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Scrip, an alternate reward mechanism for bounty hunters and combat pilots
The givemoney thread http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/20564 reminded me of an idea I had a few months ago for making the bounty system less exploitable. The basic idea is to create a separate system of reward for bounties (possibly for other situations as well) which is non-transferable. In a nutshell:
- Nations and Corporations award Scrip.
- Bounties and National/Corporate missions are paid in Scrip.
- Scrip can only be used to buy ships and addons.
- Scrip is non-transferable.
- Credits work as usual as a medium of exchange to buy anything from anywhere.
- Grey space probably won't accept Scrip.
- Credits still needed to purchase big-ticket items.
Instead of giving out Credits as a reward for bounties, Nations/Corporations award Scrip which can only be used to purchase ships and weapons/addons. Scrip can not be transferred to anyone else and may be restricted by Nation or Corporation (the National/Corporate restriction isn't essential but may add some flavor to the idea). Bounties become less exploitable since the reward can't be shared.
If you are member of a Nation's military (Serco/Itani) or a registered Bounty Hunter (UIT), you are rewarded in Scrip for completed missions/bounties. The value of Scrip can be adjusted so that the average player can earn slightly more Scrip than needed while playing to be able to replace ships/addons at the same rate they are lost. (Or not since a backlog of Scrip isn't inflationary the way a surplus of Credits is.) This way, combat pilots don't have to worry about earning Credits to buy ships/addons as long as they are actively completing missions for their Nation or collecting bounties.
Of course, Credits can still be earned and used and it is likely that everyone will want to earn a minimal amount of Credits on the side for emergencies and other uses. Credits are earned and spent as usual via trade and mining and have the advantage of being honored everywhere for everything. Restricting Scrip to the issuing Nation/Corporation leads to the need to earn Credits to buy ships/addons from other Nations/Corporations. And Credits will probably be needed to buy big-ticket items and thus will still be needed if you are looking at doing anything more than being a combat pilot.
In summary, Scrip doesn't replace Credits but acts alongside it as a non-transferable reward mechanism that reduces bounty exploits and allows combat pilots to concentrate on what they like to do best.
- Nations and Corporations award Scrip.
- Bounties and National/Corporate missions are paid in Scrip.
- Scrip can only be used to buy ships and addons.
- Scrip is non-transferable.
- Credits work as usual as a medium of exchange to buy anything from anywhere.
- Grey space probably won't accept Scrip.
- Credits still needed to purchase big-ticket items.
Instead of giving out Credits as a reward for bounties, Nations/Corporations award Scrip which can only be used to purchase ships and weapons/addons. Scrip can not be transferred to anyone else and may be restricted by Nation or Corporation (the National/Corporate restriction isn't essential but may add some flavor to the idea). Bounties become less exploitable since the reward can't be shared.
If you are member of a Nation's military (Serco/Itani) or a registered Bounty Hunter (UIT), you are rewarded in Scrip for completed missions/bounties. The value of Scrip can be adjusted so that the average player can earn slightly more Scrip than needed while playing to be able to replace ships/addons at the same rate they are lost. (Or not since a backlog of Scrip isn't inflationary the way a surplus of Credits is.) This way, combat pilots don't have to worry about earning Credits to buy ships/addons as long as they are actively completing missions for their Nation or collecting bounties.
Of course, Credits can still be earned and used and it is likely that everyone will want to earn a minimal amount of Credits on the side for emergencies and other uses. Credits are earned and spent as usual via trade and mining and have the advantage of being honored everywhere for everything. Restricting Scrip to the issuing Nation/Corporation leads to the need to earn Credits to buy ships/addons from other Nations/Corporations. And Credits will probably be needed to buy big-ticket items and thus will still be needed if you are looking at doing anything more than being a combat pilot.
In summary, Scrip doesn't replace Credits but acts alongside it as a non-transferable reward mechanism that reduces bounty exploits and allows combat pilots to concentrate on what they like to do best.
