TFA is a bit strained at points but I think it's more of a pseudo play analogy for certain specific concepts d&d can show that might have been made to an actual d&d group that might have been mentioned during an interviewIf I employed this guy I would fire him for thinking D&D models economics at any useful level.
psrudoplsu analogy
Right. Only if the DM knows how economics is supposed to work and cares enough to make the fantasy game world reflect that.I think MMORPGs do a better job of teaching and modeling economics. I believe there have been a few academic papers on that subject. But in a TTRPG it's too easy for the players to influence the DM, or for the DM to control things in an unrealistic manner.
I think MMORPGs do a better job of teaching and modeling economics.
I believe Eve Online works under that model.So, while MMORPGs have many people, and money, there's a major thing that is apt to be missing: are prices in the world based on the demands of people in the world, or upon some outside assessment of absolute value?
If the price of X in the world is set by the game because the game designers say it is powerful, there's no real economic model at work. If the price of X in the world is set by how many people try to buy X, and how much they are willing to pay, then there's an economic model.
The real problem then is that while you can have an economic model, there's no guarantee that this model reflects anything like the real world - If I teach you a fantasy economy, that's not much help anywhere else.
So, while MMORPGs have many people, and money, there's a major thing that is apt to be missing: are prices in the world based on the demands of people in the world, or upon some outside assessment of absolute value?
If the price of X in the world is set by the game because the game designers say it is powerful, there's no real economic model at work. If the price of X in the world is set by how many people try to buy X, and how much they are willing to pay, then there's an economic model.