Turbo’s Guide to Econ

This essay was originally written for the 3.0 ruleset, but I’ve updated it to the new world of DR Live.

By Jonathan Loyd

Turbo’s Guide to Getting Rich, A.K.A. How to Kick in the Doors of the Economy Game in DR

For new players arriving at a game of Dystopia Rising, it can be daunting enough to figure out how to survive and thrive in the wild west of the Wasteland, much less worry about getting rich.  One major factor of the game that may not be obvious at first is the complicated living economy that has emerged by trading materials, blueprints, and equipment to other survivors.  This guide is an attempt to share some of the basic survival tips that I learned the hard way with new players on how to get by if you want to explore this fascinating aspect of the game.

A few disclaimers to start, though. 

• This isn’t gospel, it’s OPINION. And everyone has one. This is just my observations and opinions from over thirteen years of play, and you may disagree with my findings.  I’m not perfect, and there are certainly some other different strategies to succeeding. The zen of the DR game is to find something you enjoy. You may not relish hours at a workbench or have the ability to bring home-cooked food to the game. But you may find this a good place to start your exploration of the DR economy experience.

• This isn’t a price list. There are lots of folks with a list of exactly what they sell and buy scrap for, and that’s not what this guide is about. The prices in this game fluctuate so fast, it’s hard to predict what will be valuable from one game to the next. Instead, I’m focused on the behaviors that make people successful, not the price they sold an item for. I’m happy to discuss this in detail, but what I’ve found is that trying to slavishly create a formula for generating costs of an item is an entire job by itself.

• This is based on a bit of my own real-world sales experience. I literally work in retail sales as my job in real life, so I have years of experience in negotiation, margins, sales techniques and such that I’m drawing from, so don’t feel too bad if you don’t get the economy game right away.  It takes practice, like anything else. But the best econ players didn’t get there overnight, and neither will you. It takes time and effort, and a bit of confidence.

• Dystopia Rising is NOT a real-world economy. Period. While the game has some similarities with real life economic systems, and I’m sure there’s some nerd out there with way more macroeconomics training than I’ve got that would argue otherwise, trying to compare the two is an exercise in futility, in my humble opinion. There are certain elements of supply and demand that might apply to things in the real world, but they inherently fall apart within the game systems of DR. There is effectively an infinite SUPPLY of items in the game, as at any time an ST can send out money, scrap, herb, or more as part of a mod, so the DEMAND can never be truly set with supply side economics. You cannot control the flow of the items that enter the game, you can only influence them.

• Skills can help make things easier, but they aren’t required to succeed. While it is true that someone with more XP or Skills has a bit of an advantage on certain aspects of the item card game, this is a problem baked into the system of Dystopia Rising. A blueprint isn’t going to fix this alone, but you can be successful at the economy without ever spending a Mind point. Several of my rules will try to explore this concept in detail.

• Succeeding at the DR economy is difficult solo — It’s easier with friends. In fact, it’s like turning on the “hard mode” of a video game. Most zombie stories are about GROUPS of survivors, and Dystopia Rising is no different. Those badass lone wolf characters will have a real hard time. The mechanics of the game are working against you if you are trying to do this all as a single character. If you do intend on trying this solo, understand that it will be about the people you know, not the skills you have, or the herb you can farm.

Finally, I’ve been pretty successful in the Economy game of DR in my days as a player before becoming the director and it’s one of my favorite parts of live events. But I’m not revealing ALL of my secrets here — it’s just too much.  It’s honestly a better conversation in person and I love to talk about this in game as my character Turbo Six, or even just online if you want to chat.  If you want to learn more, I’ll always offer a pay-per-view lecture during live events that detail some of my other secret strategies to getting rich (shameless plug!).

a Preface - the four avenues of play

The Economy™ is part of the Dystopia Rising game, whether you like it or not. A clever friend of mine named Ryan Coogan once said that there are four major avenues of play in a DR game - combat, role playing, economy, and CvC.  It’s a pillar I’ve mentioned before in blog posts and other parts of the website, and I find it holds true no matter which game you attend. While the economy is technically optional, it will find ways to intrude into all kinds of aspects of the game.

You don’t have to participate in all of the four avenues of play, but you are never immune to consequences from them messing up your day.

You might not want to swing a boffer, but eventually you’ll need an answer for the zed and raiders at the door.  You might not be the best role player, but politics of the player and NPC factions can quickly turn deadly based on a few charismatic words from an enemy. You might not like dealing with money, but when you need a new weapon, a repair, or simply some scrap for that shiny new toy, you’ll need some currency or some way to earn a living.  And finally, you might not like CvC, but if you wander into the Wasteland unprepared you might have to deal with it sooner than you like.

The zen of DR is to participate in the parts of the game you enjoy most, but you’ll never truly escape the impact of any of these things. So, let’s prepare you to survive the most dreaded enemy of all - getting ahead in the DR economy!

The Basics - What is the Economy?

This is a big question, so it has a big answer.

Most folks seem to agree that the economy of DR involves ITEM CARDS, or just stuff in general. If you have lots of things, you are doing well. If you are struggling to find a brew to stay alive, you aren’t doing that well. Successful Econ players have LOTS of cards, from scrap, weapons, brews, and all manners of nifty gizmos, and it can give them a big advantage in surviving in the harsh world of Dystopia Rising.

There are so many ways to participate in the economy, but they all generally involve trading for goods and services, like item cards.  The core of the economy in DR is basically a complicated barter system.  In the Guide’s Guide, starting on page 86, you can find some notes on the design theory of the item system in the game.  I encourage you to be familiar with those concepts, as I’ll discuss a few of these items later.  But first, I’m going to focus on general concepts.

There are a few significant ways to participate in the economy side of DR:

• Gathering - Generating valuable Resources like scrap, herb, and produce. Most of the in-game Resource item cards are designed to be generated by player Skills, like Agricultural, Foraging, or Salvaging.

• Crafting - Generating crafted items like weapons, gizmos, or blueprints. There are three main skills involved in this aspect, Culinary and Artisan crafted items and Education for blueprints. Crafted items are the goal of most people that want to succeed in the economy.

• Necrology - At the very top end of the economy is Necrology crafting, but these blueprints require Professions and expensive items so this isn’t something the average player will have much impact on. Each of the five Necrology items can only be generated by player skills, so this is one area in DR where the STs can’t really impact the supply or demand.

• Skill Use - Outside of the obvious inclusions in Gathering and Crafting above, this includes other in-game abilities that can be used on another character like Medical or Biogenetics, using Proficient Education to cure a fracture, teaching other players a hard-to-find Skill or Profession, or offering access to certain “buy list” items through skills like Travel.

• Selling Services - Selling the use of your time or skills to other players. This can include selling a drink at a bar, offering real-life food items for money, by being a bodyguard or even using real-world skills like cooking, tailoring, or crafting props to help out your fellow players. Hell, you can make a few currency just by offering to clean up an area or take out the trash.

