The state of the Azerothian economy
by Mike Schramm 
Feb 19th 2009 at 7:00PM
Thermalnoise over on the WoW LJ thought of a great poll, and the results are interesting. He asked readers there what the average amount of gold they had on their characters was, and I thought the amounts were relatively high: between 2,000 and 10,000g for about 40% of those polled. The other big chunk is between 200 and 2,000g (a little under 30% of respondents), which is where I'd expect most of the player base to be, but no: apparently Blizzard's bigger rewards in Wrath of the Lich King (not to mention the higher gold sinks, requiring us to try and raise more gold if we want to fly around or ride a mammoth) have made us richer as a whole.Thermalnoise also asked how much your savings of gold fluctuates, and for most people it apparently stays pretty much the same, or generally increases (probably as they run professions, do quests, or sell off drops and pay repairs). I'd imagine Blizzard is keeping a pretty close eye on just how our gold moves around, and that "steadily increase" is what they'd want all of our money to do, just to keep the game's economy moving around.
In fact, though I'm probably repeating myself here, it'd be nice to have them give us some insight on just what's happening with the ingame economy. We've gotten a few hints at what sells and doesn't on the realms, but it would be interesting to see some official numbers about the average amount of money that players have and keep at the various levels of the game. and exactly where it all goes when we spend it.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, Odds and ends, Blizzard, Economy, Leveling, Making money, Wrath of the Lich King
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
elstor Feb 19th 2009 7:06PM
How people come up with these things I'll never know. I'm a player not a genius, who needs to know about the WoW economy? All I need to know is about my economy (And I know, I'm flat broke after buying my Red Drake)
Anaughtybear Feb 19th 2009 10:54PM
True. I've said it before and I guess I gotta say it again:
There is no WoW economy.
There is supply and demand, but that is only what people are willing to pay on the auction house. Since it seems that there are a lot of rich players, prices can be high. This isn't how it works in real life/economy. People didn't start paying $1000.00 for a [Slice of Cheese] when cheeseburgers were invented.
Another reason there is no real economy in WoW is that spent gold doesn't go anywhere. When you buy a mammoth, that gold doesn't get taxed and spent to improve roads and health care for Orgrimmar guards. It just disappears. There are no tax rebates, nothing.
So it really doesn't matter how much gold you have. You don't affect anyone else. Saying that gold farmers ruin the economy is comparable to claiming that angels bring you cash from another dimension in real life. WoW gold and U.S. dollars are apples & oranges.
Mr Magoo Feb 19th 2009 11:31PM
While your arguments sound somewhat sensible they are not really.
Gold DOES vanish into the deep blue yonder via Blizzard gold sinks and so forth.
BUT...
Gold and resources rematerialise at the other end through farming, loot drops, etc which also come from Blizzard.
Think of it like an island nation without its own currency and with a big overseas investment company that owns lots of core infrastructure and stuff. They funnel money out of the country but the industries they run generate jobs and wealth also. Goods are imported and exported very frequently. It is very much an open economy. its currency is not limited to its own borders and is dictated by an external force and its own local supply/demand envionrment.
The "economy" of WOW would easily be defined as the real gold, items and resources that all players have in their posession at any one time. (again: think island nation like rarotonga)
Now this DOES fluctuate far more randomly than in the real world and resource and gold can "vanish" or "appear" out and in of thin air. But since we can "import" and "export" goods in real life, this is very similar.
This does not mean it is not an economy. Just a special one.
Kakistocracy Feb 19th 2009 11:35PM
Anaughtybear, if that last statement is your attempt to imply that you can't compare apples and oranges, I'd like to blow your mind...
Get ready...
Oranges are more orange than apples.
The seeds in apples are more centrally located.
Apples have thinner skin.
Oranges are more discernible segments.
Both grow on trees.
Both are fruit.
Both cause pain when thrown forcefully.
The pain caused by both varies by ripeness.
(I began by contrasting the two, then moved to comparing so as to not blow your mind too suddenly)
Xeren Feb 20th 2009 11:38AM
Anaughtybear, you sound like one of those moon landing deniers. If you would just think through everything you've said more carefully you are arguing that the WoW economy is DIFFERENT from that of a real world economy, not that it isn't one at all. Here's my favorite :
"Another reason there is no real economy in WoW is that spent gold doesn't go anywhere. When you buy a mammoth, that gold doesn't get taxed and spent to improve roads and health care for Orgrimmar guards."
True, the money doesn't "go" anywhere, but Blizz has copied the effects of it going somewhere. In WoW, all the cities are free to live in, and the security provided by the guards are free- or so you think. You have to pay a 5% cut on the AH. There's your sales tax.
In real life, things get old, and they have to repaired- WoW has repair bills, and things go obsolete and better models must be purchased.
I could go on an on like this, but the take away is, in a real world economy, you have money flowing into it and out of it by various means. WoW is no different, only the means by which that flow occurs are different.
Isomoeldre Feb 19th 2009 7:07PM
If you sell your greens and dont waste your money, youll eventually fly baybe.. thats what my motto is.
Melody Feb 19th 2009 7:15PM
I average about 300 Gold a day just by doing quests and dailies.
