[MUD-Dev] Nation of shopkeepers

[Huibai]

The Martinster! Keegan-aroonie! wrote: 
: actually implementing player-run shops would appear to me to be
: extremely difficult - because giving players incentives to sit around
: behind a counter all day rather than go out and adventure would
: appear to be impossible. This same problem, of no-one being
: interested in the more menial jobs in a mud economy, would seem to
: stymie any decent attempt at a player-run economy, which is a pity.

I've seen capitalistic ventures by individual players succeed.
For example, a player who becomes well-known as the guy who
runs to all corners of the world for magical items, or the guy who
carries a wagon-full of weapons around with him.  One-stop shops
for whatever is in demand.  I've never seen a player content to sit
in a shop, though.  

I'd say have the coders cater to any player wanting code support
for his venture (a sign or a booth or so) - for a decent cost, surely.
If he makes no money off it and gives up, fine.  Let capitalism run
its merry way, for better success or temporary failure.  It can't
be all easy :)

ps. I can visualize a game booth, where players might gamble
  against each other on a game of chance, or challenge each
  other for monetary stakes on some intellectual game (like a
  word version of Mastermind, for example).

-John G.