Fostering Greater Interaction Between Noble and Non-Noble

[mystry]

So one of the recurring problems with player retention seems to be about nobles not sticking around, and I suspect that one of the causes of that may be the IC 'social isolation' that nobility confers. Along with the greater sumptuary and noble rights comes, with my experience, a distinct disconnect from most other characters, both noble and non-noble alike. You're not part of the same class as the non-nobles who will treat the character like an outsider (and rightly so), and other nobles are, while usually very nice outwardly, are still looking for ways to subvert your own influence and power at the benefit of their own (which is fine and thematic). This suggestion will focus on the former of those; the disconnect between noble and non-noble.

It's often suggested that noble characters give tasks and jobs to other characters, but this rarely seems to happen in practice. I personally think that may be because silver isn't much of a motivator; in the current game's economy, it's not hard at all to get the things that you need or want, with few exceptions. Instead, I'd like to suggest a new type of reward: a noble's favor, in the form of a rank, which can confer benefits to the receiving player. Historically, the rank of 'baronet' was between that of a baron and the knighthood, and while it's not an exact 1 to 1 usage of the term, it's the closest thing I could find to what I'm thinking of. Not attached to it at all, feel free to suggest a better name.

In any case, the way this would work is that if a freeman or gentry commoner enters the service of a noble and attains high favor with that noble, the noble can designate them a baronet to them. With that designation comes sumptuary privileges. A freeman who attains baronet status can wear all the things that a gentry can wear; and a gentry whom attains it can wear gold, sable & mink fur, and opals and alexandrites. If freeman, they are also permitted into gentry/nobility aligned businesses and places like the Bluebird and the Viridian Gardens. They are not given noble rights, but are generally understood to be attached to and in the service of whatever noble granted them their baronetecy, so acting against them is typically seen as also acting against the noble in question; but in a similar vein, the baronet's behavior reflects upon the noble who is favoring them. A noble, regardless of their own rank of baron/count/marquis, can only endow one character with baronetecy. Exact duties of a baronet are left up to the definition of the noble bestowing it. Some might want them to manage a section of their titled lands for them, some might want them to be a bodyguard, some might just want someone to talk to.

Ideally, this would work out to be a pathway through which non-nobles are encouraged to seek out nobles to get favor with in exchange for some IC power; they may not be noble themselves, but they're in good with one, so there's a certain 'soft' power in that association. And a way for nobles to be on the lookout for reliable people who can be essentially bribed with recognition and some power to have their back.

Most of this doesn't require coding either; just a helpfile, an edit to sumptuary helpfiles, and maybe a coded role if we want to be fancy about it, so that Reeves can see with VERIFY that someone is indeed a baronet (or whatever other name for the rank seems good).

[Lei]

I think this is very nice. Beginning to read this, I was thinking you were going to suggest some sort of favor points system, similar to influence points. Interesting. Hmmm.