• Mod Rewards & Loot - Finding items during modules or on fallen enemies. Monsters or NPCs in the game often have item cards that can be taken from them after you defeat them. Generally, Raiders tend to provide Scrap, Zombies tend to provide Currency, and Critters tend to provide Produce. Some planned events or zone of mechanics in game might provide a reward or bounty of some kind for completing a task, but loot always relies on the STs to remember to send it out.

• Entertainment - Offering leisure activities, like concerts, fun in-game activities, or games of chance. These might have some mechanics behind them, but I’m really talking about actual, legitimate entertainment. If you can entertain the player, you’ll be able to ask for money.

• CvC - Any items you take from another player are FREE! (At least for you!). Now, keeping those items you’ve stolen for long is a whole other problem…

Trading in Resources or Crafting is one of the easiest and most obvious ways to earn money and be successful at the economy game, but the best way to get rich is through effectively selling Services and Skill Use.  While actual real-world Services offer the best payout, using common Skills like Artisan to repair items that are broken in a big fight can be a way to earn money in game.

Loot is probably the worst way to get items in the game, as it’s entirely dependent on the chance of being in the right place at the right time, and whether or not the game’s Staff sent out a particular enemy or mod. It doesn’t matter how many uses you have of Salvaging if you never see a Raider during the event.  Entertainment can be lucrative in some cases, but many folks do this kind of thing as a labor of love because it doesn’t always pay. It can be hard to market it well and profit from your real-life skills, like singing or gambling without some real talent.

CvC can sometimes be considered a lucrative way to get items, but that comes with its own particular risk and out of game considerations. I’ve wrote a bunch on CvC in another set of blog posts, in my “Introduction to CVC”. Necrology Items are largely going to be a money sink, and not a reliable way to really earn funds. They just involve too much cost and there’s a lot of room for competition. When that corrupted morgue scenario occurs you’ll mint money, but it’ll be a big risk until then.

But these all really revolve around ITEM CARDS. Let’s understand why that’s important.

The Importance of Items

While items are never truly needed to survive in the world of Dystopia Rising, I really want to sell the importance of the in-game economy to your basic survival.

While you can certainly do without needing a binder of item cards to succeed, many items in the game are so important to the basic function of a Skill or behavior in game, that they are effectively REQUIRED. Sure, you can heal people in a limited fashion with Biogenetics, Medical, or First Aid, but acquiring a Dr. Ottoman’s Doctor’s Bag opens up a new level of interaction for characters that enjoy medical role play and makes healing with Medical even more efficient.

And if you don’t have access to brews and meals, you’ll find it rough to recover the Mind you spend on Medical or repairs after a tough fight against zombies without relying on your friends or the charity of others. If you are alone in the woods and bleeding to death, an Injectable is your only hope of avoiding a trip to the Grave Mind. If you want to produce more than one or two items in a game with crafting skills, you’ll need a plan for recovering your Mind points.

I’ll cover some more on items below, but having these items quickly available in game makes such a HUGE difference between surviving and thriving. And it’s fun to have cool tricks and neat gear. I think that’s the biggest reason to help you understand how to make the Economy game work for you.

One last thing when talking about items is to understand that the DR game system is designed to need MULTIPLE people to interact with an item, particularly when it comes to crafting. Most items need at least THREE different Skills to functionally produce, and often this means three different characters are involved. While one person with enough XP can technically do it all, they are still limited by available Mind points and time — but mostly Mind points.

• The Materials - Most items in the game need scrap or herb to make. That has to come from somewhere, whether it is a gathering skill, looting, or acquiring it illicitly. The majority of these items are generated in game by players, using skills like Salvaging, Foraging, or Agricultural. You gotta have materials to make a fancy suit of armor!

• The Blueprint - This may be the easiest interaction to overlook, but that blueprint came from somewhere. While there are many groups in games that work hard to keep up with the chase of blue paper, you have to have the right recipe or blueprint to make items in game. If you don’t have this, you’ll either need to borrow or barter for one, use a Skill like Education to make a copy of your own, or find a way to get NPC help. Since blueprints take Herbs to copy, any blueprint collector will need a steady supply from the Agricultural Zone.

• The Crafter - The skills Artisan and Culinary are used to make 95% of the crafted items in game. If you have these skills, you’ll find it easier to acquire items in game, as you can simply make it yourself. But, unless you have a way to acquire the materials from a mod or an NPC, you’ll need someone else to provide the items to complete the project. Skilled Assistants can also be a great way to restore some of your used Mind Points, but this may not always be reliable at every moment of the game.

So, this means that for every item that exists in the DR world, there’s generally supposed to be three sets of interactions that need to be completed before you can get the item. Once you appreciate this, the Six Rules to Get Rich can help you bridge the gap between survival and success!

The trap of Blueprints

As I’ve mentioned above, Blueprints are a big component of the Crafting game but it can also be a bit of a TRAP. You’ll see folks with whole binders of blue paper at the Crafting Zones in the game, lugging around a simply intimidating amount of items to support crafting new gear, weapons, meals, or brews.

Blueprints ARE cool.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m definitely guilty of falling for this trap. My crew has collected every print available in 3.0, but it was a lot of work and it’s mostly a matter of ego. But past the allure of collecting for the sake of collecting is a big red flag, and it’s pretty easy to understand once you consider the implications:

MOST blueprints aren’t usable by your character.

Over half of ALL blueprints will involve a Profession you don’t have, involve a Skill you don’t know, require a Faith you don’t follow, involve a weapon you don’t use, or need a Lineage you aren’t part of. Think about it:

Each Profession generally has at least 3 different crafted items or weapons tied to their skills, and you can only take a few professions for a character, often requiring hundreds of XP. With 23 different professions in the game right now, that’s over a hundred blueprints right there you won’t be able to use. Each Lineage has several brews, meals, and injectables only usable by their Strain (or certain Remnants). With at least 5 items per Lineage, that means there’s another 75 prints you can’t use. Some blueprints need a particular Faith you won’t share, or need Criminal Influence with a faction you won’t have. There are 9 different faiths, each with at least 2 blueprints, so that’s another 20 if you count the Cult blueprints that you won’t be able to use.

Each profession has a Combat Enhancer tied their Impact Skills, and since you can only take three total Professions, you’ll have dozens of brews you can never use. If you aren’t an Aberrant, most of the psionic items won’t be that useful, so knock out another dozen prints that need a psionic skill to use. Necrology items largely need certain world conditions to occur before most of the blueprints are useful, so since fully half of the Necrology prints are tied to a corrupted morgue, that’s another 20ish prints with no use outside of that condition. Most players have a favorite prop weapon or shield, but most characters don’t carry one of every weapon prop on them during a game. If you only use a Standard, there’s another 40 prints for smalls, knucks, guns, and florentine.

