So the current auction system is kinda bugged, but exploiting the bug only gives you a small advantage when you exploit it you need to keep exploiting it for several auctions to actually really use and after the first attempt, the jig will be up and the entire dynasty will likely break down.

Basically, the only negative side effect to your power going super low is that you lose a prestige a day. And then people can start stealing your items. But if you win ever auction you’ll probably still come out a head.

With money, if you spend enormous amounts you run the risk of going Dissolute and can’t win. But you your power could be the negative value of grahm’s number can you can still technically win as long as you have enough items. Weighted Power Factor won’t effect anything because you can bid numbers so large the WPF won’t matter. The only way to counter someone who decides to ignore their power and just win every item is to bid more power than they do. And so the end result would be people figuring out how to bid the highest number possible. Which isn’t fun for anyone and goes against the spirit of the dynasty.

With this in place, someone could still technically sandbag. But I think the likelihood of someone doing that is a lot lower as there isn’t any real reason to do it. Whereas today, trying to bid the max power feels to me like it would probably actually be the optimal strategy.

a bit selfish of me but such is how it is