Thoughts on Reputation within Towns

I posted this in another thread, but figured I'd start a new thread on it, as it was kind of 'off topic', and this way people can discuss it separately.

Original post here: https://www.shroudoftheavatar.com/f...very-poor-impression.10253/page-3#post-172830

I like the idea that all of the merchants in the town refuse to deal with you until you 'atone' in some way for your actions.

Merchant: *spits at your feet* "I 'eard 'o you! Yer the one that did in poor Jimmy! I ain't dealin' with no murderin' scum! Get outta here you. Get out!"

And then if you keep pestering the merchant. Merchant: "Guards! Guards!" Which then causes the guards to come over and give you a stern talking to, in the vein of 'move along' or face unpleasant consequences, be it time in the Clink, or a Halberd in the face.

And maybe after you've 'atoned', or done some good deeds for the town, raised your virtue level or whatever, the same merchant may say...

Merchant: "Oi! What are you doing here? I thought I told you to... wait a minute. There's something different about you... I see it in your eyes. Something's changed about you. I don't trust you yet, but I see you are trying to turn over a good leaf. I tell you what, I'll sell to you, but you ain't getting no discount, I'll tell ya that!"

Then have the merchant sell to them, but charge them a +10% cost until their virtue comes back up to 'normal'.

Likewise for people with high virtue. Maybe something like...

Merchant: "Hail friend and good day to thee! 'Tis fantastic to see you again. Always a pleasure. What can I get for ye today?" And then the merchant offers a 10% discount, or whatever.

This could also be regional. Well renowned and loved in Owl's Head does not make you thus in other cities, etc.

 

I'm really hoping you have regional reputation. Even if they don't do anything with it yet, start tracking it so you can build on it in the future.

 

Hoping there's some faction mechanics where you have rep with factions and towns have allegiance with factions. This would be the usual thing to do.

 

Both regional and factional mechanics would be a good thing.

Also, we should be able to build reputation with the Oracle or the Obsidian, for example. I see no reason why there can't eventually be 'Dark Avatars'. Players who champion the Obsidian virtues, etc.

Let's face it. Not everyone likes to play a goodie two-shoes all the time.

Also regional discounts would encourage people to shop in areas where they get discounts.

I'd also like to see (eventually) a mechanism that allows you to give discounts to the people in your 'housing' area. I'd love to be able to offer a 15% - 20% discount automatically to people who live in my town if they buy from my merchant vendor. This would also encourage local shopping and really get people more involved with their local towns.

 

I love the idea of this but what happens when the virtue is so low that the merchant is scared silly of the person. Maybe he's killed a few town guards already, who knows.

"Yessir, Whatever you want sir, I'll go get it for you. Of course there will be no charge for you, always a pleasure." <-- My best imitation of your imitation.

 

This would indeed be interesting. But we couldn't have the merchant passing out perma-free goodies for Sithy toons.

Of course with the virtue so low, you'd probably never made it into the town alive in the first place, to be able to intimidate the merchant. The guards should be extremely tough and well armored. They should be killable, but you'd have to really, really, work for it. But if you are a known murderer with really low virtue, the guards should attempt to run you off on sight in that particular town.

In another town, in a totally different area though, people should treat you normally. It's not like people in New Britannia have the internet to know what Ravenclaw the Foul is on his way across the ocean. You'd have to be really, really, famous, and really, really, foul before your reputation started to precede you across whole continents.

 

Reminds me of this,

 

Ah.. But what about the hamlets, villages and small towns, etc.. Not all places can afford guardsmen to protect them..

Hmm... Sounds like a plan.

 

Ah, Darklands. One of the best Open-World RPGs i have played so far...

 

A little repetitive over time, but yea Generated quests were a cool idea, too.