Re: Re: HW as a concept, and _Adding_ abilities, wealth and wells

From: Alex Ferguson <abf_at_...>
Date: Thu, 18 Oct 2001 17:06:51 +0100 (BST)

> However you can acquire cows "in finite numbers" in game play by
> purchasing them individually (Every session go to market and purchase
> 1 cow (with luck/a sufficient starting wealth it won't even reduce
> your wealth so is a "zero cost" option) - keep track of these cows
> and claim when you have bought enough that your wealth is now
> increased to x. An aggressive purchasing policy and a modicum of
> raiding and you could rapidly increase your wealth.

What you're suggesting here is an obvious null-op. Increase your wealth by spending your wealth? If you're improvising your wealth at all by this, it's only because you're an expert cattleman (or have a sharp eye for the beef futures market).

The situations that would be "narratively significant" for increasing your wealth are the ones that aren't obviously "zero-sum", and which involve a significant fraction (or even an improper fraction...) of your existing wealth. I'm trying to avoid tying this in with the "cementing" argument, but that's certainly one application. Another one is to use it as an _additional_ limiting factor over and above the HP cost; if you conduct in-game transactions that would really have little or no effect on your actual "wealth", should wealth increases at the "low" rate be allowed? The guidelines I'm arguing for would be useful in judging that. (As an optional augmentation to "playing it by ear", not a deterministic replacement for it.)

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