2nd edition question - expenses at start of session

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2nd edition question - expenses at start of session
« on: August 31, 2016, 05:21:09 AM »
In the 2nd edition book there is this "1 barter expended" at the start of each session.
It has to be payed for each session played even if the "new" session is just a continuation of the previous one and is played in a span of 1-2 days ? sorry but i am new on the game
thanks

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Ebok

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Re: 2nd edition question - expenses at start of session
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2016, 07:03:18 PM »
In first edition barter for a cost of living was 1 per in game month. The problem was for that this became irregular at best, a set of games could take place in a matter of days, or could take place over ten to twenty months. The first case, the players had a much greater opportunity to gain barter, and they were never charged for the month because the month didn't roll over. In the second case, the players would be hard pressed to get enough barter during play to sustain themselves for all that off-scene time. While in both circumstances it wasn't really disruptive, it was just a non-thing really.
• Irregular Expense
• Requires specific game pacing to have the desired effect
• Relatively unimportant
• Hoard based economy


In Second edition, the players are charged per session, as a regular occurrence. So they have a similar amount of time during each session to earn something to set aside for the next one. This creates economic color, where players have to try to earn their keep, rather then it being just by default.
• Regular Expense
• No matter the pacing of the game, this Game mechanic forces them to spend thought to Earning
• Provides useful economic color
• Expense based economy


The cost of a barter is arbitrary. The cost of a living is scaled on the former. So if you have 4 hours to play, and you need 3-barter to maintain your lifestyle, you must earn that much barter during those hours. This causes you to be concerned about barter as an expense, rather then as a hoard. Because these are GAMEY values, 1-barter today might not be the same as 1-barter tomorrow. They are representational of what a character needs.

So if you have 2 sessions take place during the same day,  they still must pay the barter for each session, and the "living expenses" in this case has been zoomed in. They would represent many mirco exchanges rather then some big lump sum; 1 barter was stuff-for-half-a-day.

Characters in game don't count their "barter" they count their useful junk, tools, weapons, scrap, warm-stuffs, food-stuffs, etc. If you passed a week, then that was stuff-for-a-week, if you passed a day, then it was stuff-for-a-day. This is an Excellent game mechanic change, because it brings a cost to maintaining themselves to the gameplay and makes it relevant to the time You spend. Barter's worth is decided by Real Time, rather then Game Time.

Re: 2nd edition question - expenses at start of session
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2016, 07:14:43 PM »
Yeah, what Ebok said. It also syncs real nice with Wealth and Fortunes, which generate barter per session.

When my group wants to justify spending barter twice for only a couple of hours in-game, we just agree, that it was time to buy new shoes, that the cost of meat has gone up, that we actually spent the barter last week, but only changed the number on the sheet now, or something along those lines. It's not hard to justify the spending, and the benefits far outweigh the small amount of added work.

Re: 2nd edition question - expenses at start of session
« Reply #3 on: September 01, 2016, 06:04:28 AM »
my problem with this "once-for-session" occurrence is that some gigs are really longer than a 6 hour day stint that can happen in the single session or even in 2 different sessions. Or, for the hardholder, i can't conceive what is a crisis that isnt here yesterday and all of a sudden it's here today (like it can happen having them rolling straightly each session, even if the sessions are just one the continuation of the other)
but this is probably just my problem, since i am very new with the game...
i hope this will not derail in a "i have to mind my fuckin business each time, if i can eat and sleep is more relevant than any other kind of trouble i can have to face, except probably an armed attack"

Re: 2nd edition question - expenses at start of session
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2016, 07:26:54 AM »
Hmm, I've played some ten sessions with the new barter system, and it has worked out perfectly, even though I was hesitant about it at the beginning - for exactly the reasons you name.
In practice it just wasn't that hard to make things work in a believable way.

My advice is to try it out with an open mind and the will to improvise, and it will probably work out fine. If not, you can always just go back to the old system without too much hassle.

Re: 2nd edition question - expenses at start of session
« Reply #5 on: September 01, 2016, 08:14:42 AM »
thanks pastor, i will discuss this evening with my players and we will try to come out without much fuss
it's my lack of experience at MC that troubles me :)

Re: 2nd edition question - expenses at start of session
« Reply #6 on: September 02, 2016, 12:29:58 PM »
Remember... GIGs are only one way to get jingle.
You could also steal, threaten, sell stuff, trade services, etc ;)