Settlement/Underworld Loan Systems

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Dreams
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Settlement/Underworld Loan Systems

Post by Dreams » Thu Oct 26, 2017 1:01 am

Settlement Loan System:

With this system, a settlement can choose to offer loans to PCs. This is to encourage roleplay of settlement trade, opening up new options for settlements to support their citizens and economy, get things started with local trade, and engage in wider business opportunity with their treasuries.

Ideally would have these features:
- Settlements have the choice to opt in.
- When having opted in, the settlement allocates a percentage of the treasury to be available for loans. (Maximum figure 80% of treasury)
- Appropriate broker NPC in settlement will be the way to get a loan. (Perhaps the town official, or perhaps a new NPC that would hang out near the bank behind a table?)
- Settlements can choose to open up loans to all PCs, racial PCs, or citizens of settlement.
- Amount available for a loan (per PC) could likely be linked to character level. If there are concerns about low level characters abusing this system to gain quick gold, adjust as needed!
- Loans must be repaid to the broker NPC with interest, at a rate selected by the settlement. (Range: 5%-20%)
- Loans must be repaid within a selected time period. (Range: 1-6 IG months)
- Failure to repay loans lead to consequences, such as automatic exile. (Where the exile usually costs the settlement in various resources, exiles from defaulting on a loan will be paid for, considered a 'free exile'. Maybe could last until money is paid back + fine?)
- Only 1 loan can be taken per player, per settlement, at any one time.

Example scenario - Guldorand authorises 20% of its 5,000,000 gold treasury for loans available only to its citizens. A level-10 citizen of Guldorand applies for a 10,000 gold loan at a rate of 10% repayment. At the end of 6 months, the character must have paid back 11,000 gold or face the consequences of an exile from Guldorand. The character thinks 'Yes! This is just what I need to buy the materials for my craft, then from the profits I make, I can repay the amount and still keep the difference. Everyone wins!'. Guldorand thinks, 'Horay! We're putting our treasury to use in a way that helps our citizens, promotes trade, and is actively engaging with other players instead of sitting stagnant in an account. Plus we benefit over time!' What a fantastic win-win scenario!

Underworld Loan System:

Similar to the above, but the crime organisations of the world tend to go overboard in all manners when it comes to coin: larger loans offered, larger interest rates to pay back, larger consequences. These would not be tied to a particular settlement, instead perhaps being tied to the Assassin's Guild.

Ideally would have these features:
- Available to anyone.
- Entirely controlled by NPC.
- Amount available to loan might also be level restricted as the Settlement Loan System, however would have double whatever maximum is available in the Settlement system.
- Loans must be repaid to the NPC with interest, set at 30%.
- Loans must be repaid within set period of time, set at 6 IG months.
- Here's the big one: Failure to repay for any reason will result in a hit being ordered on the PC to the value of DOUBLE the full repayment amount. (I.E. Hit amount = 2 x [Amount Loaned] x 1.3) These hits would be able to be collected by assassins to tie in to the assassin system as if they were hits ordered by players.
- Only 1 loan can be taken per player at any one time.

Example scenario - Mr A. Rogue needs some quick cash to fund an upcoming operation. He applies with the NPC for a loan so that he has enough to pay for the right information, equipment and bribes. He knows the consequences if he fails to repay, but hey! He's a decent rogue. This heist is going to make him rich! After all, 30% isn't that much! Oh no! Something goes wrong during the heist and Mr A. Rogue loses all of the money sunk into the cost of the operation. He isn't able to get it back during the 6 months due to a series of unfortunate events. What a poor turn of luck... Someone in his line of work mentions to Mr A. Rogue that he's being hunted now. Will he pay off the Guild for the amount the hit was ordered for? Or will he take his chances trying to dodge the assassins who now see a large paycheck floating over his head?

A few considerations:
- People taking big loans for the purpose of -delete_character rolls might be a problem? This could be overcome by subtracting any outstanding debt from the total value of gold when the -delete_character roll is made.
- Autoexile is probably severe for a punishment. There could be alternatives to this such as revoking citizenship, not being able to use banking services in said settlement, trade penalties when selling to the city, etc. I'm sure people can come up with other ones if it is a problem.

Disclaimer: Exact numbers of amounts available, time to repay, interest rates, and consequences are all just suggestions to get the creative juices flowing. Devs/DMs can decide on what final values are fair of course!

Discuss this here!

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