Crafting

[Snowreap]

Gold is bad for PVP. The minute you create money in the game you have already destroyed the ability to pvp over it.

there's nothing wrong with having money in a game, the problem arises when money is made safe from pvp. just don't do that, and you should be fine.

first, if you die you should drop money (if you have any). the person (or group) who killed you should be able to loot your corpse and take your money (and selected other items as well). if you want your money back you'll have to (somehow) get it back from them.

second, there should be no way to make your money safe from pvp without at the same time making it unusable. so for example you can deposit your money in a bank for safekeeping, but you wouldn't be able to make use of it while it's there. if you want to spend it you'll need to withdraw it, and thereby make it vulnerable to loss.

third, there should be no way to move money from one place to another without making it vulnerable to loss (or taxation). so you shouldn't be able to deposit money in one town's bank then withdraw it from another town's bank without paying a very hefty "funds transfer fee" or carrying it from one bank to the other yourself.

if your game has town guards then you need to charge players extra for conducting business under their protection. either require them to see the local tax collector and thereby make themselves a "citizen" who can call on the town guards for aid, or enact an automatic "transfer tax" that siphons a bit of gold from both buyer and seller anytime an item is traded (less realistic, but more convenient).

-ken