That's a kinda neat idea.
I really, really like the potential of this idea. In fact, it could lead to a real reason to go to Grey--I'm a bit too busy to work out a detailed sketch of how a nation scrip plan would play out, but I think the basics would be (1) nation space missions pay in scrip only; (2) nation space ships are sold at X price in scrip, or a lower than X price in credits--and the Proms, Valks, and Moths, as well as Corp special items/ships and also some high level items are credits only; (3) scrip is worthless outside of nation space; (4) credits can buy scrip--scrip cannot buy credits;(5)goods/items purchaseable with scrip in nation space are of limited value in Grey, where they are sold for credits; (6) lucrative routes, involving goods/items that must be bought with credits, either from Grey to nation space or vice versa, yeild credits rather than scrip.
In a nutshell: scrip can't buy what you really want, and credits can't be earned safely. Since scrip is nation specific, it's a good way to reinforce faction immersion. TNG fans might draw an analogy between Federation Credits and Gold-Pressed Latinum.
In a nutshell: scrip can't buy what you really want, and credits can't be earned safely. Since scrip is nation specific, it's a good way to reinforce faction immersion. TNG fans might draw an analogy between Federation Credits and Gold-Pressed Latinum.
I don't get how Scrip can't be transformed into credits.
Yes. Please! I tried getting suggesting different currencies in another thread, this would be just as well.
Pointsman, they wouldn't and that is the idea. You could perhaps exchange it to credits, donate it and receive credits in return. As Lecter so correctly says, it will reinforce faction immersion and thus RP.
A big thumbs up
Pointsman, they wouldn't and that is the idea. You could perhaps exchange it to credits, donate it and receive credits in return. As Lecter so correctly says, it will reinforce faction immersion and thus RP.
A big thumbs up
Something like this has been mentioned before:
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/19822#247855
http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/19822#247855
Pointsman: it would be more correct to say that Scrip->Credits would not be a 1:1 exchange ratio. Maybe more like a 10000:1 exchange ratio.
bojansplash: Thanks for the link. I missed that. The concepts are similar and, in fact, scrip = tokens by some definitions.
Interestingly, Ghost came to this solution from the PvP direction while I came at it as a way to reinstate the bounty system by providing a less exploitable payment system. It's equally applicable to both situations - though I would argue a Scrip as payment is nominally more workable and realistic than tokens (even virtual ones) for each kill.
Scrip would, indeed, become a de facto second currency so I can understand the resistance to the idea from the devs. However, if it's completely isolated from the rest of the economy then it can be an extremely simple form of currency - instead of Credits, you get Scrip; you use Scrip to buy ship and addons. Period. Completely non-transferable. (At least initially; it would always be possible to expand on the concept after it had been rolled out and proven as workable in its simplest form.)
Interestingly, Ghost came to this solution from the PvP direction while I came at it as a way to reinstate the bounty system by providing a less exploitable payment system. It's equally applicable to both situations - though I would argue a Scrip as payment is nominally more workable and realistic than tokens (even virtual ones) for each kill.
Scrip would, indeed, become a de facto second currency so I can understand the resistance to the idea from the devs. However, if it's completely isolated from the rest of the economy then it can be an extremely simple form of currency - instead of Credits, you get Scrip; you use Scrip to buy ship and addons. Period. Completely non-transferable. (At least initially; it would always be possible to expand on the concept after it had been rolled out and proven as workable in its simplest form.)
While I'm not opposed to national currency, I'd worry that scrip would be too easy to launder and transfer unless items purchased with scrip could only be used by the purchaser and had no resale value in either credits or scrip. This is possible but breaks immersion when you are talking about weapons carted to grey space. (Ukari UIT Station -> Ukari Xang Xi Station?) And if nothing else, one can always exchange a bounty kill for a bounty kill. Right?
Perhaps the way to handle this is not to create a national scrip that increases the value of credits, but to create a Grey space alternative to credits that devalues credits.
