Interesting prices...

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You can sell and buy items, this is a very good thing in RPG-s.
It is really interesting, that sometimes the selling prices in BGII are quite strange.
F.e. you can buy a Studded Leather +2 for few thousand gold. It gives 5 AC.

You give Shadow Dragon Scales to Cromwell.
He makes a fine armor (AC 1. +50% res to acid). When you try to sell it,
the storekeep offers you 300 gold (!). (reputation: 20, charisma of leader: 18)
Interesting...

[ August 30, 2002, 01:26: Message edited by: Baronius the Sorcerer ]

 

On the contrary this is NOT interesting.

 

Erm...thats er...cool.

 

Guys common, it's obvious he's mad because the economics of Faerun aren't in his favor. Merchants jack up their prices in the unholy name of inflation and an honest adventurer can't get a good return on investment.

Just think if Thaxsillia came back from the dead. First she'd bite my head off for her terribly mispelled name, then she'd go psycho on some no count merchants who value studded leather over armor made from her scales!

On a completely other hand, no druid should complain about the unscrupolous merchants of BG2, because druids come equipped with the ability to create goodberries, which can be sold. Imagine that, the party does a goodberry business on the side to financially recover from the losses of being cheated by merchants.

Yet don't dismay. Not all economics of Faerun are fishy! There be a certain shark that is far more willing to depart with some coin in exchange for some adventuring items. However, if it seems to good to be true, it probably is. This potential explotation of wealth comes as a great opportunity cost, by the time it's over you'll have lost your soul and been forced to travel days without seeing sunlight. Oh the things you have to do to get a decent price.

 

Guess what? If you sale just the scales from the shadow dragon, you get 600. Go figure!

[ August 30, 2002, 10:08: Message edited by: Walker ]

 

Even if it is a world of fantasy and magic,
the prices could be logical (and not magical ) ...

[ August 31, 2002, 19:38: Message edited by: Baronius the Sorcerer ]

 

1. Take a course in economics. Merchants have to make profit. Buy low, sell high. It's been a rule of business for thousands of years.

2. The above example is a good point. Bioware could have though the economics of the game out a lot better, but I don't believe that it detracts from the quality of the game. If you want a good economic model, there's other programs out there.

[ September 02, 2002, 02:49: Message edited by: Rastor ]

 

This is not so simple, Rastor.
Economics. Yes, the merchants go for profit.
But our little character is not a fool, and can barter (and charisma ability has some effect on the prices)
So how can he agree to sell his DRAGON armor fro 300 gold pieces!
And merchants sell their dusty rusty magical Studded Leathers for serious prices!
So if he buys a dragon scale armor, I think it would be logical to offer it more expensive then his Studded Leathers! (Because of the dragon armor's abilities) . So he would gain much profit even if he would buy your armor much more expensive (if our little hero would not be so stupid). Smaller profit of course, but considerable!

But you are right, indeed.

I like BG2 very very much, I was just curious about what the other players think about this price-thing...
(But BG1 is better than BG2 as I mentioned before )

[ September 02, 2002, 20:18: Message edited by: Baronius the Sorcerer ]

 

I agree with Baronius.
This particular case is very annoying. Either the merchants are very, very scared of a dragon taking revenge on them for trading in dragon armor or this price is just screwed up.
It would make more sense if you couldn't sell it at all, like the Flail of Ages.

[ September 03, 2002, 02:28: Message edited by: Earl Grey ]

 

There are some more strange prices for items in the game.

For example, all level 9 spells Ribald sells you cost around 10000 gold, excepr the Freedom scroll which is only about 700 gold worth. A strange price difference for items so similar.

 

Thw Freedom spell is common in the area of Athkatla, so it is cheap. The other spells are rare and powerful ones.
But Ribald is a stupid retired adventurer, with immense prices. Though he is retired, he is at very low level (11/12) (and he fought against Beholders!) He has become a money-hungry retired nobody! He has become a selfish businessman!
But anyway, I must pay his prices if I want good items!

 

Ribald is a great guy

Where else would you get all those great items???
He is

[ September 03, 2002, 21:20: Message edited by: Gothmog4230 ]

 

I know you'll read it everywhere, but I never found any price differences depending on charisma. My cleric with 3 charisma got the exact same prices as my paladin with 18 charisma when both were at reputation 20.

 

That's pretty weird Rastor.
I have definately noticed the difference.
Were both head of the party at the time?

 

I think that was the problem
'couse it doesnt matter whit which char. you speak to the merchant(int.3 or 25) all it matters is leaders charisma Thats the guy you have it chosen if you press "1"

 

Yep, both were the leader of their respective parties. It was in two different games, but I doubt that makes a difference.

 

Gothmog. I beg to differ.

When I first played the game I had of course to buy from "evil Ribald" with the serious prices. Later on I learnt how to get similar if not better stuff from other places.

So I was "annoyed" that I had to pay 100000+ gold to him for items that are not really worth it and I can't steal from him...

I took revenge! (I also did not have the latest patch at that time)

I cast protection from evil and then summoned in demons to kill him. I left his shop and he followed me!

I killed him a total of three times and each time he carried 11000 gold. So I retrieved one third of the rip off that he had had over me.

Of course I did not stop and I went over to the Government District to the council of 6, Aran Linvail's room (and I worked for him!) and the Temple area for the Knights joint and summoned demons.

I had my revenge knowing that the bastards would not be able to follow me into TOB... (NG alignment?!)

How silly I was, but it was fun