Eagle wrote:Either the prices on everything need to be adjusted down, or mercenary contracts should pay way better than they do.
Really depends on the contracts, i guess, and what we're sourcing from.
The example contracts in Merc Ops, for instance, are worth multiple millions.
The contract on the team driving the Naruni Hovertank is almost 10 mill, + the possibility of salvaging the tank itself, a HEAVILY modified Heavy Hovertank with a Boom Gun mounted on the cupola. (In a campaign i guest-starred in semi-recently, we completed this capture without firing a shot, except against one of them, who went down in a hail of gunfire, nowhere near the tank). Was a pretty quick ~30 million payday.
Now, some of the prices listed in early books, especially early HLS stuff, is absurdly low. Wouldn't cover the cost of shooting my gun a few times. Ill give ya that.
HWalsh wrote:/quote]
I think it is because of salvage value.
You jump (or get jumped, otherwise kill) a group of 5 CS Deadboys, each has a C-20 Pistol (16,000 credits, or 80,000 for all 5) and a CV-212 Rifle (50,000 credits, or 250,000 for all 5) and 2 spare e-clips (5,000 credits, or 50,000 for all 10) then you are talkng about over a quarter million (380,000) credits worth of salvage. Even if you can only sell it for half that value (190,000) you're still making a massive profit. Split between a group of 4 PCs and that is at least 47,500 credits each... For one encounter.
WAAYYYYY off on salvage values.
RMB had a list of what the Black Market paid (that i am pretty sure was reprinted copypasta in Black Market).... nothing gets more than 25%, and those are only super-hot items that have a lot of resale value (I.E. the BM is going to mark it up well past the listed book-value market value). Most things hover at 10-15%. Vehicles, Power Armor and Bots are rarely more than 10%, weapons and armor in the 10-15% range depending on manufacturer, and E-clips (Charged) actually being one of the highest at 20%.
Johnathan wrote:You know, I'm trying to remember where I read about the cost on salvage. However, assuming all weapon you get off the aforementioned encounter is in solid, decent, "new dead boy" smell type condition... you're still presented your own list of complications.
1 - Coalition gear is "hot" for most buyers and sellers. It's distinct and isn't actively sold to outsiders. Any arms dealer worth their salt would have their fair share of assumptions about just how these items were acquired. IF they buy the gear at all, they're going to low ball your group. Chances are though, better than not, they'll want no part of it.
Eh? Black Market will buy it no-questions-asked. I'd also have to say that its unlikely that its really that big of a deal how the items were acquired, as it is obvious from the RMB onward that CS weapons are an extremely common armament used by Mercs, as well as modified/repainted Old Style Dead Boy armor being the most commonly suggested heavy armor for most of the RMB/RUE classes. Now, a more "above board" merchant in CS territory that has an actual, legal business with a shop? Yeah, he's probably not going to pay you much - probably even less than the Black Market, because he's likely going to stash it in the back and call the Black Market and sell it to them.
That being said... the Coalition seems to have a "live and let live" policy as long as the items weren't freshly stolen and/or worth over a certain amount (like PA or Robots or Vehicles) ... and even then, they don't really seem to care THAT much, as refurbished Mark V APCs are a common vehicle even in early books and even in (pre-written, by Kev) adventures that take place within CS territory. There are a bunch of NPCs written up as working FOR the Coalition in some books that use stolen CS weaponry and armor, and a even a few that use SAMAS. Particularly if it is the old-style stuff, they dont really seem to be that cranky about it.
A bunch of the Mercenary companies in Mercenaries use SAMAS wings, and they operate in CS territory. (Larsen's Brigade, Braddock's Bad Boys)
Part of this seeming indifference is probably just another artifact of the setting not making the most sense. Its clear that Kevin intended the 'Burbs to be the place where PCs went to hang out between stories, missions, etc, and sell/buy/trade/repair and all that, especially in RMB and the early books....
Without seeming to realize that you have to cross hundreds of miles of well-patrolled CS territory to even GET to the Burbs.
The only way it can work is if the CS has (even if they are technically "unofficial") rules to just let it go, provided it isn't obvious (guys traveling carrying crates of CS weapons and armor, etc). People incidentally armed with anything up to and including body armor and maybe even old style SAMs are probably just told to move along and dont make trouble.
2 - Say you do find a buyer who wants the gear. At best, your 50% estimate is WAY too high. Shoot more for the 15%-20% area. Remember, your buyer is in the market of selling guns and such. They're looking to make a profit, and will be selling this gear at market value. Not buying it at market value.
Absolutely correct here, though, as i pointed out above.
Shamrock 'Slinger wrote:I think my group may need to re-evaluate some things then LOL.
With credits being a type of crypto-currency, it means any place with a deficiency of electricity or higher tech won't take them at all. I've introduce Northern Gun Notes into the fray as well, paper money, but it might meet the same fate in some places as credits do.
