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== [[Video Games]] ==
* Lampshaded in ''[[Albert Odyssey]]: Legend of Eldean]]'' Lampshaded. where the shopkeeper who follows you to the [[Very Definitely Final Dungeon]] justifies herself saying that she not only trusts your ability to defeat the bad guy, but if you should fail, the money wouldn't matter anyway.
* ''[[Archimedean Dynasty]]'': Avoided for the very last mission, where the fate of humanity hangs in the balance (but what's new?). Even the most expensive and most powerful cannon is offered for a pittance.
* ''[[Baldur's Gate]]'' zig-zags this trope. If you perform enough heroic acts and get your [[Karma Meter|reputation]] high enough, shop prices start going down (to a maximum of 50% at 20 reputation) as the shopkeepers realize you're probably going to use the ludicrously expensive items for a good purpose (on the opposite side, being evil makes store prices higher). You still sell items for less than a fraction of what they're being sold for, and nobody ever just ''gives'' you items no matter your need. This creates a few [[Fridge Logic]] moments, such as Drow (evil underground elf) merchants giving you lower prices based on your heroic deeds on the surface, as well as having to buy items from a priest in an elven city you're currently saving from an [[Evil Sorcerer]].
* ''[[Brave Soul]]'' Avertedaverts this with Coolbough and his associates (the <s> hotel owners</s> Innkeepers). Though theyThey don't let you stay in their inn for free because you're going to save the world at some point, but because the Hero's father saved Coolbough's life.
* ''[[Castlevania]]'' series:
** In ''[[Castlevania]]: [[Portrait of Ruin]]'', Thethe monk, Vincent, will sell you various supplies. During a plot event, he'll be {{spoiler|he is bitten by a vampire, and he'll run back in, asking you to heal him. When entering his shop menu, he usually says "I'll make you a deal!", but when he's sick, he literally says "I'll lower the price... I'll lower the price!" However, he doesn't, and after you heal him, your characters ask him if he ''will'' lower the price--to which he responds that he's gotta make a living.}} Bummer.
** [[Justified Trope]] in ''[[Castlevania (Nintendo 64)]]'' where the shopkeeper is a [[Deal with the Devil|contractdemon named Renon that you made with the demon Renon]], whoand he couldn't care less about saving the world from vampires. Of course, we all know how well deals like that go...
** Also justified in ''[[Symphony of the Night]]''. The Librarian is actually in the employ of Dracula, and only helps Alucard at all as he's a greedy bastard. And if you use any of the extra characters, he'll refuse to deal with them at all; Alucard is permissible because he's the Master's son, estranged or not, but dealing with the Belmonts would be outright treason.
** Zigzagged in ''[[Lament of Innocence]]''. The alchemist Rinaldo tells you up front that he can't give out his wares for free. Sure, he's helping you to avenge his family who Walter murdered (something he doesn't tell you until later), but this might be justified in that simply making them requires funding. Still, the most valuable item he has - the Whip of Alchemy, which eventually becomes the Vampire Killer - is given to Leon as a gift.
* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'': You can rescue a falsely imprisoned shop clerk from a dungeon. When you visit the shop later, the clerk will slip you some free potions when the shopkeeper isn't looking.
* The ''[[Command & Conquer]]'' series often has opposing forces mining resources on the front lines of battle, with commanders more often than not conducting battle with minimal support from their factions.
* ''[[Dark Cloud]]'' Averted,averts this where- the Wise Owl will sell you a special sword for a discount. It's still pretty high, but as he (along with some other merchants in the game) will tell you, they are still merchants and need to make a living.
* In ''[[Deus Ex]]'', "Smuggler" won't give you explosives unless you pay an absurd amount of money for them, even if you've helped him out before, ''and'' even though he knows you need them to {{spoiler|blow up a superfreightersuper-freighter full of enough of an incurable virus in enough quantity to infect the entire North American continent!}}. The exception is the first time you're in Hell's Kitchen, where he gives you a discount if you rescue his friend from MJ12.
** Furthermore, those characters who suggest you ask someone else for needed items and information - and who are fully aware of the importance of you getting them - can't be bothered to so much as loan you the necessary credits.
** Occasionally, some of your allies ''will'' give you items for free. Other characters will offer you a discount on items for sale in exchange for completing a side quest.
* ''[[Deus Ex: Human Revolution|Deus Ex Human Revolution]]'': Despite your boss spending what must have been an absolute fortune to turn the PC who is the head of security into an augmented super soldier, you still need to pay for your own augmentation upgrades. And weapons. And ammo. And information. Considering you are trying to track down a mercenary group that killed half a dozen scientists, ''and'' are planning some kind of conspiracy that would dramatically change the outlook of the company, you really should have a platinum company credit card that makes credits meaningless.
