Exchange rate of Gil?

[TheSpoonyBard]

What do you think the modern day exchange rate of Gil should be? I'd say that there are 10 Gil in every £1 (I believe the equivalent of that in dollars is around 5 Gil in every $1.) This does mean that some games are considerably more expensive than others, but the amount of Gil you receive from battle is relative.

That brings me onto another topic I have been wondering about. How do the characters get Gil from defeating enemies? Why would a monster be walking around carrying a wallet? This issue was 'addressed' in FFVIII with the introduction of a SeeD salary, but then it returned to the previous method in FFIX.

Any thoughts?

[Masamune·1600]

If you were to use a real world exchange rate, I think you would have to alter it for each game, based on how similar items are priced. FF inflation, I suppose. It would also be useful to attempt to compare the prices of commodities that have real world equivalents (i.e. inn costs, etc.). Ultimately, though, I don't think an effective conversion can be reached.

Why monsters have gil? I would imagine there's no real reason. It's probably just the simplest way for the player to acquire gil based on game mechanics.

[DJZen]

1 GBP = 1.88057 USD

According to my Museum Replicas Ltd. catalog, a simple dagger ranges in price from about $80 to $130. Let's average that one off to $110 (there's more in the $100-$120 range than anything). In FFI, the most basic dagger costs 5 Gil. This suggests to me that a good frame of reference for Gil is this:

1 Gil = 0.04545 USD

Give or take a few tenths of a cent depending on economic fluctuations. You could probably approximate it to 5 cents per Gil. With current exchange rates, 5 cents is worth .0265899 GBP (I have no clue of what sort of crazy nonsensical money system you filthy heathens use for fractions of a pound), which you could round off to about .03. In other words;

1 Gil = .03 GBP = .05 USD

Gil aren't really worth much, it seems. Maybe their economy was destabilized by that whole "monsters attacking villages" thing.

[TheSpoonyBard]

The "crazy nonsensical money system" you so kindly speak of uses 'pence' or 'pennies' as fractions of a pound.

I was basing it on the assumption that a 50G Potion in FFVII would cost £5, and weapon upgrades in FFVIII cost between £10 and £200. Although there is very little continuity between games it seems most likely that Gil is not, as DJZen says, equal to the value of a single Yen.

[DJZen]

When did I say anything about Yen?

[Masamune·1600]

You can't find a real world equivalent. Look, for example, to FFVII. We see the villa sold for 300,000 gil, which would seem to suggest relative similarity between the gil and dollar. At least, one can interpret that as such. However, we see that a "Today's Special" meal at the restaurant in Wall Market costs 70 gil, which certainly seems very extravagent given the appearance of the restaurant. These are at least somewhat compatible with real world purchases, yet we see a disparity in exactly what a given amount of gil is able to do. Even if you disagree with my assessments of the costs, it should be clear that there is a disconnect between the monetary value of gil and that of any actual currency.

A dagger in FFI, with its cost of 5, is certainly deceptive. Weapons purchased in other areas cost much more. The low price at the beginning of the game is as such simply so one has a means to arm his characters. As I see it, the best one can do in determining the value of gil in actual monetary terms would be to apply a range.

[RedCydranth]

You can't find a real world equivalent. Look, for example, to FFVII. We see the villa sold for 300,000 gil, which would seem to suggest relative similarity between the gil and dollar. At least,one can interpret that as such. However, we see that a "Today's Special" meal at the restaurant in Wall Market costs 70 gil, which certainly seems very extravagent given the appearance of the restaurant. These are at least somewhat compatible with real world purchases, yet we see a disparity in exactly what a given amount of gil is able to do. Even if you disagree with my assessments of the costs, it should be clear that there is a disconnect between the monetary value of gil and that of any actual currency.

Using the Equivalency scale DJZen formulated:
1 gil - $.05
the Villa = $15,000
The Meal = $3.50

A very small house can cost 15,000 here in the states, and a meal can be 3.50 or more at the sleaziest McDonalds too. The size of the Villa and its beachside location would, if Costa Del Sol was in USA, be MUCH higher. Around the $250,000 range.

[DJZen]

OMG you're not implying that a video game's currency has no basis in reality, are you? That would be just OUTRAGEOUS!

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

Cloud spoke to me in a dream and said that one pinecone = 30 Gil!

[DJZen]

That's one expensive pinecone. Either that or potions are way more cheap than I originally thought.

[eestlinc]

things cost so much because there is a seemingly unlimited supply of gil floating around. Inflation at work.

[Flamethrower]

Every time I see this thread, I keep thinking it says "Exchange rate of Cid?"

Yes, that is all I have to contribute to this thread.

[Masamune·1600]

I just might buy your post. Is 20 gil good?

[strawberryman]

one pinecone: 30 gil
one healing potion: 100 gil
a dagger: 5 gil

Buying a pinecone: priceless

[TasteyPies]

That brings me onto another topic I have been wondering about. How do the characters get Gil from defeating enemies? Why would a monster be walking around carrying a wallet? This issue was 'addressed' in FFVIII with the introduction of a SeeD salary, but then it returned to the previous method in FFIX.

Any thoughts?

Monsters attack travelers and villages.
Monsters walk away with shiny baubles.
Heros kill monsters
Heros swipe the shiny baubles

Kinda reverse pillaging imo