Due to the new torishop update thingy, I was thinking perhaps it would be a wise decision to turn shiai tokens into a currency like tc rather than being an item. This would allow people to buy shiai items via torishop, without having to use the forum and asking a gm for a prize. It's kind of a smallish thing, but, I think it may be worth it.

Shiai tokens are already currency lol. I understand what you mean, and there is no reason not to do this. A lot more plays into this as you think. As of now, the GMs generate shiai tokens in order to send out prizes, and then when someone wants a prize we obliterate the coins and generate more when needed.

Although this is not that big of a deal because the GMs are mostly active and can get prizes to you relatively quick, it would make it more convenient for the community to have ST items in the shop. I will support this idea on the basis that it is more convenient for the community, and it makes things a bit more simple for everyone.

I know how easy it is to generate them, but, it seems to be more convenient this way.

Currency is stored as a "number", Shiai are items instead.

No way to implement an automated exchange for shiai items now until that's fixed.
If it's changed, that'd be probably the first thing to add.

is there a reason that ST were implemented as items not a currency?

- an i agree a automated shop would be better - but we need new ST buyable items to make it worth the effort

I like them as a item currency rather than a wire currency because they look cool and some ppl just collect em'
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Besides I doubt there'd be a time where not even 1 GM is on XD

There are ways to implement a converter between Items and TC; which of the easiest would be to set up a account running a trading script which is checked like once a week... (Send the account some tokens and receive the TC equivalent per-say the current trade-rate.)

I like the idea, but, wouldn't the Economy be messed up in some way?

I'd keep it to shiai tokens buy shiai items only, so its possible to get expensive items from ingame

such as high qi joints no qi resucrution you mean skylar?