While some will feel the call of blue fever, or just wanna catch ‘em all, for the average character you just won’t need most blueprints. Rather than try to collect every single blueprint out there, pick the ones you use most instead. It’ll save you time, money, and a sore shoulder from a heavy Supply Bag.

Also, you’ll generally only use the blueprint DURING the crafting process, so you don’t really need the blueprint for long. There are generally folks in a game that will lend you a copy of a print to make an item for a negligible cost, and many settlements have built a ‘town print book’ as a way to provide common prints to new players.  If you don’t have a copy of print you need, ask around the crafting areas and you are sure to find someone that can help. It should be pretty cheap to borrow a copy of a print from someone in game, if not free. Few people would turn down a few brass to “rent” the print for a moment. You might have to pay for herb or time if you want a copy of your own, though! Prints generally are sold anywhere from 5-10 currency in most settlements, but can be more expensive if it’s a rare or new print that few people have.

ST Fiat and the Economy

One last element to consider before we get into the Six Rules is the impact that the out of character world of Ops has on the Economy of DR. There are generally only a few ways that items are generated in DR:

• An expensive, but fast way - Think of ways that involve Mind points, Resolve, or ways to force an item to exist by your choice. These generally cost resources to produce, but are reliable ways to make the items in game. For services, this is using one of your limited injectables or Biogen uses in a fight.

• A cheap, but inefficient way - There are some methods that can reduce your cost, but these almost always cost TIME as well as some Mind. Compare this to something like First Aid healing versus Basic Medical, or to something like taking time to search for Foraging cards in the wild. These ways can be lucrative, but they are less predictable or less timely than you might always prefer. Think Skilled Assistants and crafting - You’ll eventually get enough Mind to build another project, but that’s another hour out of your weekend.

• ST Fiat - The last and most unpredictable way is reliant on the staff of the game providing the item. This might happen via a Zone of Mechanics, a friendly merchant, loot you can find on a fallen enemy, a neat mod reward, or just the STs sending out the right type of enemy to farm for resources with skills like Salvaging or Gimme Your Kicks. But this is ultimately not something you can control — it’s up to the staff at the game.

This bit is why I push back against price lists, or trying to set some arbitrary value for an item in game. The STs can always choose to send out a merchant mod, and there’s no guarantee you’ll be in the right place at the right time. The ST might forget to seed Forage cards until after you’ve spent hours looking for cards and stopped in a fit of frustration. That NPC might not have loot cards on them, whether by mechanical design of the Threat Guides, or by the Guides forgetting to give them item cards. Basically, this is the human element of the Economy. And it’s entirely unpredictable. The best econ folks adapt and adjust their strategies to this aspect, but it’s always something to watch out for when playing to get rich in game.

With that in mind, let’s cover the Six Rules of Getting Rich…

Turbo’s SIX Rules of Getting Rich

(Okay, fine it’s a few more rules that Six, but the marketing sounds better when it matches the character name…)

I’ll discuss the specifics of item cards and the like a bit later in the ADDENDUM, but for now let’s talk about Turbo’s Six Rules of Getting Rich.  These are the core concepts I want to share with you that will remain useful no matter what blueprint gets published, or what edition of the game we are playing.  I’m going to focus on these cardinal rules, told from the perspective of my Diesel Jock supporting character - Turbo Six, the Mountain That Rides, Road Captain of the Road Royals.  I’ll elaborate on the concept after each rule.

Let’s get started…

Turbo’s 1st Rule - Time is Money, Friend

“The single most valuable resource in the world is time.  It’s the only thing you can’t get back.  You’ll find more scrap, get more Brass, or just make a new ride. 

Each player has about 38-ish hours in a game to play, since most games start Friday night around 9:00 pm to Sunday around 12:00 pm.  The Post Office in most games is not open the entire time either, so you can really only generate new items during an even more limited window.  Next, each time you make a new item, you gotta wait in line at the Post Office — if you are lucky, there’s not much line but sometimes it can add 15+ minutes before you can see an item card. Then you probably have a 4-hour NPC shift to attend, you gotta sleep eventually, and this is all assuming you aren’t one of those crazy people that have more than one character!

In fact, unless you are attending one of those rare games that offer Post Office services even late at night, you’ll probably only have about 22 hours to craft or use the post office.

The single most valuable resource in DR is TIME.

Period.

It’s not skills. It’s not item cards. It’s time.

It’s the one thing you can never get back.

If you can do that thing for another person, then it leaves them time to do something else. And that’s a value that you can capitalize on.

Even if you have a infinite loop of Mind points through farming, crafting, and eating you’ll still not have enough time in the weekend to keep it going forever.

This is the reason why I rate Services as the most important thing you can do to earn money and “win” at the economy game.  Every minute you are at a workbench working on a new weapon, crafting a tasty brew, or farming is a minute you don’t get back.  You can almost always find a way to make money in a game by performing a service for someone, because their time is valuable. Most major Econ players are always looking for someone to craft an item for them, go get that herb for their next project, or just find them someone that has the material they need, and they often have more currency than they have time.

Remember the Bravado motto - Do Work, Get Paid!

Crafting skills like Artisan, Culinary, and Educated are surefire ways to earn money in game, even at a Basic tier for a starting player.  Every character starts with at least 5 Mind Points, so taking at least one Development Skill is a good idea for any character in DR Live.

There’s always a need to copy a blueprint, repair some armor, or whip up a brew or meal.  Gathering skills like Agricultural, Foraging, Salvaging, and Travel can be quick ways to earn a buck by producing that item that someone needs right away. If you take at least one of these Skills when you first create your character, you’ll have the best start for succeeding in the Economy game. Just remember, it doesn’t matter how many uses of Gimme Your Kicks you have if there are no bodies to loot — these Skills require you to be proactive in order to succeed.

The next tier of useful skills in game are ones I’d consider “Service Skills”. Skills that heal Fractures like Proficient Education, or healing with Medical or Biogenetics can also be useful for earning money, but they come with a big lesson that can be hard to understand at first.  These skills need a certain situation to happen first before they can be used, so if that isn’t happening often in your game, it may be hard to earn a living in game using these skills. The more common the situation, the easier you can charge for these services.

The lowest tier of useful skills to earn money from are combat-focused Impact Skills. While it’s helpful to survive a horde of zombies, it’s hard to make money off swinging a sword real good (unless you want to talk about CVC, but that’s a different essay). Trying to earn money as a thug for hire or a mercenary can also be successful, but it takes a special talent at personal marketing and charisma to really do it well.  But most folks that try to rely on skills like Interfere to make money or even stuff like Blinding, Combat Tactics, or just having a big Shield are in for a hard lesson.

This brings us to our second rule.

Turbo’s 2nd Rule - Need versus Luxury

“People will always be willing to pay for a luxury - something they don’t really need.  The thing that is most difficult to charge money for is a “need”.  It’s why doctors and Sainthood are always dead ass broke, and why those mercs waiting for a fight are sitting over there bored!”

