Edward_R_Murrow
Arcane
That's...disappointing. I doubt it can be as bad as IWD1, because the reason that attempt at randomization was such a failure was mostly due to strong conflict with the base systems (e.g. the way 2nd Edition's strict class/proficiency systems are really awkward with randomly skewed magical weapon distribution. Ditto with regards to +X weapon payouts in a game where boss challenge was often defined by immunity to less than +Y weapons. Hello Yxunomei!), but it still sounds plain silly to have such variation in payout, especially over time.
The linearity is pretty much the reason why IWD1/2 seem to have "balanced" economies.
What "breaks" most D&D cRPG economies, IE games included, is the ability to sell off magical item surplus to any vendor for full sale value. You don't get rich off of quests or gold/platinum/steel/ceramic piece hoards, but from pawning off any sort of swords/rings/armors +1 that aren't needed by anyone in the party.
The Baldur's Gate games are relatively easy for experienced players to metagame for quick wealth due to their openness. Routes that pick up all of the major caches in BG1 Chapters One and Two or BG2 Chapters Two and Three can be done with some speed, giving the player a sizable wealth base with which to purchase almost everything they need before taking on the main story content.
But Icewind Dale games, they're linear. Content is strictly gated by progression in the current dungeon. Each chapter only has a set amount of possible items to find. This means that acquiring a critical mass of surplus magical accouterments isn't going to be possible in the early chapters of the game. But that doesn't mean the economy is balanced in any way, shape, or form. Was anyone sweating Dirty Lew's or Nym's prices in the endgame?
Doubling base prices would be pretty excessive. The best possible modification would be one that greatly reduced the sell prices for "generic" magical loot, making it so "simple" +1 weapons no longer command prices of 500+ gold each. That throttles the easiest source of income and makes players have to sell "unique" items to gain their riches.
This is kind of a pet peeve of mine, but I really don't like the way in which randomized loot drops have become a core mechanic in (mainstream) RPGs, both Western and Eastern. At least in my observations and readings, random loot tables in (A)D&D were mostly designed to aid DMs whose parties had gone off the beaten path, had wandered into encounters or lairs the DM hadn't planned for. Instead of having to quickly come up with treasure that would be found in a hobgoblin camp the party raided after tacing the steps of a random ambush, the DM can thumb through some pages, roll a few dice, and produce loot for the player characters.
I don't think this mechanic translates well to cRPGs with handmade content; thoughtful loot placement is generally understood as part of area/dungeon/adventure design, and one of the things we as players expect designers to exert some effort in. Obviously, it would be a lot less obtrusive in a procedurally generated cRPG, but that certainly doesn't describe the IE games nor Pillars of Eternity. They're handmaking areas...why not spend a little extra time and handplace loot for more interesting finds and for better balance?
