Tuesday, September 6, 2011

some suggestions about the NLS pricing and economy

                                     1 Introduction
                                    =========

Talking about a reasonable pricing of NLS goods is rather difficult. One reason for this is, that the NLS currency doesn't follow the BTB-currency. Originally in Gor there are Copper Tarsk Bits, Copper Tarsks, Silver Tarsks, Gold Tarns and Double Gold Tarns.

8 Copper Tarsk bits = 1 Copper Tarsk
100 Copper Tarsk = 1 Silver Tarsk
10 Silver Tarsk = 1 Gold Tarn
2 Gold Tarn = 1 double Gold Tarn

It's mentioned in the books that you'd get a good meal and drinks in a taverne for about 3-5 Copper Tarsks. Compared to nowadays Earth prices that would be in a middle-class diner something between 10-20 U$ for a meal including drinks.

Now the NLS uses another pricing/relation:

100 Copper Tarsk bits ("Tarnstücke" TS) = 1 Copper Tarsks ("Kupfertarsk" KT)
100 Copper Tarsks = 1 Silver Tarsk (ST)
100 Silver Tarsk = 1 Gold Tarn

The question is: How to relate this to a currency on earth like the U$, to get an idea of what would be worth what?

With this question we meet another problem: John Norman as usual wasn't consequent and logical. Like the price for a several day sea-passage would be the same (1 Silver Tarsk) as the price for the ferry to cross the Laurius River. And two boys in Tor get just for dragging in customers  to a taverne 1 Copper Tarsk, while in another book it is mentioned, that a low caste worker earns maybe 1-3 copper tarsks per day. And you pay for a coin girl only a copper bit. - So, the boys earn for 1 customer 1 copper tarsk, can go and fuck 8-10 coin girls, which come back to their Master with maybe 1-2 copper tarsks per day, who pays then about 5 copper tarks to feed them, not talking of the price he might have paid for the purchase? - One time he mentions you'd get as much paga as you can drink PLUS the all inclusive "service" of the paga slave for 1 Copper Tarsk, another time he throws a whole Silver Tarsk (100 times more!) on the counter of a taverne just for a bottle of paga. So, John Normal is just not logical and not a big help.

With these problems - the difference between NLS / BTB currency and the  inconsequence of John Norman's novels - best would be to just look how common NLS goods are, the effort to harvest or to prdouce them, the region where it grows etc.


                                    2.1 Raw-Materials (Intro)
                                ================

For the raw-materials you always have to consider WHERE they'd grow and WHO would harvest them. The prices are for traders and producers. A producer sells to a trader, a trader sells it on the market or to bakers, tavernkeepers, blacksmiths etc. Those work on it and sell it to the customer. Each of them wants to make profit of course. However a baker could as well buy a raw material directly from the producer. If you RP it, that's fine... But always keep in mind: The NLS is there to encourage and enhance your RP possibilities; it's not meant to cheat.

So, the prices are suggestions. It always depends who's selling to whom and in what amounts.

Example Blackwine-Beans: A farmer in the tropics grows Black Wine Beans. He sells a sack with 100 beans to a trader. Because of the high amount (especially after a lot of fun haggling RP) he'd sell it for 10 TS per bean. And the trader would travel and sell it elsewhere. --- Now if the farmer goes to the market himself (RP) and sells his beans there single, he might get up to 20 TS per bean. If he travels north (although it won't be realistic, that he does so), he could sell them for even more.

Now lets follow this example: The trader paid 10 KT (100 x 10 TS) for it. He pays a miller/grindner 2 KT for grinding it to pouder. 2 beans = 1 pouder. So he gets back 50 sacks of pouder. He travels north (RP!!!) to sell the pouder for 80 TS per sack. So he'll get 40 KT. His profit would be 28 KT.

Of course as it is SL the farmer could grow it, grind it himself, quickly teleport to the north, sell it there for 20 TS per sack of pouder and makes bigger profit. Or even worse: You are a slave in the north and grow black wine in your backyard, offering it for free right everywhere.
But is that really what you want? You  defraud yourself and others of the chance of much fun-RP.

So, following comes a list with raw-materials and a picture with price-suggestions. They are only suggestions... recommendations... depending on the amount, the situation, the region, the HAGGLING etc.  In the list for better overview green background shows, where's a product growing, red where not.


