Loans

[Zestana]

The only way I can see the loans working is if the genesis gnomes started taking the money directly out of people's bank accounts. If you just did not pay it off and a price was put on your head, I don't see many people other than perhaps mercenaries who could be hired by the gnomes to go hunt someone for a bounty.

I do like the idea of getting some form of loans as getting cash to train skills was probably the most obnoxious part about trying to grow. Perhaps the pillory in Calia could be put to use this way. Those who don't pay their loan off or miss payments are put in the pillory for so many hours of game time.

[Fourtcoer]

What you're talking about though, Gub, is personal loans. That is different than bank loans.

Personal loans (and just flat-out gifting) are common in Genesis. I'd rather people interact and roleplay to get loans from other players, rather than have the Gnomes of Genesis do it, both because it makes more sense from an RP perspective, IMO, and because this IS a *social* game.

[Gub]

It is painful enough to watch friends in real life get into debt. I'd rather not watch friends in fantasy life get into debt, too. Yuck!

To me, it would be along the lines if implementing credit cards, lawyers, and mortgages into the game.

I'd rather people interact and roleplay to get loans from other players, rather than have the Gnomes of Genesis do it, both because it makes more sense from an RP perspective, IMO, and because this IS a *social* game.

These arguments seem to run a wide range!

We have a lot of NPCs who do jobs players can or could do (smiths jump out at me). I'm for both types of loans and systems that encourage them.

[Anahita]

I can think of only two things a newbie needs money for - food and training. Alts know where to find free food, true newbie's don't, but hopefully they are able to pick up donations and along the way.

Having a guide that advises newbies about how to prioritize skills will help with the training aspect. There's no reason to max out on every available skill the second it becomes available IMHO, so a little patience is what is needed.

Another help to this would be to adjust the low level quests to reward you with cash as well as exp if you are smaller than X level, ensure the gnomes dont charge bank fees to players with <50g in their accounts, and maybe give very small characters a free magic backpack to help them loot that expires when they reach X mortal level.

[Creed]

Very small players already have looting benefits.
They don't become tired, no matter how much they carry or for how long.
So they can load up loot, and run back to sell, without getting exhausted like the rest of us.

[Anahita]

Good to know!

[Booger]

As Laurel said: How do you make sure I don't just create a character, run and lend as much as I can, give it away and then ditch the character?

Also, I enjoy the starting period immensely! You run and kill some things, go back and sell the loot, and you can train some skills a little bit, become a bit more powerful and maybe kill slightly tougher creatures giving better money. Repeat. You get more and more powerful.
To me it sounds very boring to be able to max your skills immediately and then go grind, grind, grind without advancing anything, just to pay off the debt (a bit like getting great eq from the racks and knowing that any eq you find on the mobs you kill will be crap, just usable for money).

True newbies will risk failing royally. Maybe spending 100 pc on an auction thing that seemed great but was useless (perhaps not usable by them at all). Maybe spending their money on skills they have no use for? Maybe just losing their money before realising the importance of keeping unused money in the bank? Now you can still use your money poorly, but it won't be a disaster.

Interesting idea, yes. But no.

[Gub]

The maximum loan size could be set by player size or by time in game. It would be large enough to help a newbie train some skills, but not so large that players would find this abusive style rewarding. Larger loans could be taken out based on size or time. It would speed the training process along, not make it instantaneous.

Welp, it sounds like an overwhelming "Nah.", though I do appreciate the people who actually gave feedback! On to the next idea!

[Tarax the Terrible]

Very small players already have looting benefits.
They don't become tired, no matter how much they carry or for how long.
So they can load up loot, and run back to sell, without getting exhausted like the rest of us.

Pretty sure that is wrong. Unless you are talking about utter novice maybe greenhorne.
But most people leave newbie land as beginner/apprentice.
Only not tired if moving unencumbered, still get exhausted when moving while heavy.
Loot quickly takes them to collapsing, they cannot carry much either.

The benefit they have is the run out, loot up, newbie pin home to sparkle church, rest, sell, bank, repeat loop.
Which isn't possible after wanderer as they loose the newbie pin, and not practical for areas far away from Sparkle.

[Tarax the Terrible]

Another help to this would be to adjust the low level quests to reward you with cash as well as exp if you are smaller than X level, ensure the gnomes dont charge bank fees to players with <50g in their accounts, and maybe give very small characters a free magic backpack to help them loot that expires when they reach X mortal level.

Totally.

The new tours in Sparkle give a good amount of cash. It is the way forward!

Also having an <improve recommended> option would be great.
Instead of the spammy current system
learn x
learn y
learn z
learn a
learn b
learn c
improve x 20
"you dont have enough cash to do that"
improve x
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Before that I can only think of one quest off the top of my head that gave cash, gave you some exp then asked you to choose between cash and or more quest exp.
And it handed out a wopping 12G or something, woW 12G vs xxxxx exp for life. Score!
To be worthwhile it would need to be handing out a 1000 platinum.