There are really two types of services and goods in DR - needs and luxuries.

In the middle of a fight against zed, where everyone is fighting back-to-back for simple survival, mercenary and pacifist alike - combat skills become a need.  Need an escort to walk down to the lake with you to protect you while fishing late at night? That’s a luxury.   Bleeding to death on a battlefield and getting someone to stabilize you or pour a brew down your throat - that’s a need.  Fixing up that broken limb after you talked shit to that Retrograde bruiser? That’s a luxury.  Providing the last needed Basic Scrap on a module to reinforce the barrier keeping the zed at bay? That’s probably a need.  Providing the last Alloy Metal that DJ needs to finish off their ride? That’s a luxury.

You can charge money for a luxury. You can’t charge for a need.

If you try to charge money or scrap for something that can be perceived as a “need”, you will likely get some push back.  Only truly merciless characters can get away with charging for items like this, and it will eventually lead to some CvC.  If you try to hustle every new player in town over a cheap healing brew, someone will eventually call foul and it’ll be a bad time for you.

People generally resent paying for a need, and that resentment will likely not end in your favor.  Be careful and really consider what is at stake. It’s very possible for something that would normally be a luxury to end up as a need if circumstances change.  If the town needs a LOT of Radioactive Metal to build a wall to protect the town, they will often expect you to provide that item for the “good of the town” and balk at paying a market rate for the items.

However, exploiting the desire for a luxury service or good is the surest way to really make a fortune in the economy game.  That same Radioactive Metal is a luxury when it’s used in a sexy new weapon weapon for that veteran player. Remember, no one really NEEDS a shiny, red monster truck.  They WANT a shiny, red monster truck.  This is really at the heart of every business model ever.  You make money by selling something that people want, not what they need. This is why luxuries will always be the best way to earn money in game.

If you have something that has value, or you can provide a service that offers value, you can market it and make money from it. The real skill and talent here is identifying what people want before they realize they want it.

This brings us to probably one of the single most clever rules for getting rich in DR.

Turbo’s 3rd Rule - Grilled Cheese Sandwiches Make Millionaires

“The single greatest way to earn money is by supplying food and drink in a moment of need.  The richest folks I know got there not by farming herb or gathering scrap, but by selling a grilled cheese sandwich to a hungry survivor.  I’ll spend way more Brass over a weekend on hooch and food that I ever will on scrap and herb.”

The single greatest way to make money in DR is by selling real-life food and drink.

Yes, this is pay-to-play. It always has been, since the first days I’ve played, and in every settlement across the wastes. People can spend their hard earned cash to buy real world food, and sell it for a profit in game. That’s capitalism, baby!

I’ve spent more currency on a tasty treat at 2 a.m. in the morning than any other item in the game.  I’ve seen people spend fabulous amounts of currency on a piece of cake. When you are tired, hungry, and exhausted from a day of fighting zed and walking the trails around the campsite, something other than water or that snack back at your tent is the most magical thing ever.

There’s a talent here, to be sure, by choosing the right food or drink that folks want.  I’ve seen folks get rich by selling hot apple cider on a cold morning, selling warm cookies after a tough fight, or providing a grilled cheese sandwich late at night to hungry travelers.  But I’ve also seen that same cider barely get sold once it gets a little warm outside.  It doesn’t have to be food either - I’ve seen people make money by providing a back rub, providing a bottle of oil with a stuffed rat in inside, playing cards over a table at the saloon, letting people paint rocks in cool colors (BATTLE ROCKS!), or simply providing a neat looking real-life trinket to add to your costume. 

If the thing you are selling provides a real world benefit to the player, has a neat prop, or provides entertainment, you can make money in game from it. That’s capitalism, baby!

Essentially, you need to appeal to the PLAYER, not the character.

There's certainly some real-life skill involved at marketing what you’ve brought and coming up with clever tricks and gimmicks to make a sale, and loud people generally stand out. We have some super clever folks in our games, and I’m always amazed at what they come up with to earn a fortune in the game.  I encourage you to consider some aspects like this if you really want to make a killing at the economy game, and see what other characters are doing in game. If you can find a niche that other characters haven’t already taken, you will often find buyers to give you money and item cards.

You can definitely earn money by repairing armor or making a mind-refresh meal, but it will ALWAYS pale in comparison to the allure of tasty food and drinks and entertainment.

• SIDE NOTE: Remember, anything that has a mechanical effect in game requires an item card and you can never exchange real-world currency for in-character resources.

But, now that we know to appeal to the player, let’s cover how you get by with a little help from your friends…

Turbo’s 4th Rule - Diversify Your Portfolio (or just make Friends)

“The folks I know that are filthy rich didn’t get there by just one trick.  They did it by a whole lot of tricks! Don’t just focus on repairing armor or farming that herb, but think about how you can turn a profit in other ways.  Or just pick the right friends to have in your crew. The smartest folks realized it’s easier to let others do the work for you…”

While some folks can do quite well with grilled cheese sandwiches, the best way to be successful in the economy game is to not limit yourself to just one thing, or one person.

The best solo Econ folks might focus on being able to farm up that herb you need for a brew, salvaging that scrap from a dead Raider, and offering healing to someone that needs help to get back into the fight.  They have a cup of hot chocolate ready to sell after the big fight, and they have a stack of scrap to trade for that new blueprint you just got. They are the one-stop-shop!

Just like a character that excels at fighting might pick up a new skill or invest more Mind Points into skills to win a fight, the solo Econ character should invest in MORE crafting, gathering, or service skills. You may not be able to do it all right away, but the XP builds up pretty fast for your first handful of games.  But this method requires a LOT of XP to really do well, and it’s not something that’s easy to accomplish for players just starting their journey in Dystopia Rising.

The best way to diversify is actually to build up some friends and form a crew of like-minded folks that can work together to succeed. 

Like I said in the beginning, this is a GROUP survival game.

The true success of the Road Royals, my crew as a player in game, was that every character in the crew came into game with at least some way to earn Scrap. We were able to generate more Metals than any other group in game, and we could sell it for a profit. It gave us an edge over the other player factions, and enabled us to build Vehicles faster than any other group. But we did it as a TEAM.

It’s difficult for one character to do it all, as every skill or Mind point you add increases in XP cost.  A crew of dedicated folks working together will outperform that solo veteran character for raw potential in almost every way.  If each character specializes in one particular aspect of crafting or gathering, you can quickly be able to do almost everything independently.

If you are struggling to succeed in the economy game, don’t try to do it alone. Make friends, and include them into your crew and you’ll be a success in no time. DR is a numbers game, and having more people than someone else is a quick way to be successful, whether it’s in a fight or a trade deal.

But let’s cover the real way to make money in a trade deal…

Turbo’s 5th Rule - Value is Subjective

“Everything is at once valuable and worthless.  The local town will often have some common prices for things, but ultimately, unless you can find someone to buy your shit it isn’t worth anything.  And anything you can take from someone else by force is FREE...”