** There's also a LIMB clinic office on Panchaea, where the shop keeper has barricaded herself against the crazed augs. Despite you coming in to save her, you're still charged full price for medicine, Typhoon ammo, and upgrade kits. Of course, if you actually talk to her she says she wishes she could give you whatever you want, but everything is computer-kiosk based and she doesn't have any way to override it.
*** Of course, if you actually talk to her she says she wishes she could give you whatever you want, but everything is computer-kiosk based and she doesn't have any way to override it.
** In ''The Missing Link'', Quinn (the only merchant) defends charging you for goods by reminding Jensen that he's a fugitive in the facility they're both in, so he's taking a tremendous risk doing business with him. However, if you saved a person earlier, he does give you a discount.
* ''[[Diablo]] II]]'' has Tyrael, who charges up to 50,000 gold to resurrect your mercenary companion. He's an ''angel''! What's he going to do with the money? Build ornate churches?
{{quote|''In Act IV, Tyrael will resurrect your Hireling, but he will charge you. What does he do with that gold? Angels got to pay the bills too.''}}▼
*:* In regard to the Merchants of Light accompanying Tyrael, additional information at Battle.net gives a reason for why they charge you for weapons and armor despite being at Hell's doorstep. Like Tyrael, they are forbidden to help you directly. Selling and buying equipment [[Take a Third Option|is a way for them to work around it]], because it qualifies as indirect help at best.
*** From the game's Web site:
*:* The first ''[[Diablo]]'' game averts this trope to a degree, on the fact that nobody is expecting you to succeed. If the merchants gave free goods to every would be hero that tried to save the world, they'd have gone broke long before you showed up. This logic begins to fade after you've gone far past what anybody else has accomplished, and everybody starts believing that you are the real deal, but still charge you full price.▼
▲{{quote|''In Act IV, Tyrael will resurrect your Hireling but he will charge you. What does he do with that gold? Angels got to pay the bills too.''}}
*:* Sometimes, merchants will give you a discount as a quest reward. [[Money for Nothing|Not that it really matters]].▼
▲** The first ''[[Diablo]]'' game averts this trope to a degree, on the fact that nobody is expecting you to succeed. If the merchants gave free goods to every would be hero that tried to save the world, they'd have gone broke long before you showed up. This logic begins to fade after you've gone far past what anybody else has accomplished, and everybody starts believing that you are the real deal, but still charge you full price.
* ''[[Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories]]'': Sort of averted. As your character racks up FELONIES, the shop prices go down and you sell items back at closer to their shop price. Have enough felonies, and you're actually selling items back ''[[Money for Nothing|for more than you paid for them]].'' Of course, that's not really an option until [[New Game+]] unless you spend huge amounts of time [[Level Grinding]].▼
▲** Sometimes, merchants will give you a discount as a quest reward. [[Money for Nothing|Not that it really matters]].
** Oh''[[Dragon itAge]]'s': farSome worsefolks thanwill thatoffer a discount... but the prices stay the same. The only time this is averted is with one merchant in Denerim, yourand then only if you played a certain origin story. Your camp merchant will promise you a discount, but is actually one of the worst merchants in the game! He buys lower than average and sells higher. The worst part? He's right there in your camp, so invariably you'll sell him most of your loot for convenience's sake!▼
▲* ''[[Disgaea 2: Cursed Memories]]'' Sort of averted. As your character racks up FELONIES, the shop prices go down and you sell items back at closer to their shop price. Have enough felonies, and you're actually selling items back ''[[Money for Nothing|for more than you paid for them]].'' Of course, that's not really an option until [[New Game+]] unless you spend huge amounts of time [[Level Grinding]].
* Lampshaded in ''[[Colon Cancer|Dungeons & Dragons]][[Colon Cancer|: Forgotten Realms:]] [[Baldur's Gate|Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II]]'' Lampshaded. Justjust before the last stage. The titular city is overrun by the undead, and only a makeshift barricade stands between the shopkeeper and a horde of zombies, and the city's Onlygreatest Hopehope is for you to storm the villain's citadel. If you complain about the shopkeeper still charging you full price, he points out that he's confident ofin your success, but if he gave away his goods, where wouldthen he would be out of business after you save the city. Furthermore, you can afford it, so it isn't like he's jeopardizing the city's safety by refusing to just give the items away.▼
* ''[[Dragon Age]]'' Some folks will offer a discount...but the prices stay the same. The only time this is averted is with one merchant in Denerim, and then only if you played a certain origin story.