I mine alot and about 3-4 times a week, players give me tips as well as mats to craft them some gems or jewelry. Its easy to make gold in this game. I don't understand the begging that goes on in my realm.
Kassu Feb 19th 2009 7:30PM
I quested to 80 with my DK and after hitting Loremaster of Northrend I had enough money to buy my flyer, all 3 riding skills and powerlevel Inscription from 1 to 450.
But the economy itself is godawful, people don't know were and how much to undercut, I've seen price difference on, for example, the Nobles Deck be 5 grand (12K and 7K). That only leads to people undercutting even more and forcing others to sell at a loss and people STILL say that they "would rather wait with buying" because the prices are obviously dropping.
Jesus, if you want to undercut like that, do it on the trade channel, where it doesnt have such a permanent and painful effect on other suppliers...
Isomoeldre Feb 19th 2009 7:33PM
Well i am refering myself as a 76 Druid who was powerlevled (by myself) so havent got enything since new server.
On my DK 80 am a raiding tank and im not playing much on it so its hell of a job keeping up the money when i get these huge repair bills from 25 malygos tries.
But it seems you got time and effort for dailys and probably the proffesion to for it, so ofc its easy peacy ;)
QQInsider Feb 19th 2009 8:09PM
@Kassu:
If it's really worth 12k then a Noble's Deck up for 7k is a 5k profit to whoever buys it and resells it. If you can't resell it for 12k then it's not worth 12k, that's how an ecomony works.
Viper007Bond Feb 19th 2009 8:21PM
Selling your greens IS wasting your money. Have them disenchanted and then sell the mats on the AH -- you'll make a ton more money that way, especially with weapons.
Sleutel Feb 19th 2009 7:08PM
I generally build up a couple thousand gold before spending it on something (a gear upgrade, items to turn in for faction rep, etc.). It's ridiculously easy to make money on an 80--the other day, I probably made 800-1k gold just doing quests.
Alex Feb 19th 2009 7:12PM
1. Not saying you are, but this study is stupid. I'm quite sure most people "added" a few hundred-thousand gold in their amounts.
2. Considering this was asked on the forums, the people reading and posting there would be more involved within the game than the average person...therefore I doubt that "most people" have this much gold.
Sorry if I'm bitching, it just annoys me when I read skewed "findings".
Wakleon Feb 19th 2009 8:10PM
Once you hit 80 take the time to go back and finishing questing Northrend zones. I leveled Howling Fjord, Dragonblight, Grizzly Hills, Zul'Drak, and half of Storm Peaks before hitting 80. Yes, I know I could have leveled more efficiently. But I earned around 4k from completing Storm Peaks, Icecrown, and Sholazar. I have 50 quests done in Borean Tundra and am expecting around 500g from the other 100 quests.
For all the people still leveling, STOP. Go back and finish the other 68-71 area. They give roughly the same exp per quest (give or take a few thousand) but offer MUCH less gold. You can easily earn you normal flying, cold weather flying, and epic flying if you complete every quest in Northrend nit including any dailies. There are many dailies that offer anywhere from 12 to 25 or more gold depending on how many people you need to complete it.
Jack Spicer Feb 19th 2009 10:06PM
@Wakleon
I would say that is not good advice. Unless you're coming into Wrath with raid gear from BC or you run a lot of instances, clearing out all of the low level zones first before moving on is going to result in some pretty crappy gear on your toons when you hit 80. Level 68 quests give you level 68 gear.
Thander Feb 19th 2009 10:16PM
It's fine as long as you don't go straight into heroics from day one at 80. Blizzard made it easier but I still think they want fresh 80s to be doing normal 80 dungeons first. Level 75 blues in every slot is good enough for the most part. I mean we had a DK tanking with a few blues from the starting zones still equipped and had no problems running normals.
Zarzuur Feb 20th 2009 8:05AM
@Jack Spicer
But surely you don't suddenly stop at 80 with earlier gear, you continue! To get the later level gear and _gold_ aswell.
I would suspect most people have levelled both Borean Tundra and Howling Fjord. It also makes levelling faster because (starting at 70) you get ahead of the zone level.
Melody Feb 19th 2009 7:09PM
I have about 14,000 gold on my 80 Shaman
My 75 Priest has about 6000
My level 22 Druid has about 150 gold. LOL
Rob Feb 19th 2009 7:13PM
I'm actually really struggling with no gathering profs and no epic mount at 80. yes the dailies and the quests are there, and they are great, but it's a huge time sink to fly somewhere for 5-10 min, turn around, fly back 5-10 min. The three sons of hodir quests take 45 min or so to do. That's a nice 50g, but still, big time committement for me.
How do you make money without going bored out of your mind? I liked the Isle of QS dailies, they were always fun for me. But these dailies are too spread out, and the rewards are too little.
Jamesisgreat Feb 19th 2009 7:39PM
I find the quickest dailes to do are the Knights of the Ebon Blade ones at both of their quest hubs in Icrcrown (though miss that godawful one opening chests if your in a rush as the drop rate is awful). After that head south and do the oracle/ frenzyheart quests in Scholoazar Basin. Takes about 40 mins on average and nets you around 130g.
And also gets you some nice rep as well :)