So you’ve finally reached level 70 in Maple Story! Hurray for you! But wait – your equipment costs HOW much?
The currency systems on many MMORPGs are very similar. Here are three simple steps you can take to make sure you always have money in-game. While this guide won’t be applicable to some games, it will work on most.
Step 1: Pick everything up.
You have no idea how many times I’ve seen higher level players in different games leave their loot behind for me to clean up. No matter what level you are, money is money. Even the tiny amount you get from killing lower-level monsters will add up over time.
And never leave behind loot – especially equipment you find in your travels. You can sell these to NPCs, sometimes for more money than the monsters themselves drop.
Step 2: When you can, sell to real people.
Sometimes the price that an NPC will give you does not reflect how much an item is really worth. Rarity, demand, and many other factors can contribute to an inflation in price among real players that does not affect NPCs. The bunny ear headband you just found might sell for 15 coins to an NPC, but an actual player might be willing to pay 1.5 million coins for it (because who doesn’t love bunny ears?).
Always double check how much an item is worth before selling it to the NPCs. This is especially true for higher-level equipment, rare drops, healing items, and items needed for quests (if they are especially hard to come by).
Step 3: Put money in the bank.
Many MMORPGs offer a storage system, where you can store items and money. I recommend using this feature to the fullest. Every time you pass one of these bank/storage places, deposit a portion of your money into it. In Maple Story, for example, I never leave a town with more than 20k on me. By the time I get to another town, I’ve already gotten enough money to leave more in storage.
Why do this? Simple. When you have money, you are tempted to spend it (ah the parallels between real life and games!). In addition, this method is similar to getting interest in the bank. If every time you go to a bank, you leave behind some money, when you finally need those 10 million coins for a nifty shield, you will have collected that much. Once in a while you might have to do a double take: “I have HOW much in my bank?? But I never had that much at one time! I’ve been putting 20k coins in every time I come here!”
So as long as MMORPGs don’t come out with a credit card feature, (and as long as your game has a storage system), this step is foolproof.
Follow these steps and you will soon be on the road to riches! Or, at least, the road our of poverty. Now if only it were that easy in real life…