Interesting post @
Juuuhan, and that is why I started this thread, to see interesting posts, and hear what people think. Pros and cons. And to get the attention of the devs of course. :happy:
First and foremost I can't change a damn thing regarding the poll, it just won't accept any further edit. But call it simplicity or gameplay or whatever you wish, I was mainly thinking of immersion and not problems of development and implementation.
Second, this was never supposed to be a frustrating element in gameplay and my thought wasn't 'Ooh, here's a good way for CDPR to create frustration and to piss people off.' Frankly I give CDPR more credit than that, they're the best devs out there! Nor was it supposed to be Witcher stock market exhange simulation or a tycoon enterprise game where you have to ride across the entire map 'because the vendors won't take my orens' or what have you. Check previous posts, because I feel I've adressed this already, that the system would be automatic and not a hassle for the player.
Granted, my interest in this is for immersion foremost, but the reason for me creating this thread was remembering the Novigrad Crown, realising that having the Oren as the main(and only) currency(as in Witcher 1 and 2) in Novigrad and the rest of Witcher 3 areas...frankly would be quite ridiculous. How would the devs explain the lack of the Crown? Especially in Novigrad, Redania? Even more so in a large area where you cross the border of several kingdoms, and where an invading army probably brought their own wares and gold to do business.
And if Temeria now is a country divided, you can bet that the Oren isn't the strongest currency in the world, nor would Emperor Emhyr var Emreis relinquish the opportunity to increase his own influence with the spreading of the Floren. It's a plain statement spreading your own minted coin in an area you've conquered. That is if Emhyr's face or the Nilfgaard Sun now are depicted on the Floren, I honestly have no idea. But spreading your own currency is nonetheless a strong statement as it clearly says: "We're here to stay."
If you read the Last Wish or Blood of Elves you know that discussing money, investing in gems, haggling of prices for services rendered are everyday business. Yes, even for a witcher. It does not take up many sentences in the books but it is mentioned. Also mentioned is that the Crown and Oren have different values and exchange rates and then there was the rivalry of the customs war.
In my interpretation a currency system wouldn't mean Geralt buying buildings or shares of stock or investing in a trading fleet while building a powerful merchant empire. But perhaps there would be different buy/sell prices in stores in different areas while using different currency in different places of the game?
I can't remember where, it's old news, but think I read that there's an local economy system confirmed and an area that has a surplus of certain wares will pay less if you try to sell them more of the same wares. And why wouldn't they? Now I don't know if this feature will be in Witcher 3 or not, but I think it's great if it is.
And then there's the banks. Novigrad has more than one. They are confirmed. What do you usually do at a bank? I can think of a mission or two, maybe preventing/aiding a heist like in Witcher 1? And exchanging currency. Perhaps the banks won't even be accessible, and will just be there for show, but they will be present in Witcher 3.
I'm sure the Oren still has a place in Witcher economy, I am no expert, but for it to be the exclusive means for payment on the market? What would that say in a world involving a massive area that include several different countries engulfed in an invasion? That the Oren is so valuable now since Temeria was invaded? No, don't think so. Keeping the Oren as in previous games would be for the sake of simplicity.
Hell, I think Geralt even mentions Gors Velen in one gameplay video, so that's another currency altogether called the Noble. We even have Skellige islands, and I have no idea what pass for currency there. Pounds and Crowns have both been mentioned here.
I ask and pose an interesting question, but I do not claim have the answer. I do not develop games, and honestly, I won't be diappointed for long if this is ignored by the devs altogether. It's their decision. If they go with Crowns, they go with Crowns, and if the go with Orens...I will possibly think of entire regions still dealing exclusively in Orens from a kingdom that's not as strong and influential as it once was.
Besides, I think the issue has already been adressed, as seen here:
It's an image, nothing more, but still.
Thanks to @
Kinley for providing it. Now there's but a depiction of coins at the top. Possibly they will only call it currency or nothing at all, and just show a value of an items worth right next to these yellow coins. Perhaps those "fans" you speak of would be glad to at least see that this is adressed by the devs by just adding different coins as seen in that image. I know I would.
