Black Market - From Envisioned List

[Gene13]

I know I can't bump a sticky, but I'll do it anyway.

*Bump* for Teebo.

/G13

[______________Terile]

Repeating a few ideas from this thread, with my opinion:

1) reverse-engineering the mission to suit the reward. Another character comes to a fixer and asks for a piece of kit - we come back with the name and address of the current owner

The BM (in whatever shape) gives us access to a mission terminal where we select by _equipment_ we want as mission reward, and it finds a mission of appropriate difficulty.

A narrower equipment selection increases the difficulty:
Any ql 48 equipment: Normal 48 difficulty
ql 48 armour: +25% difficulty (60).
Flowers ql48 armour: +50% diffuclty(72).

2) BM equipment is slightly "better"
Hmmm... I don'y agree with BM-only equipment, simply because it can make fixers a chokepoint in other classes getting equipment. What I would like is better versions of equipment being availabe at higher cost, though one of these methods:
a) "hacked" equipment with slightly lower requirements.
b) more equipment to choose from (greater chance of finding what you want)
c) Ability to improve equipment (upgrade QL of a favoured weapon, for example)

3) BM equipment is cheaper.
No. Getting things cheap is what we have traders for. Fixers get you the restricted, illegal and hard-to-find items, but not at anything near market price.

4) Agents in the BM
Yes, absolutely. If they are FP, they should be able to do what we do, albeit not be as good at is as us (see the next point).

5) BM in the grid
Yes, yes, yes. beautiful. It's great roleplaying, and it solves the issue with agents: if the BM in on several "levels" based on CompLit, Fixers will have an advantage over agents.

6) fixers only in the BM
No. The BM is the home turf for the Fixers, and they have the advantage there, but it is available to everyone. An immediate suggestion is to add the fixer's level to ComLit to calculate entry requirements.

[Jhoanna]

I'd like to be able to buy combat enhancers somewhere, much like pcp. If you use them you gain a temporary bonus in like, damage, speed, range, crit or whatever.

And after you've used it, and the intended timerange, you gain maybe half rez?

Uhhh, writing this at school so I'm not very alert hehe.

[_________Deaddreamer]

At the behest of Nakomis (who thought the idea was neat) I am going to make a link to another thread I had started.

[Disclaimer]I do not condone acts terrorism, the philosophy behind it, and I sympathize dearly with those who have become victim to it.[/Disclaimer]

Before going to it, I would recommend this with the mindset of "this is a roleplay item." Meaning, if you want to affect the storyline directly, these items would be so perfect.


With that said, the conflict between Clan and Corporation can be a very brutal fight, requiring calloused commanders and fierce defenders, both going beyond their means to fulfill their ideas. Some have taken methods that would be considered too drastic, even for extremist factions. Modern technology has passed beyond magick, but sometimes anachronism to an older time brings about more underhanded methods.

For instance, bombs. The reasoning behind the usefulness of these bombs goes beyond the damage they can do. That disarm traps skill that is green to a profession comes in very handy in these instances.

When there has been a bomb planted in your home city, it is up to you to locate and disarm the bomb, or many many citizens pay the price of your failure. Discover and disarm the bomb, and you are a HERO!

OR.

You have just infiltrated the enemy city, you skulk around, hidden from the authorities, and plant a little surprise right under their noses. You wait patiently, as the timer ticks down, out of the range, watching as the innocent passer-bys waddle around the innocuous cleaner droid. Then BOOM! No longer a rookie, you have raised your trophies to the point of being a respected and feared freedom fighter for the clans.

Bombs make the headlines, the discovery and disarmament declares the heros, and points the finger at the culprits.

Omni-Tek disavows any knowledge of any terrorist activity, blaming a little-known traitorous splinter group within their city, and will be routing them out.

Anyhow, enough showboating, take a look and provide input or criticism.

[NiGHTS]

This would make a use for the storyline. I like it. FC please please do it.

[___________Zeroshift]

How to let the agent penetrate the blackmarket...

I think it would add incredibly to the roleplaying aspects of the blackmarket for both the agent and the fixer.

Getting past the guards:

They will check your concealment skill vs. their perception. You do not have to be in sneak mode, but if you fail the check you will be attacked and killed on sight.

Different levels of the black market will have higher level guards.

Different levels of the black market also require your B&E skill to infiltrate.

Now getting your B&E high enough to access these levels will be very easy for both a fixer and an agent... However, the agent has to also pass the concealment check, which will be exponentially harder than the B&E check...

This makes is possible for an agent to access the high tiers of the market, but he would have to be a grand master assassin to do it. Where as a fixer 50 levels lower could easily access the same exact area using just his B&E skill.


Getting past the players

This won't be possible until FC allows the agents to change their name temporarly. Let me shortly get into what the change name item would be...
--It changes your name to display a new name, however when you speak it will show your true name so there will be almost no way to abuse this.
--You can't change your name to something that is already taken, all those names will be locked.

