Vending Machines and Turnstiles

[Just A Bill]

I was thinking about why coins didn't catch on recently. IRL coins solved a problem that we don't have in Cantr(determing purity and weight of metal).

Perhaps we could make coins solve a problem that we do have, namely that of sleeping people. Perhaps we could make vending machines and turnstiles. This would allow people to put out goods and services for sale at prices they determine. Anyone wishing to buy from this person could then insert one or more coins and purchase whatever they want, even if the trader that set up the machine is asleep.

The vending machine would be a form of lockable storage. Anyone with a key could get at the contents of the machine, and could also set up the coins it would accept, and how much credit would be given for each coin. He should be required to have one of each coins that he intends to use when setting up the machine. Then he should be able set up the prices of anything in the machine.

Other users would be able to view the coin/goods price rates, as well as the current contents of the machine. Then he could insert coins into the machine, adding credits to it. Then he could purchase materials from the machine, just like taking them from storage.
They could also break the lock...

A turnstile would be an addition to a normal lock, once created, a key holder for the lock could set up what coins the machine would accept and how much it would cost to enter/exit from the locked room. Perhaps a cheap turnstile could be created that could be "jumped" by people. This would generate an event visible to those inside and outside the building, but allow access to the building. A more expensive turnstile with multiple poles could be jump proof.

You might make it a project required to interact with the machine, this would prevent someone from waiting till you insert a coin into a machine, then quickly using the machine, basically stealing your credit. Or you might not...

[Pie]

Maby..... Although, this does seem to be somthing nobody will use.. since people don't have coins anyway.

[Hellzon]

Me likey. While Pie makes a good point, maybe this will spur coin production. Just maybe...

/Hellzon - slot machine

[David]

How about a modified version of this idea... you could set this vending machine to accept any raw resource... however it sort of automates things and may run the risk of reducing player interaction too much.

You could have a vending machine with an attachable inputand output hopper the larger the hopper the more you could fit. That way someone would have actually use it and maintain it rather than just allow limitless amounts in and out. That would create a new occupation entirely, like a cashier

[Pie]

You see a man in his twentys insert 5000g of hemitite into a vending machine.

You see a man in his twentys get a sword out of a vending machine.

You are sliced by a man in his twentys by a sword.


................. Will you just look at that........ A way to give suicidic newspawns swords........

[David]

That's a good point, its a question of how restrictive these vending machines would be, maybe they should require a lot of rare pieces to put together and prohibitive costs... maybe they should have to be manned by someone in order to function only the person with a built in code can use it if they die it becomes useless? This is something that should be limited to highly developed civilizations... I'm kinda worried about that senario myself

[TatteredShoeLace]

I don't think machines can acknowledge the "value of a coin" Most IG coins are only worth what they say because characters accept their values.

[David]

That's part of the reason why I thought if it was implemented that raw resources should be the currency, less code to deal with that way to I would think, it would put the burden of defining what for what more on the player than the coder, since the placeholders are all there for raw resources already instead of having to code for each kind of unique coin everyone mints if cantr even recognizes an actual difference... plus I really don't see coin use coming off the ground anytime soon in any real way, people are more likely to use them if raw resource is the medium of exchange.

Maybe a way around the hematite to sabre problem would be just allowing raw resource to resource exchange at first or maybe permanenantly...

[creepyguyinblack]

It seems like it would be more advanced than some cantr technology, but for this to work, the builder/owner of the machine would have to have access to a special menu of some sort to dictate the value he/she wants assigned to each coin to use and resource/object within.

[Just A Bill]

I thought about using raw materials as inputs and this indeed would work, but not encourage use of coins. Not sure if the game design should encourage/discourage anything, but it seemed to be a goal of many people...

The value of the coins would be set by whomever has the key to the vending machine, and they would have to have one of the coins in question to do it. The interface might require putting the coin into the vending machine/container, then clicking an icon on the coin in the machine to set up the value of the coin for that machine, possibly different buy and sell values. In other words, If a coin is made of a metal and press not defined, the coin would not be accepted.

