Sleuth Home - Message Boards - Newbie Questions

Nov-27-2009 05:05

Hello, buddies!
Will anybody help me a little, please?
I want to know what are the benefits of creating an agency, and if I do create one, how do I pay rent, and to whom? (I'm not joking about the rent. To whom should I pay it?)
I saw that this game's really good. I enjoy sleuthing, and I hope you all do too.
Smile!

Nov-27-2009 06:54

agencies are alot like teams. so the benefit of having one or joining one are.

1. You get to file cases that you are having trouble with and your fellow detectives can then come in and open the case and help out.

2. With certain headquarter buildings you get a crime lab...this allows detectives with certain skills to help identify evidence...ie the hair belongs to someone with curly hair. always a perk for those pesky peices of evidence you cant identify

3. The equipment locker...you can start store items. the really successful agencies tend to store specific items...smart gear...tough gear. it helps everyone in the agency.

4. Agencies give you the chance to start doing treasure hunts.

now the rent i dont know about...never ran a agency before.

here's some friendly advice though. i would join a agency first to learn the ropes and build up my detective. most agencies here are very friendly and have some very great people who will teach you the ins and outs of our beloved game. then later on if you still want your own agency you can set out on your own. just dont try to poach as that is a very frowned upon tactic. i hope this answers your questions. and i hope you continue to enjoy this game. i know i have enjoyed it alot over the years.

Nov-27-2009 07:36

The rent is automatically taken out of the agency office safe every day at turnover. If you don't have enough funds and your rent isn't paid for two consecutive days your agency is automatically dissolved and you lose everything, stored items, cases etc.

Nov-27-2009 07:46

Charlie and TD have summed everything up nicely for you so I won't add much other than Charlie's advice on joining an existing is spot on. It's a big commitment running a successful agency so joining an existing agency to learn the ropes would be a great starting point for you :)

Nov-27-2009 12:56

One other point:

Agencies take a LOT of money to run--anywhere from a couple hundred to two thousand dollars a day for rent. And you also have to have quite a chunk of change just to open the doors of the place to begin with--anywhere from around $10,000 to $100,000+.

Then there's the equipment. The equipment that's in the Agency Locker is usually supplied by the Directors of the Agency (ie.--YOU). That's anywhere from another couple thousand to $500,000+ extra (the better the stuff, the more expensive it is).

Then there's the money you put in the Safe to keep the Agency running. Most starting Agencies usually expect their agents to help contribute to the rent of the Agency, but the vast majority of that burden falls on the Directors (again, ie--you). And if you want your place to stay open for any length of time, you'll need to build up some money in your Safe (again, the more, the merrier).

I could keep going with Agency expenses, but I'm hopin' you get the point by now. If you don't have at LEAST $100,000 racked up in yer pocket, I wouldn't suggest opening your own place.

Again, just my opinion, but there's some numbers for you to consider.

Hope things go well for you. Good luck!! ;-)

Breit

Nov-27-2009 20:31

All good advice here, but just want to say that from my perspective, you don't HAVE to fill the equipment locker right off the bat.

You can just throw your favor equipment in there as you collect it rather than selling it - if it's something you want/need. If it's something you already have, then by all means sell it. You certainly don't have to go out and buy a lot of equipment right off the bat to fill your equipment locker.

Sleuth Long and Prosper!

Nov-27-2009 21:26

Thanks, everyone! I'm sure this advice will help me...

Nov-28-2009 06:30

Thanks you, all, who gave me advice on the question, I do think you're good.