Post by OT on May 20, 2018 23:58:37 GMT -5
I was wondering today about player-created clans and shops. There's a helpfile on it, and the system was (of course) designed by Nyr, so the requirments are incredibly prohibitive. I realized that outside of the Black Moon company, I can't think of anyone getting anything done in this regard. And the Black Moon did it before the rules were there, so they didn't go through all the same hoops. They're not an actual trading company with a clan compound etc., they just have a warehouse and shop from before the rules were made official. Here are the rules:
So, has anybody managed to do any of this shit? The rules are bonkers. Think about this in IC terms: in order to become a hawker in the bazaar selling your clay spoons and grass baskets, you need to have a warehouse and have spent many thousands of coins in taxes, including a 5000 licensing fee. How the fuck is this even explained from the game world's perspective? It's a bazaar. Have they ever seen a bazaar? Are the bazaar NPCs and descriptions representative of individuals who earn many thousands of coins every year? They're earless elves and scruffy peddlers. There's one that just sells bandanas, one that just sells bags. A bazaar is a place where you just go and start selling shit. These rules are so hilariously out of touch with the setting.
Next issue is the sheer time. Since you have to do all of the above steps in sequence - that is, you can't go from warehouse owner directly to minor merchant house - we're talking thirteen years of working on this shit before you even qualify to apply for a MMH. If you then add the time it would take to even get to the point where you could be considered for the warehouse (it says a minimum of 1 IG year, but we all know you're not getting a warehouse a month and a half after making your character), and the fact that you aren't likely to go through each of these steps in the minimum required time, we're probably talking about 20 years of work. That's like two and a half RL years.
Just for my own amusement, I looked up how long it took to form the East India Trading Company:
A year.
I haven't heard of a single example of anybody accomplishing any of these things since the official rules went up in 2014. Yet this is the kind of shit that people will point towards when players complain that you can't really do anything in this game. Looking at those rules, you can pretty much read between the lines that "we don't actually want you to do make it, we just wrote this shit to make it seem like you can."
There are two warehouse spaces in Allanak. One is owned by the Black Moon (even though their one remaining PC logs in like once every other month), who were grandfathered in. The other I've never heard about. If somebody owns it, it's somebody who has so little of an impact on the game that even the aforementioned last Black Moon member who barely plays is still more visible about it. I'm guessing nobody has it. And nobody has ever made a trading company, let alone a minor merchant house. It's just something that has never been done. Right?
I think this is the purest, most tangible example of what's wrong with this game and its staff.
Warehouse/Room Lease Holder:
In Allanak
- Must have 1 year of history as registered merchant recorded with the local templarate.
- 2000 one off licensing fee paid to a templar.
- 1000/2000/3000 rent a year depending on which zone. See 'Available Spaces' below.
- 10% tax on rent paid to templarate
City gangs, Rinth, Red Storm and Luir's
- 1 year of history making venture work with the local powers that be
- 1000/2000/3000 a year being paid in bribes/tithes/rent depending on where you are.
Shopkeeper/Boss :
In Allanak
- 2 years of tax history at previous level recorded with the local templarate.
- Must have a warehouse/room leased.
- 5000 one off licensing fee paid to a templar.
- 1000/2000/3000 rent a year depending on where in the city you're based.
- 10% tax paid to templarate
- Can now work with staff to set up up to 2 NPCs, either a shopkeeper, guard or hawker.
City gangs, Rinth, Red Storm and Luir's
- 2 years worth of active success with a room/base.
- 5000 tribute/licensing fee/bribe as a one off fee.
- 1000/2000/3000 a year coming out in bribes/tithes/rent - depending on where the clan is based.
- Can now work with staff to set up up to 2 NPCs, either a shopkeeper, guard or hawker.
Trading Company:
- Must have 5 years of tax history at previous level recorded with the local templarate, with total taxes paid of at least 50,000 coins.
- Must have a warehouse leased, at least initially.
- Must be approved by staff prior to seeking IC approval.
- Must pay licensing fee of 10,000 coins to local templarate.
- Taxed 5000 coins per year.
- Contract is specific to the founder.
- May now work with staff to lease a clan compound, to set up a coded clan, to set up an IG discussion board, to hire NPCs, and be involved in customization of the above.
- May work with staff and IC organizations to pursue reasonable virtual contracts.
Minor Merchant House:
- Must have 5 years of tax history at previous level recorded with the local templarate, with total taxes paid of at least 100,000 coins.
- Must be leasing a clan compound.
- Must be approved by staff prior to seeking approval IC.
- Must have a system of succession.
- Must have the backing of at least one major group in-game. (This group must be established to be equivalent to the status of a Great Merchant House or higher.)
- Must be approved through local legislative body (the Allanaki Senate or the Tuluki Triumvirate).
- One-time license fee of 50,000 coins.
- Taxed 25,000 coins yearly.
- May now work with staff to set up a clan forum on the GDB (complete with documentation), to have the clan added to a helpfile depicting Minor Merchant Houses, to set up a unique clan compound, and to hire additional NPCs.
In Allanak
- Must have 1 year of history as registered merchant recorded with the local templarate.
- 2000 one off licensing fee paid to a templar.
- 1000/2000/3000 rent a year depending on which zone. See 'Available Spaces' below.
