How to Make Money on Eagleworld

This is a question I've been asked many times before, and I think it's time I gave it a proper treatment on the blog.  There are tons of ways you can make a good rake of Talons on this server, enough that you shouldn't feel like you can't make money.   The best part about the server economy is that there will always be a way you can make money depending on the way you play the game.  Therefore, no matter your play style, there are ways to take advantage of it to make some extra cash for those projects you need money for.

1) Make sure to collect your monthly salary

This one requires the least amount of effort, and will give you a nice rake.  Every player on the server gets a monthly salary depending on their rank.  The server rank section on the Server Info page lists these salaries, but for convenience, here's the list:

• Builder - 500 Talons
• Architect - 600 Talons
• Artisan - 750 Talons
• VIP - 1,000 Talons
• Moderator - 1,500 Talons
• Administrator - 2,500 Talons

You DO NOT get your salary automatically!  You must claim it every month.  You do so by asking an Administrator for your salary after the 1st of every month while logged on the Minecraft server.  If you are new to the server, the 500 Talons you received upon joining acts as your salary for that month.  Every subsequent month you need to ask for your salary while logged on to the server.  If you are promoted, you will automatically get your raise for that month, and will receive your whole salary if you didn't request it yet for that month.

Note that if you do not log in for the entire month, you can't get your salary.  So, even if you don't plan on playing for a whole month, make sure to log in at LEAST once when an admin is on to get your Talons.

2) Sell staple goods regularly to the Global Shop

The Global Shop is there for a reason.  It is not only there to help you obtain the harder-to-get items that you want (such as gunpowder for TNT, clay for Brick, and diamond for tools/armor), but also to get rid of the staple goods you always have an abundance of but can't always find a player to sell them to.  These less-desired items might normally go to waste and end up in an incinerator, but if you play it smart, you can use them to make a substantial amount of money.

Here are the staple goods you can end up selling for money just by doing your day-to-day tasks on the server:

• Mining
  • Cobblestone
  • Dirt
  • Gravel
• Digging/Excavating Land
  • Dirt
  • Sand
  • Gravel
• Wandering/Travelling
  • Feathers
  • Wool
  • Raw Pork
  • Bones
  • String
• Working in the Nether
  • Netherrack
  • Mob Drops
  • Glowstone
  • Soul Sand

These items might seem like they don't make a lot of money, but if you collect them at a regular-enough rate, you will always have a steady inflow of Talons.  For example, if you are mining and come across gravel, always have at least one slot in your inventory dedicated for a stack of gravel.  You mine more gravel than you think, and can easily make 10-20 talons clearing out an area that you had to clear away anyway.  Taking the additional minute or two to claim it all and use the /shop sell gravel command could easily make you 50-100 extra talons an hour for minimal effort.

Naturally, you can extrapolate this example to the other staple goods on the server.  Taking the marginal effort to claim all these goods will give you extra unexpected Talons left and right.

3) Mining is an excellent way to make Talons

Since most people on the server end up mining for whatever reason (either to mine for ore/diamond, for cobblestone, or just for fun), I made it that there are always ways to make Talons from this everyday task.  In addition to selling the "staple" goods in method #2 above, there are a few tips and tricks that can really optimize your mining experience and turn your mining time into a real money maker:

1) Do not ignore any type of ore!

Certain ores (such a coal and redstone) often get overlooked by players.  They consider them undesired and a waste of time and inventory to mine.  This could not be farther from the truth.  Coal usually comes in large veins, so it's easy to collect a whole stack right away.  You can then either use it yourself for your smelting/torch needs, sell it to another player for a decent 25 Talons/stack (roughly), or sell them by stack to the Global Shop for 20 Talons/stack.  Either way, that's plenty of cash you wouldn't have had otherwise.

Redstone is even more valuable than coal.  Not only is it 64 Talons/stack if sold to the Global Shop (more to other players), but you can sell them individually to the Global Shop!  Therefore, you will always net at least 4 talons per Redstone Ore Block, no matter what.  So, if you're scrubbing the Earth for diamond and can only come up with Redstone, mine the Redstone anyway.  It can only give you more Talons to buy what you need!

