Guild Wars Mini-Interview #32

ArenaNet has answered another small batch of questions about their upcoming Guild Wars, and this time the interview is at Guild Wars GUru. A snip:

Q: In regards to the in-game economy, is gold used as a sink to drain off wealth or as a viable trading material? In other words, does ArenaNet want a cash or barter economy?

A: Well, I’ve been dirt poor at the start of the game, so I’d say that gold is provably a viable economic standard! 🙂 As to our game economy, we believe that Guild Wars supports both a viable cash economy and a lively trading market, as well. You may have heard that we’re working on creating a trade interface and a system that will be enjoyable and easy to use. We believe that trading is a great way to build a community, and many of us will enjoy the opportunity to trade with others in order to acquire the items that we particularly want. This aspect, then, is an important part of both the social and the economic functions of the game.

The game is based on a gold economy, and none that I’ve played has ever been as good as maintaining the value of money over time. However, as with any game that has longevity, as time passes the Guild Wars currency will probably accumulate at a rate that is faster than that at which it is spent on everyday items like better armour, crafting supplies or weapon customization. Some games address this by building in money sinks like the purchase of healing potions or mana elixirs or the repair of weapons and armor.

But we continue to hold our core belief that we want you to spend your time having fun, not getting ready to have fun. Having to repair your weaponry isn’t fun, nor is investing a fortune in consumables like elixirs and potions. What if you could purchase a charr-skin rug for your guild hall? How would you like to purchase naming rights for your pet? What if you could buy town clothes, to cast that special image while you’re hanging out in Lion’s Arch or Ascalon City? Now, I’m not saying that any or all of these things will be purchasable, because at this point, I’m not sure if they will be. But those of just three of a plethora of ideas about fun ways to spend gold while at the same time maintaining the important economic balance of the game.