Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Sleuth Talk


0 0
The Shady Relief Fund
  <<First Page  |  <Previous Next>  |  Last Page>>  

The Shady Relief Fund
The Shady Relief Fund

Jul-2-2016 05:35

The Shady Relief Fund (hereinafter "the Fund") is a fund organized to help provide financial assistance to detectives owing between $500,000.00 and $1,000,000 to the Shady Character due to False Accusations.

The rules are simple:

1. To receive assistance you must contribute to the Fund a set amount monthly (amount to be determined).

2. You must have 2 False Accusations on your record before the Fund will pay monies towards your Shady fee.

3. The Fund will only pay half of your total Shady fee as per Shady's associate in Delhi.

4. The Fund will only provide assistance to a detective once in a 12 month period. If you apply for assistance from the Fund and are approved, you will not be eligible to receive assistance from the Fund for the next 12 months. However, if you wish to receive assistance from the Fund at the end of that 12 month period, you will be required to continue making monthly contributions during the deferral period.

5. You must have been a member of the Fund (i.e., contributing to the Fund on a monthly basis) for six months before you can apply for financial assistance.

6. You may make your monthly contributions by wiring money to The Shady Relief Fund from your nearest financial institution.


Replies

shell marple
shell marple
Con Artist

Jul-3-2016 06:34

Even if all the mechanics of having and operating a Shady fund can be worked out, I'm not in favor of the idea. Shady is part of the game for a reason, he gives an edge to the game. Shady's power over our detectives has already been dulled over the years. First we were given a cap as to how much he could charge us. Then we were given the ability to reinstate our detectives if we accidentally retired them.
The price range in which this fund would help is basically geared toward the experienced player, who should probably be able to play the game without getting into FA trouble. And before anyone goes red on me, I did end up retiring my detective and having to reinstate her when I first returned so I do understand how it can happen. The thing is that the reasons for my being in FA trouble in the first place, were due to my own bad decisions. Including playing while half asleep, not paying attention, and simply taking the risk and guessing(my first FA). Anyways, avoiding FAs and paying off Shady are challenges that should be embraced. Shady and his prices are there for a reason. If the already implemented changes that take the sting out of paying Shady off and accidental retirement are not enough, maybe a different question should be asked. Do we really want to have consequences for making false accusations? Should we relegate Shady to nothing more than a colorful character in the game?

The Shady Relief Fund
The Shady Relief Fund

Jul-3-2016 07:53

Shell

Thank you very much for your post. Yours is a very valid viewpoint and I agree with much that you say. I had mixed feelings when a cap was put on Shady's fees and I was against the decision to allow a player to reinstate a retired detective. I agree that Shady was the key component that gave an edge to the game of Sleuth. However, decisions were made that started us down the slippery slope.

I also agree that avoiding FAs and paying off Shady are things that should be embraced. That is why the Fund would only pay a portion of your Shady fee, and will only pay once in a 12 month period. The Fund would not be a "get out of jail free" card.

I disagree that once you reach a certain point with a detective you shouldn't be making FAs anymore. I (and most everyone in Sleuth I know) gets them occasionally. If that were not true, there would be lots of detectives running around with $27M + in their little Sleuth accounts. At a certain point, what else is there to spend money on? (Other than helping noobs pay off their FAs.)

But, nevertheless, this is exactly the type of opinion I wanted to see expressed in this thread and I thank you for taking the time to post.

shell marple
shell marple
Con Artist

Jul-3-2016 08:39

I didn't mean to imply that a veteran detective would not get FAs. What I meant is that they should know how to handle paying off shady. I know two Fas in a very short time can happen (Sleuth Sindy) being a recent example, but it's not really the norm. Most of us will start working on collecting the money to pay off shady after our first FA, and have the full amount or nearly the full amount before we get our second FA.
You made a great case for not doing this when you talked about starting down this slippery slope. This is just taking it one step further, and in the years to come I'm sure someone will feel that the whole fee Shady requires should be paid or that a player should be able to use it more than once a year.
Also there really is not that many detectives who actively play the game to support a fund, without asking for a large monthly fee. If four or five detectives needed the maximum amount at the same time, or within the same month the fund could be depleted. What happens to the player who contributes money on a monthly basis just for backup? Only not to need the fund, until they have invested more than a million dollars. Shouldn't they get more than half?
I have always thought that it would be nice to have individual bank accounts for detectives. That way you can save just like in real life. Also instead of a fund we could go with a bank loan, to be paid back to the bank (possibly with interest)

Sophie4
Sophie4
Gopher to the Sleuth Gods

Jul-3-2016 08:45

Since this is a community, rather than buy insurance, how about helping each other? When I was a young sleuth I borrowed from a more established sleuth and I didn't pay any interest just the bank fees when I paid it back. I paid in installments.

