[Implemented] Treasures and Banks

[Captain Jack]

Here are some final ideas that specifically resolve the stumbling rocks we have hit previously. These are up for a final revision. I am expecting 4-5 specific players to give them a quick look and post some feedback. I cannot ask the same from most, because it is badly written, it is somewhat long and it is advanced.

Bank System:

Follow up: This means Cpt Dungeness will make a profit of 1.5 millions for the loan in the example.

Limitations:


Further Limitation: Each player may have up to 3 bank accounts. He will get first one for free but he will have to pay for the additional ones (pay the system, not a country). Each player will get to decide in which bank he will open his account. This limitation is only implemented in order to keep Treasure Hunt as the only solution for big amounts.


Once revised, we will immediately forwards all nation control features that are required for banks functionality (Which means that many nation control features now take higher priority above all).

[Bronze1919]

got no suggestions. just want to say, i like it.

[Captain Jack]

I'm surprised you read that this fast. I thought that few would dare to do this, not to mention this fast too
Your approval is still feedback which I am interested into.

[Captain dungeness]

This is very interesting, Captain Jack. And rather hard to read

My thoughts on the cost to build and upgrade a bank:
I think 2M gold is a very small gold investment to start a bank. I think the initial cost to start a bank should be 5M or 10M gold.
Then each level upgrade cost gets more expensive:
level 1: 10M gold + 100 credits
level 2: 2M gold + 20 credits
level 3: 3M gold + 20 credits
level 4: 4M gold + 20 credits
.
.
level 20: 20M gold + 20 credits

total: level 20 bank: 219M gold + 480 credits

That size bank would take a while to build as opposed to 2M each level which would only take 40M gold for the highest level bank.
I think the 100 credits +20c/level is good but maybe too expensive.

Other thoughts:
What happens if a player opens a bank and then becomes a pirate? Does the bank "Close" until they get a new nation and meet the requirements of that nation to start a bank?

What does it mean for a bank to be closed (due to a ban/pirate flag)? Is it put on hold so no deposits/withdraws and no interest is calculated?

Will each bank have a description page that the banker can modify?

Will players be able to rate banks (thumbs up/thumbs down) so other players can get an idea of who is trustworthy and who isn't?

Will I be able to see every nation's policies regarding banks so I can choose which nation to join if I want to change nations?

-Captain D

[Big Brother]

I think the costs that Cap D. suggests are a little high.

Please remember this everyone:

When someone tries to open a bank, they are not trying to give people money, they are trying to get some for themselves. The difference being, Cap D. would not be opening it to hand out money, but to profit from it.

Going off that factor, I think that the costs should be lower, but the potential for profit higher. Risk goes with potential profit (you got to spend money to make money), so as you level your bank it should be for larger, and larger amounts, and the cost to the banker(s) should be going up as well.

A bank should cost somewhere between 7.5 mil and 15.0 mil to build (high, but not out of reach to the "middle" class players)
The cost to upgrade should go up from the build cost by 10-20% more every level.
and the credit costs should be around a credit per million times 2
Level 0 : 7.50 mil-15.00 mil PLUS 8 cr-15 cr
Level 1 : 9.25 mil-18.00 mil PLUS 18 cr-36 cr
Level 2 : ~11 mil-19.80 mil PLUS 22 cr-42 cr
... and so on

and the loan amount equal to half of the cost to build (in gold coins)

In short:
COST SHOULD BE HIGH, BUT NOT RIDICULOUSLY HIGH.
Higher cost = higher level
Higher level = more risk
More risk = more profit

[Captain dungeness]

A bank should cost somewhere between 7.5 mil and 15.0 mil to build (high, but not out of reach to the "middle" class players)
The cost to upgrade should go up from the build cost by 10-20% more every level.
and the credit costs should be around a credit per million times 2
Level 0 : 7.50 mil-15.00 mil PLUS 8 cr-15 cr
Level 1 : 9.25 mil-18.00 mil PLUS 18 cr-36 cr
Level 2 : ~11 mil-19.80 mil PLUS 22 cr-42 cr
... and so on

I'm confused by what you wrote. Are you listing total costs or incremental costs?
Do you mean:
level 1: 10M gold +10 credits...........10M + 10c total
level 2: +1.5M gold +2 credits.......11.5M + 12c total
level 3: +1.7M gold +2 credits.......13.2M + 14c total
level 4: +2.0M gold +2 credits.......15.2M + 16c total
.
level 10: +5.3M gold +5 credits......35.2M + 37c total
.
level 19: +16.1M gold +17 credits....123.8M +130c total
level 20: +18.6M gold +20 credits....142.3M + 150c total

The above calculates the price for each upgrade to be 15% of the total value you have spent on your bank so far.
The credit cost is almost nothing so I hope this isn't what you meant. The gold cost could be ok though.

