The Daily Grind: Do you like playing the merchant?
It's hard to deny that there's a certain appeal in playing the market in a game. While the stakes are certainly lower than in real life -- a failed investment deprives you of only in-game currency, with rare exceptions -- the successes feel just as visceral. Certainly it's something that EVE Online has capitalized on, to the point where some of the game's detractors complain that it's all-consuming. And of course, therein lies the problem -- some players log in to get away from the economic concerns of the real world.
More recent games have veered away from having players act as merchants, instead choosing to make buying and selling almost wholly reliant upon auction houses. Of course, games like Recettear prove that there's still some appeal in playing a virtual tradesman for some. What do you think? Do you like having the option of carving out your particular niche in a virtual world as a crafter and salesman? Or would you rather have games focus on grand adventure, and leave the mundane tasks of shopkeeping to the NPCs?
Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of our readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's The Daily Grind!
