Citizenship-Only Apartments

[Sephiroto]

Marshmellow's complaint about all the apartments in Red Storm being routinely taken got me started thinking of what could be done to help alleviate some of the apartment over-crowding in the cities.  The consensus is that in places like Red Storm, a lot of the apartments are being rented by people who are hardly ever in the city.  This often leaves people who want to roleplay in Red Storm regularly with no places to rent.

What IF a fraction of the apartment buildings in each city required citizenship to rent.  Does anyone think this would do much to help the problem?  It would certainly alter the importance of citizenship selection on character creation.

[Lizzie]

Or perhaps, people clanned by any of the three GMHs could be prevented from renting out apartments, because they have their own compounds in RSV where they can come and go, and non-clannies are prevented from going.

[Wolfsong]

Personally, I love the idea of citizen-only apartments for all cities IG, but I'd prefer them to be in majority. Let the foreigners live in ghettos with the rest of the undesireables.

[Barsook]

Or perhaps, people clanned by any of the three GMHs could be prevented from renting out apartments, because they have their own compounds in RSV where they can come and go, and non-clannies are prevented from going.

I dig this idea more than the other idea.

[Cutthroat]

I like Sephiroto's idea, but what makes a citizen? In Tuluk the caste tattoos separate citizens from non-citizens. In Allanak and Red Storm there isn't anything similar given to all citizens of a city. There is no good way for the landlord to tell whether you're a citizen or not, unless you happened to be wearing the livery or uniform of a clan that only hires citizens of that city, and even then it's not certain.

Or perhaps, people clanned by any of the three GMHs could be prevented from renting out apartments, because they have their own compounds in RSV where they can come and go, and non-clannies are prevented from going.

Good idea. There are already rules about renting apartments for some roles, but it isn't enforced by the code. It most likely doesn't need to be enforced by the code even if a similar rule is expanded to other roles.

[Nao]

I don't like this at all. While some people may not live in Storm, they may still go back there regularly and have a good reason to rent an apartment - even in the GMH if they're hiding something from their house. If there's not enough, make more available.
However, I've not had a problem getting one if I was willing to wait a few days. I know for a fact that all apartments haven't been rented for long in RS - maybe the OP just needs a bit more patience?

[lepxii]

If this is actually an issue, there is a much simpler solution - add an additional building.

[Talia]

If this is actually an issue, there is a much simpler solution - add an additional building kill someone.

FTFY

[Travel Cake]

Nao is correct.

[Riya OniSenshi]

I wouldn't mind an automated citizenship process (like Liur's), but that's another topic, I guess.

Now that people can only rent one apartment per building, I've not seen a shortage of availible places if one was willing to wait a bit and not be dead-set on only living in one specific place only.

[lepxii]

If this is actually an issue, there is a much simpler solution - add an additional building kill someone.

FTFY

Yipee - HRPT!!! 

[Armaddict]

I think ONLY citizens should be renting apartments.

Any other option is a risk to the security of the city state.

[Marshmellow]

Some apartments should only be rented by citizens, if you ask me, but the ones in Storm, I don't think that applies.  Too many people move to their, hide out and that's their new home.  They shouldn't be denied apartments.  I only asked that people remember that it's something of a douchebag move to get an apartment in Storm when their character is rarely in Storm.  That's all.

[Bogre]

Or perhaps, people clanned by any of the three GMHs could be prevented from renting out apartments, because they have their own compounds in RSV where they can come and go, and non-clannies are prevented from going.

I dig this idea more than the other idea.

This only restricts GMH employees from a) planning subterfuge in their apartments and b) keeping loot to keep the burglars fed.

Anything that pushes players into a compound rather than out in the world is a bad thing, imo.

[Bogre]

Addendum: If that limitation is specifically for RS, it would perhaps be okay.

[a strange shadow]

My solution would require more building up-front, but it would be far more ideal, IMO...

Inn rooms. Rentable by the day, for up to 55 days in advance (5 weeks, or approx. 4 RL days). You could renew your stay, of course, but if you stayed much longer than that it'd be more cost-efficient to rent an apartment. Still, they would be relatively cheap, small, and quit-safe. You could stash stuff there temporarily (say, you've come to trade and only want to stay a few weeks, but have too many goods to carry around with you the whole time), you could meet someone there for a plot, liason, whatever.

In short, they would fill a more temporary niche that, currently, entire apartments are the only option for - thus freeing up the more long-term places for people who actually intend to live there.

[jhunter]

At first I was down with the OP's idea -and- the idea of clannies being restricted but after some of the points brought up, I changed my mind. I support the addition of more rentable apartments or "kill someone" to solve the issue.

[EldritchOrigins]

In my day there were no apartments and we liked it.  Apartments aren't necessary, they're a convenience.  I'd rather there were less/no apartments and people had to join clans instead to get secure housing/storage.

[Gunnerblaster]

Jack up the prices.

[Barsook]

My solution would require more building up-front, but it would be far more ideal, IMO...

Inn rooms. Rentable by the day, for up to 55 days in advance (5 weeks, or approx. 4 RL days). You could renew your stay, of course, but if you stayed much longer than that it'd be more cost-efficient to rent an apartment. Still, they would be relatively cheap, small, and quit-safe. You could stash stuff there temporarily (say, you've come to trade and only want to stay a few weeks, but have too many goods to carry around with you the whole time), you could meet someone there for a plot, liason, whatever.

In short, they would fill a more temporary niche that, currently, entire apartments are the only option for - thus freeing up the more long-term places for people who actually intend to live there.

That idea could work, but how would you code that?

[Marshmellow]

Same as apartments are coded but with different defaults for how long you're renting the room for and different prices.

[wizturbo]

I don't see much of a need to have more private apartments in Red Storm.  Maybe just make the alley's less INSANELY DANGEROUS and then people could use them for their private/shady/illegal dealings.

I mean come on, who doesn't want to meet a spiced out grebber in the bar and take her on back to the alley?  That's some great RP there!  :p

[EldritchOrigins]

I guess it's the old argument of realism vs. gameplay.  I guess since apartments are already in, it makes no sense to remove them (as my previous post alluded to).  But some things that would help with apartments are these:

Rent prices should scale the number of apartments available.  With increasing prices as the apartment building fills up.  If there is only one apartment available for rent, it would cost it's most to rent.  This would help reflect supply/demand.  If there aren't many apartments rented somewhere, there is probably a reason.  If they are all full up, I'm sure the land lord would milk the prices for all he/she/it could so they'd increase prices, and who's to stop them?  I don't think templars (or other powers that be) care much about the fair business practices or treatment of tenants.

Only allow new tenants rent for a small periods of time, slowly increasing the maximum rent period over time.  Either this or restrict players with low play times from renting for very long.  Many "fresh" players (and that is to say players with less than a few days play time) will rent apartments right away.  Then said player either quickly dies, or quits logging on (except to pay the rent, so they can hold the apartment).  This would help to keep apartments in the hands of players that will use them.

[Synthesis]

If we got rid of all the magicker classes, all the apartments in Red Storm would free up instantly.

[Case]

If we got rid of all the magicker classes, all the apartments in Red Storm would free up instantly.

Seconding this solution.