Modern online games develop an economy from different resources and items that have different values and rarity and can directly affect the wealth of each player, which is formed from his efforts and luck. Path of Exile 2, like the first part of the project, uses a different principle, where the main currency is also the main source of character boosting and puts you in a position to think through your progression.
- Path of Exile 2 relies on a system of orbs that serve both as currency and tools for modifying equipment.
- You have tons of orbs in the game that add unique functionality, making the economy flexible.
- The game’s trading system follows real-world supply-and-demand market principles, allowing dynamic prices and even bonus profit if you’re careful with how you trade.
- You can either grind for orbs through gameplay or purchase currency from other players or third-party platforms to accelerate your progress.
Alternatively, you could simply buy PoE 2 currency from other players or platforms like Skycoach and get a boost to skip the grind stage and go straight to the endgame stage. Still, the point I’m making is how Path of Exile does something incredibly interesting — contrasting its in-game with real-life currency and somehow making it work.
The Complete Orb And Currency System In Path Of Exile 2
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In most MMORPGs, the main and essentially the only important source of in-game transactions is gold, or another unit that has changed its name, such as Gil or Adena. In Path of Exile 2, however, there is no gold or a single fixed currency; instead, you’d use orbs, which are both tools for modifying equipment and a means of exchange between gamers.
This makes the game’s economy more flexible and creates a supply and demand system, where each orb can be part of the PoE 2 currency and have value, or, on the contrary, lose it.
The key orbs include:
- Chaos Orb: Randomly changes the stats for a rare item.
- Exalted Orb: Add a new characteristic to a rare item.
- Divine Orb: Assigns new parameters to an item.
- Orb of Alchemy: Increases the quality of a common item and transforms it into a rare one.
There’s also the Mirror of Kalandra, the rarest and most valuable item that can drop in the game, allowing you to create an exact copy of any weapon and armor.
The cost of all these items directly depends on the luck of all players on the server. Generally, you can simply exchange orbs as the main currency and influence the economy yourself. In most cases, it’s usually the Chaos, Divine, and Exalted orbs that form the basis of exchange among players.
The Game Economy’s Similarities With The Real Market
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The currency phenomenon is interesting because the economy works according to the real principles of a market economy. There is no common auction or fixed prices, and all exchanges take place between players that naturally form the price, taking into account personal benefit and the rarity of items. This brings it closer to a real market of goods and services, in which prices for goods change depending on supply and demand.
When trading, you have real-life factors like rate fluctuations and rarities that determine how a transaction will play out, bringing about the realism PoE 2 sets out to achieve. Since each orb does not have a fixed cost, its value can change several times per season, depending on how often players manage to get rare specimens in large quantities.
There’s also the dynamic aspect — prices depend on supply and demand, and this revives the economy and motivates all types of players to farm orbs in order to use them profitably or exchange them.
Conclusion
The economy in Path of Exile 2 is a project that can be considered from an economic point of view, as it uses a market financial system to regulate itself. There is no single currency here, and the value and the item of exchange are invented by the players themselves and set a price for them.
Orbs, which have different bonuses, can not only enhance your character but can also be exchanged between players. They can improve your equipment, expand its characteristics, strengthen your build, and even create duplicates of rare items.
All game interactions have applications in the real economy and depend on supply and demand, efforts, and approaches to the accumulation and consumption of resources.
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