I know a lot of folks might want to know exactly how much to charge for a Basic Scrap, or how much to charge for that fancy new Gun.  With constant blueprints changes, the strange new world of a new system, and the “metagame” of what is needed or what is the best item or weapon locally constantly shifting, it can be hard to set one price for anything. There are plenty of folks that have strong opinions here, but I really want to focus on the real truth - items are only worth what you can get for them.

It doesn’t matter how many scrap cards you have in your Supply Bag if you can’t find a buyer for them.  Ask anyone that’s tried to sell a vintage Beanie Baby, or turn that collection of Pokemon cards into cash. It doesn’t matter what price that thing supposedly is worth. As long as it’s in your bag, it’s worth exactly squat.

This is where SUPPLY and DEMAND does apply.  The law of supply and demand is an economic theory that explains the interaction between the sellers of a resource and the buyers for that resource. Generally, as supply of an item or service decreases, you can charge people more for that scarce product. As supply for an item or service goes up, there’s less demand and more competition for your product, so the price generally comes down. Basic Economics 101.

If you are the only person providing a hand-crafted burger near lunch time, you can charge basically anything you want. If you are one of twelve people trying to sell a batch of homemade cookies, you’ll probably have to lower your prices to sell your assortment of goodies. If the plot of the weekend involves a lot of raiders showing up - expect the price of Basic Scrap to plummet.  If a brand-new blueprint shows up, expect the price of Basic Herb to increase as folks frantically try to make more copies of that print to satiate the blue fever.  If there are not many doctors in town this trade weekend, expect that you can charge more for healing. 

Some folks can tack on a few extra currency by offering a nice cup to use, provided you bring it back, or offer a delivery service to bring the item to you. Door Dash can exist in the apocalypse if you are fast enough! I’ve even seen some clever folks refuse to offer change and charge odd amounts, like 8 currency for a burger and they don’t make change. Most of the time, they get paid 10, and it adds a bit to the margins.

Learn what items are in demand, and figure out how you can supply those and you can find a way to make money.  The best Econ folks anticipate this demand BEFORE it happens, and can corner the market on that item when it’s most needed.

A second side of this value concept is regarding the most dreaded word in Turbo Six’s vocabulary - FREE. 

People generally like helping their friends. There is always going to be some selfless person that offers healing for free, regardless of the situation.  That selfless person might offer to salvage that scrap up for no cost to their friends.  It only cost a few Impact Skill uses and a few swings of a boffer to get that Basic Scrap off that Raider, so it was really no cost to you. Hell, you might even just find a neat fancy Master-crafted Vehicle in the middle of a parking lot of a hotel, with the keys still in it.

You will never be able to control this effect, and it WILL impact your ability to earn money from items or services. You need to plan on it happening and be prepared to shift gears. Sometimes that thing you just farmed will be worthless, or at least, not needed at the time.

The greatest bit of chaos in the economy game of DR is that ultimately you have no control over how many items show up in a game, whether it is something provided FREE to a friend or something that arrives FREE from the game runners, and it’s where the supply and demand concept falls apart.  It costs nothing for a Guide to send out Raiders with more Salvage Cards.  It costs nothing to rob a person in the Wasteland and then sell their items for dirt cheap to a fence.  It costs nothing to pass your item cards to your best friend or a crew member so they can make that cool thing they want.  There will always be someone that gets that thing for free, or a lower cost than you’d be willing to sell at.

DR is not a closed economic system.  There is effectively an infinite SUPPLY of items. The sooner you accept this fact, the sooner you can start to grasp how to make money by selling commodities and resources.  The only thing that begins to approach a limit here is TIME.  Remember, time is the single greatest resource in DR, and thus it means it’s the single greatest resource for the economy.

ANY attempt to tell you that there is a set value for all items in the game is ignoring the simple fact that basically everything can be gotten for free, if you are lucky and in the right place at the right time.  With all that being said, there are a few core items that are valuable in every single game.  These items tend to have the most stable pricing of anything, and it stays pretty similar no matter where you travel.

I’ll cover a few of these items below, but let’s first talk about the golden rule (no, not that one…)

Turbo’s 6th Rule - There is No Best Way, Only YOUR Way

“Look.  There is no one magic rule for making money.  It’s a lot of luck, a bit of talent, sometimes some muscle, some practice, and a whole lot of circumstance.  The best way to make money is doing what you are good at.  Pick a thing to be an expert in, and you can find a way to monetize it if you are persistent.”

The “zen” of DR is to do what is fun to YOU. 

Not everyone likes playing the “Dystopia Rising Trading Card” game.  Like I said at the beginning, you don’t have to participate in every avenue of play, but you are never immune to the consequences.  For me, I find that the economy of our zombie game is one of the most fascinating elements.  There’s nothing more thrilling than the hustle of trading scrap and herb around the town looking for deals, in my mind.  The Economy is probably the truest form of CvC in the game, as it can be as brutal and terrifying as any zombie or raider.

Try different things in the game.  Don’t listen to that person that is spouting off how things should always be.  Listen to other players, and watch what they do.  Watch for the behaviors you see other players do, and try to mimic those behaviors in your own way. Excelling at the economy game is a matter of practice and luck, and it takes time to really do well.  But if you pay attention to Turbo’s rules, you’ll be comfortably rich in no time!

I’ve presented a lot of topics here to read over, and this is just barely scratching the surface of the economy game.  Once again this is just my opinions and observations I’ve made over the years of playing, and there is no real right way or wrong way to play the game. Just have fun surviving zombies in the woods with your friends!

-Fin

Past the Six Rules

In addition to my Six Rules, I’ve also added a few extra considerations over the years, that take a bit more of a “meta” approach as a player, particularly towards item cards. These all involve a bit of an out-of-character consideration, but I think they are still valuable in this context.

Turbo’s First Corollary - Mind is Money!

“The only thing better than getting that scrap from that Raider is doing it again, and again, and again, and again…” 

Outside of time, the next best Resource in the game is simply more Mind points. 

The more times you can craft a new item, the more herbs you can farm, the more armor you can repair -- the more people will be willing to pay.  Restoring Mind points is the ultimate luxury item in DR.  Characters no longer naturally recover Mind during a DR event, so Mind Restoration has never been more valuable. And even though characters don’t restore Body after a fight, most healing skills tend to fall more into the “need” category or are super plentiful.  Mind points are much harder to restore than Body though, so finding a way to restore Mind points to someone else is a great way to earn some cash.

There are a few consistent ways to get Mind in the game.

• Culinary - The best way to regain mind is a Mind Refresh item like a Basic Intoxication Brew or Recovery Meal, particularly the strain-specific items.  Culinary is the crafting skill used for most of these items and is supported largely by the skill Agricultural to generate the resources needed.

