Recognition Points

[jilliana]

I would be interested in discussing the moral difference between a mercenary and an assassin, but I think that topic could use its own thread and an extra dose of reminding people to be civil in the process of discussing it.

Although I do think this topic could use some clarification OOCly, I'm pretty sure people are willing to get together to talk about it ICly.

Yay for debates! :)

[Lun]

So in my recent job hunt, I briefly considered securities because of the availability of it in my area. (But then I realized I'm a fragile piece of tofu.)

"A bodyguard's role might involve protecting wealthy people, political figures, celebrities, visiting dignitaries or various professionals. A bodyguard protects clients from threats, imminent dangers and even possible kidnapping. Bodyguard training depends on the particular type of work."

I think that Mercenaries are kind of like bodyguards. They work to defend the lands on independant contracts but to DO so, they need training. Bodyguards have typically been trained by the organization they're in, as a perk of the job. I think that guild reputation points for training would be great; The money makers of the guild are the Artisans. Mercenaries are there to do the dirty work and there ought to be incentive to do so, such as training by the mercenary guild master.

Another thing I'd like to see is a recognition point cafeteria. In books and shows I've read and watched, mercenaries travel in bands and fight together, eat together, and protect one another. If we consider the first and last a done deal as a thing of the game, then why is it that they don't get a free meal after a hard day of completing contracts?

Money being given is kind of always a thing, they get their cut of the contract. But the whole brotherly kind of family feeling of a mercenary band doesn't really come through. There's no incentives to being a Mercenary, and I think converting the training to an honor based system would help a lot. Also, free meals.

Mercenaries aren't soldiers, I expect them to flee when things get tough, to fight dirty, and to do anything to make that money at the end of the day. But they also have their own family code of honor sort of deal.

[Rakon]

Another thing I'd like to see is a recognition point cafeteria. In books and shows I've read and watched, mercenaries travel in bands and fight together, eat together, and protect one another. If we consider the first and last a done deal as a thing of the game, then why is it that they don't get a free meal after a hard day of completing contracts?

Money being given is kind of always a thing, they get their cut of the contract. But the whole brotherly kind of family feeling of a mercenary band doesn't really come through. There's no incentives to being a Mercenary, and I think converting the training to an honor based system would help a lot. Also, free meals.

Mercenaries aren't soldiers, I expect them to flee when things get tough, to fight dirty, and to do anything to make that money at the end of the day. But they also have their own family code of honor sort of deal.

I like this idea. And Rakon is very much about food (listen to him complain about Ashdell's gate being shut sometime!), and the brother/sisterhood kind of aspect would make being a merc more fun. Granted, much of that is stuff that should be brought in via roleplay, but honestly, I don't know who a lot of Rakon's fellow mercs are, unless I see them with the adrenaline rush ability firing, or if they post to boards advertising their services. It would be super cool if the barracks had a mess hall where the mercs could buy food with guild points. It would give them a place to gather, like Lun said, to chow down after a hard day of work, and would definitely help with the 'bring the brother/sisterhood aspect in with RP' thing.

In the meantime, maybe mercs should, at least OOCly, make some effort to find their fellows, maybe do that whole banding together and roaming about the countryside... I know Rakon always needs help when Irwin tells him to go take out highwaymen. Arrows hurt!

[Rakon]

I've been lax in thanking the staff for implementing the additions to the Mercenary Barracks! Mess hall, repairs, and I can finally get Rakon a signet ring, hurray! Thank you for these cool additions!

[glare]

I'm somewhat curious if the job board ever got implemented. though I'm more curious what kinds of jobs are asked for by the player base of Mercs in the first place that might have facilitated it.

I'm a relatively new player and have spent probably more hours online than I meant to and have never once been asked to do anything particularly mercenary by PCs despite being fairly vocally a mercenary in the IC scape.

Incase my tone is misunderstood, i'm not complaining at this, but in my experience I am yet to play a game wherea for-hire guild like the Mercenaries in their current form were actually hired by players. In my experience, players much prefer to just grind or do stuff for themselves rather than ask someone else to do it. This is of course including myself. Perhaps myself most of all.

The only systems where other people ask regularly or semi-regularly for help or hire someone else to do something are ones where something unique is locked or nigh locked to an organisation such as enchantment in other games or lock picking in Clok. Take this statement with a pinch of salt, I've been playing here for all of 8 months maybe but I've been mudding since 2004

Personally, i can take or leave being hired by PCs, what I would personally love to see are Mercs being the only guild who can go up to other guild NPCs or even some townsfolk and ask for jobs. Would really spice up the variety of where you see mercs operating since we have relatively few abilities we can take the general ones to make us pseudo anything bar spellcasters. merc spy working for tse Gaiyan. Merc muscle beating folks alongside a harbinger NPC on an escort mission. Sounds pretty great to me.

If more Pc interaction on a Merc is wanted. My idea would be give a person doing their guild task a Guild point boost or bonus if they have a Merc in their group during or completing tasks. Alternatively, without knowing if this is actually normal for a merc but I seem to have a huge surpluss of recognition points. I would love to be able to spend those to purchase special hires / single use services to create an RP sink. It would be nice to have those flarping stone throwers on my side for once if only temporarily.