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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.

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)

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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

Jul-3-2016 11:37

A relief fund IS the community helping one another. It's basically a pool of money held in trust for the contributing members until they have a need of it with a governing entity or board. That way, when someone has a need they can apply to an impersonal entity rather than having to go about asking their neighbors for help. And indeed their neighbors (those contributing) actually have already helped.

I wasn't trying to be disingenuous in my opening post. Yes, The Shady Relief Fund and me, "the backer" are the same. However, since "I" (a part of the community) would (if such a thing as the Fund were implemented), in the beginning, be investing my own personal finances in the Fund, I wish to be anonymous. I believe most people when applying for relief would rather apply to an anonymous "entity" than someone known to them.

I wasn't asking Squirrel to rubber stamp the Fund, merely confirm that the avatar The Shady Relief Fund is tied to a long-time player of Sleuth. However, I have every confidence that if Squirrel thinks that would be unethical he will refuse to do so.

Autumn I again thank you for your honesty in your posts. You are obviously passionate about Sleuth and protecting those you care about.

Jul-3-2016 11:50

To be honest, just having your detective retire and start with a clean slate would probably be much easier. Instead of having to go through all this hassle and with the shadow (pun intended) lurking all the time if this may be a scam or not.

I can only speak for myself but if I do get an FA it's not because I wanted to guess or didn't understand the game mechanisms. It's because of a stupid distraction or loss of concentration at that moment. There have been other things implemented over time as well to bring that edge. Like bringing in those pirates for instance. I never asked from them but I wouldn't want to count all the cases that I lost to them (cases I paid for btw). I realize there's a way to go around that but it will still take a considerable amount of time to get there.

I helped out players before with FA's and didn't even expect them to pay me back. Likewise I've also been helped out myself. There's nothing wrong with some good old fashioned charity. Just like there's nothing wrong with building up insurance. The main practical problem however that I do agree with is to guarantee the pay out if too many players at the same time come knocking at the door when they all got their second FA.