                                      2.2 Raw-Materials listed
                                     ===============
Beans & Leaves:
->Baziteeblaetter (Bazitea-Leaves): Would normally grow in the region of Bazi. A tropical plant. Strangely in the NLS it is NOT tropical, but moderate. Until this isn't changed, unfortunately it would have to be more expensive in the tropes, subpolar and desert.
->Cacaobean: Only grows in tropical regions. Can be sold as bean or as ->Cacaopowder
->Blackwinebohne (Blackwine Beans): BTB only available in Thentis and valuable as gold. A bowl of blackwine would cost according to the books a Silver Tarn. However the NLS doesn't regard this, so it's available in all tropical regions. Should be expensive in other regions.  ->Blackwine Pulver
______________________
Fire:
->Boskdung: Prolly wouldn't be sold in his pure form (although some people can make money even with shit..), so here's only listed the DRIED Version ->Trockener Boskdung. Other then Woodlogs you have double work: 1. Collecting it, 2. Dry it.
->Holzscheite (woodlogs): If not available publicly, then woodmakers could sell them for about 1-2 TS. They are mentioned in the books, cutting wood in the forests, carrying them to the cities. In the desert and in some regions (high mountains, high north etc.) it could be even up to 5 TS per log.  However in the desert -> Boskdung would be more common for making fire.
_______________________
Animals:
->Boskkadaver (Bosk Corpse)
->toter Fisch (Fish)
->Verr
->Vulo
->Tabuk
->Tarsk

It is difficult to say something about pricing here. Normally it would be hunters, farmers or butchers only who hunt or slaughter those animals. In SL however almost everyone can quickly kill an animal standing in the backyard. A price-suggestion makes only sense, if the SIM owner is insightful enough to restrict the production of these animals to single people like farmers, butchers, hunters... and if the residents are reasonable enough to accept this and RP with it.
More intersting for trade are the random products like:

->Tabukhorn
->Wolle (Wool)
->Leder (Leather)

As the north is supposed to be rich in animals (big herds of tabuk moving North in summer etc) those might be especially trading-products for the Northern people.
_______________________
Corn, Fruits & Vegies:

All these should be restricted to farmers who sell it to traders or brewers or directly on the market.

->Dattel (Dates): A desert product. In the books there it's even used as currency. So very common in the desert, more expensive as farer away from the desert.
->Ka-la-na Trauben (Ka-la-na Grapes)
->Karotte (Carots)
->Kuerbis (Pumpkin) Growing moderate and tropical.
->Larma
->Schwarze Olive (Olive): Getting 5 of it by cutting ->Olivenzweig
->Rambeere (Ramberry)
->Rence
->Sa-Tarna Korn
->Sul
->Torian Cherry
->Tospit
->Zuckerrohr
_________________________
Flowers:
The flowers used by Healers for their pouders. Propably should be collected or grown and harvested by Healers only or by "herb-women" and sold to physicians. And therefore should be considered rarer than other fruits, corn or vegetables.

->Lavinia Flowers
->Maringold
->Sunflower Leaves
->Sip Wurzel (Sip Root)
->Teslik Pflanze (Teslik Plant)
_______________________
Animal Products:

Farmers products. Depending on your region (more rural or a city?) cheap to little expensive.

->Honig (Honey): Another problem where the NLS doesn't follow the books. The drink of the Northmen is ->Mead. Mead is made of honey! So you'd expect honey a product of the North, but it isn't. It's restricted to moderate and tropical regions. Hopefully as with ->Baziteeblätter this might change one day. Following the system to sell products more expensive the farer away it is from the production place, it would have to be expensive in the north. But to keep the production of ->Mead there cheaper, we recommend to offer it cheap in the northern countries.
->Milchschale (Milkbowl): ->Butter ->Cheese
->Vulo Ei (Vulo Egg)

_________________________
Mining Products:

Those are mainly in the desert. It's considered that it is hard to gather by slaves in the mines (and - as with all the other products - not to just be picked up by EVERYONE on the sidewalks)

->Metallerz (Iron Ore) ->Eisenbarren (Iron bar)
->Salzkorn (Salt rock) ->Salzfass
_______________________
Others:

->Wasserschale (Waterbowl)
In most regions Water would be free, just fetched from a well. So the price would be 0 TS. However in desert regions there could be watertraders (like they are mentioned in the books), selling bowls for maybe 1-5 TS.




                                             2.3 First Generation
                                            ============

Let's call those products which are made from raw material "First Generation". Some of it can be used directly, others are the foundation for other products or use.

Following our pattern, the price for a first Generation product is put together from the min.-max. price of the raw materials PLUS the profit for the effort to use the fusionators.
_____________________
Pouders, Grinding

To produce pouders from products normally would be work of grindners and millers, which would get paid for their service. Unfortunately not many people want to RP those professions/castes. The medical pouders would be done by Healers, but could also be assumed as trading-product to be sold to Healers. - So the work would mostly be done by slaves.