Lets say I had my own business and had a mint that makes "Bills Coins" I mint them in copper and iron. Once I have made my vending machine I would insert one of each coin into the machine, then viewing the contents of the machine I would I would click on a new icon next to each coin in the machine "Set Buy Price". which would bring up and amount of "credit" I want to give for each coin. This credit is abstract and may vary from machine to machine and coin to coin. Lets say I set the value of a copper "Bills Coin" at 10 credits and a iron "Bills Coin" at 100 credits. Both as "Buy Price" only. Now I put some potatoes in the machine. Viewing the potatoes in the machine I click the "Set Sell Price" icon next to the potatoes in the machine. Now I am asked how many g of potatoes I want to sell for 1 credit. I select 10g. Now I have a machine that can trade one of my copper coins for 100g of potatoes, and trade a iron coin for 1000g of potatoes.

Note that I could have done the same thing by setting the copper coin to 1 credit, the iron coin to 10 credits and offering 100g potatoes per credit. If I also want to sell wood in addition to carrots, I add wood to the machine and set its price. If I want a machine that can make change, I set the "Sell Price" for the coins as well as the resources. Items would probably need to be priced on an individual basis as the will differ in decay state...

If you want to encourage coinage, don't allow anyone to set a "Buy Price" for anything other than coin, otherwise allow them to set buy and sell prices for anything...

[avi messika]

But how would the "buyer" get a hold of a "Bills" coin. Interaction is still required to some extent.

The whole idea so far to me seems to become a way for businesses to pay their workers in: whatever the workers prefer...I like the idea, I just don't see it really as anything but a fun thing to play with (outside of complicating it)

Where I see it helping would be a longtime worker. Saves up his or her coins, let's say they want wood, so the longtime worker has 10 coins, each coin is worth 1000 grams of wood in the vending machine. Then when he finally gets all 10 of his coins he uses the 10 kilos of wood to make a house. Basically allowing him to hold more weight...I'm rambling and have been for a bit, but it just doesn't seem too practical.

[UloDeTero]

I like this idea. However:
I think vending machines should only be for resources, but not for complex items. In other words, you'd be able to buy, say, tomatoes, wood, maybe even smoked meat, but you wouldn't be able to buy something like a chair, an oven or a car.

I like Just A Bill's idea of how to define which coins are used in the machine. But perhaps just one coin should be defined as the main 'base' coin, and the other coins valued in relation to it. As an example, a £1 coin is a 'base' coin, and would by default be worth "1"(all base coins would be worth "1"). If you used a 1p coin also, it would be set at a value of '0.01'. In other words, 1p is worth one hundredth of £1. The same applies if you replace '£' with '$' and 'p' with '¢'.

Then the items are valued in the same way, but only the items can be bought (unless the vending machine is set up to 'sell' coins also or change money. Perhaps there could be different kinds of machine for different purposes?) Buying an item wouldn't have to be a project, I don't think, because the goods would be obtained immediately. Perhaps it can be done as 'Give coin to... Vending Machine'? Or 'Store coin in... Vending Machine'? But how would your charrie press the buttons, or 'ask' for what he wants?
As far as where to obtain coins, they would be simply be given in payment for goods etc instead of trade. Coins are basically just another resource...

[avi messika]

so if I understand your point...it would act like a barrel? But you would have to put in to take out...and only one person, with the key, could put in?

[N-Aldwitch]

I honestly think this is one of the best ideas I've read yet.
To make it nice and simple rather than convenient for everyone (XD SORRY! ), here's my contribution.

Simply, when you click the vending machine, it has a list of raw materials inside it, and how much the person has set the price at. This would be determined by the maker with the unique key adjusting the per gram/coin ratio.
So let's say there's 10,000 grams of hematite in there only. The ratio is 100 grams/1 copper coin, 1000 grams/1 iron coin etcetera.
Once the to-be buyer has seen this page, he/she clicks continue or what ever, selects which raw material to purchase, it goes to the next page, and he/she selects how many coins to put in.
Item appears in his/her inventory, or if it doesn't fit, on the ground.

Note that I emphasis that I would only like this implemented. That means you MUST have coins to buy it, no other material, if you want to trade it for raw materials guys, then please talk to the person who owns it!! XD XD

It's rather .. silly talking about this in a way, if you think about it. Jos doesn't like Automation (or does he? I thought he doesnt ) and I'm not too sure if he'll be awefully happy about it.

Comments, suggestions?

[Just A Bill]

The person with the key could put in and take out at will, without paying for anything. This lets him restock the inventory, and take the money out.