Gems

Post your LARP suppliers here
Post Reply
User avatar
Wyrmwrath
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:28 am
Location: Detroit, Michigan USA

Gems

Post by Wyrmwrath »

I am pondering and looking into putting together a donation of acrylic gems for monster camp based off of ones I acquired form my last LARP. I have already donated some of those to MC and some of you may have them as in game findings.
The reason for the post is to guage player base interest in adding them into the in game economy on a larger scale. I loved fainding them as loot, and thought they added great immersive feel when found in a chest of coin and jewelry.

Here is a photo of what I have and am looking to recreate in the three different sizes.

Image

Three sizes in about a dozen different colores all with thier own coin value. I will leave the staff to assign value and a method for a PC to determine such based on game rarity and magical uses and such.

Here are a list of gem types and colors on my list of possible inclusions:

Diamond
>white
>black
Ruby
>red
Sapphire
>royal blue
Emerald
>medium green
Amethyst
>lavender
Aquamarine
>light blue
Moonstone
>milky white
Topaz
>yellow
Bloodstone
>red and orange swirled
Pearl (these will be round and not fasceted)
>wite
>black

Im thinking three or four different shapes for variety
round (like those pictured)
emerald (rectangular cut with beveled corners)
oval (like the Ford symbol)
pear (teardropish)

My question is...

would this enhance your game? If there isnt enough interest there is no point.
Grand High Chancellor of ROBUST UNPLEASANTNESS
...and the 11th commandment is:

"The stupid shall be punished!"
User avatar
Ark
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 1148
Joined: Sat Jan 12, 2008 12:18 am
Location: (\__/) /\_/\

Post by Ark »

at SH i had various gems in 3 sifferent sizes and two different collors. they were bigger denominations of the money and the PC base reacted well to them.
we like having the real coin in our pocket and gems are just another fun step up from that, it was always cool to look through your personal asortment of gems and coin. i dont know how much money is in FH circulation. but if its enough to require gems as a higher value then i say go for it.

its fun :)

PS: Ark would strive for a neclace made out of gems :D
If it storms or snows, or the sun smiles on us. The day burning hot, or ice cold of night. Dusty are our faces, but joyful are our minds! - Panzerlied
______________________________________________________________________
Brian: Do not respond, quote, argue, debate, or try to start a conversation about anything I say or post, directly or indirectly, specifically or implicitly. At the very least I will consider it stalking, and going further consider it harassing, belittling, demeaning, mocking, or insulting. I will immediately report it as such and push to request that your forum privileges be at least suspended or terminated, and going further request your LARP attendance privileges be suspended or terminated as per the Final Haven Code of Conduct. this is your notice and warning.
______________________________________________________________________
If you have an opinion on something I say, or a particular topic, but would prefer to keep your opinion private (or complain) then CLICK HERE! to send a private message to GM-Mike the head GM and let him know.
User avatar
Onimaster
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 3013
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:22 am
Location: Grand Haven, Michigan
Contact:

Post by Onimaster »

I've been using and handing out gems like that for like three years as Vaal.
Vaal Draconus,
Dwarven King
Survivor of the Dreaming
& Champion of Life.

or

Nikolai Petrov,
Traveling Cossack Sage
User avatar
Smitty19
GM
Posts: 557
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 11:36 am
Location: Lowell, MI

Post by Smitty19 »

Thats where it becomes a problem, its artificial wealth...

Any one can go buy some cheap gems from a pet store, and boom, they are rich...

I like the coin aspect, it has worked without fail, and it is controlled by a finite supply so people can't artificially inflate their own pockets...

This is just my opinion, but I say if it isnt broke, no need to fix it.
Serith Darkheart

"I dont make Threats....Only Promises"
User avatar
Wyrmwrath
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:28 am
Location: Detroit, Michigan USA

Post by Wyrmwrath »

Onimaster
I've been using and handing out gems like that for like three years as Vaal.
Smitty19
Thats where it becomes a problem, its artificial wealth...
Any one can go buy some cheap gems from a pet store, and boom, they are rich...
I like the coin aspect, it has worked without fail, and it is controlled by a finite supply so people can't artificially inflate their own pockets...


