{"schemaVersion":1,"record":{"key":"mechanic/rpg-grind--loot-binding","type":"mechanic","id":"rpg-grind--loot-binding","lang":"en","title":"Item binding and circulation","summary":"Transfer rules determine whether trade can replace personal farming and when an item leaves circulation.","updatedAt":"2026-10-22","status":"active","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/knowledge/mechanic/rpg-grind--loot-binding/","jsonUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/api/v1/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--loot-binding.json","markdownUrl":"https://gamemechanics.pro/content/knowledge/en/mechanic/rpg-grind--loot-binding.md","aliases":[],"tags":["RPG grinding","Cost and risk"],"sourceIds":["source-d19ac324bbb4d83d"],"sources":[{"id":"source-d19ac324bbb4d83d","title":"Final Fantasy XIV","url":"https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/playguide/contentsguide/goldsaucer/chocoboracing/","verifiedAt":null}],"sections":[{"id":"principle","title":"How it works","body":"Transfer rules determine whether trade can replace personal farming and when an item leaves circulation."},{"id":"variants","title":"Variants","body":"### Variants\n\n<a id=\"loot-binding-options\"></a>\n\n- Bind an item on acquisition or use. <a id=\"loot-binding-option-1\"></a>\n- Allow transfer only within an account or party. <a id=\"loot-binding-option-2\"></a>\n- Preserve free trade for selected categories. <a id=\"loot-binding-option-3\"></a>"},{"id":"example","title":"Design example","body":"A sword can be sold before equipping, then becomes bound to the hero."},{"id":"context","title":"Context and limits","body":"A systematic RPG grind reference: 110 mechanics and 330 variants in 18 sections. Four layers answer different questions: what the player repeats, what develops, how rewards arrive and what constrains the loop. It covers single-player RPGs, ARPGs, MMORPGs and adjacent management and accumulation systems. Every mechanic has an explanation, variants and a hypothetical example; coverage, combinations and verified game observations follow the catalog."}],"relations":[],"placements":[{"catalogId":"rpg-grind","id":"loot-binding","title":"RPG grinding","url":"https://gamemechanics.pro/en/mechanics/rpg-grind/#loot-binding","categoryIds":["cost-risk-controls"]}],"supersededBy":[],"attributes":{"preview":{"updatedAt":"2026-10-22","title":"Item binding and circulation","description":"Transfer rules determine whether trade can replace personal farming and when an item leaves circulation.","image":{"src":"images/mechanics/rpg-ffxiv-racing-43.webp","width":474,"height":353,"game":"Final Fantasy XIV","sourceUrl":"https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/playguide/contentsguide/goldsaucer/chocoboracing/","originalUrl":"https://lds-img.finalfantasyxiv.com/h/F/3rbnxPeoQsuEgSyvTxcLHI7Hz4.jpg","credit":"Square Enix; official guide screenshot","rights":"Game imagery © its respective rights holders. Official game guide or publisher-distributed screenshot; all rights reserved. Excluded from MIT and CC BY 4.0.","caption":"The document is marked Untradable","alt":"The document is marked Untradable","markers":[{"x":63,"y":36,"label":"The restriction prevents trading this item to another player"}]},"tips":["Explain binding triggers and transfer restrictions before item acquisition."],"examples":[{"title":"Final Fantasy XIV","url":"https://na.finalfantasyxiv.com/lodestone/playguide/contentsguide/goldsaucer/chocoboracing/"}]}},"endsAt":null,"provenance":"Original editorial RPG grind taxonomy authored for gamemechanics.pro on 2026-10-20 and expanded to cover activities, progression goals, reward rules and constraints. All original thirty family/branch/variant identities are preserved. Official developer and publisher sources support only the specifically described released-game observations; design variants and scenarios are hypothetical.","license":"CC-BY-4.0","codeLicense":"MIT","attribution":"gamemechanics.pro contributors","catalogKey":"catalog/rpg-grind"}}