• Skilled Assistance - Several skills like Artisan and Culinary (and even Necrology) can involve a second person to help with the crafting. These characters generally need the Basic level of that crafting skill to participate, but if they keep you company for the crafting you can regain 2 Mind. This isn’t very time efficient, but it is a good way to recover enough Mind to finish one last project for free.

• Crafted Items - Items like the Entertainer’s Kit can let characters restore Mind to others by spending their Resolve.  This is great for new players, as you often don’t have much use for your Resolve until you unlock a Profession. These items can be a bit of an investment, but can also offer ways to sell ‘services’ restoring Mind points.

• Upsurges - Items like Master Meals, Benedictions, or just Faithful Miracles can effectively generate a temporary pool of Mind points. This is especially useful right before a long crafting session, or in a place where you can immediately use those Mind Points to continue the crafting loop.

• Criminal Items - Gizmos made from Meaty Bits by Criminal Influence can be quick ways to earn Mind back for cheap.  Items like Crystal Candy Snacks or Rover Tea are useful and inexpensive. The humble Crystal Candy Snack is probably the single best Mind restore item in the game, particularly if you have easy access to the Meatiest Meat Cleaver and a pack of Raiders or just have a bit of a violent streak around disposable NPCs.

Skills that assist in Mind restoration or giving Resolve back will always be consistently profitable.  The best skill in this category is clearly Culinary, but it is closely followed by Agricultural.  Herbs and Produce used in Mind refresh items will ALWAYS have a buyer somewhere, and can be reliable ways to make money off of generating commodities.  Offering to farm up a particular Named Herb or Produce for a customer that needs a meal can be another quick way to earn money.

There is a talent for producing these items when folks need them most, and the best time to sell a mind refresh meal is right after the start of the game or on Sunday morning during the last crafting rush.  Take advantage of the lull after a fight to sell and you will make a fortune in no time!  You don’t necessarily even have to have the skills to make the items - I’ve seen plenty of people making money by selling items they paid someone else to make for more than it cost to make them, all at a tidy profit.

Turbo’s Second Corollary - Currency is Always 1:1 (Except When it’s Not)

“Rectangles are rectangles, my friend.  I’ll take Brass, Days, Credits, Tickets, whatever.  It all spends the same.  Trade Notes are great for travelers or nomads, but the only thing really worth more.

Currency is normally the best way to pay for goods and services in the game.  It always has a set value and is taken by almost everyone (save for a few really pious Red Stars, maybe).   In Bravado, you can also earn Brass by completing WORK ORDERS for the local factions like the Railroad Conglomerate. There are two types of currency, Local Currency and National Currency.

Local Currency should almost always be at a 1:1 ratio in value, regardless of where you travel.

This is a bit of a controversial notion, particularly for some old players of 2.0, where there was an in-game Trade Union that could mechanically impact the value of your local currency in the game. However, those times are dead and gone, and that’s simply not the case anymore. If someone tries to suggest that your currency is less valuable that yours, there’s often an angle they are playing or they are trying to sustain an old point of view based in the previous edition of the game.

This concept does have some caveats, though.

Local Currency (like Brass) is always more valuable to most players of that particular game, because every skill that spends currency at the Post Office requires it to be Local Currency. This means that although most currencies are pretty equivalent in practice, don’t be surprised if folks balk at accepting foreign currencies at a travel game since they can’t use it for the Travel skill.  If you don’t travel yourself, that weird currency might be harder to spend at your local game.

This is the only real time that your currency may not be valued at a 1:1 ratio, but I always recommend trying to find someone else that will take your currency first so you can get their ideal currency. Look for other local players that may be willing to trade currency.  Many players also build a collection of foreign currencies, so you can generally find someone interested in taking all forms of currency at most games (if only to add to their collection). For most real econ players, a rectangle is a rectangle.

Trade Notes can also be purchased at a 5:1 ratio through the Proficient Financial Manipulation skill, and traded back in at a 3:1 ratio for local currency, but only 10 times per game. This is helpful when traveling, but it has a cost.  This means the average use of Trade Notes creates a net loss in currency, so these are mostly worth about 3-5 currency each. Be careful about trading this currency for anything less, as it’s the only currency with a value greater than 1:1. The main reason this will retain value in the world of DR Live is that the book literally says so. The cost of making a new Trade Note is 5 currency, period. There are no items yet that modify this cost, and you can only perform a limited number of trades each game. That means for most folks, this is going to be an expensive and rare currency that will keep some value just from scarcity.

National Currency, like the fabled ARK, the Ottoman’s ABC, or other strange collectibles, exist in a weird space for currency. Functionally, these currencies are worth the exact same as any other non-local currency. They can’t be spent on buy lists, unless you are a Nomad. They generally don’t get a lot of traction with NPC merchants. But some players will highly value these items. However, keep in mind they have no real use. These are collectibles, at best. It might eventually have some use down the road once the Societies book is published, but for now it’s just a fancy piece of plastic with cool art. If that’s valuable to you, then so be it. But don’t expect everyone to share your same appreciate for the collectible currency. If you can get more than ONE currency for it, it’s probably a net gain.

Remember the basic law of supply and demand applies to Currency as well.  If a character has a LOT of currency, they might be willing to pay more for an item than someone that only has a few Brass to their name.  I’ve overpaid for a lot of items just to make sure that I can buy it right then versus hunting for a bargain. Find out the budget of your customer if you can, as it can give you a lot of bargaining power.

Turbo’s Third Corollary - Scrap is the REAL Universal Currency

“Sometimes ‘steaders are shitty about what currency they will take.  They’ll tell you stories of deals gone wrong, or that the local Post Office will only take their brand of money. However, EVERYONE likes Basic Scrap.  It’s the only universal currency in the wastes.”

The ONLY normal Scrap item you can easily control entering the game is the humble Basic Scrap. 

Basic Scrap can be easily generated by the Impact Skill Salvaging, or by spending time in a Helscape Mine. While it is used in basically every Artisan print, it’s usually needed in intervals of FOUR. Generally speaking, Basic Scrap costs 5 Mind points, Uncommon costs 10 Mind points, and Rare costs 15 Mind points. If you can kill a Raider or other Lineage threat with Salvaging or find a loose Foraging card in the field, you can generate a Basic Scrap for basically FREE.

What does this mean for you? 

It means that Basic Scrap is generally available, and ALWAYS has value no matter what settlement you are in. 

When it is plentiful, it will be consistently cheap.  The “cost” of Basic Scrap is effectively free, provided enough Raiders show up. This means the standard selling price will always be around 1-2 Brass each.  You can make a decent profit just by selling each Basic Scrap for 1 currency, but you might pay a bit more depending on the situation. As this scrap expires over the first year of DR Live, this price could fluctuate a bit more, but it’s likely to remain fairly consistent.