Its great RP to have a dwarf use gems as coin, and i know that anyone can buy plastic gems and hand em out. Tough in spite of how the PCs role play them, unless they are monster camp backed, they really are just fakes in game.
Also, while I know that monster camp has a limited supply of the coins, they are the same coins that my last larp used for silver and copper, and I, and therefore anyone else, could buy them and flood the game with those also. Im betting if they can make the silver and copper, then they can make the gold as well.
What I am proposing are plastic gems phys reps that are backed by monster camp ,that they can assign in game value you to as they feel correct, and therefore they are REAL gems in game.
Frauds were eliminated at Shifted Lands by a process to mark them with a custom sigil. I have an alternate idea that was tested there, but passed over for the simpler method, which was slightly cheaper and faster, but less effective overall.
My question is if this were to be made an option for monster camp, would the players like to see something that is mostly an immersive window dressing added to the game.

This is just my opinion, but I say if it isnt broke, no need to fix it.
That mindset simply leads to stagnation, since there is never any experimentation to try to improve on a working system. While the coin system SEEMS to be working, I see no logical reason trying to tweak it indicates we think it needs fixing. Try thinking "enhancing".
Grand High Chancellor of ROBUST UNPLEASANTNESS
...and the 11th commandment is:

"The stupid shall be punished!"
User avatar
Onimaster
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 3013
Joined: Thu Jul 22, 2004 12:22 am
Location: Grand Haven, Michigan
Contact:

Post by Onimaster »

I'll take down anyone who calls my gems fakes. :evil:
Vaal Draconus,
Dwarven King
Survivor of the Dreaming
& Champion of Life.

or

Nikolai Petrov,
Traveling Cossack Sage
GM-Phil
Site Admin
Site Admin
Posts: 1483
Joined: Mon Oct 09, 2006 2:42 pm
Location: Wandering
Contact:

Post by GM-Phil »

I think if a way to mark the "Gems" as ones from NPC camp, then it would be a neat thing to add to the game.

I know I as a player would find it interesting to find Gems in a treasure box instead of coin sometimes..

As said though, the hardest part would be keeping the "Gems" in check and making sure people don't just run out, buy a lot of "Gems" and being wealthy.

I would think this would be a good project for the off season.
Hi.. I'm Aidan!
User avatar
Smitty19
GM
Posts: 557
Joined: Fri May 19, 2006 11:36 am
Location: Lowell, MI

Post by Smitty19 »

I can get behind a controlled and accounted for gem trade. It would be a nice addition, but as I said my only hesitation was the artificial wealth. We did give out gems this past weekend at WH, but they were controlled by the gm staff and we know how many we gave out.
Serith Darkheart

"I dont make Threats....Only Promises"
User avatar
Wyrmwrath
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:28 am
Location: Detroit, Michigan USA

Post by Wyrmwrath »

Vaal Draconus
I'll take down anyone who calls my gems fakes.
I didnt say the royal family jewels.... :lol:
Grand High Chancellor of ROBUST UNPLEASANTNESS
...and the 11th commandment is:

"The stupid shall be punished!"
Torakhan
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 509
Joined: Mon Mar 28, 2005 9:56 pm
Location: West Michigan
Contact:

Post by Torakhan »

Well, how about this... a player acquires 50 Gold and hands out their own equivalent representation of that coin in another form, either in a note, or a gem, or their own coin (a 50-coin note, or 5-Gold coins, or 10-Gold gem). Meanwhile they offer folks the opportunity to store and save their money in your stores as well as offering loans for a fee. As more people store more money, you can offer loans using the currency in your bank and issuing notes/coins/gems of your own of larger quantities... so long as there isn't a run on your bank.

This way "gems" can be an entirely IC-driven thing and not require the GMs to do anything on their part, like worrying about props, or setting things up, counterfeits, etc. Also, different characters can compete in the banking market for clients, offering better rates, or advantages too.
Arthur Dreese - West Michigan
I just want to see tomorrow, day by day to just survive. / But this place is built to kill me. No one here gets out alive. ~Alice Cooper "Cold Machines"
"Beware the designer who does not design to play his own game." ~Justin Achilli, Vampire: the Masquerade Developer
User avatar
Wyrmwrath
Town Member
Town Member
Posts: 1054
Joined: Fri Dec 12, 2003 6:28 am
Location: Detroit, Michigan USA

Post by Wyrmwrath »

interesting idea for a in game business, still doeant make the gems "real" in an in game sense. Just means they are PC bank tokens that look like fasceted glass.

My idea doesnt make monster camp do anything aside from chose what each gem is worth. I think they can handle that in about 10 minutes before they start handing em out as loot.
Grand High Chancellor of ROBUST UNPLEASANTNESS
...and the 11th commandment is:

"The stupid shall be punished!"
Post Reply