2) Always explore cave systems when you find them

While I believe most players do this already, it can easily be overlooked.  Caves give you a really fast way of traversing underground while being able to quickly inspect areas for exposed ore.  And remember, all the ore is valuable, even the kind you're not looking for.

Just remember to have courtesy to other players.  If a mine already has torches placed in it, it's probably claimed.  Don't mine other people's mines, and make sure if you're going cave exploring, it's in the Wilderness, or with permission of the Mayor of the town you are in.

3) Learn efficient ways of mining

Mining can be tedious and tiring if you don't have a method.  There are plenty of methods that other players have developed to efficiently cover an area to mine the valuable ores without wasting time strip-mining an entire area.  Branch mining is a very effective method of retrieving 80-90% of the valuable ore by only mining 25-30% of the area.  There are plenty of tutorials available on this subject easily found with a Google search.

4) Be efficient with your tools

While diamond tools are great to use, they are a large expense to the miner.  Diamond Shovels can cost 150 Talons to purchase, while Diamond Pickaxes go for 450 Talons.  While they last 7-8 times longer than Iron tools, the Iron Shovel and Pickaxe can be bought for 3 and 7 Talons, respectively.  It's wise to have your diamond tools available, but only use them for ore, while your iron tools cover the fast-to-mine items, such as gravel, dirt, and stone.  The amount of time you lose by using the lower quality tool is negligible, and the money you save can mean hundreds of Talons a month saved.

5) Lava can be a good moneymaker

For those of you good around lava (especially those that are Artisan level or above), you can make a good amount of money from lava.  Obsidian sells 5 Talons apiece to the Global Shop, and even more to players that wish to build with it.  It is a very good use of Diamond Pickaxes, as you will make a large amount back on your 450 Talon investment.

Note that this isn't for everyone.  If you aren't good with lava, don't bother trying.  You'll lose your Obsidian and Diamond tools and end up in the red much easier than turning a profit.  However, to those of you that are able to negotiate lava safely, you can make lots of good money this way.

4) Don't underestimate the value of farming

Farming is a "renewable" resource on Eagleworld.  As such, farming the same land again and again doesn't take anything away from the server, unlike mining.  Therefore, I have designed the economy for you to be able to make a decent amount of money from the simple act of farming.

There are multiple ways you can go about farming, but any way will net you some easy Talons.  Here's a list of farming methods to not forget about:

• Wheat farming
• Sugarcane (formerly Reed) farming
• Cactus farming
• Tree farming

All four methods will draw a decent and steady profit, even if you sell the goods only to the Global Shop.  On top of that, if you sell your items to players, you can make even more.

Also, don't forget autoharvesters/grinders.  Whether they are for cactuses, or for mob drops, they are extremely easy methods of earning money, just by standing on one spot and waiting.  Just remember: if you make any kind of automatic harvester/grinder, you have to place lava at the end of the collection chute.  This will prevent server overload issues.

5) Open up your own player shop

Let's face it: buying from the Global Shop is pricey.  However, selling items doesn't net you nearly what the item is worth.  For example, one diamond costs 200 Talons to purchase, but you only get 100 Talons if you sell it.  There is no easier way to make more money off of the items you have than to sell it to other players for a higher price.  For example, that very same diamond can be sold to a player for 140-160 Talons, netting you a 40-60% extra profit on your diamond.

A player shop can help you get your diamonds and other goods sold to other players very easily.  Even if you are offline, a player can enter your shop any time of day or night and purchase your goods.  The Capitol City Marketplace is the premier location for player shops, as all shops so far are located there.  It is a one-stop shop for all kinds of goods you might need.  Here are a few tips on how to set up your shop and how to get players to buy from it:

• Read up on how to run your player shop on the Blog
• Specialize what you want to sell in your store and clearly mark it, so players know to visit your store for those goods
• Post all the items you sell and their prices on signs, so that they can see prices even if you are sold out of an item
• Make sure to check your stock regularly and see what items are popular
• Try to keep your best sellers consistently stocked, as players will learn to depend on your store
• Finished goods and items that take time and effort to make (e.g. smelted goods) are items people regularly buy on this server
• Do your research on the value of an item to make sure you price your items fairly and lucratively

These tips and tricks can really help you get items sold, even when you're not on the server.  While you can still do your player-to-player haggling and trading on the side, your store will help you provide a reliable and consistent way players can purchase your items from you.

