Forums » Suggestions
Ingame Banking & Insurance
Serious Banking
Since we're embarking on the initial stages of a dynamic economy, shouldn't we have banking? I mean, look, every economy has to value money - which means that money is not unlimited, otherwise this would be Germany in 1946. So, galactic banks would VALUE having your money on deposit with them, and would give you a percentage back on your money that you choose to allow them to babysit.
I propose that we have a rudimentary banking system.
There could be "standard" banks set up by the devs: TPG Bankcorp, Aeolus Holdings Bank, First Serco Bank, Corvus Savings & Loan, etc.
You could deposit money into these banks with an ATM-like interface while in-station. Funds in these banks would be "protected" - as in the banks could not go out of business. (More on this later) You'd get a mild amount of return for your money, and I suppose you could get higher rates of return from Certificates of Deposit, where your money was untouchable for 30-60-90 days or so.
Plus, you'd be able to get loans from your banks depending on things like your levels or your current amount of money or whatnot, maybe even some kind of in-game credit score. You'd pay back the bank every week ingame, and you could set this up to be automatic or whatever. If you don't pay, the bank sends you harassing /msg s or in the case of Corvus Savings & Loan, puts out bounties on your head until you pay up.
Now, even better would be the idea of player-run banks. Those of us with half a billion credits could set up a banking system in a certain station and offer services there. They would have to be "backed" by one of the major "protected" banks, so if you run out of money to cover your customer's deposits plus interest, your bank is dissolved and the assets are used to pay off your customers. (No scandals here!) So some kind of hefty deposit would be required to have a bank, plus good overall standing, etc etc.
Of course, if we can have player banks, then we can also have guild banks, and that would be cool. Guildmembers could be "paid" or they could "pay dues" into a central bank.
I think this opens the door for "careers" - you'd be paid (an hourly wage) weekly to be a combat pilot by whatever nation as long as you put X number of hours and killed X number of enemy pilots. Good performance gets you raises. Poor performance gets you fired. Same thing with mining - if you put in X number of hours prospecting for Pyronic Ore for Ineubis and come up with X new sources for them, they you're paid. Due to the nature of online gaming, absences are frequent, so I don't think you'd be able to be fired from a job for not showing up, but you WOULD get pay decreases (down to a base pay level) if you don't play in a month.
It would be interesting to have a banking system - imagine a lower-level n00b having to take out a small loan in order to make that first bulk procurement mission through grayspace. How careful do you think he'd be? He'd hire escorts for sure, and take the most careful route possible. Much more realism. And if he got boomed - he'd STILL owe the bank, that is, unless he purchased insurance...
InGame Insurance
I'm thinking that there should be a way to purchase insurance for things that happen in Vendetta. Trip insurance, Shipping insurance, Ship insurance, etc. Ship insurance would pay (after a deductible, of course) for your ship repairs.
Companies would offer this, and just like the banking, rich players could offer this as well.
Since we're embarking on the initial stages of a dynamic economy, shouldn't we have banking? I mean, look, every economy has to value money - which means that money is not unlimited, otherwise this would be Germany in 1946. So, galactic banks would VALUE having your money on deposit with them, and would give you a percentage back on your money that you choose to allow them to babysit.
I propose that we have a rudimentary banking system.
There could be "standard" banks set up by the devs: TPG Bankcorp, Aeolus Holdings Bank, First Serco Bank, Corvus Savings & Loan, etc.
You could deposit money into these banks with an ATM-like interface while in-station. Funds in these banks would be "protected" - as in the banks could not go out of business. (More on this later) You'd get a mild amount of return for your money, and I suppose you could get higher rates of return from Certificates of Deposit, where your money was untouchable for 30-60-90 days or so.
Plus, you'd be able to get loans from your banks depending on things like your levels or your current amount of money or whatnot, maybe even some kind of in-game credit score. You'd pay back the bank every week ingame, and you could set this up to be automatic or whatever. If you don't pay, the bank sends you harassing /msg s or in the case of Corvus Savings & Loan, puts out bounties on your head until you pay up.
