Player made jobs / roles

[Schoff]

I was reading another thread about what will be around the vicinity of the Arkship after people/organizations have started to develop the area. It got me thinking...

 

Will there be a system that allows for semi-complex services/jobs to be run by players/organizations? For instance, will a group of players be able to set up a 'shuttle service'. A place players can go to for a cheap ride to whatever city they want. How would this look like in Dual Universe? With the limited knowledge I know about the rights management system, I think it would look something like this:

 

My questions in italics are not meant to be questions I want answers to. I'm simply thinking out loud and trying to create/promote discussion. That being said, if the devs care to chime in, that would be great

 

Location/Operations

First, the players would need to find a suitable location. Obviously, close to the Arkship would be great for business. Catch all the new-comers looking to pack up and find a place to call home. 

 

A few instances I could think of for the player's pursuit of land:

• The players were lucky. They were able to secure a nice tract of land and have secured the right to build on it. They erect a small shuttle-port at first. Over time demand increases. They expand, building more landing pads and loading zones. They realize that there money is better invested in building a massive shuttle-port. They use the rights management system to allow certain individuals/organizations to land in their shuttle-port, charging them a fee for their use. They decide more shuttle-ports are needed elsewhere. Thus begins rise of Lucky Shuttle Brothers, LLC.
• Or maybe the players decide to operate the business for their own. They take on a few more 'employees', using the rights management system to grant access to their shuttle-port. The pilots are free to work when they want, if there is demand (scheduled or first-come-first serve). The organization charges a fee for service based on your destination. The exchange is handled via a 'contract' window, where the rights to ride the ship are assigned. Also, the exchange of funds is guaranteed upon performance (however that will work). 
• Or maybe they weren't so lucky. Instead, the spot of land they want to use is owned by some schmuck who won't sell. Instead, he wants to charge you to build on it. Or wants to partner up with you. 

To what extent will NQ provide the necessary tools to operate a business like this? Or, will they leave it up to the players and simply provide a trade window, requiring the parties to promise one another they'll do what they say?

 

Advertising

How are other players going to know about the service? Surely word will spread, but that's not enough to build a business. 

 

Will the game provide a way to disseminate information about what's going on the planet(s) around them? Will that be done in-game, or out of the game?

 

• NQ doesn't have a daily/weekly newspaper done by the devs. The players need to create the content. Well...fine! A player decides to create a weekly email to whomever wants it. It will include all the latest news and information about what's been going on the past week. But yeah right if she's doing that for free.  She charges Lucky Shuttle Brothers, LLC for their advertisement, among countless other businesses.  At first it's through the in-game email system, but eventually NQ implement a media comms that select organizations have access to post on. They only receive 1 post a week/day, or some limit. The planetary news starts to cover other planets. 'Reporters' are hired to gather information for the weekly post. 
• In addition to media comms, business can rent advertising space on the side of a player's building. The rights to post are handled through the rights management system--charging the customer a few credits per day.

 

Conclusion

I quickly realized how important the rights management system is. But also, it's important that NQ provides the players the means to create these things! These systems are not simple, either. Think of the amount of 'contracts' people will be entering in to! It needs to be a robust system.

 

I look back at Star Wars Galaxies and think about the player made content. The players that invested in harvesting resources, selling them to doctors to make enhancements, doctors selling the buffs to players out in major cities. Or the resources purchased for weaponcrafting and armorsmithing. The need for players to have vendors in buildings that turned into cities. All because of a few back-end systems that handled making these features available.

 

Well--sorry for the long post. I was just dreaming what this game can be, down the road. If done right. 

 

What ideas do you have? Is there anything you think they need to implement? 

[RightBigToe]

So many thoughts wrapped up into one post... I am going to try and address some of your major points from my opinion and general(ly poor) knowledge;

 

I think the necessary tools for creating a transit company already exist.  As you say, a player or organization could fly a shuttle between the arkship and one or several major cities or organization's capitols based on advertisement boards that have been placed by those organizations in the closest spot possible to the arkship.  Furthermore you describe in my eyes the only systems really necessary, the ability to claim land, the ability to form organizations, and the ability to distribute rights (to land and organizations).

 

Regarding a newspaper or equivalent, that is something I am actually hoping to take on, as in creating an organization that focuses on collecting, compiling, and distributing information (in-game news, interesting places/achievements, and mapping of the planet primarily).  That said, as you seem to be aware, the primary source of revenue for such an endeavor is advertisement within the publication which could easily be on an out-of-game medium, while receiving payments for advertisements in-game.

 

A sort of service like this does not seem to be something NQ would entertain for the sole reason that it is something players should be able to accomplish on their own using in-game and out-of-game resources.  I imagine a combination of the in-game mail, mailing lists, and physical billboards being an easy enough way to distribute information of this sort.  I would be shocked if a large billboard with script-able or importable images was not something available at launch.

 

Let me know if anything I said was stupid

[Schoff]

Furthermore you describe in my eyes the only systems really necessary, the ability to claim land, the ability to form organizations, and the ability to distribute rights (to land and organizations).

 

For the formation of the shuttle business? I agree. That's something that seems doable based on simple assignment of rights. We know that will exist.

 

But what about the interaction between the business and the customers? Is that something left up to in-game /tells and opening a trade window to transfer 100 credits? I hope not. It would be nice to see a more robust system--a GUI that spells out what is being traded and what is the consideration. There needs to be a means to hold the parties liable to their side of the bargain.

 

I know, in this example, it's just a 100 credit ride. But what about when you start looking at manufacturing facilities and other more costly endeavors. Surely you can't expect the community to cross their fingers and hope the other side delivers. 

[RightBigToe]

Based upon the details they have already provided about the Rights & Duties Management System, and also stating that they've only scratched the surface, I am relatively confident that we could find a way to use the assignment of tags with associated duties and warranties to provide some sort of guarantee.  I compiled the details on the wiki if you have not read the devblog yet, but considering they've mentioned that tags can be given temporarily to allow someone to fly a ship, I assume the same can be said for riding in one.

 

https://dualuniverse.gamepedia.com/Rights_%26_Duties_Management_System

 

 

(Edit is underlined)

[Halo381]

For the formation of the shuttle business? I agree. That's something that seems doable based on simple assignment of rights. We know that will exist.

 

But what about the interaction between the business and the customers? Is that something left up to in-game /tells and opening a trade window to transfer 100 credits? I hope not. It would be nice to see a more robust system--a GUI that spells out what is being traded and what is the consideration. There needs to be a means to hold the parties liable to their side of the bargain.

 

I know, in this example, it's just a 100 credit ride. But what about when you start looking at manufacturing facilities and other more costly endeavors. Surely you can't expect the community to cross their fingers and hope the other side delivers. 

 

Well, if you've got guns and explosives, you could indeed hold that person accountable for their end of the bargain. But other than that, unless some other governing body was able to force them to do it with their guns and explosives, you're SOL

[Schoff]

Well, if you've got guns and explosives, you could indeed hold that person accountable for their end of the bargain. But other than that, unless some other governing body was able to force them to do it with their guns and explosives, you're SOL

 

I don't think this is true. I mean, sure, you can attack others, but I don't think that will be the only way. They mentioned a 'warranties' system. Warranties that are attached to tags and a part of the rights management system.