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Aug-18-2004 14:36

Somebody suggested adding a swap-meet where players could sell equipment to each other, rather than just to the store.

This is an idea I've had before, but in thinking about it, I've decided that the only way it would really work is to make it so equipment wears out over time. Otherwise, everybody would quickly end up with the best equipment in the game.

The way it could work would be that a given piece of equipment would last through a certain number of cases, or uses (skill checks). Some equipment could be more durable than others. You could then sell used equipment, but the buyer would only get the remaining number of uses before it fell apart.

This would also make money more useful to the high level detectives for whom it has become fairly irrelevant.

Let me know if you are interested in the game moving in the direction of a more realistic economy or not.

Aug-18-2004 15:39

I try my best to stay out of the message boards (it's difficult, though), but I have to say this: Am I the only one who think this is a great game as is? I find it very well thought out and mentally stimulating. There can be too much of a good thing. I've always felt 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it!'...PLEASE!

Aug-18-2004 18:15

In the "locker sorting" thread in Sleuth Talk I joked about good thing there's no stink bombs like in school, then thought what would happen if we could stink another agency's locker out?

Seeing this thread, maybe that's not such a bad idea. It would be competitive, sure, but it should cost the buying agency about $100,000 for a 50% chance that it's successful. If it is, the victim agency wouldn't be able to use the equipment that was stored at the time for two days while it's aired out. Or maybe in terms of this thread, the stink bomb would just decay the equipment by x uses.

Not sure that everyone would like the competition, especially the new agencies, but then again why would an established agency want to stink bomb a new one anyway? So maybe it would work out.

Aug-18-2004 18:28

Will better equipment be available for sale then?

Right now some of the best equipment is from medium level favor cases, which are out of reach from advanced players.

Aug-18-2004 19:21

While I agree with Chronestrian in this case, that the game is great as is, and I think alot of moving around with it isn't necessary; I'll reverse stance on this and say that I like the idea. It makes the game a heck of a lot harder. Giving money a worth is nice, and I also like the idea of an auction house you could buy into. (did you expect this game to become your full time job Ben? ;) ) While I like the way my character is, I think it would be fun to be forced to change him around and make something new and see how different scenarios worked. Maybe there could be special items doled out at different times as well.

Aug-18-2004 19:24

that's exactly what i was thinking. i have a coat that i wear allll the time that i can't even get again if it were to go missing or decay away. i like the items not decaying, just becoming tough to get.

Aug-18-2004 19:26

I don't like the idea, only because I never swap out my equipment. I have it at the levels that I like. With decaying equipment, my levels are always going to be off. I would have something good for +4 and something else at +1. Besides the fact that I agree with Chronestrian on this. I like things the way they are

Aug-18-2004 20:07

The higher the agency , the more money they have the more likely they would be to replace equipment for new. The middle to lower agency would suffer most not having as much money. In particular thoes who had been around for a while and not won many treasures. I think the divide would become greater not less.

Aug-19-2004 06:17

i dont like this idea because it would be VERY annoying. however, say you only made second-hand equipment decay? that would be ok, and also players could go there in search of a good bargain, as store equipment would not decay.

Aug-19-2004 08:05

Sorry, my post is a little confusing. the first line should read, "While I agree with Chronestrian in MOST cases...(I disagree with him on this topic,) and I like the idea of decaying items.

Aug-19-2004 09:42

When I say decaying equipment, I think it would be too complicated to have the actual stats decline as the item aged. I was thinking more along these lines:

Say a Trench Coat had a durability of 50. You could look at an item to see what its durability is. The fact that different items could be more durable than others would be another way to differentiate between them. So, a new Trench Coat's condition would start out at 50/50. Condition would also be viewable when looking at an item.

Everytime you attempted a skill test, while wearing that piece of gear, it's condition would drop one. So, if you searched a crime scene, or attempted to use one of the cooperation influencing skills, it's condition would go to 49/50, then 48/50, etc.

The effectiveness of the coat would not depreciate with it's condition, but it would fall apart entirely, eventually.

The price you could get for selling an item to the shop would depend on it's condition. Also, the price you could set for something you place for sale in the swap meet would be chosen from a range that would be based on the item's base value and condition.

Items from the detective shop, could have much higher durability than favor items and items bought from the political groups. That way, this degrading effect would have more effect on experienced detectives who want to maintain the highest bonuses than it would on newer detectives.

Does that make more sense?