Now, even better would be the idea of player-run banks. Those of us with half a billion credits could set up a banking system in a certain station and offer services there. They would have to be "backed" by one of the major "protected" banks, so if you run out of money to cover your customer's deposits plus interest, your bank is dissolved and the assets are used to pay off your customers. (No scandals here!) So some kind of hefty deposit would be required to have a bank, plus good overall standing, etc etc.
Of course, if we can have player banks, then we can also have guild banks, and that would be cool. Guildmembers could be "paid" or they could "pay dues" into a central bank.
I think this opens the door for "careers" - you'd be paid (an hourly wage) weekly to be a combat pilot by whatever nation as long as you put X number of hours and killed X number of enemy pilots. Good performance gets you raises. Poor performance gets you fired. Same thing with mining - if you put in X number of hours prospecting for Pyronic Ore for Ineubis and come up with X new sources for them, they you're paid. Due to the nature of online gaming, absences are frequent, so I don't think you'd be able to be fired from a job for not showing up, but you WOULD get pay decreases (down to a base pay level) if you don't play in a month.
It would be interesting to have a banking system - imagine a lower-level n00b having to take out a small loan in order to make that first bulk procurement mission through grayspace. How careful do you think he'd be? He'd hire escorts for sure, and take the most careful route possible. Much more realism. And if he got boomed - he'd STILL owe the bank, that is, unless he purchased insurance...
InGame Insurance
I'm thinking that there should be a way to purchase insurance for things that happen in Vendetta. Trip insurance, Shipping insurance, Ship insurance, etc. Ship insurance would pay (after a deductible, of course) for your ship repairs.
Companies would offer this, and just like the banking, rich players could offer this as well.
Banking good, insurance bad. No sane company would offer insurance for ship damage in this world. Premiums would have to be near 100% of cost of repairs otherwise incurred because damage is nearly sure. Moreover, the premiums must take into account the transaction costs of the insurance system. At the end of the day, it would be cheaper to just buy repairs as needed.
Now, maybe "Devs fuck up the rules and change your good values" insurance... =P
Now, maybe "Devs fuck up the rules and change your good values" insurance... =P
Well, how about "trip insurance" or "cargo insurance" then? It's pretty easy to take a behemoth through grayspace, even IF the pirates are there.
The good pilots would get great rates, bad pilots would get... exorbitant rates, and some unscrupulous types could boom ships just to collect on the insurance?
I dunno, if the devs would set up a framework, I bet SOMEONE would be able to make a profit on this. I mentioned it simply beacuse the framework for a banking system and the framework for an insurance system appear similar.
The good pilots would get great rates, bad pilots would get... exorbitant rates, and some unscrupulous types could boom ships just to collect on the insurance?
I dunno, if the devs would set up a framework, I bet SOMEONE would be able to make a profit on this. I mentioned it simply beacuse the framework for a banking system and the framework for an insurance system appear similar.
An entreprenuer in the VO universe would have to be a complete nutjob to start an insurance firm, with the war, pirates, the hive et al.
Banks on the other hand, make perfect sense. I like banks. We've wanted banks for a long long time. Give lots of banks. Please?
Banks on the other hand, make perfect sense. I like banks. We've wanted banks for a long long time. Give lots of banks. Please?
Hmm, I'm sure that some way could be found so that insurance would work. Perhaps a substantial premium (75-50% of repair costs at current location) that is to be paid every time you leave a capital ship or station, modified by things like your death count, your kill count, distance from home, and such. Perhaps a new stat, damage taken, would haave to be introduced.
Of course, the work needed would make this much like landing on planets. Plus, I could imagine that the devs have better (and cooler) things to do than balancing insurance modifiers.
Yes to banking. Yes, please.
Of course, the work needed would make this much like landing on planets. Plus, I could imagine that the devs have better (and cooler) things to do than balancing insurance modifiers.
Yes to banking. Yes, please.