Why Ink Makes A Valid Currency Source

So I'm still confused. Is Ink intended to replace Pixels entirely, or is it just a material for crafting furniture?

 

With Pixels you buy Ink And Blueprints.
With Ink+Tier Materials+Blueprints you craft stuff.
You sell stuff for Pixels. Or Break stuff to make more Ink and materials.
Wouldnt that work?

 

The thread is about why the equation should be
Pixels + Tier Materials + Blueprints = Stuff
Rather than Pixels -*some loss*-> ink
Ink + Tier Mats + Blueprints = Stuff

See above equations.

 

I like 3D printers.

Not as much as replicators, though.

Since a 3D printer would allow you to make many things, it'll make sense to have its batteries or primary raw materials a currency.

 

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Well, currency.
To be a good currency, a thing should be:

• Valuable. This may include Rare, Hard-to-get or Useful (or some/all of this). Bad example: Sand.
• Dividable. Bad example: Cow.
• Convertable. Bad example: Russian rubles
• Portable. Bad example: Sulfuric acid.
• Stable. Bad example: Chocolate.
• Forgery-proof. Bad example: Paper planes.
• Shiny never mind

As long as something meets these requirements, it could be used as a currency. (Maybe I forgot something important, then correct me.)
Also, about utility currency:

P.S. I love 3D-printers. Dear Science, what will pop out of your sleeve next time?

 

To me though, Ink doesn't sound like a currency.
It's used in the production of furniture. So what makes that any different that simply a crafting material?

Why does it have to be a currency?

 

I believe because it's a reocurring material in all processes. Basically, it seems you can't create much without it.

 

Because it would work. And it makes sense for something flexible and valuable to serve as a currency when there isn't a galactic government to lend full faith and credit behind some artificial fiat money. Think about it. Why do we use money? Because it is backed by a government. The government gives it value. If there was no government that everyone trusted the idea of a galactic fiat currency would be laughable. Instead people would use items of innate value that hold their value well. Bonus if the item is usable for almost anything.

 

I'd agree with all of this except the way you phrase valuable- it doesn't need to be valuable in itself, it just needs to have an easily determinable value, whether that's from its own innate properties (such as usefulness) or just from general agreement (how modern currency works).

 

I agree with all of his points simply because our modern money started by being backed by something that was viewed as valuable. While some may argue this point is the same as yours because gold is only worth what someone will pay for it. For proof look into the gold standard and why we shifted from it. If that is not enough simply look into the old images of the first dollar notes. You can see changes throughout history and the shift from the gold standard by just studying the differences from bill to bill.

 

Also forgot to add Forgery-proof (iow not easy to fake) - but it partially covered by hard-to-get I think.
Also, by Valuable I mean that you shouldn't pay a ton of money for a single donut. Currency should be more/no less valuable than things you buy/sell (but yes, value could be based on the general agreement).

 

By "much" do you mean everything? Like, will the 3D Printer be the only means of Crafting?

 

I don't think so.

So there's probably some other ways to craft something.

 

Ah okay. Thanks. I don't go on the IRC very often...

 

The IRC log of when this was discussed is in a thread linked on the very first post of this thread

 

I know. In read it, mostly. I found it rather hard to follow because of the total and utter chaos. I understand most of it, but there was just too much going on.

 

Related. Food printing is somewhat possibile currently.

http://t.co/EH2oAIaouT

 

The technology is certainly fascinating. I like the idea of the printer as the main crafting station and pixels as the currency within Starbound. I do hope that if we actually do see this technology within Starbound that it will atleast keep par with the model(s) we see in our science fields today.

On-topic: With that picture being shown, I would say it is plausible that the printer will not be just for furniture and could be used for other objects or consumables as well. This further validates "Pixels(ink)" as a possible currency. (As far as I know nothing has been set in stone so most of this is speculation)

 

lol

 

Pixels should function as an ink. Since its a 2d world everything is ultimately made up of pixels anyway lol.