A person could post a plea for help, that would avoid too many of us rushing to send money. And to the sleuth-in-need - there's no shame in asking, we've all been there.

shell marple
shell marple
Con Artist

Jul-3-2016 08:54

Yes Sofie that is another great way of handling it. I went with the bank, only because it could be an actual mechanical part of the game. I'd be good with a no interest loan payoff.



Sleuth Sindy
Sleuth Sindy
Pinball Wizard

Jul-3-2016 08:55

Shell, I also would like to see a detective have the option to have a safe in their apartment. From your lips to the Sleuth gods' ears. :)

Going back to something Autumnsprings said: I was just having this discussion with my hubby not so long ago - at a certain point it would be cheaper just to put all your money in the agency safe, stash all your gear and deliberately retire your detective once you have 2 FAs rather than pay Shady. Yes, you lose your contacts, and I know that some people really have to wait a long time to get them, but I have always gotten them rather quickly.

Autumnsprings
Autumnsprings
Con Artist

Jul-3-2016 10:30

I like the ideas of a bank account, bank loans, having safes in our apartments, and having a place to post for help. I, too, recently had to visit shady. And thankfully I had friends come to my rescue. I fully intend to pay them back as soon as I can, but newer detectives may not have that network to fall back on. For them a bank account (with a small amount of interest) could be the answer.

When a detective accrues a set amount, let's say $100,000 or so, they could get a sleuth mail that they've been invited to open an account at the bank. Interest rates could be determined by experience or age, or they could be the same for everyone with occasional adjustments, either up or down.

This could be available to unsubbed as well as subbed detectives. Subbed detectives are usually part of an agency (except for a few brave souls who go it alone) and one of the perks of being in an agency is getting financial help when needed. However, not all agencies are able to pay a significant portion of Shady's fees given their detectives' xp.

I think Shady is integral to the game. Without him, there would be no consequence to guessing - and guessing wrong. There would be no agonizing decisions when you *think* you really know who it is but just aren't quite sure. "There would be no fear" as a friend put it. And that fear, that hesitation, is absolutely FUNDAMENTAL to the game. If this is implemented there would be no fear.

And at that point, why even have shady? Why keep track of FAs at all? If people want something to change about Shady, perhaps one of the financial suggestions already mentioned could be implemented. Or the retirement level could be increased. Maybe 5 FAs instead of 3. (I prefer the banking ideas for what it's worth.)

But I have to say that while this idea looks good on paper, I don't think it would work well. Also, just a small note....to be continued

Autumnsprings
Autumnsprings
Con Artist

Jul-3-2016 10:30

I don't think you have a backer. I think you *are* the backer. You are a regular player. You've been playing for a long time. You know about the cap. You know about the unretire option. You spend time in the boards. (I'm pretty sure I know where "Puck" Shady came from thankyouverymuch.) You also know that Secret_Squirrel is in a position to verify this. It's not fair of you to put him in that position. By doing that you are, whether intentionally or not, putting him in a proton of vouching for you or "vetting" you. I think you should just come right out and tell us who your detective is. Don't play games. If you want to do this then do it in YOUR name.

Autumnsprings
Autumnsprings
Con Artist

Jul-3-2016 10:42

It kind of seems like you disapproved of admin (aka the sleuth gods) starting us on this slippery slope but now you've hopped into a toboggan for a ride down it!

jroepel
jroepel
Con Artist

Jul-3-2016 11:16

Autumn asked me to read this thread. While I don't really play anymore, I have been playing EVE Online now for way to long to not smell a scam. Not saying that you are actually scamming. I don't know you, and heck... I don't really play. But this just feels so much like a Jita local scam in EVE. Sleuth was never like that when I did play, but my eyes have been opened to other aspects of gaming since I have been playing EVE. Even if everything is legitimate here, you still have to consider what happens when the fund has a bunch of money in it. Temptation is powerful, and you shouldn't rule out the long con. I also think there is something to the argument that has been made about not further diluting the purpose of Shady in the game.

Anyways, feel free to disregard what I have said since I don't really play anymore. (Autumn runs my characters now.). Now to return to my self imposed sabbatical/retirement. :0)

--Justin

  <<First Page  |  <Previous Next>  |  Last Page>>  

[ You must login to reply ]