[Basic] Skills of the week: Economics, Finance and Market Analysis

[Xplo]

Originally Posted by Overheat

The problem that I see with axing Economics is that it is actually useful in an RPG setting if you are running a kingdom or country. The guy in charge should know a thing or two, and have people on staff dedicated to the subject.

Not only that, Economics is good for explaining the past and why things happen. I see it as at least a skill like History or Philosophy. You will never use those to get out of a locked room with a bomb in it, yet I do not think anyone wants to kick out History.

That's still what it's useful for in the real world, though. What is it good for in the game? How does a PC use it to advance their agenda? What does it do that's worth points? You compare it to History and Philosophy, but even History is good for "you remember some relevant lore and/or have a good idea" (similar to Literature), and Philosophy is an almost entirely useless skill in game unless you contrive to give it value by making it a prerequisite for supernatural abilities.

(Aside: I find the necessity to choose specific foci for History a real impediment to taking it. It's a useless enough skill as it is without having to limit yourself to a small subset of history. I get that real historians specialize, but what if you just want the kind of broad overview you would get if you actually paid attention in school? I guess you could take a Dabbler perk and load it full of required history specialties, but that seems clunky.)

If all Economics is really good for is getting a job, then I can't see why not to make it an Expert skill, and that would help sharpen the distinction between it and Finance.

[Engurrand]

Economics is akin to philosophy, but for banks and businessfolk, rather than churches and priests. Give appropriate circumstances, might you permit an economics roll for effects normally listed for philosophy?

[whswhs]

What I see as uses of economics:

If you are a ruler, or an advisor to a ruler, it lets you predict the consequences of adopting a particular law or policy. You can use this to choose policies that suit your goals, or identify likely harmful effects of policies under consideration. Or you can use it as a complementary skill to Public Speaking to win a debate, or to Politics to pass a law.

If you are an entrepreneur, you can use it to anticipate the effects of a law or policy on your industry, and on your firm's position within the industry, and decide what to lobby for or against. Or you can use it to anticipate the impact of ongoing changes, and estimate what conditions will be in some number of years, so that you can plan ahead.

If you are an agent of an advanced galactic civilization, you can use it to describe the economic organization of a newly discovered world, and predict the impact of proposed interventions. Likewise if you're a time agent visiting the past.

If you're a labor union analyst, you can use it to calculate the cost of living and decide how much of a raise to ask for, or whether benefits are really worth the wage hikes you have to give up to get them.

Those are some examples.

[evileeyore]

Originally Posted by Xplo

What do you cook with Economics?

The books.




Yes I know, I know, but it was to good to pass up. I'd use Economics as a Complimentary skill to Finance, Market Analysis, and Merchant.

[WaterAndWindSpirit]

Maybe Economics or Market Analysis could be used to answer questions such as:

"Alright, we downed a squad of mooks with EMP proof gear, the best quality available, lots of expensive ammunition and high tech equipment. Who could theoretically pay for all that without having a dent in it's budget, assuming X number of such squads?"

[vicky_molokh]

In the (now finished) Transhuman Space campaign, there were changes in markets that were relevant. Notably, there was a rapid decrease in the cost of nuclear fuel pellets (something like -30% over the course of a month), as well as an increase of demand for Ghosting Clinic services in a certain areas. Predicting either or both of those events would've been of benefit to the party, financially speaking. That's what Market Analysis could be useful for in a campaign.

Also, while I haven't played in one, any Tramp Freighter campaign should benefit from it!

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Also, while I haven't played in one, any Tramp Freighter campaign should benefit from it!

You know, I could use that in my current TL1 fantasy campaign. The PCs are co-owners of a mechant ship travelling to a little-known distant shore. There isn't really a skill of Economics at TL1, even though it's not a technological skill; what the ancient Greeks called "economics" was household management—economics began to emerge at TL4 in the writings of the Jesuits and crystallized at TL5 in Adam Smith's work. But they could use the Finance-3 or Merchant-6 default to try to anticipate what goods were suitable exports or suitable purchases.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by whswhs

But they could use the Finance-3 or Merchant-6 default to try to anticipate what goods were suitable exports or suitable purchases.

I think requiring success on default Market Analysis to do that at all is a bit harsh. Un-penalised Merchant should give you some idea about what will be saleable somewhere else where you're familiar with the local market. Success on Market Analysis could let you anticipate what will be in short supply and/or heavy demand at the other end of your trip.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by johndallman

I think requiring success on default Market Analysis to do that at all is a bit harsh. Un-penalised Merchant should give you some idea about what will be saleable somewhere else where you're familiar with the local market. Success on Market Analysis could let you anticipate what will be in short supply and/or heavy demand at the other end of your trip.

Of course. But this is trying to figure out what to take across the ocean to foreign lands that they've never visited, and with which there's limited trade. They're precisely not familiar with the markets there.

[johndallman]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Of course. But this is trying to figure out what to take across the ocean to foreign lands that they've never visited, and with which there's limited trade. They're precisely not familiar with the markets there.

Ah, much harder. Merchant-6 seems plausible.