Basic Scrap is used in basically every single Artisan blueprint, and many of the most powerful items in the game use large amounts of each item. When it is used in an Artisan print, you usually need it in intervals of Basic Scrap x4, Uncommon Scrap x3, or Rare Scrap x3. Try to collect sets of scrap in these quantities if you can, as you’ll be more likely to sell them.

Because most gear has an expiration date, this means that eventually they will need to replace that expensive item and that means they’ll need some more Basic Scrap.  While it can be in ready supply, it will always be the most used scrap in the game. You can almost always assume that Basic Scrap will be in a very high supply and high demand in most games, so it’s often very easy to trade with other characters.

The one thing that is NOT commonly available is Uncommon and Rare Scrap. While it is true that someone can use Forging to combine Scrap into a higher tier, this costs Mind points and TIME.  This makes Rare Scrap the truly ‘rarest’ scrap in the game, on par with Named Metals (since those can only be made at an Artisan Zone with Basic Scrap).  Generally, Forging means that it takes 3 basic scrap to make 1 uncommon, and 3 uncommon to make 1 rare, and 6 basic scrap to make 1 named scrap.

While most games will have a steady supply of Raiders to provide Salvage cards, and the Guides will periodically “seed” new Foraging cards throughout the play space, there’s no way to guarantee you’ll be in the right place at the right time.  Additionally, Rare scrap only technically appears on higher-tier Raiders, so it will never be as common as the rank-and-file Raider scrap without the addition of crafted Gizmos.  Uncommon Scrap appears on both tier 1 and tier 2 Raiders, so it can be slightly more common as long as Raiders are present.

This means that it’s up to the staff to make sure that these items enter play, but there’s normally a pretty decent supply of the items.  The “normal” price for non-Basic Scrap is generally based around the “cost” of the Basic Scrap to make it, with Uncommon Scrap ranging from 2-5, with Rare scrap from 6-10, depending on availability. Named Scrap generally will start in the 6+ range, just cause the ‘cost’ to make Named Metals is 6 basic scrap. Sometimes you’ll pay more, but it generally tends to stay the same across the wastes. Outside of local currency, Scrap is the only other item that keeps a pretty consistent value.

Just understand the single biggest way Basic Scrap enters the game is via Raiders.  It can also be obtained occasionally for 1 Mind Point with the Foraging skill, but that’s hard to rely on.  If you are having a Zombie-heavy game, the price of non-Basic Scrap may fluctuate wildly as it can quickly become in short supply.  Local plots and NPC requests can also cause the price to spike quickly, so always remember Turbo’s 5th Rule.  If you can’t find someone to buy your scrap, it’s worth nothing!

The only other item that approaches Basic Scrap in value is Basic Herb.  This is the cheapest herb used in copying blueprints, and it’s used in healing brews, mind refresh brews, healing meals, and even hooch.  While the value of Basic Herb will likely change as we make the transition to DR Live, it’s generally in the lower end of the 1-5 local currency range, depending on the supply.  As a rule, Uncommon Herb, Rare Herb, Produce, and in-season Named Herb tends towards a higher price than you might expect simply because it’s fairly difficult and costly to obtain. In the new world of DR Live, the cost of Produce will likely be based on the Travel buy list in the Guide’s Guide, with values of 5/10/15. Out of Season herb might fetch a higher rate, but it’s still difficult to produce during those off-seasons and will likely fetch a higher price if you can manage to find a buyer.

The last consideration on Herb is to consider the availability of folks with Agricultural, particularly higher Skill tiers.  If your game doesn’t have a lot of Master farmers or folks with Master Travel, then Named Herb, Produce, and Infectious Material will be more expensive and harder to find.

Turbo’s Fourth Corollary - Fancy Gear isn’t Always Necessary

A good suit of armor is nice, but it isn’t a replacement for just being a tough son-of-a-bitch.  If you are good with a sword, you have almost as many tricks with a piece of sharpened scrap as you do with that fancy name-brand crafted item.

While gear is often a sought-after commodity, remember that your raw character stats are pretty potent by themselves.  Having a lot of Body means your armor can’t get broken by a use of Break.  And Starter weapons hit just as hard and work the same as a crafted item when you don’t have the right skills.  Plus, starter items can’t really be stolen in CvC!

Simply put, if you don’t have fancy professions, you don’t really need a crafted weapon.

In the new world of DR Live, items just aren’t as necessary. Impact Skills will almost always be more reliable, easier to use, and something you can’t really lose or get stolen. Since you can recover these skills basically every 20 minutes, it’s generally going to be ready for every single fight you see over a weekend. Every player starts with at least 5 mind points, so even one Development skill purchase means you can heal, trade for Produce, or repair armor a few times each game.

There are a handful of items that have a unique limitations in combat like Brawlers or Guns, but outside of those few cases, you don’t really need to invest in these items until you’ve spent some experience. The Profession abilities on crafted items normally consume Resolve or require uses of expensive Impact Skills, so it may be challenging for a newer player to even be able to use them.  Don’t worry too much about finding that perfect item until you can actually use it.  

However, crafted items are just downright FUN.

Players are always going to want to get that +1 sword, or that shiny new gizmo. It’s part of the allure of the economy, and one of the reasons why folks do what they do. If they didn’t want these items, then crafting would have no purpose.

There’s always a market for someone that can make an item, and if you are good at marketing your skills, you can make some good money building items for others.  It’s especially great if you can offer something unique about the experience or have a bad ass phys rep to use while crafting, but there will always be a market for someone with Artisan to spend their time building a neat item for another character.

Hopefully, that item is still around…

TURBO’s FIFTH COROLLARY - Its ALWAYS been that way! (I think)

Sure thing pal. I’m sure that Toothpiq Chopper killed a Zed in a single hit. How much have you had to drink by the way?

Sometimes, stuff changes. And it can change the economy in a BIG way.

One reason it’s hard to set firm prices on stuff is that the Powers That Be will sometimes CHANGE things. The new version of DR Live is a LIVING SYSTEM. Various blueprints will be edited and changed. Sometimes a certain item exploit might be identified, or an interpretation of a particular rule on an item or blueprint might change. Sometimes, even the reliable Travel lists might change in drastic ways, or there might be a brand new item released by National to help with a particular skill or character ability. Maybe that item was very easy to get, and not it’s not.

In the last years of 3.0, there were several updates to some popular blueprints and it’s a generally smart idea to just expect things to change if they are too good. If you see everyone clamoring for that new brew or new gizmo, chances are a balance update is on the way. Be careful about over investing in a particular trinket, lest it suddenly become useless as the meta-game moves on. Check with your local game runner on what they do when items get removed from play or changed in a big way if you have questions, but it’s better to be prepared.

Chasing the “meta-game” of economy is always a risky thing. Sometimes that item that is “best in slot” might get drastically changed and it’s suddenly no longer the new, hot thing. A good way to make money is to identify the new hotness and figure out what scrap it needs to be made. If you can provide a ready source of that scrap, you’ll have a great way to make money as the demand skyrockets! But, that demand can change in a heartbeat, so make sure you have a plan to move on to the next next best thing!