* 'Lampshaded and justified in '[[Evil Islands]]'' Lampshaded and justified. In one instance your base of operations is a village where you are praised as the ''[[Chosen One]]'', but the village merchant is such an infamously stingy bastard he explicitly warns you right away that he will still charge you with all your purchases. {{spoiler|Later, all the village money happens to be stolen and he once again clearly refuses to supply the village guards with weapons for free... because they didn't stand for him against brigands.}}. Another time you join some rebels and obtain all the gear from their blacksmith. He actually apologizes for his shameless prices and explains that he has to smuggle the weapons and bribe the officials of the [[Evil Empire]].▼
▲** Oh it's far worse than that, your camp merchant will promise you a discount, but is actually one of the worst merchants in the game! He buys lower than average and sells higher. The worst part? He's right there in your camp, so invariably you'll sell him most of your loot for convenience's sake!
** In another instance, you join some rebels and obtain all the gear from their blacksmith. He actually apologizes for his shameless prices, and explains that he has to smuggle the weapons and bribe the officials of the [[Evil Empire]].
▲* ''[[Colon Cancer|Dungeons & Dragons: Forgotten Realms: Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance II]]'' Lampshaded. Just before the last stage. The titular city is overrun by the undead, and only a makeshift barricade stands between the shopkeeper and a horde of zombies, and the city's Only Hope is for you to storm the villain's citadel. If you complain about the shopkeeper still charging you full price, he points out that he's confident of your success, but if he gave away his goods where would he be after you save the city. Furthermore, you can afford it, so it isn't like he's jeopardizing the city's safety by refusing to just give the items away.
▲* ''[[Evil Islands]]'' Lampshaded and justified. In one instance your base of operations is a village where you are praised as the ''[[Chosen One]]'', but the village merchant is such an infamously stingy bastard he explicitly warns you right away that he will still charge you with all your purchases. {{spoiler|Later all the village money happens to be stolen and he once again clearly refuses to supply the village guards with weapons for free... because they didn't stand for him against brigands}}. Another time you join some rebels and obtain all the gear from their blacksmith. He actually apologizes for his shameless prices and explains that he has to smuggle the weapons and bribe the officials of the [[Evil Empire]].
** However, {{spoiler|at the very end of the game, it's subverted; the very last 'merchant' you meet before the final battle will give you anything he has in stock and perform all services for free.}}
* ''[[Exit Fate]]'': It's possible to recruit a few people to your army who then set up shops in your castle. Even though they're ''working for you'', they still charge the same prices as every other shopkeeper in the game.
* ''[[Fallout 3]]'': Being nice to the ghoul bartender gets you a discount on anything he sells, but others are fairly unfriendly towards you, even after you repeatedly save their collective asses.
** This is lampshaded in the ''Mothership Zeta'' DLC, when Somah charges you money to repair your equipment despite the two of you having been kidnapped by aliens and fighting for your lives to escape. Somah points out that even if you both do escape, she's as good as dead anyway if she doesn't have any money to survive on in the Wasteland.
* The ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series is quite fond of this trope.
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** ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' subverted it at Figaro Castle, where the shopkeepers will refuse to charge Edgar (the king) or Sabin (his brother). However, both characters insist on paying, pointing out that the shopkeepers still have to earn a living. (If Edgar is your party leader, they still give you a 50% discount, though.)
** ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'' contains one exception. If you return to Timber after you're finished there in the main story, you can save a little girl from getting run over by a train, and it earns you a free night at the inn. Played straight for everything else. ''How much'' for a train ticket?
** Lampshaded in ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'': Lampshaded . Rightright before the battle with [[That One Boss]], ({{spoiler|Evrae, which also leads almost directly to a whole gauntlet run of bosses}}), Rin will ''still'' charge you exorbitant prices.; Whenwhen asked why, when you could all die, he replies: that he has "confidence in your success". Another shopkeeper, O'aka, actually would give you a discount, but in his case only if you had donated a large sum of money to him when he was struggling to get his business off the ground. Otherwise, he charges almost double what any other shop would.
*** While less related to the economy, in ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' random people would give you items if you talked to them, considering you're a summoner and her guardians. It made the stinginess of the shopkeepers more noticeable.▼
{{quote|Rin: I have confidence in your success. }}
** Handwaved in ''[[Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings]]'', Handwaved.where Thethe only vendor in the game actually works for you, purchasing equipment while you're off adventuring. One NPC in the ship points out he must be losing quite the amount of money, as Tomah sells said equipment at only a fraction of the original price.▼
*** Also, the shopkeeper O'aka actually would give you a discount, but in his case only if you had donated a large sum of money to him when he was struggling to get his business off the ground. Otherwise, he charges almost double what any other shop would.