All fixers in the blackmarket will have a command they can type in to call the guards on suspected agents. If they are right, the agent will be attack, killed, and locked out of the blackmarket for a day.

However the underground does not like annoying fixers that cry wolf. If the fixer falsely accuses someone he will be killed and locked out of the blackmarket for a day.

This encourages the agent to make himself look like a fixer and truely penetrate this underground. It also stops the fixers from calling down the guards on every single person that enters.

Even if there an agent fools the guards, and fools the players by looking like a fixer... That does not make him 100% safe.

See... if he talks while using the name change device, his speech will come out under his real name. So if someone refuses to talk, or doesn't fit in, the fixers will become highly su****ious.

If an agent keeps getting spotted by a few fixers that regularly visit there, they might even go as far as to use face graft to fool them.

[lilnymph]

The Above post from Zeroshift was also posted as part of a long running discussion in the fixer forum, please follow the following link to see this discussion.

Agents and the blackmarket discussion

hugs all

lilnymph

[Naels]

If for nothing else the fixers should be the only ones to have access just because their damage sucks, they don't have anything people want other than run buffs, and they have nothing to themselves.

[___________Zeroshift]

Originally posted by Voislav
If for nothing else the fixers should be the only ones to have access just because their damage sucks, they don't have anything people want other than run buffs, and they have nothing to themselves.

Lame excuse:

1. Have you seen pure rifles lately? Pistols are better FFS. SMG's rock rifles.

2. At least you have unique stuff. The agent have NOTHING in terms of unique nanos or brining something to a team. The only thing we have is the ability to steal other peoples unique stuff and be a gimped version of them.

[Gene13]

Agents sucks. That's why we don't want you in the BM. Since it would only be Fixers and Agents if Agents got in, There wouldn't even be any point in keeping you around to make us look good.

Seriously, I've seen Agents as someone that wouldn't be allowed to deal in illeagal stuff by their employers. More FBI than CIA (movie versions, I have no real experience with any of 'em).

However, if letting agents use the BM means we can get to see a lowbie agent getting his head blown off trying to sneak his way in, I say let 'em.

On a side note, it looks like this whole idea has been moved to (the no longer existing?) No longer envisioned-section.



http://forums.anarchy-online.com/sho...0&pagenumber=1


/G13

[lilnymph]

Originally posted by Zeroshift


2. At least you have unique stuff. The agent have NOTHING in terms of unique nanos or brining something to a team. The only thing we have is the ability to steal other peoples unique stuff and be a gimped version of them.

what "unique" stuff to we have btw? The grid has been given to other people, Grid armour is almost impossible to get and actually quite pointless to use, though i will grant you it is unique (unless you count the Evade buffs I think the MA's have, ho hum). Other classess have roots and snares and HOT's. Our DMG nanos are pointless, and other classes have them too. Also other classes have run buffs. oh yes, I almost forgot we do have a buff to a pointless skill, is it sneak attack or something? oh, we also have buffs to B&E and I think trap disarm, are these unique? (did I miss anything out here?)

now, Agents can bring about 80% - 90% of other profs buffs to a team, you have ruse of Taren (sp?) pretty funky nano, and at the very least the same use as GA (ie you look cool when using it), you have a major buff to your primary weapon lines, and have asked for buffs (feline grace anyone?). Afraid I cant think of anything else at the moment, its been a while since I played my agent (she was my first character, and has since been deleted months ago). So, who has unique nanos and abilities to bring to a team Zero?

hugs all

lilnymph

(sorry if this came over as a flame, not intended too, just giving facts, and having a bad day at work)

[Niksa]

Perhaps a solution to this is that many, if not all, professions would have access to the black market. *However* they would ONLY get items that directly related to their profession. While everyone uses armor, they need to go to the soldier to find certain types.

Doctors would get black market implants, Soldiers get armor, etc. Fixers could get nearly anything, especially parts. Clusters, trade-skill items, etc, and they'd depend on Traders to use those pieces. Nano-techs might be the only profession that could pull nano-crystals from the market. They'd get them for all professions, giving them a very profitable side-profession.

Not everyone would be geared towards the black market, too, since it IS an illegal venture. Possibly trying to acquire items near Omni-Pol or other authority mobs would result in a fine or arrest. Maybe it would have to be dependent on certain skills, or you'd have to physically go to a contact mob.

[lilnymph]

Originally posted by Finniksa
Perhaps a solution to this is that many, if not all, professions would have access to the black market. *However* they would ONLY get items that directly related to their profession. While everyone uses armor, they need to go to the soldier to find certain types.

