Bribe

[lordcooper]

I think it would be pretty neat if the was a coded way to bribe (v?)NPC soldiers into ignoring certain crimes, either completely or for long enough for your PC to gtfo before raising the alarm.  I think there should be a (pretty small, considering the setting) chance for the soldier to decline and get you branded a criminal for the attempt.  HG soldiers would also probably be cheaper to bribe than humans.  I'm not sure if this would need it's own skill, or could be based upon the int stat / barter skill / whatever.

Code Select Expand

>bride soldier
Leaning closer, the scruffy, shifty-eyed soldier whispers to you, in sirihish:
"Chuck us a small an' I'll feck off round the corner fer a minute."

>bribe soldier 100
You give the scruffy, shifty-eyed soldier 100 obsidian coins for a bribe.

The scruffy, shifty-eyed soldier grunts in satisfaction before striding swiftly away from you.
Thoughts, opinions, passive-aggressive insults?

[Ocotillo]

Like.

[musashi]

Yeah it sounds like a great idea ... yeah ... yeah ... you know ... for a douche bag.


Honestly I don't know though I have kind of mixed feelings about it, since there are currently a lot of different ways to smuggle your spice and what have you already. They're ... you know ... stuff you find out IC. I don't know if it's a good thing to just give it out to everyone in a help file like that.   You know what I mean? I don't know if it's a good idea to make it something anyone can do if they have a few coins.

[Barsook]

No.  I think it would be hard to code this and use this correctly in game for the reason musashi stated.

[Riev]

Perhaps if it wasn't a bribe to forget a certain crime, but a bribe to convince the NPC soldier to move in a given direction, once?

I mean, the most important part of committing a crime is not having an NPC soldier in the next room to witness it, so why not toss 100 coins at them, and convince them the next block down would be more fun?

[Barsook]

Perhaps if it wasn't a bribe to forget a certain crime, but a bribe to convince the NPC soldier to move in a given direction, once?

I mean, the most important part of committing a crime is not having an NPC soldier in the next room to witness it, so why not toss 100 coins at them, and convince them the next block down would be more fun?

That, I dig.

[Taven]

I don't like this idea. I do like wishing up. I think there are too many factors to consider for a command to work, and that a command cuts out role-play and can potentially be abused. If it's not an important crime, then it's easy to do it somewhere else. If it is an important crime, then you should be wishing up anyway. Even if it's a middling crime, wishing up doesn't hurt. I realize that staff aren't always around to answer wishes, but I still prefer that system. I think it's better then a coded option.

[musashi]

I find myself in agreement with Taven.

[maxid]

I find myself in agreement with Taven.

[Barsook]

I find myself in agreement with Taven.

Same.  I don't know why I like Riev's idea.

[Riev]

I'm just always a fan of commands and code over just hoping a staff has the time to deal with us peons, and since usually its going to be at night you're committing a crime, you have about 20 minutes for staff to respond.

[X-D]

I suggested it some years ago, so I'm all for it.

Did not staff mention that in arm2 it will or could be reality?

[SMuz]

I like the idea. Wishing up to bribe seems a bit much for something so minor. I can't see a way to really abuse this. Most of the filthy rich characters should be able to buy their way out of a lot of crimes anyway. Worst abuse I can think of is..
> steal sword soldier
> bribe soldier
> steal coins soldier
> bribe soldier
> steal coins soldier
You get 400 coins from the soldier.

Riev's idea is just fine, though 100 coins is a bit high just to make them walk to another room.

[Barsook]

I'm just always a fan of commands and code over just hoping a staff has the time to deal with us peons, and since usually its going to be at night you're committing a crime, you have about 20 minutes for staff to respond.

I agree on that point.

Riev's idea is just fine, though 100 coins is a bit high just to make them walk to another room.

Maybe 25 - 50 coins?

[Synthesis]

Critical Allanak fail:  the soldier takes your coins, beats your ass into unconsciousness, and takes your pack, too.

Critical Tuluk fail:  the soldier takes your coins, and for the next RL month you have a strange, overwhelming desire to donate money to the Sun King's Legions for no apparent reason.

[Kalai]

I suspect the amount needed could key off your haggle skill like normal purchases, and then we could have such lovely critical fails. 

[Barsook]

Yeah, I was thinking the haggle skill is the prefect skill for this.

[Marc]

I don't like it.  In theory it's cool.  A cool system for tabletop or similar, but not for Arm.  Charisma/influence isn't hardcoded for a reason.  Too many variables.

I mean, it could work, but it would have to be elaborate:  Different soldiers hating different races.  Taking money and then contacting a Templar to intervene.  Recent IC happenings that make the Soldier more loyal and more likely to follow the law themselves, arresting the briber etc etc etc

Is that worth it?  If you make it a simple "Here's some coins, go over there"  what's to stop pc's from creating killzones and clean areas.  Paying off all the soldiers in the commons to leave or overloading Allanaks gate and planting spice on travelers.  Is that realistic?  "Abuse like that will get smacked down!" Well, why even worry about it when there are work arounds?  I.E. wishing up and/or regular character reports so your imms know what you're doing and might even see your organic attempts and intervene accordingly.

If you say the cost would prevent this sort of behavior, well, you're crazy.  It would have to be astronomical for the price to be a limiting factor.  Along the lines of a 1000 coins a room expensive.  25-50, 100 coins?  While this should be a lot of money, it's not.  PC's with any sort of survivability inevitably build up a huge stockpile unless they make a point of spending it (alcoholics, spicing, i.e. non-forced expenditures) or know enough (or nothing) about the game to keep themselves poor.  Lets not even talk about independents

Besides, if you actually try to get permission for shit from the local authorities, there are coded ways to allow your crimes to go unnoticed.  Get involved with the player-base and plan ahead.  Problem solved, kinda.

[Synthesis]

But really, I don't think this sort of command could possibly be context-sensitive enough for it to be anything other than an open invitation to the worst sorts of abuse.  NPC soldier spacing and wandering is just something you have to learn to deal with, if you're playing a criminal.

It's so easy to avoid the crime code once your stealth skills are maxed that the only reasonable deterrent is the threat of NPC soldiers immediately engaging you in combat.  Without that, the crime code might as well be virtual (with the exception of doing things that get you permanently crim-flagged...but that's apparently a rather rare occurrence).

[ChodoTheMagnificent]

yeha i like to wish up to bribe staff so no, this isn't a good idea. people shouldn't cheat without the staff's approval.

[Reiloth]

yeha i like to wish up to bribe staff so no, this isn't a good idea. people shouldn't cheat without the staff's approval.

[Reiteration]

I want to leave a line of coins on the ground for soldiers to find, drop 50 or so coins down in a room and soldiers in neighbouring rooms will flock to it.