->Blackwine Pulver 2x ->Blackwine Beans
->Cacaopowder Grinding 2x ->Cacaobeans

->Lavinia Flowers Pulver 1x ->Lavinia Flower
->Maringold Pulver 1x ->Maringold
->Sunflower pouder 1x ->Sunflowerblaetter

->Mehl (Flour) 5x ->Sa-Tarna Korn
->Salzfass (Salt) 2x ->Salzkorn
->Zuckerfass (Sugar) 2x ->Zuckerrohr
_____________________
Alcoholic Drinks

Would be the work of a brewer. Same problem here: Not enough brewers available... - However it's a difference, if it is sold on the market by a trader or the price in a tavern. Here are listed prices for the market. Under "Tavern, Bakers, Meals & Co" you will find suggestions for the products in taverns, which will be 10-20 TS more then on the market.

->Ka-la-na Kelch (Ka-la-na Goblet) 5x ->Ka-la-na Traube
->Mead 5x ->Honig + 3x ->Wasserschale
->Paga (Sa-Tarna Paga) 5x ->Sa-tarna Korn + 2x ->Wasserschale
->Rence Beer 5x ->Rence + 3x ->Wasserschale
->Sul-Paga 2x ->Sul + 1x ->Wasserschale
_____________________
Other Products

->Butter 5x ->Milchschale
->Käselaib (Cheesewheel) 15x ->Milchschale (gives out FOUR pieces of cheese)

->Eisenbarren (Iron Bars) 2x ->Metallerz

->Spiritus (Spirit) 5x ->Sul + 1x ->Wasserschale



                                    2.4 Taverne, Bakers, Meals & Co
                                    =====================

Additionally to certain products "First Generation" from the market (-> Alcoholic Drinks) there will be some products which would not be offered on a market, but ONLY in a tavern or at the bakery, the candymaker, the butcher etc.
It is to consider, that the production results in several pieces of a good or 1 resulting product gives out several pieces, like making candy results in 10 candies, or ONE jug of black wine gives out  FOUR bowls of black wine. Therefor we added in the list a "divisor". [Not sure if the divisor is always right. I got different information about it. But thanks to everyone who helped to get the list together!]
_____________________
Alcoholic Drinks:

The prices in a taverne would be of course higher than on the market. The prices you pay in a restaurant are higher than in a supermarket. To follow the pattern we list again those products from the "First Generation" which would be available also in a tavern + 10 TS for the profit of the tavernkeeper.

->Ka-la-na Kelch (Ka-la-na Goblet)
->Mead
->Paga (Sa-Tarna Paga)
->Rence Beer
->Sul-Paga

_____________________

Non-Alcoholic Drinks:

Cherrysaft 6x ->Torian Cherry = 3 juices
Larmasaft 6x ->Larma = 3 juices
Tospitsaft 6x ->Tospit = 3 Juices
Bazitee Kanne (Blackteajug) 2x ->Baziteeblätter +3x ->Wasserschale = 4 Bowls
Blackwine Kanne / Coffeejug 3x ->Blackwinepulver + 3x ->Wasserschale = 4 Bowls
Chocolatemilch (Chocolate milk) 2x ->Michschale + 1x ->Cacaopulver = 4 Bowls

_____________________
Roasts:

(The suggestions for the TAVERN(!)-prices of these goods provided really ROLEPLAYING it as tavern-keeper, butcher or their slaves.)

->Boskfleisch (Boskmeat) 1x ->Boskkadaver => 4 Pieces
->Tabukbraten (tabuk roast) 1x ->Tabukkadaver => 3 Pieces
->Tarskbraten (tarsk/pork) 1x ->Tarskkadaver =>
->Verrschenkel (Verr limb) 1x ->Verr roh =>
->Vuloschenkel (Chicken leg) 1x ->Vulo roh => 1 Vuloschenkel
->Fischfilet (Fish Filet) 1x ->Toter Fisch => 1 Fischfilet

_____________________
Sweets for the Sweet (bakers, candymakers)

(For the list added the ingredients + 20 TS for the preparation)

->Cherry Candy 2x ->Honig + 1x ->Zuckerfass + 5x ->Torian Cherry =>10 Cherry Candy
->Rambeer Candy 2x ->Honig + 1x ->Zuckerfass + 5x ->Rambeere =>10 Rambeerecandy

->Cherrykuchen (Cherry pie) 1x ->Zuckerfass + 3x ->Torian Cherry + 1x ->Butter + 5x ->Milchschale + 2x ->Mehl + 2x ->Vulo Ei => 4 Cherrykuchenstücke
->Larmakuchen (Larmapie) 1x ->Zuckerfass + 3x ->Larma + 2x ->Butter + 5x ->Milchschale + 2x ->Mehl + 2x ->Vulo Eier => 1 ->Larmakuchenstück
->Rambeerpie (Ramberry Pie) 1x ->Zuckerfass + 3x ->Rambeeren + 1x ->Butter + 5x ->Milchschale + 2x ->Mehl + 2x ->Vulo Eier => 4 Rambeerkuchenstücke

