Defiance is still in beta and under the cloak of non-disclosure agreement or NDA, which leaves us with nothing else better to do than speculate on what the two Defiance currencies - "scrip" and "bit" - will get us in-game. Please note that this is pure speculation. But we have a gut feeling that our list is more or less spot on.

Possible Scrip purchases
Scrip is the in-game gold in Defiance. and will be handed out as rewards for completing missions and can be looted from mobs. Players will probably spend most of their Scrip on weapons and gear.

Defiance boasts of more than a dozen weapon types -- assault rifles, bio-magnetic guns, grenades, infectors, pistols and shotguns to name a few. These weapons can be modified through crafting, and we think players will have to spend Scrip for such crafting upgrades. Each Defiance weapon has varying number of modification slots - stock, barrel, magazine and sight - and customization will depend on one's combat build.

Players should also be able to acquire gear armor with Scrip. The same goes for mounts, which are known as vehicles instead in Defiance. Vehicles can be conjured on demand and are designed to be the main mode of transportation across its vast open world. There have also been screenshots of group vehicles, which if not exclusively sold at the cash shop should at least cost more Scrip than solo vehicles.

Scrip will also likely be used as the main trading currency in Defiance. Players will be allowed to trade items with each other like a barter system, and it would not be too unreasonable to let players sell loot to others for Scrips. Developers though might be cautious about allowing a direct Scrip trading feature since it can be used to facilitate real-money trading.

There has been no news yet of a marketplace or auction house-type feature, but if there is one, there is little doubt that auctioned items will be bought and sold with Scrip.

Possible Bit purchases
Bit is the cash shop currency in Defiance. Among the pre-order boxes, only the Defiance Ultimate Edition offers 1200 Bits while the rest only come with XP and Scrip boosts.

Developers have confirmed that some outfits - which are "purely cosmetic" and have no in-game effects - can be purchased with Bits. Other outfits can also be bought with the in-game currency Scrip. We also believe that special vehicles will be sold on the cash shop, if only since mounts are one of the most ubiquitous and popular cash shop wares in the MMO genre.

Another item that players should be able to buy with Bits are power boosts. The pre-order boxes already come with XP and Scrip boosts, and we think this is a smart way to market the goods. Once these convenient boosts are used up, players will likely try to shell out cash to get more.

For those worried that it will cost Bits to purchase new content, it has been said in defiance news that Defiance will have "numerous" free updates and that "you will not need to buy the DLC to enjoy these free updates." But this careful wording makes us believe that there will still be optional content that can be unlocked by spending Bits at the cash shop.

Defiance, the upcoming open-world shooter from Trion Worlds, is scheduled to come out April 2013 but there is scant information about its in-game and virtual currencies. Still, there was enough data out there to create the mini-FAQ below. Read on to know more about the three confirmed currencies for the riveting sci-fi MMOFPS.

Scrip
Refer to www.defianceguide.com Scrip is the in-game currency for Defiance. Similar to gold in other games, scrip can be obtained through killing mobs and completing missions. Scrip can be spent on NPC vendors for outfits, consumables and other gear.

Scrip boosts have been confirmed when purchasing Defiance preorder boxes. The Digital Deluxe Edition ($99) comes with a 30-day scrip boost, the highest scrip boost available among the pre-order choices. Meanwhile, the Collector's Edition ($99) and Ultimate Edition ($149) boxes only come with a 7-day scrip boost each.

Why does the Digital Deluxe Edition have a much higher scrip boost than the Ultimate Edition? Trion World has said on the official Pre-order FAQ page that the scrip boost is the main bonus in the Digital Deluxe Edition while the Ultimate Edition focuses on collectible perks.

"The Ultimate Edition comes with much more value in the form of collectible art book, hellbug statue, and of course the Season Pass and bits. Since digital customers won't be getting any of those, we wanted to make sure they had good value in their edition also."

Scrip boosts will be available for purchase on the Defiance store when the game goes live.

Bit
Bit is the virtual currency for Defiance. It can be used to purchase items and services available at the Defiance store.

How much will bits cost in terms of real world dollars? As of January 30, Trion Worlds has not yet pinned down the exact price for bits, as well as other services such as XP and scrip boosts. Here's the complete developer response on the official Pre-order FAQ Page:

"Individual values of these are still being tweaked as we adjust the balance of the game. What I can tell you is what we intend for 1,200 bits + 30 day XP boost + 30 day scrip boost + Season Pass together to be worth approximately $80."

If during our balancing of the game it turns out these elements are worth less than we'll increase quantity or substitute an item of greater value. People who buy Ultimate and Collector's Editions are very important and we make sure the value they receive from these editions is much greater than what's in the actual box."

Echelon Credit
Echelon credit is rumored to be a kind of PvP currency that can be tradable for special gear, weapons and armor. Ark Hunters can earn Echelon credits signing up Shadow Operatives for the private military group Echelon and completing certain missions and objectives under the Shadow War contract. Echelon segregates all Shadow Operatives into two competing teams, and pits them against each other in exciting open world PvP combat.

More information about the game can be found at Defiance official site.