alanon, I thought of that already, prices would not rise on items. Because the spawn times are random, you could actually get more drops in a day then could normally. Some monsters have once a day spawns or 2 hours spawns, so prices will go up and down and supply and demand go up and down.
Mrx is walking through dunes to his pt in gusgen, and whoa he sees the Valkrum Emp. Kills it and gets drop, lucky he. He goes on to his pt. Now normally that NM is done for a while but let's say the random timer dishes out Valkrum Emp. 5 min after it was killed. Someone ELSE happens to see it blithely floating along it's merry way and kills he, lady luck is being a slut today and it drops again. Who knows? The random timer and luck might have it so you ended up getting 20 drops in the time it normally took to get 1, if even. Prices go down. By the same token, he might not respawn after mrx kills it for 2 weeks. "Man, been no sightings of Valkrum Emp. for the past 2 weeks, prices going to go up."
I just don't see how NM camping can be hardcore, whenever you go hunt you do your best assuming that the NM will pop anything, but the "hardcores" will have been there most of the day, and will know when it respawns. NM hunting remains above all else mostly luck, even if it's the luck that the other people camping the same NM have no idea what they are doing lol. Someone explain to me how skill comes into play, how NM is anything but mostly luck and the use of a bit of calculation and time. If NM camping doesn't exist anymore, the prices will remain mostly unchanged, the worth of such NM will not drop, the wealth that they even now give to players will remain mostly unchanged, expecet that it will not go to the same person every time.
About NM hunters moving on to something else... good.
"Take away the NM camping and I promise the same people that dominate NM camping (of course take away the botters) would be strongarming the economy and making more gil on a consistent basis than the masses."
How? You can make money off just about any mob, and the small increase of people that the few NM hunters that there are will add to normal monster farming, so forth, will not be noticed.
I guess the NM hunters will go hunt all the BCNM, and hold a monoply on BCNM items. Wait... no, because you can't.
I guess they will go own De.'s Tower and farm to hell crystals and gil off giants... well some people might be pissed but they will move on to one of the other plenty forms of farming, and the economy will stop them regardless. Too many of something on AH, prices go down. That's why NM are such tasty targets, only one way to get item in most cases, and in a way that most people just can't get it in a casual way.
Maybe they will try crafting.. of course anyone can craft and many do already.
If they are dedicated as you say all the better, they can stay in a zone for weeks farming until they get enough for what they want.
'I have ever met a true NM hunter who didn't have an attitude of "I wont level until I have x gear"'
The will have no problem whatsoever with this right? I mean, they have such dedication, and really don't care about rushing to level. I respect that, but I also think it works backwards. Not everyone wants to go into a farming rush, to become richest and the elitest whatever out there, they are content leveling with what they have just as true Nm hunters you proclaim are content to forgo leveling, possibly being weak level wise, for better equipment.
Ah, the 2 forms of power in this game, wealth and levels. Now dedicated players will not be upset about NM hunting being done with, dedicated as they are they will be seen everday somewhere farming until they get the item they want. I can see why they would prefer NM hunting, it's a fast way to make money.
I say be done with all that, make NM's FFXI's lottery. It already is in a way.
End game, that's all there is to do.
