I just got a horrible idea...

[Kaiser Mors V]

..Ok... So.. one problem we have is activity, keeping track of who's active.. etc.. and making sure nobles are active... etc..

I'm working on a bank.. in theory... we could make it so people get money for posting.. (don't hurt me..)... but then tax them every few weeks or so... but have taxes go upward... Kaiser taxes the Dukes, Dukes the baron and barons the counts. And if you can't pay your taxes.. you could lose your subdivision.

You can only tax those directly under you...

And maybe implement a loan system so people can go into debt to pay taxes...

So.. you would get money from posting, private transactions, and the subdivisions under you...

Larger subdivisions by population would be in better shape for paying taxes.. which would encourage nobles to recruit to their duchy. and barons to their baronies.. And personal activity and trading can help bring up the rear..

ideas?

So.. a Baron can tax a Count .. 7 erb per week.. (which is at least 1 erb per post of a certain size...).. Dukes can tax each baron 7 erb per county, and and the Kaiser taxes Dukes in a similar fashion...

This does mean a inactive duke could simply be supported by his barons, and go into inactivity... but if that happens.. the barons can always have a tax rebellion... and overthrow the duke...

Though this does mean I have to complicate the bank a whole hell of a lot...

[hypatias mom]

Your Niftiness--

Yes, that is an evil thought. It reminds me of the company towns where the company owned all the houses, businesses, and controlled every aspect of people's lives. A person would work his whole life to try to get ahead, but continually go into debt because the company store and the deductions from the paychecks made it impossible to pay all the bills, let alone put anything aside.

Of course, this is your country, and you can do as you choose. However, you may find people just leaving if they feel the tax burden is too high, just to avoid the taxes. Remember the Boston Tea Party and other revolutionary actions.

[Ari Rahikkala]

Yeah, if you tax them they're soon going to be asking for representation, and we know what that kind of thing will lead to

[Kaiser Mors V]

well.. I personally only would be taxing the Dukes.. and they are all in the Landsraad.. from there the Dukes can figure out what to do...

[benkern]

Hmm... I think if Jacobus decides to tax Vorpmadal too much, I'll have to show him the true meaning of the word "Yardistani".

Fundamentally it sounds good though - make the economy a bit more interesting and "in-your-face", but in a good way. Some economies are basically forgotten. And it'll give us some reasons to rebel if we get crazy Dukes.

[Kaiser Mors V]

I honestly think it has SOME merit... I'm not trying to make a system that people Can't live under.. I'm trying to make one that if you are active.. you won't even notice... I'd proly even offer LOA exemption...

[Nick Foghorn Leghorn]

I think this is a good idea, and will foster activity. we tried this in Antica, and it worked, up until Aryez killed the economy.

[Kaiser Mors V]

Ari and Carol seem to disagree with the concept.. so I have 2 for.. and 2 against...

(though with the bank unfinished it's still moot)

[hypatias mom]

My only concern really is that people who are not able to post on a frequent basis, due to real life pressures, may feel they cannot keep up the needed posting rate, and end up giving up accordingly.

[Kaiser Mors V]

Well, that would be something we would have to workout... What kinda tax rate would make sense so we can deal with some people we know will be less active.. and others we know will be more... perhaps people could... make deals.. give donations..etc...

[hypatias mom]

Kinda like salary negotiations in reverse. Interesting...

[Kaiser Mors V]

More like tax brackets...

[Liam conToketi]

I wholeheartedly agree. Now, to somehow ruin that rival of mine...

[Yvain Wintersong]

Oh, simulations. I love those. I love the phwooooooooot sound they make as they implode.

1. Won't this encourage people to make lots of poor quality posts? And won't people who only post when they have something to say find themselves falling behind the people on the Word Association Thread (which I find banal beyond belief)?

2. Will the taxation be completely automated? If not, it sounds annoying to have to fill in a form every few weeks. If so, that leads to point number...

3. It seems most important that Dukes and the Kaiser stay active. But if the system is automated, Dukes and the Kaiser should get money from those people under them, and be able to stay afloat without any activity at all. The only people likely to have trouble are commoners and minor nobles, whose activity doesn't matter as much.

4. How are you going to punish people for falling behind on their taxes (or going into debt)? You could threaten to strip away titles, but point 3 above suggests most people with problems won't have many. You could refuse to promote them, but realistically you would refuse to promote inactive people anyway. You could let them off with a warning, but then there's no incentive to pay.

5. And do you really want to punish people who don't post very often. I'm in college and working a part time job. I post here when I find the time and when something interests me. So far I've found it enjoyable. But if you start giving me grief because you don't think I do enough, I'll probably just leave.

6. We have money?

To be clear, I don't DISAGREE with this idea, but I think it needs to be developed much further before it's coherent.

[Prodigy Almighty]

Taxes? I don't want to have to deal with taxes until college!

But if that's what you think will help... then hey, I can't argue with a kaiser...

[Kaiser Mors V]

I doubt it'll happen.. so I wouldn't worry

[Jacobus Loki]

The Kaiser could "ask" tihe dukes for "contributions" who would "ask" the Barons, who would "ask" the Counts, who would "ask" the peasants.....

We need peasants!

[Andreas the Wise]

I like the idea in principal. I'm all for a post-based economy (don't use a bank then, use a php cash mod). And Shireroth is one of the few places I can see this sorta feudal system working as we actually have enough people. But we'd have to get the numbers just right ...

[Kaiser Mors V]

I just got another horrible idea... But this one would turn us into a webgame type forum like Gaia..

[Andreas the Wise]

Sounds like the Gralan Space Program. Go on ...