[gameprogrammer] Re: PC game Outsourcing
- From: Alexander Whaley <awhaley@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: gameprogrammer@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Thu, 29 Apr 2004 07:12:00 +0200
Following this thread is fascinating. The more I read, the more I think
that "pure" capitalism will never work.
To use the "environmental" analogy: it makes sense for a pure capitalist
to push his/her product to be the cheapest. So, if I want to build a
plant that produces paper, why don't I build one in Brazil. Then once
the "cheap" wood there is gone, I move on to another country. Why pay
for recycling when I can just as easily just cut the cost out of my
spreadsheet, after all, the world is good for at least another 100 years
or so. By then I will be dead and who really cares about the rest?
By the way, why do those who believe in "may the best product win" (ie
capitalism) also seem to pay their taxes? After all, why pay taxes when
you can hire your own
law-enforcer/fireman/doctor/teacher/street-cleaner/etc and get the best
person to do the job. This will save money and everything will become
more efficient.
Or is that too much bother? What happens when people join together to
deliver a better product (eg a cheaper police force for their
community). Then do you join them? How do you decide on where this new
police force spend its time? Seems to me you become a "mini" goverment
soon and we are back at square one.
Also, as soon as you start worrying about your impact on others, you are
no longer truly a "capitalist". But then, you must decide where you draw
the line, how much help you give to others. For example, I want my
friends to do well. granted, they are not all geniuses like I am (I am
truly brilliant in chemistry by the way ;) ) but, I want them to have
some money. Why? Because if they don't have money then they can't buy my
product. Aaah, but they can develop their own product. True, but it is
easier for them to do "affirmative shopping" and redistribute my wealth
to the "needy". After all, they are very good at it and thus they have
developed a good product. Seems like pure capitalism to me. And now, I
am hurting because I was just relieved of my "extraneous" assets.
We can dissect this question a million ways. Eventually, the people not
affected will not see a problem. Those who are affected will cry bloody
murder. I think that we should read the biographies of the great
inventors of the last 2 centuries. Most of them collaborated at some
level or another. Sitting together on train journeys, in restaurants,
etc and thye discussed their ideas. They knew who had thought of what
and cooperated for what they percieved to be "the good of science". True
we got the atomic bomb out of them, but a lot of other good came out of too.
By the way, you have all given me 2 brilliant ideas for an in-game
dynamic. Someone asked me: "how will your game be any different from CIV
III? Well, now I know of one more aspect. I will give players the
opportunity to help other players to develop. They will be able to
donate money for specific projects which will raise the standard of
living of the poeple in the other country. Then they will be able to
increase trade as they will be able to sell their products. (eg, I have
all the iron mines and I want to seel iron goods to the neighbour). This
idea is not original I am basing it it on the news I read a few years
back that the US had granted China preferential trading status (ie
exempt of certain import taxes for X years), in exchange of which US
companies got early access to the Chinese markets after Y years.The
second idea is that I will allow the military to divide its spending
between "action" units (troops) and "intel" units. Then the intel
units's time can be devoted to straling trade info from the other
players, resulting in a boost in commerce for my country.
THESE will NOT be available in a CAPITALISTIC government as it would
mean that inferior products will be pushed forward.
What do yous think? Would it make the game stand out a bit?
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