** Averted in ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' Averted, where all transactions are done via the internet, so. vendors are not aware of your status as heroes, butwhich evenis thenjust as you'rewell characterised- since the party is characterized as villains for the entirety of the plot, even; if they knew your identity, they wouldn'd probably nott want to sell to you, letat aloneall, never givemind a discount. {{spoiler|Another aversion is that the Fal'Cie control all technology, and are revealed in the late game to be secretly manipulating you in your quest to destroy them (which they desire), but are prevented in their programming from aiding you directly (e.g. by lowering prices presumably). OneThat said, one late game vendor though has a message from the Fal'Cie wishing you luck!}}▼
▲*** While less related to the economy, in ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' random people would give you items if you talked to them, considering you're a summoner and her guardians. It made the stinginess of the shopkeepers more noticeable.
** ''[[Final Fantasy Adventure]]'': Watts distills this trope to its essence. He accompanies you through a dungeon to get some silver he needs. Despite the fact that you're accompanying him on ''his'' quest so that he can get what he needs without dying, he ''still'' charges you full price for more items in the middle of said dungeon.▼
▲** ''[[Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings]]'' Handwaved. The only vendor in the game actually works for you, purchasing equipment while you're off adventuring. One NPC in the ship points out he must be losing quite the amount of money, as Tomah sells said equipment at only a fraction of the original price.
*** It gets worse. After you finish the dungeon and Watts gets the silver, he goes back to the Dwarf Cave to forge equipment with it. Does he give you any for free? Of course not, - he charges you full price for the sword and armor.! You even have to get the silver helmet from a ''different shop''.▼
▲** ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' Averted, where all transactions are done via the internet, so vendors are not aware of your status as heroes, but even then as you're characterised as villains for the entirety of the plot, even if they knew your identity, they'd probably not want to sell to you, let alone give a discount. {{spoiler|Another aversion is that the Fal'Cie control all technology, and are revealed late game to be secretly manipulating you in your quest to destroy them (which they desire) but are prevented in their programming from aiding you directly (by lowering prices presumably) One late game vendor though has a message from the Fal'Cie wishing you luck!}}
* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' can get rather silly about this., and ''[[Fire Emblem Tellius|Radiant Dawn]]'' is especially bad near the end. {{spoiler|All of humanity is frozen in stone by an evil god. The only people still alive are your party, the enemies (brought back to life by the god to stop you) and a group of merchants following you.}} They STILL don't offer you a discount. The kicker? In a few cutscenes, they outright '''give''' you the [[Infinity+1 Sword|Infinity+1 Spellbooks]] they found lying around for free BECAUSE you're the last people alive and you're the only hope for everyone. Not the most consistent of merchants, these guys.▼
▲** ''[[Final Fantasy Adventure]]'' Watts distills this trope to its essence. He accompanies you through a dungeon to get some silver he needs. Despite the fact that you're accompanying him on ''his'' quest so that he can get what he needs without dying, he ''still'' charges you full price for more items in the middle of said dungeon.
▲** It gets worse. After you finish the dungeon and Watts gets the silver, he goes back to the Dwarf Cave to forge equipment with it. Does he give you any for free? Of course not, he charges you full price for the sword and armor. You even have to get the silver helmet from a ''different shop''.
▲* ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' can get rather silly about this. ''[[Fire Emblem Tellius|Radiant Dawn]]'' is especially bad near the end. {{spoiler|All of humanity is frozen in stone by an evil god. The only people still alive are your party, the enemies (brought back to life by the god to stop you) and a group of merchants following you.}} They STILL don't offer you a discount. The kicker? In a few cutscenes, they outright '''give''' you the [[Infinity+1 Sword|Infinity+1 Spellbooks]] they found lying around for free BECAUSE you're the last people alive and you're the only hope for everyone. Not the most consistent of merchants, these guys.
** It gets even sillier when you realize that they DID give your army a discount for one chapter earlier in the game, before {{spoiler|everyone was turned to stone.}} Why they didn't think to do so again is anyone's guess.
* ''[[Freelancer]]'' Completely [[Averted Trope|Averted]], once you encounter the Order. They give you the best ship in the game at that point for 1100 credits, when other ships are in the hundreds of thousands.
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Special:MobileDiff/1865039"
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