This is the second installment of spotlight discussions. In this article, we talk about the aspects of being a player starting out in a world where everything costs money, role-playing a poverty stricken individual, and dealing with outright PC bankruptcy.

    Being poor is nothing new to a gaming world, and we see beggers in pretty much any setting where the weak aren't simply butchered on sight, but what happens when PCs start feeling the pull and beggers are no longer just part of the background?

    When a player starts in a world, he usually has a few basic things to start out with: a weapon; some spells if they're a caster; maybe a few consumables (potions, food, scrolls and the like). In order to keep up with living costs, it is assumed that the player is able to get money as fast as he spends it. This is something any experienced player knows how to do, but what about those who don't know? What about those who spend every cent on potions and they're just no good in battle? What about those who just can't catch a break and they reach a point where they can neither rest because they don't have food, not buy food because they can't generate income, nor generate income because of the negatives from total exhaustion? Some players can handle that by simply starting a new character, but what about those who like the character concept they have, and don't want a "Thistle the Illusionist v2.0"? Do we do them favors? Or should there be an option for them? Generally, unless you meant to play a poor person, one may not have as much fun being in a nearly unescapable loop of loss.

    Since this is a role-play server, one may play any kind of person on this place (within the rules of course) that one wants. What if someone wants to be playing a begger? What if someone wants to play being a homeless person? How is this handled? Where would they live and how would they survive? People who would play the poor may not be completely bankrupt, and taking on odd jobs is a way to survive as well as the general job description of adventurers. We could offer some minor static quests, but when does it become redundant? In the world, how many times will "Whistling Willy" of the tavern need you to find his lost amulet (how many times do you lose this damn thing, Willy?!)? Bandits are often the result of being poor and ganging up on others to eat, and often it evolves into something else (power can corrupt even originally good but desperate people).

    What if a player was absolutely broke? They had no way of generating income, they were suffering from total exhaustion, and were completely out of food? How could we come up with ways for players to make money easily enough so that they can function as full fledged PCs (fed, rested, spare change in pocket) without opening up a cash-cow and making anyone not doing the most boring and repetitive quest ever a sucker for not taking advantage IE exploiting the system? Do we create special actions? Give them a break? If we help them, how do we justify who we help and why?

    Aresk had said that there is a cost of living in Khalidine, and he said that unless you spend time killing for food, you have to buy it. He also suggested that skills, like Survival, could be used as a way of finding food. He continues on to suggest that a slew of static quests may suppliment players needs.(http://www.khalidine.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,142/topic,258.30)

    theycallmetomu had stated that "[his] criticisms there tend to be that [the cost of living is] too taxing on low level characters..." (http://www.khalidine.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,142/topic,258.30)

    Laban had stated that he wished to play a begger. (http://www.khalidine.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,142/topic,258.30)