6) Sell in-game services to players for a price

There are plenty of times players are in need of assistance from other players.  There are also plenty of times you might be sitting around with nothing to do.  There's nothing better than solving your need of finding something to do and coupling it with earning some extra money on the side.

A good way to set up a contracting business is to find something you are good at on the server, and advertise it to other players.  Let's say, for example, you are good at building structures and wish to make money contracting your building services to others.  First, make some excellent quality structures you can show-off as your example work.  This will show players that your services are worth the price, and they will come to you for assistance.  Second, negotiate a pay rate before working.  For example, you might charge a set price of Talons per real-life hour of work, plus fair market cost of materials.  Third, make other players happy with your work and let word-of-mouth help your assistance become desired.

Also, building structures isn't the only kind of services you can contract.  Here are some examples to give you some ideas on what you can do:

• Building structures
• Interior decorating
• Clearing land/terraforming
• Assisting other players with various tasks
• Mining other people's land for a percentage or a fee
• Farming other people's land for a percentage or a fee
• Smelting materials/perform other time-consuming tasks for someone
• Design/build redstone circuitry for others

There are many other things you could do.  These are just a few items.  Figure out what you're best at and what sets you apart, then find your hourly rate that you can charge to others that they will pay.

7) Be Economical: Don't forget the Player Shops!

Part of making money on Eagleworld is learning how to most effectively spend it to get the most for your money.  One way is to not immediately go to the Global Shop for purchasing items.  While the Global Shop is fast and convenient, dealing with other players can not only save the purchaser money, but can earn the seller extra Talons for their items.  It will always be more cost-effective to deal with a player than it will the Global Shop, as no player will charge more money than the Global Shop, as it just does not make sense.

Therefore, make it an effort to learn about the different stores in the Capitol City Marketplace.  The better stores specialize in certain goods, so you know what to expect in a store before you even go into it.  However, the unmarked or generic stores might have a good deal on the item you want, so it's worth browsing around and seeing what's available.  Remember to brush up on the Local Shop Commands so you don't get confused when trying to buy something.

8 ) Don't forget about the Gold Ingot

One thing most players forget about is that their Gold Ingots are an unofficial secondary currency on this server.  You shouldn't be afraid to trade them to other players for goods/services in lieu of Talons.  Also, you shouldn't be afraid of accepting them for payment.  When you do the math, a Gold Ingot is roughly worth about 15 Talons apiece.  Therefore, if want to try to make some extra cash over all that Gold Ore you have (instead of selling it to the Global Shop), smelt it and use it as currency.  The price of Gold Ingots is pretty static on the server, and I meant it to be that way.  You can think of one ingot as 15 talons (or one gold block as 135 Talons) and use those items in your inventory to unlock some of your wealth.  Some players actually utilize gold blocks for building, and they'd very happily accept the 15 Talon-per-ingot price as opposed to the 20 Talon ore price from the Global Shop.  That would save them an easy 45 Talons per Gold Block.  That's not chump change.

Either way, I as the Server Administrator would like to see Gold Ingots work as a secondary currency on the server, so I will make sure that if you accept Ingots for goods/services, you won't lose the value of your ingots.  I believe they can make buying/selling goods more interesting/fun, and add an additional layer of haggling to your player-to-player dealings.

Conclusion

Hopefully this post will assist everyone in making some additional Talons on the server.  Any questions or comments can be posted below, and I will clarify/adjust the post if necessary.  Since it's in the Helpful Hints category of posts, I plan on it being read and reread over time.  Therefore, I will make sure to update and improve it as I see opportunities to do so.

I hope you find the information helpful and that it makes your gameplay on Eagleworld more fun and interesting!