Auto-pay

[Spud]

I'm not sure how hard it would be to do, but I think it might be helpful. For the clans where people are being payed, I think every pay-day instead of having the "boss" having to worry about paying all his employees, that the money could go straight to the chars bank account. I know it kind of doesn't make sense IC but I'm sure it could be explained. I think it would help alot; bosses having to run around paying his employees, employees posibly missing pay.
Whatcha think?

[Eclipse]

You could explain this as having a quartermaster that deals out pay with the aid of a scribe. However, there are a few problems with this that come to mind:

1. The employer doesn't have to communicate with the employee - the employee in fact can be completely obscure and vanish as far as the employer is concerned which does not help keep recruiters up to date on the progress of PCs in their clan. Any boss would want to know how well their people are doing before giving them pay if any (including bonuses, docking pay, etc.) and most importantly, to make sure they're worth keeping.

2. If an employee goes AWAL and doesn't go through the proper proceedures (i.e. rebel), the code would still pay the character despite having left the clan ICly. ICly, PCs should meet up rather frequently as they are virtually around the compound from time to time and in the perfect world, if they are still alive, they should be reachable with the way. But it isn't the perfect world as when PCs log off, you get the same effects as being dead. For a PC recruiter, it would be difficult to determine whether a character had gone AWAL or died and without being able to consult the quartermaster without bothering an imm about it, it wouldn't be particularly helpful.

3. Rp possibilities. If you can't meet the guy that pays you in a clan, play it out. If the imm isn't willing to animate somebody to pay you and the leader guy fails to have somebody else see to your pay, they've effectively breeched the social contract that you would be paid regularly and on time giving you reason to be disgruntled and to want to quit. At the least, you could begin criminal activities to draw the attention of the leader and finally get a meeting.

That's what comes to mind off the bat anyways.

[sarahjc]

I could go either way on this. It would stop that icky problem of people not getting paid for weeks, and IC meeting times for pay. But then again, I think it does detract from the RP of those scenes.

For Eclipse's points

1. The employer doesn't have to communicate with the employee - the employee in fact can be completely obscure and vanish as far as the employer is concerned which does not help keep recruiters up to date on the progress of PCs in their clan. Any boss would want to know how well their people are doing before giving them pay if any (including bonuses, docking pay, etc.) and most importantly, to make sure they're worth keeping.

An employer should know where their employees are, not just on pay day. They should also be up to date on how that employee is progressing.  I agree that a pay day does provide guaranteed Face to Face time. But that shouldn't be the only face time.

2. If an employee goes AWAL and doesn't go through the proper proceedures (i.e. rebel), the code would still pay the character despite having left the clan ICly. ICly, PCs should meet up rather frequently as they are virtually around the compound from time to time and in the perfect world, if they are still alive, they should be reachable with the way. But it isn't the perfect world as when PCs log off, you get the same effects as being dead. For a PC recruiter, it would be difficult to determine whether a character had gone AWAL or died and without being able to consult the quartermaster without bothering an imm about it, it wouldn't be particularly helpful.

See #1. Also I have neber not known when a person in my clan has gone a-wall, unless maybe it was a player that I never saw or played in a different time. Someone should notice. But also, you can always wish up to animate an Imm if you know a person has gone a-wall. I once had a PC fake his own death and I had to have an Imm kick him.  I should think that once you kick a person from your clan, they would stop being insta-paid.

3. Rp possibilities. If you can't meet the guy that pays you in a clan, play it out. If the imm isn't willing to animate somebody to pay you and the leader guy fails to have somebody else see to your pay, they've effectively breeched the social contract that you would be paid regularly and on time giving you reason to be disgruntled and to want to quit. At the least, you could begin criminal activities to draw the attention of the leader and finally get a meeting.

Agreed, I think that's vaild and should be played out. But sometimes it's also just inconvenient and just can't be done. There are normally quite a few NPC Captains and Sergeants about so that is kind of a hard one.  


So I don't know. I like it cause it makes things much more uniform that they are now. I think it also helps keep better track of house funds. But.. On the opposing side, it does detract from RP. I remain on the fence until I hear a few more arguments.

[Kill4Free]

I like the idea of it, but I dont think it should be 'auto-pay'.  If the employer knows he cant reach an employee for a while, then it would be nice if he had the option of paying directly into the bank.  But usually, I believe it would be best if the employer did it himself (especially if he is online at least once every couple days).

