There are very few items that have value in this game. For example:
We are in space, equipment for dealing with that should hold value. Every character comes with a mask and air tank. The hallways are littered with O2 closets. There are several locations with large tank dispensers.
Paramedics get a hardsuit. There are quite a few hardsuits in EVA. Captain gets his own hardsuit. Security has separate hardsuits in the armory. IIRC firesuits provide some hardsuit level protection.
Atmos hardsuits have much more value, because they protect against plasma fire.
We have antagonists, so weapons are a necessity. In particular are guns, as they allow for distance which make a variety of items, stun prod, stun baton, stun gloves, useless.
Guns are present in the armory. Guns can be bought by Cargo for cash, which itself has little to no value, in particular with with the $5,000 cargo has access to, as well as the larger cache the HoP and Captain can get. Guns can be produced by Science. Traitors can purchase a revolver as well as other items, such as the crossbow, arguably a much bigger value than the revolver(regens ammo, causes a guaranteed stun).
To a chemist, larger beakers hold value. They take time to procure which takes away from their job. The large beakers themselves are not difficult to create or carry around. Bringing larger beakers to a chemist tends to make them very open to making you something. To Science, minerals hold value. Science and Mining have a great bartering relationship. Miners bring in the Minerals, and Science gives them all kinds of shit. Why?
It takes time away from doing Science to do the Mining. Time is very valuable in this game.
The Chef largely relies on the Botanist for ingredients. The bartender relies on a couple of departments if they want specialty drinks. Cargo relies on the QM's money(and by proxy mining).
The basic take away and discussion I'd like to result from this is, first and foremost we've got to give items more value. If a bartering system can't exist, a working money-based economy also cannot. Yes, you can barter as things stand- however, if you're not willing to barter, there typically exists an alternative and relatively convenient way to get what you want.
The above is all kind of essentially fact, or the way things are, somewhat subjectively. The following is my personal suggestion to how things could be directed towards having an economy.
1) Atmos hardsuits are valuable. This is because they are rare compared to most hardsuits. To increase value, decreasing the presence of a large amount of goods to skeletal levels is our best bet. We should come up with a list of things which are very readily available which we could decrease the availability of. To use the example of the Titanic, we should have less life boats than we have people(starting out).
2) A lot of things can be created in various departments. Certain things can only be brought station side through cargo. Right now that's mostly a few specialty items with no real utility. If a lot of things can only be obtained through Cargo(air tanks, masks, even the box in your backpack), this gives much more incentive to ordering via Cargo, which would give more incentive for people ordering to pay for their items, or for Cargo to have, say, air tanks ready for sale.
There is a request console in various departments, for example in Chemistry. Cargo could use a big update to its UI for the consoles as well as the way we request items between departments, to allow for cash transactions, to fill out an order for Cargo from your department, etc etc.
If Security wants a pill bottle of 14 15u hyperzine pills, let them remotely pay and order this from the Security department.
If the Bar is very dirty, they can pay the Janitor a nominal fee to come by for a bit.
If Medbay wants their equipment upgraded, they can pay Mechanics to do so.
If an assistant wants to make a mini medbay, they can request science to build them a Cryo.
The main things I think we need to consider(and order of importance to consider) are:
Increase the value of items via rarity and ability to produce them
Revamp Cargo console's UIs
Revamp the system of requesting goods
Consider removing the majority of the cash readily available except where necessary: Give Cargo a minimal fund. Give Science a minimal fund to be able to buy Minerals from Cargo.
Once the above things are done, consider THEN to assign a cash value to things: Revamp the costs of Cargo items to accommodate this. Consider the most requested size of a Hyperzine pill to be 15u: add a standard cash value to this. Consider the mineral cost of building certain things and the research required, like a Cloner, in order to assign a cash value for buying minerals and for selling the construction of a cloner.
There are very few items that have value in this game. For example:
We are in space, equipment for dealing with that should hold value. Every character comes with a mask and air tank. The hallways are littered with O2 closets. There are several locations with large tank dispensers.
Paramedics get a hardsuit. There are quite a few hardsuits in EVA. Captain gets his own hardsuit. Security has separate hardsuits in the armory. IIRC firesuits provide some hardsuit level protection.
Atmos hardsuits have much more value, because they protect against plasma fire.
We have antagonists, so weapons are a necessity. In particular are guns, as they allow for distance which make a variety of items, stun prod, stun baton, stun gloves, useless.
Guns are present in the armory. Guns can be bought by Cargo for cash, which itself has little to no value, in particular with with the $5,000 cargo has access to, as well as the larger cache the HoP and Captain can get. Guns can be produced by Science. Traitors can purchase a revolver as well as other items, such as the crossbow, arguably a much bigger value than the revolver(regens ammo, causes a guaranteed stun).
To a chemist, larger beakers hold value. They take time to procure which takes away from their job. The large beakers themselves are not difficult to create or carry around. Bringing larger beakers to a chemist tends to make them very open to making you something. To Science, minerals hold value. Science and Mining have a great bartering relationship. Miners bring in the Minerals, and Science gives them all kinds of shit. Why?
It takes time away from doing Science to do the Mining. Time is very valuable in this game.
The Chef largely relies on the Botanist for ingredients. The bartender relies on a couple of departments if they want specialty drinks. Cargo relies on the QM's money(and by proxy mining).
The basic take away and discussion I'd like to result from this is, first and foremost we've got to give items more value. If a bartering system can't exist, a working money-based economy also cannot. Yes, you can barter as things stand- however, if you're not willing to barter, there typically exists an alternative and relatively convenient way to get what you want.
The above is all kind of essentially fact, or the way things are, somewhat subjectively. The following is my personal suggestion to how things could be directed towards having an economy.
1) Atmos hardsuits are valuable. This is because they are rare compared to most hardsuits. To increase value, decreasing the presence of a large amount of goods to skeletal levels is our best bet. We should come up with a list of things which are very readily available which we could decrease the availability of. To use the example of the Titanic, we should have less life boats than we have people(starting out).
2) A lot of things can be created in various departments. Certain things can only be brought station side through cargo. Right now that's mostly a few specialty items with no real utility. If a lot of things can only be obtained through Cargo(air tanks, masks, even the box in your backpack), this gives much more incentive to ordering via Cargo, which would give more incentive for people ordering to pay for their items, or for Cargo to have, say, air tanks ready for sale.
The main things I think we need to consider(and order of importance to consider) are: