Taking Cartel Branding a bit Farther

Majanishi

For awhile now I've been wanting to draft a book full of establishment ratings, to kind of urge shopkeepers and innkeepers to step their competitive price game up a bit, and while I was pondering how best to go about doing that, I had what I thought was a pretty cool idea, and I'd like your guys' input on it.

I think it would improve the richness of the roleplay for cartels and also provide a nice gold sink if we had Establishments that proffered only the cartels wares at premium prices. The premium price ensures that the highest quality of the item is provided, rather than someone else's rendition of the piece. For example, suppose Raeri has developed a recipe for roasted duck. If a platter of roast duck was originally created by him (ie bears his distinct mark), then perhaps it has a different flavor description, or there is a note indicating that it is a very high quality platter. Further if there were an establishment for whichever cartel Raeri submitted that roast duck recipe to, which was not a shop, per se, but a room off of a highway or in a major city that has an NPC waiter or something, and you sit on a chair at a table before you can interact with him. You can ASK <NPC> WARES and interact with him in the same way you would with say Jeremiah Gryphta. In this example, his wares would be all of the dishes specifically designed by Raeri's cartel, but at a very expensive price. Say 5000-10000 gold, or even more. It could give a buff or something, but in my imagination this is more of a strict "wealthy" roleplaying feature.

This can also apply to other types of trades, like for Tailoring you could walk into the shop and see all of the items on display (selected by the Trademaster, just one or two pieces they choose to be included in the description or something) and you can have someone in the store to model each piece. This modeling could have an extra description or something. These pieces would bear a very distinctive mark that it came from the cartel's boutique.

I'm curious what people think of this idea. How would you change the idea? Do you think it's any good? Would you personally benefit from the roleplay that it introduces?

Enyalida

I'm just really confused by how this would work. One guy arbitrarily assigns points to all of the crafters, and their food is suddenly worth more, though objectively it's all the same? What do you mean by a 'different flavor message'? If Raeri designed the platter, he custom writes the flavor description already.

This is already functionally possible, just find a cartel you really like, mark up their food, and have a sign in your shop describing why certain food is marked up, calling attention to the superior cooking (Writing) skills of the craftsman. Add in a manse dweller with their own custom responses and you have the entire package! 

All of that seems like interesting roleplay for someone interested, go for it!

However, I think that's it's probably safe to say that for the majority of people over level 80 in the majority of cases, they just buy whatever dex/con platter is cheapest and doesn't contradict any food restrictions they're going with, except in specifically food-based RP sessions.

Majanishi

No,you misunderstood what I meant about "assigning points". That was just something I've wanted to do separately for some time. This idea would not be "rated" by some random player.

I do see your point about shops etc. and people over level 80, but I still think it could be a fun thing maybe to add to shops that already exist then, cutting out the overpriced junk. Just trying to make commerce more interesting. I find it very boring right now.

Eritheyl

I really don't understand the OP at all :S

Majanishi

Could you be more specific about what you don't understand? It's not helpful to just say you don't understand, but not seek clarification.

Kregarn

I think what I'm seeing is you're seeking a shop for your cartel and that in that, a code that allows you to show off your fav pieces. The sad fact of having open tradeskills (I love it, don't get me wrong) is that people don't care as much about designs. Typically, they'll design their own and have someone submit for them or they don't care and will wear whatever covers them... or in the case of Serens, go nude. I care about clothing on my character because I have the tailoring trade. I couldn't care less about jewelry, I just need to make sure I have all my enchants on Kreg, I think that's typical of most, really.

Majanishi

You're correct, I think, but it saddens me. I find it a great deal of fun to seek out specific designs for clothing etc. I know realistically not many people would enjoy or benefit from the system, but it'd be so cool in my opinion to make the individual designs mean more. One of my characters is a Trans tailor and he is quite well known in his great house for designing a great deal of family designs. He's often sought after by the progenitors to create more designs that are family or order specific and I really value that reputation. Too bad there isn't an easy or solid way to extend that.