Have something Grey wants? Get paid in purified heliocene/gold-pressed samoflange/whatever. Want to buy Corvus items, ships, or weapons? Credits are worthless, so you'd better have some purified heliocene/gold-pressed samoflange/whatever.
Have something Grey wants? Get paid in purified heliocene/gold-pressed samoflange/whatever. Want to buy Corvus items, ships, or weapons? Credits are worthless, so you'd better have some purified heliocene/gold-pressed samoflange/whatever.
This sort of thing fixes stockpiling of rewards, for example the neutron blaster Mk III. Say you get a fixed amount of scrip for each delivery, or denial you make. Then, if N3s cost scrip, you get what you worked for, and they can be made available to both nations, 24/7 while still giving incentive to participate. Granted, yes, CTC is going to be massively reworked, or removed entirely, or whatever; the soundness of the idea still translates.
Scrip would be paid for PvP based services to your nation, things that help in the conquest of territory. Things that enhance the nation's military strength earn you scrip. Scrip then is exchanged for the fruits of enhanced military strength. If the Serco kicked ass all weekened long, and captured Deneb, all the pilots that participated would have extra scrip for top quality Serco equipment. It simulates a finite surplus, without realistically numbering supplies. The Serco/Itani war machine can run on indefinitely without much change, other than the victors get shinies. (Roleplaying logic being that materials are shipped in from planets as needed, or whatever.)
On the flip side of the coin, scrip is absolutely useless in grey space, and possibly even yellow space. Here, only raw goods and hard cash have any value. The pirate war machine only runs as long as there are raw minerals to support it. The player influenced economy can be shot down, griefed, monopolized, or anything you can imagine, because there's a lack of magic to instantly turn mission successes into weapons.
In essence, the grey side of the universe would be subject to supply and demand, while the blue/red side would only be subject to the supply portion of that metaphor.
Scrip would be paid for PvP based services to your nation, things that help in the conquest of territory. Things that enhance the nation's military strength earn you scrip. Scrip then is exchanged for the fruits of enhanced military strength. If the Serco kicked ass all weekened long, and captured Deneb, all the pilots that participated would have extra scrip for top quality Serco equipment. It simulates a finite surplus, without realistically numbering supplies. The Serco/Itani war machine can run on indefinitely without much change, other than the victors get shinies. (Roleplaying logic being that materials are shipped in from planets as needed, or whatever.)
On the flip side of the coin, scrip is absolutely useless in grey space, and possibly even yellow space. Here, only raw goods and hard cash have any value. The pirate war machine only runs as long as there are raw minerals to support it. The player influenced economy can be shot down, griefed, monopolized, or anything you can imagine, because there's a lack of magic to instantly turn mission successes into weapons.
In essence, the grey side of the universe would be subject to supply and demand, while the blue/red side would only be subject to the supply portion of that metaphor.
yes
I never thought I might see a suggestion like this! I love it.
It strikes me as a very good mechanism to drive ppl to gray space. One question is, will it drive ppl away from nation space. I know we all want to see more pilots in sectors and more interaction, but will this leave nation space devoid of life? Sry, I'm just playing devil's advocate.
Wordplay aside, it is brilliant. I would love to get paid in non-credits for some things. I must admit that it always seemed a little strange that the military was some of the richest folks ever, (traders aside) because for the most part nations in our world pay their soldiers/pilots/sailors with a modest wage and 1/4-decent accommodations.
Carry this one all the way to implementation!
It strikes me as a very good mechanism to drive ppl to gray space. One question is, will it drive ppl away from nation space. I know we all want to see more pilots in sectors and more interaction, but will this leave nation space devoid of life? Sry, I'm just playing devil's advocate.
Wordplay aside, it is brilliant. I would love to get paid in non-credits for some things. I must admit that it always seemed a little strange that the military was some of the richest folks ever, (traders aside) because for the most part nations in our world pay their soldiers/pilots/sailors with a modest wage and 1/4-decent accommodations.
Carry this one all the way to implementation!