Capitalism is all very fine as an alternative theory for how the game could be played, but what about actually doing it? This guide is designed to help you start up a fledgling capitalist utopia in your home town using nothing more than what you can find on the ground.
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1: The Currency:
Although there are many different kinds of currency you can use, this is what I would suggest. One limestone = Two Wrought Iron = Three Lapis (or other rare mineral). These three currency types can be used for most transactions in the game. Just tell the youngsters what the currencies are (or write it down) and then start trading. Each village will likely have varying exchange rates and when you’re starting out you might want to make some areas like the basic farms and sheep pen public as well as relying on some friendly goodwill from your neighbours to share stuff when there is not enough currency to go around.
2: The Favour:
From a practical point of view, the favour is the main use of your hard earned dosh. The more money there is, the bigger the favour. For example, if I gave my neighbour one limestone they might let me borrow their knife for a minute so I could slaughter some sheep. Whereas if I gave the smith one lapis lazuli they might actually give me a knife to keep so I could tend my sheep pen freely and sell the resources I get from it. Quite a lot of transactions in Ohol are messy and are not easy to quantify, which is where favours come in. If you need a supply of carrots for your sheep pen you might pay the carrot farmer one wrought iron in exchange for all the carrots you need for sheep food for one lifetime.
3: The Guild:
Once you have all this money and property and puppies (hopefully some day) you’ll need a place to put it. Of course individually keeping track of your own items in any large settlement would be a nightmare. Hence the Guild. Any established trade would have a “Head” who would usually be the eldest there. This Head would be in charge of your collective finances, directing your work and appointing apprentices who will one day become the Head themselves. Individuals within a Guild can still use resources from the Guild Store but only with the permission of the Head. It’s like a cross between a family and a company. You all share resources which means it’s easier to get locked chests to store them or put a guard to defend them. A village sheriff may also be useful for this purpose in a more general sense. Unless someone is a free lance worker or entrepreneur hoping to start a new guild, they will likely get picked up at the nursery by the Guild Head and trained in the art of shovelling dung, or whatever. If nobody picks you up from the nursery you might also decide to turn to public life. Anyone working for the public, such as tending the berry farms or doing law enforcement, should have a special hat or something so people know to give them what they need.
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I hope this clears up the practicalities of capitalism in Ohol. It is still very much an experimental system but one which could prove to be rather fun in the end. Until you have proper currency you may choose to simply rely on Favours that everyone remembers. Whatever happens though, make sure you teach the system to your kids so they can make a living themselves.