->Sa-tarna Brot (Bread) 2x ->Mehl + 2x ->Wasserschale + 1x ->Salzfass
->Schokoladenkeks (Chocolate Cookie) 1x ->Zuckerfass + 1x ->Butter + 5x ->Milchschale + 2x ->Mehl + 2x ->Vulo Ei + 2x ->Cocaopulver  => 10 Schokoladenkekse                                                         
_____________________
Other:

(simple to produce, so only added 10 TS to the price of the single ingredients)

->Kuerbissuppe (Pumpkin Soup) 1x ->Kuerbis + 2x ->Wasserschale + 1x ->Salzfass
->Karotteneintopf (Carrot Stew) 3x ->Karotte + 3x ->Sul + 2x ->Wasserschale + 1x ->Salzfass => 2 bowls Karotteneintopf
->Sklavenbrei (Mash) 3x ->Sa-tarna Korn + 3x ->Milchschale
->Sulsuppe (Sul soup) 3x ->Sul + 2x ->Wasserschale + 1x ->Salzfass => 2 Sulsuppe

->Vulo Spiegelei (Fried Egg) 3x ->Vulo Ei

_____________________

Wouldn't it be interesting as tavern-keeper (or his slave) to put together a nice menu? Something like "Pumpkin Soup followed by Tarsk roast with sul and carrots and bread. Followed by cheese and fruits. With a goblet of ka-la-na wine. Today only 4 KT!"


Example #1: A low caste man eats in a middle-class taverne in a moderate region (average prices)

1 Sul Soup                           150/2       = 75
1 Piece of Bread                      120/6    = 20
1 Piece of Cheese                  120/4    =  30
1 Bowl of Water                                         0
1 Rence Beer                                           85
1 Bosk Steak                          300/4   =  75
1 Sul                                                        15
1 Piece of Ramberry Pie        440/4    = 110
                                                           _______

                                                           410 TS

That's 4 Copper Tarsks, 10 Copper Bits. Which is about the prices mentioned in the books (to get a dinner in a taverne for between 3 and 5 Copper Tarsks).



                                         2.5 TOOLS
                                        =======


The Blacksmith is one of the most important Castes in the NLS, as he makes the tools that help others to have better success with harvesting and production.
For pricing we take the single ingredients + the profit for the blacksmith for his effort. This profit depends on the outcome, as there are 3 different classes for each tool.

class 1 = +20 TS
class 2 = +40 TS
class 3 = +60 TS

->Axe 1x ->Holzscheit + 2x->Eisenbarren
->Fruitpicker 2x ->Wolle + 2x ->Holzscheit + 1x ->Eisenbarren
->Hornshovel 1x ->Holzscheit + 1x ->Tabukhorn
->Pickaxe 1x ->Holzscheit + 2x ->Eisenbarren
->Scissors 1x ->Eisenbarren
->Scythe 3x->Holzscheit + 2x ->Eisenbarren + 1x ->Leder
->Shovel 1x ->Holzscheit + 1x ->Eisenbarren
->Smoker 1x ->Holzscheit + 2x ->Leder +2x->Eisenbarren




                                                 2.6 HEALERS
                                                =========

The Healer is another important Caste in the NLS. They can make diagnosis and they prepare the medicine (which should be ONLY available from Healers or Shamanes). Their income as High Caste is supposed to be high, their service supposed to be expensive, and also the medicine. On the other side not too high, so that also a low caste RPer can afford their service.

For the preparation of their medicine we calculated 1 KT (=100 TS), as they also need (expensive) spirit for their destilleries.

Of course they would also charge for their service like slave-exams, shots with the serum etc. We recommend something between 1-3 KT (100-300 TS).

->Lavinia Flowers Saft 4x ->Lavinia Flowers Pulver
->Maringold Saft 4x ->Maringold Pulver
->Sunflower Leaves Saft 4x ->Sunflower Pulver
->Sklavenwein (Slavewine) 2x->Sip Wurzel + 2x ->Wasserschale
->Brutwein (Breeding Wine) 2x ->Teslik-Pflanze + 2x ->Wasserschale + 1x ->Zuckerfass








__________________________________________________________


So, if you are interested in a reasonable and "realistic" use of the NLS, feel free to use these lists as a little guidance.

And always keep in mind:
It's not Monopoly! You do NOT have to prove how fast and quick you can fill your stocks or how much money you can earn or how "multitalented" you are.  It's not a competition - it's a TOGETHER! And the true winners are NOT those who camp their AV on spawners or fusionators, but those who roleplay, haggle, trade, interact and have fun!

And always feel free to join our group "NLS - Gold knows no Caste"

No comments: