|
Post by zholud on Jan 24, 2004 14:28:44 GMT -5
And what commodity has exactly the same value to everyone, wherever they are and whatever the natural resources available? I agree that it is a fine idea to start with, but note that in the real world you have large number of subsitutes for many essentials, and moreover they are ranked/graded depending on allowance. Example to clarify the point: low income people may eat only grain, while richer may allow meat, grown with much larger amounts of grain... and second point, mentioned already by A. Smith in 1776 - diamonds VS. water. First are unnecessary (relatively, esp. at his time) while expensive, while second if 'free'. So, I call for caution. Oxygen on vaccum enclosed rock is way more valuabe than on some Terra type world...
|
|
|
Post by Kage2020 on Jan 25, 2004 11:06:21 GMT -5
I'm inclined to agree with zholud on this one. The setting of a good to determine the value of other goods across the worlds just doesn't work in my estimation. I'm not an economist but this seems like an inescapable conclusion, most especially for the reason posted by zholud above. Also, one has to remember that trade is a weird concept in the 40k universe at the best of times. Imported goods are automatically going to be more expensive than those produced elsewhere (if the world is capable of local manufacture, that is)... Kage
|
|
|
Post by Sojourner on Jan 25, 2004 12:33:04 GMT -5
My logic for doing this is simply that, in a given frame of reference, we can extrapolate actual worth of any good given the supply and demand dynamic of the local economy, if we have a stated value of relative worth for those goods.
I'm also not an economist, would help to find someone who is, perhaps.
|
|
|
Post by zholud on Jan 25, 2004 13:09:34 GMT -5
My logic for doing this is simply that, in a given frame of reference, we can extrapolate actual worth of any good given the supply and demand dynamic of the local economy, if we have a stated value of relative worth for those goods. Generally we could start with from the ceiling values in local world currency. Make essentials and wage for unskilled labour force to equal each other, i.e. lowly laboured just earn enough to buy food drink, clothes, drugs. Than you may introduce coefficient for skills, e.g. accountant skill coefficient 2 thus he gets twice the minimal sustainable wage… this is economically messy and inherently wrong, but we could play it as a rough guesstimates. Then you set unique counted items, e.g. ship or cathedral as needed given man-hours of labour with skill a, b, c… and capital (which could be separated as well) and technology (even in terms of learning by doing) and invisible resources (entrepreneurship spirit, etc). thus you could get some picture. I'm also not an economist, would help to find someone who is, perhaps. I am the one, and clearly not the worst one, BTW.
|
|
|
Post by Kage2020 on Jan 25, 2004 19:54:44 GMT -5
Perhaps GURPS Far Trader would be a good place to start...? I offer it only as a suggestion since it is one of the few books that I know that covers interstellar commerce in any structured format which may be appropriate. Kage
|
|