Doctors would get black market implants, Soldiers get armor, etc. Fixers could get nearly anything, especially parts. Clusters, trade-skill items, etc, and they'd depend on Traders to use those pieces. Nano-techs might be the only profession that could pull nano-crystals from the market. They'd get them for all professions, giving them a very profitable side-profession.

just out of interest what would fixers get, as apart from "illegal" things, there is nothing related to our proffession. So generally your idea would have fixers removed from the black market

*whistles and waits for the flames to roll in*

hugs

lilnymph

[Gene13]

Originally posted by Finniksa
Perhaps a solution to this is that many, if not all, professions would have access to the black market...

Blah, blah, blah.

Move the BM to Jobe, Delete the fixers and make all remaining players 'trox MP-agents with green shotgun skill and Doc healing abilities.

/G13

[_______________Intra]

comp lit requirement on the BM does not give fixers the advantage, it gives traders the advantage as they have comp lit buffs.

I will repeat.. one more time.. for those who are slow to catch up...

a black market is not a shop. A black market is a network of people, they aquire goods that 'fell off the back of the lorry'. security tags removes, encryption decoded whatever. you do not go down to your local corner black market shop and buy an illegal item.
you go to a dealer who supplies you with the item no questions asked.

now.. lets think for a moment.. who could that dealer be? oh yes, the dealer is a fixer. because that is what a fixer is!
fixers operate the black market, we are the black market. we fix it for you to get your hands on those items that you cannot get through normal/legal means (ie. traders)

so yes... everyone gets access to the black market, but that is because you all have access to fixers. what with them being a number of them on each dimension being played every day.

I think I will put this in my sig because I seem to say it on this thread constantly. but no one actually reads the ideas at the start of the thread or the discussion that went on. I really do think it would be a good idea before posting

[lilnymph]

Any chance of getting any sort of response from funcom?

*lays out a nice plate of cookies*

also, another be peeve, does it annoy anyone else when you have to put together a good counter argument, the person you where discussing with never comes back? At least people could come and admit they hadnt thought things through.

Anyway

Hugs all

Lilnymph

[_______________Intra]

hehehehe, maybe they are afraid by us marching back and forth across the entrace to this thread.

I dont need to be told when I am right


but.. yeah FC.. since you took the envisioned board down and stripped us of our hope, could you please help us retrieve some tiny glimer of it by giving us an update?

[Niksa]

Originally posted by Intra
I will repeat.. one more time.. for those who are slow to catch up...

a black market is not a shop. A black market is a network of people, they aquire goods that 'fell off the back of the lorry'. security tags removes, encryption decoded whatever. you do not go down to your local corner black market shop and buy an illegal item.
you go to a dealer who supplies you with the item no questions asked

Sort of a continuation of my previous post, but people could locate an NPC who is part of this network. Sort of a roaming NPC who not everyone knows about, and one that changes often. Today a fixer NPC mob named Willis Demesa in Newlands is selling illegal implants, tomorrow it could be someone in Lush Fields.

Fixers might be able to locate them immediately, and such info would be sellable to others. Of course fixers would be able to locate these things easier, but agents could most likely gain access to the blackmarket when they assume/false fixers.

Then again, none of this is likely to be done, so it's not a big deal. Just having PCs trade "illegal" items seems like just another shopping channel, though.

[_______________Intra]

the way I envisioned it was kinda like that.

maybe the fixer gets the details of where the dealer is dropped into his bank account by an unknown source.
the fixer finds the NPC and must give the password given.

the more times you meet the dealer the more he trusts you and therefore the higher ql or better equiptment he is able to supply you. you build up a reputation within the market as a good dealer.

it is for this reason that I dont think agents should be able to deal on the blackmarket without being in FP fixer 95% of their time on rubi-ka. if they were ever seen as a non fixer would would get around and they would not be able to trade with the dealer... and would be'dealt with'

agents should be able to infultrate an organisation... not an entire proffession.. which is what a BM is.

a fixers proffession is trading on the black market, they can get you what you need.. no questions asked. THAT is what a fixer is and does. You give that ability to an agent and you may aswell not have the fixer proffession

[_____________Hisokai]

Ok heres an idea make the black market like rl. I know everyones been a commercial district (ie downtown los angeles) where theres normale stores, "People" stores <hey wanna buy a watch or ID>,and mixtures like the store where you go when you wannt something thats not gona be on display<just imagine the shadier pawn shops>. So we could feasible have a black market spread around rubi ka. no we dont have top have shops but we could as someone lese mentioned be able to hack shops to get some black illegal items. Then you could have some of thos npcs that dont know anything actually be turned into shops if you /say Psst..xxx said you coulkd hook me up. Then just have it so each time you buy from the black market you get treated like a neutral for an hour(omni/clan guards randomly attack you if yopu linger round too long).

Gotta say im impressed with all the really good ideas on this post and look forward to seeing some official feedback on it.


Run like the fixe..er um wind.!