TURBO’s SIXTH COROLLARY - If they can’t find you, it doesn’t matter if you had the scrap

competition is everywhere pal. Stake out territory and make sure folks know where to find you. If every merchant knows to check your chop shop, then you can corner a market simply by being available.

This is a subtle advantage, but I’ve seen it it play out time and time and time again. The simple best thing you can do to make money is simply be available and willing to spend your time and energy. You might be the fastest tinker in the Wastes, but if you aren’t around when armor needs to be repaired, it doesn’t matter.

One reason you see the best econ folks have set schedules for food services, use advertisements on social media before an event, or set up a cool in-game work station is that it can sometimes be hard to find customers. The whole purpose of marketing is focused on this challenge, but in game it can be even harder. The easiest way is to establish some kind of home base, or a regular pattern to where you can be found.

When you can be found easily, players know where to go get their armor fixed, where to find a cold drink on a hot afternoon, or when to show up to buy your home-cooked pizza. This requires you be a bit consistent, but when you have a routine, it’s easy for the customers to find you. Simply making sure that everyone near knows you are ready to do some work can go a long way to finding a way to make money off of your remaining Mind points.

Now, one side effect of this strategy is that you can be found easily. This aspect isn’t for the folks that like to pick fights, steal, do crime, or otherwise need to enjoy a certain amount of stealth. When you have a home base, it means that folks can find you, they can send enemies to hunt you down, set traps on your stuff, or generally target you. The best merchants work hard on being friends with everyone, being approachable, and being valuable enough to have around that folks want to keep you company, or just need you to help them next.

When in doubt, be loud and proud! Make sure that you try to talk to anyone, especially new faces and NPCs. Make sure the NPC merchants know that you are buying scrap, or selling, or whatever. Chances are, that NPC will go back to Ops and let the ST know they were successful in their merchant mod, and they’ll remember that for their next shift. Soon enough, you’ll have NPCs involved in the marketing for you.

In a world with Skilled Assistants, this becomes even more noteworthy. This is an awesome way to recover some Mind Points for free, but you need to be able to catch a crafter BEFORE they start. If you know a place you can always find the mechanic, it’ll be easy to try to get a seat helping them on the next project.

Two more things, and we are done.

One LAST NOte: The rule of cool

The last note on this is that the place you choose to set up as a bar, that piece of scrap or thing you trade, or the task you perform for others needs to be FUN and COOL. The ‘secret sauce’ of making money is really to remember that this is a game, and folks generally want to have a good time. If they feel included, involved, or it’s memorable, you’ll get repeat customers in no time. When you practice the 10 Foot Rule, you’ll get folks involved and they will want to be around you.

Imagine you have two choices to spend currency with — the guy who taps a hammer for 20 minutes and then gives you armor back, or a person that has a kinetic role play that borders on a performance. They hammer, saw, build things, get greasy, give you a cool upgrade to your kit, or just make a memory. They get you to hold down a loose piece of metal while they clamp it in place, and you feel like a participant, and not just the audience. That’s the kind of thing you pay for again and again.

If the experience is boring, it’ll cost you customers.

If that doctor has a particularly gory and gruesome process to fix up your limb, you’ll remember that experience way more than someone hovering hands nearby you while they count to 60. If every time you purchase from a junk dealer they give you a neat card to punch for a free trinket, you’ll be likely to come back to them. If they make something cool or custom, or it has a neat phys rep, you’ll be WAY more likely to spend currency there than just simply buying an item card. If it’s tasty, they’ll come back to buy more. Dig into the genre, and you’ll generally find success.

Make it worth their time, and make it memorable. Remember, the Rule of Cool trumps basically all other tips or tricks. People will spend silly amounts of currency and scrap on a thing if it’s worth their TIME, or it makes a MEMORY. The limit of the customer for a given element is directly proportional to its awesomeness. Stated another way, all but the most pedantic of players will forgive liberties with reality or if that thing takes a bit longer as long as the result is wicked sweet or awesome.

The Rule of Cool is very subjective, though. What’s fun to you may not be fun to others. Keep your eyes open, and listen. Change things up if it’s not working. This is a talent, and not something that always happens right away. Keep iterating, and keep improving, and you’ll find your niche in the Economy in no time!

one last, last note: online vs Live play

The online event represents a great way for chapters to run an event when they don’t have access to an affordable game site, or during inclement weather like a Texas summer, or a frigid winter, and it’s great for folks that may not be able to afford to travel a live event. It’s a valuable asset for a lot of games, and it’s not going away any time soon, especially with the new Virtual Play Guide. It’s a necessary part for some DR chapters to survive, but it’s had a definite impact on the economy side of the game.

While there is always going to be some instability of the economy due to the systemic choices within the game itself, the DR economy can be very volatile and there’s a big impact on live games from the “loot” given out by Online games. In most Online events, there’s generally some way to generate resources like scrap and currency via spreadsheet or some other form or process. In DR Live, there are some new limitations on how many total item cards can be made or how much crafting time can be used during that online event. Even with this limitation, there’s a natural advantage to econ behaviors during an online event.

Items acquired during Online game are made with little to no risk.

In a normal live event, if you try to farm up a Basic Herb in the crafting zone, there’s always a risk you might be interrupted by a horde of zombies or raiders. If you start working on that expensive Artisan project at the workbench, you’d better consider having a bodyguard nearby with a quick healing brew or the Interfere skill. There’s always some risk that comes with acquiring item cards in a live event, and there’s some natural limitations. The Post Office isn’t always open, and sometimes there is a line. You gotta sleep sometime, or at least use the bathroom, and there’s no real way to craft for all 22 hours or so of usable time you have during an event.

That all changes with online.

During an online event, you can earn materials by participating in a module. You get a perfect six hours of crafting, with no downtime between projects. You can complete actions on a Zone of Mechanics in a Discord channel, or you can send in a spread sheet of all of your Mind expenditures in game. The thing that changes is EFFICIENCY. There’s no wait at the Post Office for that item. You don’t have to walk across the Meadow to get that shiny new herb card. You don’t have to spend 20 minutes at a workbench in the Depot hammering away at that new armor, you can type a command into a channel and drink a cup of coffee. You can spend hours at your computer typing in commands in a script way easier than you can sit and farm item cards in a live event. You can interact with all sorts of players from all over the network through the magic of the internet, and can trade digital item cards to your heart’s content, all while completing these econ behaviors.

There’s no real way to compete with this effect, and I’m not sure there ever will be as long as online games continue to exist. National has made some big strides recently in providing expiration dates for stuff like meals and herb from online events, but online events are a HUGE advantage for the dedicated econ player. If you have a few players in your chapter that regularly exploit the online event for econ behaviors, they will have an advantage that you will never match if you only attend a live event.

Buyer beware.