Its not really a cryptocurrency, though, and you dont need electricity necessarily to exchange credits. Black Market explains how it works in more detail, but a simple battery powered little hand-held device can transfer credits from one card to another. The cards essentially work like bearer bonds. They aren't usually tied to a bank account (unless you are a CS citizen and have an account with a card tied to it). You can transfer the funds from one card to another to another infintely, basically.
The PCs themselves could have one of the card devices (they dont cost a lot). The devices work with "CS" cards - Universal Credit Cards (because the CS isn't the only issuer), and work with NG cards (which are basically the same as CS/UCC cards, but some people dont trust the CS and will take NG credits). Black Market cards work a bit differently (the cards are just worth X amount of credits, and when you spend them, they basically shred it and give you "change" - a new card with your remaining balance on it).
So, even frontier places MAY very well take credits, particularly if they are a town/settlement that does any trade with NG or any place that uses UCs regularly.
That being said, when you get far enough away from civilization that the town you're in doesn't directly trade with one of the big civilizations (though, given the current state of North America - where is that, exactly? The Dakotas, maybe... parts of Dino Swamp and Maine?) but rather with neighbors who trade with neighbors who trade with NG... then yeah, your likelihood of your credits being honored is a lot lower and its likely to be barter time.
The setting is plenty dangerous if you run it as such. Previous posters have hit the marks on how it is dangerous, and how it might not be either. Gear has a play in it and kind of enemies you run against. Even the GI Joe rule really isn't a game breaker for PCs. Another hit - dead, or at least the chance to be. Laser or bullet may just go through cleanly, hopefully the PCs have a medic or a med kit to stabilize the wounded PC. Even a level 15 character could be killed by a level 1.
Surviving does go back to the abundance or availability of MDC armor and repair kits.
Or refreshable MDC. Every Magic User i play feels like a naughty caster god around ~4th level. Cheap, ever-renewing MDC. Suck it, tech dude. Ironwood is also the gift that keeps on giving, for MDC vehicle armor. In the previously mentioned guest-star, i armored up the party's Mark V with some ablative Ironwood plating on the main body and upper turret.
Slowed her down some (about ~15%, which i felt was fair or even a little lenient on the GM's part) but given that they have a whole trailer full of bolt-on replacements.... worth it.
Johnathan wrote:The PCs can't spend every hour of the day in their armor either.
EVERY hour of the day? No, probably not. You ARE going to want to take it off every few days and shower/clean/wash so you dont chafe and start developing bacteria and stuff... but... the armor, as presented, would be zero trouble to sleep it. Its fairly flexible, lightweight.
I've slept in head to toe plate armor. Once you get comfortable, it's not hard at all. In fact, with the right kind of breastplate, its quite comfortable, as it has great back support. Maile is super easy (so the flexible composite type armors would be analagous) - you dont even realize you're wearing it. And there's MDC clothing. MDC fatigues would be fine to sleep in.
Eagle wrote:We have actually worked to make the game less lethal in some ways. We made an MDC equivalent of Bondo, the stuff you use to fix dents in your car. Put a big dollop of putty onto the damaged part of your armor, smooth it out, and let it harden for a day or two. It won't make it "good as new", but it'll repair minor damage without you having to make a trip to the armor repair store. We also decided that a lot of "poor" adventurers are probably running around with MDC hide armor combined with scrap metal, which should be available almost everywhere.
I could have sworn this was in the game as far back as SB1 (im not at my home, out on business, so i cant look right now)... but i KNOW it is in the game *somewhere* - Merc Ops maybe?
Does quick repairs of up to ~20 MDC or something to armor. Can only be used so many times on one set until it is properly repaired (basically saying.. you cant bondo on the bondo too much - some of the original armor structure has to remain).
One of the ways i often see parties who dont mind run-ins with the CS get around this kind of thing, too, is Naruni personal force fields.
Johnathan wrote:There's also a reason why many characters in RIFTS Earth start off with credits AND tradable goods. Not every place in the world deals in credits.
Absolutely correct.
In fact, I'm fairly certain those that deal in credits are in the minority.
This one... dunno. Since the vast majority of the sentient population lives in the Domain of Man (and about ~20% of it in the CS alone, rising to at least ~40% when you factor in Free Quebec, NG/Manistique, and Lazlo) i'd say, as a percentage of the population that you might want to buy things from.... probably incorrect.
Now, if we're talking about an absolute number of locations.... maybe closer to reality. There are probably dozens or hundreds of little tiny towns out there that dont take Credits, that probably add up to less than 30,000 people all-told, while a single 'Burb has ~50,000 people in it. I'd still say, given how truly NOT sparsely populated NA is... you're never TOO far from a place that DOES take credits... unless y ou're out in the Dino Swamp wilderness or the North-East (and even then... a few days travel to FQs territory), or maybe the Pacific Northwest (since we STILL somehow dont know what is there) or the Dakotas.
Im loving the Foes list; it's the only thing keeping me from tearing out my eyes from the dumb.