-Captain D

[Big Brother]

The costs i mentioned would be about the cost to upgrade to that level.

And the credit costs you mentioned would be out of reach of quite a large base of players. So, perhaps they should be lowered to encourage players to build a bank.

And what about multiple players owning a bank? Something like an executive board would be extremely beneficial, the name of the "chairman" could be placed on the bank, but financed by the whole board.

[Edward_Teach]

The costs i mentioned would be about the cost to upgrade to that level.

And the credit costs you mentioned would be out of reach of quite a large base of players. So, perhaps they should be lowered to encourage players to build a bank.

And what about multiple players owning a bank? Something like an executive board would be extremely beneficial, the name of the "chairman" could be placed on the bank, but financed by the whole board.

That be interesting to have, and seems like it would be fairly easy to put in along with banks. Good thinking Doom.

[Shaydo]

I agree with Captain Dungeness, the price for the initial build should be higher than 2m.
10m sounds like a good price, with the cost to level being (current level * 1,000,000 + nation % tax), 20c a level also seems like a fair price.
Why not make each additional level require a % of the materials needed to build the bank as well, say 10% per level, logically you'd need more materials to expand the building.
.'.
level 1 - 7000,1000,500,500
level 2 - 1400,200,100,100
level 3 - 2100,300,150,150
.
level 10 - 7000,1000,500,500


I do think the % amount of a loan a nation covers is a bit to high. 50% leaves a very high margin for return for bankers, maybe make it 1.25% a level for an overall total of 25%, there's still a large profit margin, but it's not to high. Bankers already make the interest back in profit.

Minimum time of 72hrs on repayments with a maximum length of 4 weeks? Also include penalties for late payments, maybe selected from a list of prefixed amounts?

Maybe add the ability for players to put up collateral against there loans, take your example and Cap D lends me 10mill, but in the agreement i've placed a single SoL against the loan, so if i don't pay the loan back my SoL is forfeit and Cap D get's to keep it, if i pay up then i get my ship back?

All sounds good though, i like the direction this is going in.

Really Random thought... Player Contracts.
->Can request x amount of goods delivered to port Y, any player(s) can take up the contract and deliver the required goods.
So for example...
I wana go on a mad ship building spree and need enough goods to make 10 SoL, i'd rather pay 1-2g more per crate for the goods to turn up in that warehouse than stop my trade fleets and make them do it. So i create and post a contract in tortuga buying 44k wood, 18k iron, 10k tools, 9k cotton, all at base buy/sell price +2, means new players could make a bit more money running goods for more established players(keep the names on the contract hidden, you just take a contract ask no names), and an established merchant would either have static routes that were always delivering small amounts, or buy in the goods from people who shipped it.

[Captain dungeness]

The costs i mentioned would be about the cost to upgrade to that level.

This sentence doesn't make sense. What do you mean by "that level"? Did the numbers I just posted match what you were saying?

And what about multiple players owning a bank? Something like an executive board would be extremely beneficial, the name of the "chairman" could be placed on the bank, but financed by the whole board.

This sounds like a fun idea until you realize how terribly it could turn out. Do you really trust someone enough to share control of a bank? And even if you do trust someone you will inevitably have differences in opinion of how to run it. And you would have to worry about the other person/people changing things while you're offline. And Captain Jack would need to spend time implementing fail-safes and dealing with complaints of people abusing the system.

The same result can be accomplished with ONE person able to control the bank and the other trusted partner(s) helping make decisions. I imagine with the bank affecting its nation's treasury it will be necessary to work with the King and Officers of your country to keep it profitable- collaboration is already part of the proposed system.