*SOME SPOILER SPACE HERE*






















And yes, this kind of stunt might bring the attention of Famine, with the 
drawing of Famine-type mutations and stuff to become a Servitor as per the 
Wasted West Companion.  Of course, that's Marshall stuff so you can't really 
use it as a disincentive unless your players are cheating and readin' stuff 
they shouldn't be.

---

Steve Crow

"Worm Can Opener Extraordinare"

Check out my website at:  http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Stargate/4991/


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