[JollyGreenGiant]

I'm not keen on the idea of 'auto-pay', per se.  It does take away a level of interaction between the employer and employee.  Talk to your employer if you're not getting paid on time... or wish up if you have to.

[cyberpatrol_735]

Just wanted to say that I'm having a problem with it too, and didn't want to wish up to the imms. Without revealing too much IC info, I'll just say that my "employer" or rather "supervisor" has went "missing", in any case, since that supervisor went poof, I haven't been paid by any of the other supervisors in a real OOC week or two. As far as putting money into a bank account, I'm not sure on that aspect.. but it does put a lot of stress on the employers to pay their employees.

[Agent_137]

in my experience, I generally don't worry about paying my employees. I have my character tell them that it's their responsibility to find me on or after payday, not mine.

Of course, I also tell them if I catch them trying to trick me, there will be serious repercussions.

And, i'm never away from the MUD for more than a few RL days, so it's never a problem finding my employees. (UNless their player goes poof, which happens, and which isn't really my problem, I can't do anything about that.)

[moab]

If there is auto pay, it should work both ways.

Guards should not be able to remain logged out of the game for three months, log back in an half 800 or more coins laying around in their account from time they were payed but not playing.

If pcs get autopayed, then the npcs should get autopayed and coin deducted for general expenses that the character would have incured over that time.

[cyberpatrol_735]

How about on each hour "update" that the mud uses, you get paid so much, that's a RL hour. Also heh.. I always seem to get into trouble or get told off when I ask for pay.

[Hicksville Hoochie]

I'll say that I know there is one clan with a 'sort of' autopay feature...

It didn't work too well at all in my time, as it requires just as much attention to deal with as it does getting your pay from PC/NPCs. Thus, I'd prefer it to stay how it is, for a sake of roleplaying matters between superior and PC.

[Incognito]

If you make the distribution of wages/salaries automated, and turn it from an IC event to an OOC function, what guarantee is there for the employer(s) to ensure you are doing the right job for them? For all they know, you might be sitting your ass guzzling ale in the gaj 9/11.

[Gilvar]

I am against this for reasons mentioned above.

I, if Im a payer in a clan, will not pay fully to someone who I feel is preforming inadequetely, done something treasonous, or any of a number of other reasons, with ultimately having it in my perogative to not pay them at all.

Automated systems allow for players to log on minimally, collect maximum pay, and never really have to do anything.

If you feel you are not being paid in a reasonable time, and that there is no IC reason for it happening other then conflicting play times, you should mail your clan Imm/mud.

[Kill4Free]

What I meant would be good about auto-pay, is if there was a way for employers to deposit the sid into the employees acount, not it being done automatically.
That way if the employee wasnt online, or wasnt closeby/available, then he could just put it into the bank for him.

[Bestatte]

Ah - kinda like how most banks work now. Where -anyone- can make a deposit into -anyone's account- but only the account holder can withdraw or do any other transactions.

Actually - I kinda like that idea.

[Agent_137]

What I meant would be good about auto-pay, is if there was a way for employers to deposit the sid into the employees acount, not it being done automatically.
That way if the employee wasnt online, or wasnt closeby/available, then he could just put it into the bank for him.

I like this very much, maybe with a small surcharge?

[Delirium]

What if the character in question doesn't use the bank at all?

Rare, I suppose, but it certainly happens.

I think things are fine just as they are.

[Agent_137]

What if the character in question doesn't use the bank at all?

Rare, I suppose, but it certainly happens.

I think things are fine just as they are.

Then you say, "Hey fucker, I put your shit in the bank last week."

[Anonymous]

I'm not keen on the idea of 'auto-pay', per se.  It does take away a level of interaction between the employer and employee.  Talk to your employer if you're not getting paid on time... or wish up if you have to.

I agree.  Do we really need less reasons for players to interact?

[Delirium]

What if the character in question doesn't use the bank at all?

Rare, I suppose, but it certainly happens.

I think things are fine just as they are.

Then you say, "Hey fucker, I put your shit in the bank last week."

Then you have a disgruntled employee, which can be dealt with ICly - but really, if they don't even have a bank account, how are you going to put the money there?

That's just a small side point though, really. I'm with JGG and CRW on this.

[Kill4Free]

If they dont use the bank, then you can tell them to use or show up to get payed

[Aryan]

I actually like the auto-pay idea a lot. Due to time different, I always can't find my employee. Sometimes, I go without pay for a month RL.
Well, there are certainly advantages and disadvantages for this. I think it's up to the imm to decide what is the best.