So Esme's proposal for The Slab got me thinking more about the Hathian economy.

We've always been a sim who have let people play whatever social status they want, rich, poor, hobo, mass murderer - although Hathian as a rule is a poor backwater town in Louisiana. But I've noticed those who do play rich characters (I have an alt, Lara, and for example Bruce) do get a lot of almost reverse snobbery as "rich people shouldn't be in Hathian."

And whilst that reverse snobbery can generate roleplay as well, it got me thinking that perhaps Hathian should have it's own economy. While obviously Louisiana is part of the United States, and Hathian is part of Louisiana, and the official government issued banknote is the dollar, what about if Hathian ignored this because there's no bank in town, there's not even a cash machine.

....some rich out of town type walks into Lou's and tries to by a round and the bartender looks at him, sniffs, "ya' dollah's no good here but maybe, I'll take that fancy wallet yer keepin' it in. Looks like nice crocodile skin. I know a guy in the bayou who'll give me his daughter fer that."

...you get the idea. Whilst the dollar is still officially the economy, no-one accepts it except perhaps for fire fuel in the winter. Then the dynamic of who has wealth and power would come down to who owns or can take the most commodities of value rather than some magical dollar.

I know it's not a pitch everyone will like, and something that would require a lot of thought, but it would be very uniquely Hathian.