by Yolan » Sat Sep 12, 2009 7:33 am
On Theft and Citizenship:
As outlined elsewhere, I am promoting Brodgar as a city open for all peoples to join. I think that this will, in time, become one of our greatest strengths. Perhaps when we have a population of several hundred, including many strong and wealthy people, those who see only a value in closed settlements will change their mind. As people are welcome to pursue their own ends in Brodgar, to have their own private land, and their own private goods, they should not see a large population of low to mid level players as a burden that they have to support. Rather, they are potential employees and potential customers.
However, there remains the issue of theft. Private walls will protect a persons goods to some extent. Brick is obviously better than palisade in the long run. Let us say, if you are covered by the village influence, and have a wall around your house, you have 'maximum' protection. Somebody would have to be very strong to break down a wall, and it is hardly worth leaving traces in order peek into a single house, when we can pay a bounty hunter to track them down. Yet, what if the thief is another citizen? No trace would be left if a citizen broke into the house of another citizen, if all that they are relying on for security beyond the wall is the village influence. Admittedly, the citizen would still have to be a fairly strong player. I do not forsee this becoming a problem for some time, however the potential does exist. It is important that people feel safe in setting up stores inside the city. If we have a large population, and it is very easy to join, that makes the risk increase.
Suggestions anybody?
My idea is twofold: One. We permit private claims within the influence of the village, providing that they do not inconvenience neighbours. So, a person might wish to share their claim with their neighbour that they trust, using kinship. Or likewise a store. This provides an extra layer of defense against citizen vs. citizen thefts. You would have to be robbed by people on your kin list in order for there to be no traces left. This would narrow down the culprit quite a bit. Two. Some basic restrictions on citizenship. I do not want to exclude people based on their time spent here, or money, or skill level. However, I suggest that we consider some kind of guarantor system, whereby a person can enter if, say, two current citizens know of him. Perhaps new people to the game can first get to know a couple of citizens, and help them out in some way, and hence gain citizenship? This is just one possibility. Perhaps people can think of another?
