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Money Sink Ideas
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Jesse Hunter
Jesse Hunter
Bibliophile

Dec-6-2007 17:08

It has been brought up before that without ways to remove cash from circulation any game economy is in long term trouble. Sleuth currently has at least five such money sinks available to all subscribed players:
Travel Costs
Bribes
Detective/Faction Shops
Real Estate
Shady Character

Travel and Bribes function well. Shops incur mostly one time expenses from low to mid experience characters. Real Estate (with the exception of Agency Rent) incurs a one time expense from mid to high experience characters. Shady really seems to be the biggest money sink of the game, and is really the reason for this thread. Having said that...

THIS IS NOT A THREAD ABOUT ALTERING THE SHADY SYSTEM!
(see "Beating a Dead Horse" if that's your thing, there are also other threads for non-money related ideas)

It's just that the money sink function of Shady is a big justification for keeping the current system. If we can come up with some new money sinks, maybe we can make some progress on that other front.

I'm looking for ideas that won't significantly change gameplay or create unbalance in the game. Ideas that appeal to all high experience detectives (not just the ones with FAs) and agencies are best, cause that's where the money is.

Replies

a_agarwal
a_agarwal

Dec-7-2007 06:18

I love the ideas....

Jesse Hunter
Jesse Hunter
Bibliophile

Dec-7-2007 10:59

A money sink that would address another common complaint:

Paying off a contact to terminate the relationship.

"The barber Edmund Bowlin had been a big help to me in the past, but he was developing a sense of entitlement. The last few favors I'd done for him had been too much hassle for too little return; I swear the man has more friends among the dead than the living. Even more disturbing, Edmund had hinted at deserving a cut of the reward from a couple of high profile cases he had assisted on, and maybe even a small fee to keep him on retainer.

Gratitude only gets you so far these days I suppose. With times being as hard as they are, I decided I would have to nip this problem in the bud as soon as possible. I offered him a one time "Consulting Fee" of $$$$$$$ for all of his past work and made it abundantly clear that he should consider us even."

Anikka
Anikka
Babelfish

Dec-7-2007 17:46

I REALLY REALLY REALLY love the idea of being able to pay off a contact and try for a new one.

Breitkat
Breitkat
Pinball Amateur

Dec-7-2007 23:09

I like that idea too. I'd be more than willing to pay to get rid of a certain London contact and try again....:-/ (like the wording you've done too, Jesse ;-)

I'm not entirely sure I buy this idea that 'money sinks' are a necessary thing to have. Between buying gear, starting and/or running an Agency, buying and furnishing an apartment, traveling, bribes, and helping out other people and agencies, I don't know many people who're exactly rollin' in dough around here. Yeah, I know Shady has his purpose, I'm just not buyin' that a never-ending increase on his fees is the best of options.

Jesse Hunter
Jesse Hunter
Bibliophile

Dec-8-2007 10:54

NEW money sinks might not be strictly necessary, but I still think they'd be a good idea.

Traveling and bribes, no complaints.

Seeing as how the inventory of the shops doesn't change, the amount of cash put into equipment purchases is limited. Once you get better gear, there's no reason to shop again.

As for agencies, we currently have 118 agencies. Assuming a generous 11 sleuth per, that's only 1298 folks who may or may not be sinking money into agencies. There are 20448 active sleuths; some 93% of the population doesn't have to worry about agency costs. Sure, they may be saving up for that down payment, but since it's safe to say that not all of the 1298 people already affiliated contributed from the first real estate purchase, I'm thinking this isn't as big a sink as it could be.

I'm saving for an apartment now, so my experience is limited. I know it's a big investment on the front end, but what happens once I get everything I want? Do I just go back to stuffing cash in my mattress?

Helping out others... more power to you. I know my agency has helped me with gear and cash. I give back as I can.

Shady. It'd be a good idea for everyone to sock away some cash for that rainy day when we might have to slink into the back of the bar, but sitting on a few million Just In Case? Those sleuths that always follow the formula and double check before accusing would like a bit more bang for the buck! Yeah, accidents happen, so Shady needs to stay around and stay fairly expensive, but there can be SOOOO much better things to blow your cash on.



Sleuth Admin
Sleuth Admin
Tale Spinner

Dec-8-2007 11:08

Alright, I guess I'm on-board with the contact blow-off payment But what would be a fair price?



Jojo
Jojo
Old Shoe

Dec-8-2007 11:27

$100,000 to $250,000 sounds good to me.

Jesse Hunter
Jesse Hunter
Bibliophile

Dec-8-2007 11:34

Not to make things more complicated than they need to be, I was thinking it should be a function of your number of cases solved. Something that puts newer folks in the $50,000 range and old hands in the $500,000 range.

Jojo
Jojo
Old Shoe

Dec-8-2007 11:40

But I'm not sure "newer folks" would need nor want to change their contacts. It'd only be the older ones that would be participating.

And if it were to be on a scale, it should be done by experience, not number of cases solved.

lilangel
lilangel
Sleuth About Town

Dec-8-2007 11:52

Are you suggesting the price be similar to that of Shady? If so, then I think some might complain about the prices of paying $1 million or so. Maybe at a lower rate than Shady's but still increasing the longer you have them as a contact?

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