Sort of silly to purchase a potion worth 500 for a gem worht 10000.... running about looking for a gem that is worth say 5 times the value of the item your wanting is sort of silly.

The inflation gets bad if you're offering the shopkeeper something they don't particularly want. If you're trying to pay for a pie with a dagger, it's going to have to be a darn good dagger, because otherwise the baker is just going to think "I don't want a dagger. I could sure use some cash to pay the rent, though." If you don't believe me, go to your corner store and try to buy things with baseball cards, your wristwatch, etc.

Cash is always preferable to goods, though. This is both realistic, and healthy from a game-balance perspective.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com