[Discuss] Buy Title

[Timothy Collett]

On Jun 24, 2007, at 5:02 PM, Tom Vogt wrote:

> Due to consistent abuse of the feature - on the part of judges and  
> rulers - I have changed the game mechanics.
>
> Buying a title is now no longer done in secrecy, but a message to  
> the realm will be posted. At the same time, he who bought the title  
> is immune to bans for 3 days. That should give him some time to  
> prevent knee-jerk reactions. In addition, the message posted to the  
> realm makes it clear that the characters of the realm have been  
> fooled by the faked documents. Accordingly, any bans following  
> after the 3 days that use something like "you bought that title" as  
> their reason will very likely result in Titan action as they can be  
> considered abusive (abusing the ban mechanics to get rid of someone  
> that your _character_ has no reason to suspect of any wrongdoing).

Tom, this isn't going to change how people act toward those who buy  
titles without the permission/desire of the Council.  The only thing  
that'll do that is to add something that provides a real, honest-to- 
goodness reasonable doubt in the minds of the *players* that it was  
really bought.

In other words, there needs to be *another* game mechanic, that  
cannot be questioned by the players, that does this same thing.   
Maybe when a knight is passing through a region without a lord, there  
should be a chance that the local administration runs up to him and  
says, "Sir, we recently discovered that your great-granduncle was  
once lord of this place.  As we are currently without a lord, would  
you like to assert your claim?"  (The chance should be increased by  
things like his family home being in the region, him having been in  
the region a lot, etc, etc)

Sure, it's not hugely realistic, but I guarantee you--*guarantee*  
you--that something like that (or maybe something making use of the  
new personal claims system...) is the *only* way you're going to  
prevent judges, rulers, and the whole rest of the realm from treating  
someone like dirt who bought a title without them approving it.

Timothy Collett
Anaris Family

--

"There is always choice.  We say there is no choice only to comfort  
ourselves with the decisions we have already made."
~ Lady Morella