- 10% tax on rent paid to templarate
City gangs, Rinth, Red Storm and Luir's
- 1 year of history making venture work with the local powers that be
- 1000/2000/3000 a year being paid in bribes/tithes/rent depending on where you are.
Shopkeeper/Boss :
In Allanak
- 2 years of tax history at previous level recorded with the local templarate.
- Must have a warehouse/room leased.
- 5000 one off licensing fee paid to a templar.
- 1000/2000/3000 rent a year depending on where in the city you're based.
- 10% tax paid to templarate
- Can now work with staff to set up up to 2 NPCs, either a shopkeeper, guard or hawker.
City gangs, Rinth, Red Storm and Luir's
- 2 years worth of active success with a room/base.
- 5000 tribute/licensing fee/bribe as a one off fee.
- 1000/2000/3000 a year coming out in bribes/tithes/rent - depending on where the clan is based.
- Can now work with staff to set up up to 2 NPCs, either a shopkeeper, guard or hawker.
Trading Company:
- Must have 5 years of tax history at previous level recorded with the local templarate, with total taxes paid of at least 50,000 coins.
- Must have a warehouse leased, at least initially.
- Must be approved by staff prior to seeking IC approval.
- Must pay licensing fee of 10,000 coins to local templarate.
- Taxed 5000 coins per year.
- Contract is specific to the founder.
- May now work with staff to lease a clan compound, to set up a coded clan, to set up an IG discussion board, to hire NPCs, and be involved in customization of the above.
- May work with staff and IC organizations to pursue reasonable virtual contracts.
Minor Merchant House:
- Must have 5 years of tax history at previous level recorded with the local templarate, with total taxes paid of at least 100,000 coins.
- Must be leasing a clan compound.
- Must be approved by staff prior to seeking approval IC.
- Must have a system of succession.
- Must have the backing of at least one major group in-game. (This group must be established to be equivalent to the status of a Great Merchant House or higher.)
- Must be approved through local legislative body (the Allanaki Senate or the Tuluki Triumvirate).
- One-time license fee of 50,000 coins.
- Taxed 25,000 coins yearly.
- May now work with staff to set up a clan forum on the GDB (complete with documentation), to have the clan added to a helpfile depicting Minor Merchant Houses, to set up a unique clan compound, and to hire additional NPCs.
So, has anybody managed to do any of this shit? The rules are bonkers. Think about this in IC terms: in order to become a hawker in the bazaar selling your clay spoons and grass baskets, you need to have a warehouse and have spent many thousands of coins in taxes, including a 5000 licensing fee. How the fuck is this even explained from the game world's perspective? It's a bazaar. Have they ever seen a bazaar? Are the bazaar NPCs and descriptions representative of individuals who earn many thousands of coins every year? They're earless elves and scruffy peddlers. There's one that just sells bandanas, one that just sells bags. A bazaar is a place where you just go and start selling shit. These rules are so hilariously out of touch with the setting.
Next issue is the sheer time. Since you have to do all of the above steps in sequence - that is, you can't go from warehouse owner directly to minor merchant house - we're talking thirteen years of working on this shit before you even qualify to apply for a MMH. If you then add the time it would take to even get to the point where you could be considered for the warehouse (it says a minimum of 1 IG year, but we all know you're not getting a warehouse a month and a half after making your character), and the fact that you aren't likely to go through each of these steps in the minimum required time, we're probably talking about 20 years of work. That's like two and a half RL years.
Just for my own amusement, I looked up how long it took to form the East India Trading Company:
On 22 September 1599, a group of merchants met and stated their intention "to venture in the pretended voyage to the East Indies (the which it may please the Lord to prosper), and the sums that they will adventure", committing £30,133.[16][17] Two days later, "the Adventurers" reconvened and resolved to apply to the Queen for support of the project.[17] Although their first attempt had not been completely successful, they nonetheless sought the Queen's unofficial approval to continue. They bought ships for their venture and increased their capital to £68,373.
The Adventurers convened again, a year later on 31 December and this time they succeeded; the Queen granted a Royal Charter to "George, Earl of Cumberland, and 215 Knights, Aldermen, and Burgesses" under the name, Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading with the East Indies.
The Adventurers convened again, a year later on 31 December and this time they succeeded; the Queen granted a Royal Charter to "George, Earl of Cumberland, and 215 Knights, Aldermen, and Burgesses" under the name, Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading with the East Indies.
I haven't heard of a single example of anybody accomplishing any of these things since the official rules went up in 2014. Yet this is the kind of shit that people will point towards when players complain that you can't really do anything in this game. Looking at those rules, you can pretty much read between the lines that "we don't actually want you to do make it, we just wrote this shit to make it seem like you can."
There are two warehouse spaces in Allanak. One is owned by the Black Moon (even though their one remaining PC logs in like once every other month), who were grandfathered in. The other I've never heard about. If somebody owns it, it's somebody who has so little of an impact on the game that even the aforementioned last Black Moon member who barely plays is still more visible about it. I'm guessing nobody has it. And nobody has ever made a trading company, let alone a minor merchant house. It's just something that has never been done. Right?
I think this is the purest, most tangible example of what's wrong with this game and its staff.
