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[Community] Expanding the tester team to fix the drug economy


Trupiano

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Short description: The drug economy is broken on the server because there aren't enough end users/buyers. To fix this I suggest we expand the tester team and allow community member to apply and become "buyers". These community members and all staff members would receive an additional, free character slot to customize into their drug user of choice. The testers would then be responsible for buying small amounts of drugs off the street gangs. In return they'd receive world points for their time, much like they do for reviewing applications.

 

Detailed description:  If tomorrow every civilian on the server became a drug addict, it still wouldn't be a drop in the bucket compared to how many buyers the economy needs to be fun OOCly and profitable ICly. Right now? There isn't much point to dealing drugs as a street gang because you don't have an end customer. This has caused quite a few issues on the server, including a ridiculous amount of violence because you can make more money killing and robbing then you can dealing drugs.

 

I believe the solution to this problem it to create the end user, not through NPC's but through members of the community. My idea is to expand the tester team and allow experienced community members to apply to be "Buyers" on the tester team. The testers (and all staff members) would receive an additional free character slot which would be designated their drug user. This character can be what ever type of drug user they wish to portray, from a psychedelics loving hippie to a homeless crackhead. They would then go out and simply buy small amounts of drugs off the street gangs, in return receiving world points for their work much like they would receive for reviewing applications. 

 

It's a 10 minutes process and if all or just half of staff did it twice a week? That would still be 5 times the amount of traffic these gangs are seeing right now.

 

Commands to add: N/A

Items to add: N/A

How would your suggestion improve the server? 

 

  • Creates a much needed end user for drugs, making the drug trade enjoyable and profitable for street gangs.
  • Somewhat of a downturn in violent crime, as of right now it's more profitable to rob and kill then it is to deal drugs. It'll also be in the gangs best interests to keep violence down so buyers will enter the area.
  • Allows staff the ability to discreetly review the quality of peoples RP in a none confrontational manner. Instead of constantly seeing these players actions through the lens of the responding admin, you'll see it through the lens of a normal player. Gangs will also be eager to RP with you because it means money for them.
  • An overall increase in gang RP quality. With this addition, any buyer could be a staff member and I this will lead to community members putting more of an effort into every interaction. 

 

Additional information: The buyers could also be used by FM to influence and change up the drug economy as well create value in holding specific areas of turf by giving the buyers directions on what and where they want them to focus on in any given week or month.

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1 minute ago, Rumbunctious said:

Lmfao you don’t fix broken supply/demand by increasing demand. You lower the supply.

 

No. If staff are interested in fixing the drug economy they can begin by reversing questionable updates like the one allowing anyone to dupe thousands of seeds.

Hate to agree with someone associated with Denmark but yeah, he's right. Putting a bandaid on a blown off limb isnt going to do much. 

 

People just need to be willing to roleplay drug addicts, and its honestly pretty fun to roleplay

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Same as with the npc'd drug sales, I'm against it.

Creating artificial demand that's ultimately non existing by adding token characters meant only to buy our drugs is a quite narrow minded idea that fails to take in account the necessity of a market dynamic (not saying the current one is ideal, but I'll explain further what I mean here).

 

 

From experience I can say after just two weeks playing, it's easy enough for any player to approach the system from the other way, use their starter cash to push their addiction level - we do get the monetary resources to buy drugs immediately, after all - and engage in the drug chain from that end.

 

It's absolutely possible to make money to finance an addiction through other means, may it be day jobs, engaging in other low criminal activities such as robbery, theft or prostitution, or by simply using some of your starter cash for it (On Meth, motel rooms look very cosy and you don't need that apartment necessarily right away!)

 

Having buyers that effectively only withdraw supply from the market to not be actively played would encourage people to play dealers- as they had a safe way of earning money with reliable customers that bear no risks such as bringing in the cops, like dynamic pc customers might.

On the other hand it would further discourage players from playing end customers, as finding their desired supply would get harder (due to the market being drained by artificially created demand).

 

tl;dr,

This is absolutely not needed, and any player that wants to can do that right away on their own, with a dynamic, thrilling, developing storyline around the addiction. No need to force staff to do that beyond the point where they do it out of interest in playing their characters, imho.

Edited by knppel
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2 hours ago, Rumbunctious said:

Lmfao you don’t fix broken supply/demand by increasing demand. You lower the supply.

 

No. If staff are interested in fixing the drug economy they can begin by reversing questionable updates like the one allowing anyone to dupe thousands of seeds.

I've reversed it for next update.

 

This suggestion is obviously denied. Staff has already way too much to do and it's not a "10 minute task" as you're claiming. Having 20 more buyers per week will not solve anything too.

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