singularityooc | (no subject)

DISCUSSION TIEMS

Hello Singularity!

In an effort to get everything renovated and working smoothly, along with policies, we're also looking to renovate certain game mechanics. One thing we've noticed is there's been some confusion over how the Credit System works.

Credits are not a monetary system. By that we mean, once gained credits cannot be lost unless transferred to another resident (or if Hypatia feels really mean, taken away by her). How do they work? It's really pretty simple. Pretty much credits are less money and more of an 'access system'. There are no payments being made when credits are being used.

Residents who do not have the sufficient amount of credits for the services or items they want are barred from even accessing those buildings. For example, if your character only has 5 credits but wants to stay at a swanky hotel... Well, sorry. They won't even be allowed inside.

Proposed change: Changing credits from an access system to a multiplier for currency. For example, a character with 100 credits would be getting an allowance of say, 100k (Note, this isn't set in stone). This would allow purpose for the creation and running of businesses (and also auctions!) for reasons other than "bored and in need of a hobby. Currency would also allow characters with low or no credits the ability to obtain/buy high quality items just by earning money through other means (Don't want to work for the AI? Well you can still earn money being a bar tender/waitress for another resident).

Other suggestions are also welcome. We're also willing to answer other questions about the game setting (rather than policies) in this post and take other suggestions for possible changes.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

While I'm all for adding in capitalist ventures, I do feel this could potentially start mucking things up. For example, right now credits allow you to stay in a pretty swank house instead of making money. Would all resources that are credit-based (i.e. housing, food, robomaid, etc.) change over to a rent-based system? Currently, with your credits, you gain access to all that bracket's worth of materials. Would this be changed? i.e. a house is about 20 cred's worth of salary, so if you move straight into a higher tier you can't afford food, or... and so on?

I understand that it'd still be pretty handwavy, but I think this does start complicating what was before a pretty clean system a little. Just my two cents on the topic - once again, I do like the idea of some sort of salary system to allow for lucrative businesses for those who want to manage that sort of thing. (More freedom = awesome!) The only issue I have is that if the credit system already confuses players on occasion, the salary system may lead to more confusion (whether people assume it to be a core game mechanic or something similar) than before.

Edited 2011-08-21 21:56 (UTC)

Pretty much we'd try to make the the changeover as easy as we could possibly make it.

There'd still be free facilities for newcomers, of course. The only thing people would have to figure out is what salary bracket they're in, and they'd still be able to afford all the things they currently can.

In the current system, credits cannot be pooled together. For example, a person who has 6 credits who is living with a person with 3 credits doesn't mean they have a household credit size of 9 credits. It means one person has 6, the other has 3, and they can afford things as such. Changing to the allowance system would allow roommates to work together money-wise.

Currently, the Striders are actually doing just that - they tossed their credits to Dave, who takes care of most financial transactions as the "money-holder." It's slightly more complicated than just paying the rent individually, but it basically amounts to the same thing.

In that case, it seems like it functions pretty much identically to the current credit system and is different in name / "flavor" only. That's another thing I agree with Alba down there on - I actually am fond of the current way credits are dealt with on a setting basis too. There's also the idea that credits can be offered as a form of currency, it's just a lot more valuable than, say, a month's worth of salary.

Either way, though, I'm down with whatever is chosen like I mentioned on Plurk. These are just my thoughts on the issue! :V