Moneysink

A moneysink exists in MMORPGs much like a timesink. The intended purpose is to remove currency from the game, as excess currency leads to inflation of player driven prices. Game designers must balance between scarcity of currency and ease of acquiring currency.

A prime example is Ultima Online. After the Renaissance expansion, players could earn money without fear of loss, due to the implementation of non-PK areas. As currency entered the economy at a greater pace, new "luxury" items were created for the purpose of reducing large sums of money.

Other forms of moneysinks include:

• Quests requiring a certain amount in order to continue with the task at hand. This is offset by quest rewards and items that may be resold.
• Fees associated with NPC services and tasks.
• Fees associated with travel and convenience.
• Crafting, often requiring an initial investment and a continued chance of failure. Items may be crafted at a loss in order to increase crafting skill.

Gil sinks

In Final Fantasy XI, gil (the currency used throughout the Final Fantasy franchise) is constantly introduced into the game's economy through various activities. Conversely, a gilsink removes currency from the game's free market economy. Gilsinks are one of the few forces in the game that combats inflation.

The most prominent example of a gilsink would be a non-player character (NPC) such as a Chocobo operator. Human players pay the NPC for services. Since the operator is not a human player, it would never spend the money it receives, thus effectively removing money from the virtual economy.