Why Are Assets Limited to Chargen?

[Temi]

My opinion about assets:
- And apparently, the asset system fails to create a visible difference between gentries, nobles, and freemen (at least, I had not enough XP for that). Maybe could it be less expensive for gentries, give more prestige than income to nobles, I don't know.

If I remember correctly, it's either gentry and nobility have more slots for assets, or are the only ones able to access tier 3 assets... There was something but I can't for the life of me remember right this instance.

Both of these are true. Gentry and nobility can both have up to 3 assets and 6 total levels of assets, while freeman are stuck at 2 assets and 3 total levels. Level 3 assets are also only available to gentry and nobility, though this is actually a template limit rather than a hard code one.

[Helena]

Gentry and nobility can both have up to 3 assets and 6 total levels of assets, while freeman are stuck at 2 assets and 3 total levels. Level 3 assets are also only available to gentry and nobility

I know. I was saying that with the XP I had, I could'nt afford more than what freemen can purchase. That's maybe a consequence of my choices, but I felt a bit short: In chargen I purchased something like a level 36 skill, two level 7 ones, two level one assets.

[Puciek]

Gentry and nobility can both have up to 3 assets and 6 total levels of assets, while freeman are stuck at 2 assets and 3 total levels. Level 3 assets are also only available to gentry and nobility

I know. I was saying that with the XP I had, I could'nt afford more than what freemen can purchase. That's maybe a consequence of my choices, but I felt a bit short: In chargen I purchased something like a level 36 skill, two level 7 ones, two level one assets.

That is correct a new player won't be able to field out a gentry with maxed assets, and it's part of the game. Just like the same new player cannot field an experienced and very skilled fighter or crafter etc, even if he were to spend all the XP on assets/combat skills.

[Starstarfish]

That is correct a new player won't be able to field out a gentry with maxed assets, and it's part of the game.

And that's fine, a lot of games have a curve between older and newer players. However, at what point is that gap too high? Given the refund now on wealth to some older players, some will have gotten the benefit of wealth/silver on their present character and be able to utilize it on their next one as well.

So, what's the desired gap we want between what an older established character can accomplish and a new one?

[Puciek]

That is correct a new player won't be able to field out a gentry with maxed assets, and it's part of the game.

And that's fine, a lot of games have a curve between older and newer players. However, at what point is that gap too high? Given the refund now on wealth to some older players, some will have gotten the benefit of wealth/silver on their present character and be able to utilize it on their next one as well.

So, what's the desired gap we want between what an older established character can accomplish and a new one?

This isn't about the size of the gap between new and old player, but to have a sort of a price which will hopefully limit how many App5, max assets characters come sailing right out of chargen.

The high cost of it alone will force many people to rethink some concepts and add some flaws to them (like maybe my guy is rich but not app 5 etc), but if you really want to play a character from the bold and beautiful, you can, just that you have to save up XP before you do. And it will cost you the same amount of rp hours, whether you are a new or old player, just that as an old player you may already have XP banked from previous RP.

[Helena]

[quote]That is correct a new player won't be able to field out a gentry with maxed assets,[quote]

I agree with that, of course. But you did notice that I was not speaking about maxed assets, but only about that little difference which makes that a gentry earns more than a freeman.

But whatever, as long as it is intentional, I have nothing to complain about.

[Starstarfish]

I like the concept of Assets, I like the idea of there being more RP/thought behind how a character is making their money besides "phantom coin from space" - I like the idea of player effort via the Metrics affecting outcome. All that being said, I feel like there's a bunch of questions to be asked about the current assets.

- People can currently get assets that seem like they might override or contradict

- Assets can represent entirely off-grid activities that arguably only involve vNPCs. However, they can also represent things like Roster jobs that arguably are on grid/known people can interact with and know about. If people can get Assets for Roster jobs should they also be able to get Assets for other jobs/Guild memberships etc? How would a GL know if people are setting those up and arguably keeping them if they leave the Guild? If people do leave, should they get a free redo of their asset?

- What happens to assets when a character dies (PK or aggro mob) or liquidates? Are they automatically put back onto the market? Should they be?

As cruel, terrible, and awful as it is, if we want people to take more uh ... drastic measures to make money, is working to "take over" someone else's asset through uh ... violent means actually allowed? A violent corporate merger or take over of a rival's criminal enterprise seems on point, but people have functionally no way of knowing what other people's assets are, unless the other person mentions them in RP. They aren't physically represented by anything that can be stolen or found to use for RP blackmail/theft/extortion, etc. Versus ... silver purchased could be found, stolen, etc.

There's no real way to physically "steal" an asset from someone else - a plot perhaps, but what information are staff willing to allow players to discover through RPA about another's asset(s)?

[Temi]

As cruel, terrible, and awful as it is, if we want people to take more uh ... drastic measures to make money, is working to "take over" someone else's asset through uh ... violent means actually allowed? A violent corporate merger or take over of a rival's criminal enterprise seems on point, but people have functionally no way of knowing what other people's assets are, unless the other person mentions them in RP. They aren't physically represented by anything that can be stolen or found to use for RP blackmail/theft/extortion, etc. Versus ... silver purchased could be found, stolen, etc.

This is something we discussed initially, but we're not prepared to introduce until we know how it would fit into everything and we have a good solution for it. There's potential for it, but we would want to be very careful with such things.

[Temi]

I know. I was saying that with the XP I had, I could'nt afford more than what freemen can purchase. That's maybe a consequence of my choices, but I felt a bit short: In chargen I purchased something like a level 36 skill, two level 7 ones, two level one assets.

For general enlightenment, I created a tester character on a brand new account with a focus on just being a rich gentryman. Mcrichie was set up as a Lithmorran gentryman, and I was able to purchase 5 total levels of assets for 373 income this week (average 400), which includes the free level 1, and he has the 1500 silver for being gentry. Plus got a bonus 11 ranks in mercantilism.

With just the free asset (average 75 silver) and gentry class, he could have had 4500 silver to start by using purchase wealth instead of purchasing assets.

It's not a well rounded concept, but it does show where money can be with a focus on that.

[Starstarfish]

What sort of skills was he able to have with that set-up?