I put this plugin onto my dev server, but didn't get much of a chance to play around with it before my server went out of date, I reckon looking into this server would be great for PvP, helping with a more fluent, new-user friendly economy system, that doesn't rely on the presence of players to buy items from them.

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Also ChestShop would work great with Hyperconomy and iConomy as well. And we wouldn't even have to get rid of iConomy; Hyperconomy is seamlessly compatible with everything we currently have.

I don't really like the idea of having automagic / robot shops..
I do think there should be a new way of earning money but not like this.

The system itself works of the global stock of the server, so prices of items depends on demand. If there are lots of items in circulation, then prices go down and vice versa.

I see where you are coming from though, people will sell items and easily make money, which can be trouble, but atleast in this way everyone is able to sell items, to make money, so it would still be fair on every player to get and sell items, those that are better at mining are just naturally at advantage no matter the circumstance, but if the guests are able to at least make money without having to devote themselves to the server, then it will help keep them interested.

Maybe just raise the prices for stuff like towns so that the economy is more balance?

I'd like 1 global shop, and no other shops.

It doesn't seem like iConomy is maintained anymore. Maybe it would be better if iConomy just gets replaced with this.

And I totally agree with raising the prices for stuff like towns.

The idea in mind, or one idea me and chubby tossed between, was having four larger, Non-player controlled towns in the centres of each sections of the map, and having one large town right in the middle.

The town in the middle being where players spawn, which has the only hyperconomy controlled shopping area, like a grand central economy shop area.
Then the use of Chest Shop can be used for players to individually sell their items between players, as it works, you place your items in, and people can buy and sell from the chests, these chests of course, would charge players to set up.

The idea for the four sub-towns is that guests can join these towns, paying tax, to set up their own minor shops, and trade between other members of these non player controlled towns.

With perhaps portals or rails from the Grand Central, out to the other four towns, there needs to be some way of players being able to get to them.

That's the idea I feel would work best, feel free to comment and nitpick further, if we can get players involved and into this, that would be great.