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affinity ranks;
✽ AFFINITY RANKS | ||||||||||
Areas of Repute Within Aifaran are some unofficial factions that represent some of the interests or aspects of the city life. These are not ICly recognized groups (that is, there are no guilds or formal organizations representing these areas that a character can approach ICly) in that they have no defined structure, but merely areas of general repute.
Upon application acceptance, each character will receive a randomized set of starter rankings totaling 20 points altogether, which are randomly distributed throughout all the factions using RNG when a character joins the game. This point cap will prevent anyone from being able to max out too many affinity factions at one time. OOCly, each faction has ranks from 1-5 (with 1 being the lowest, 5 the highest), with each rank producing multiple different types of interaction with that group throughout the month. Players can choose to have their characters experience one or more of these instances to happen, depending on what their rank standing is with that respective group. Characters will not be required to experience all instances for all factions in a given month. This Google Spreadsheet is kept current by the mods that can be viewed by the players at any time, so players will always have access to their various Affinity standings at a glance. EXAMPLE: CRIME Rank 1 • Slippery Fingers: You are targeted for pickpocketing on the street! • Get Trashed: Your property (home, work, etc) suffers vandalism. • Shakedown: Your preferred places of patronage are harassed for protection money. Rank 2 • Supply & Demand: You sense eyes on you frequently, and when looking to purchase your usual staples, you find them either out of stock or ridiculously marked up in price. If asked, the shopkeepers will avoid answering the questions, as if they've been intimidated into silence. Rank 3 • Swag Swap: You are targeted for a mugging, but you're offered a cheap set of crystal glasses in exchange for all you lose. • Insurance: You're offered an insurance policy against theft for the month, but if you don't pay up, you may be more heavily targeted. Rank 4 • Mistaken Identity: During what looks like it will be a mugging, the perpetrator seems to recognize you and breaks off the attempt. • Guardian Criminal: Alternatively, during what looks to be a mugging, ANOTHER mugger will intervene, successfully chasing the first offender away from you. Rank 5 • Sudden Windfall: An anonymous person mails you a package containing what is definitely stolen, but likely untraceable, money and luxury items, the contents of which are now yours to do with as you please! Affinity Rank Changes Each month as part of AC, players will be required to submit their rank changes, moving 4 points total per month in any combination of their choosing. An affinity cannot be ranked at 0 or over 5, and all the Affinity ranks must collectively total 20 points - so points being added to one rank must come from subtracting from another rank, etc. Part of the AC requirement is a (VERY) brief description of the character's behaviour that led to the fluctuations in affinity. EXAMPLE AC COMMENT: Character: Bugs Bunny AC Proof 1 (required): LINK AC Proof 2 (optional): LINK Allegiance Rank Changes: +2 Sci-Tech, -2 Faith Notes: Bugs offered to teach a class on network basics to some less-than-tech-savvy elders (+2 Sci-Tech) but flipped off some Ban Om devotees when they wouldn't take a hint (-2 Faith). Affinity FAQ What happens if my character gets randomized Affinity starting ranks that don't make sense? IE; my sweet cinnamon roll gets a high Crime ranking? That's half the fun! ICly, it's explained by characters arriving that don't have any background in the city yet. Since these aren't literal, recognized factions, it's a little bendable. Maybe they're going with a gut feeling. Maybe they just don't like your character's face. Who knows! These rankings aren't static either - they go up or down with each AC, depending on what you want for your character. What if I don't want to use any of the monthly instances for my faction rankings? You don’t really have to if there isn’t anything in there you’d want to play with. Or make up something (reasonably) within the parameters that would be better suited to your character. Why do I have to move Affinities rankings around every month? As your character interacts with the peoples of Khu Ioduan, they will naturally get along with some groups and people, but not others, just as in the real world. Adjusting Affinities rankings is based on how you think your character's choices have been viewed by the various factions in the city. There is no 'right' or 'wrong' standing with the factions, so don't worry about keeping a set number; every option has new opportunities! | ||||||||||
SCI-TECH
RANK 1
• Snake Oil Cure: A frazzled-looking scientist claims to have produced a compound that can ward off the headaches from the odd tones and the flu-like symptoms that occur near lightning trees - or any number of other ailments. She foists it on you, insisting you become one of her test subjects. The cure looks and smells curiously like bleach; it is not recommended for ingestion.
RANK 2
• Terminal Fluctuation: Any time you use a stationary network terminal or your yimo this month, it's a bit… glitchy. Messages will still go through (though sometimes garbled), but the screen will freeze up or turn a strange array of colors at random intervals, like you're carrying around a static charge.
RANK 3
• Floral Resistance: As the Festival of Growth begins, you also begin to sneeze. A lot. Watery eyes and itching, too. Seems like you're very allergic to something that's being paraded throughout the entire city, so it's unavoidable. Fortunately, a medical professional or pharmacist points you in the direction of a strong antihistamine to give you some relief.
• Useless Things, Useful Advice: You're invited to a special talk by a self-taught roboticist who is an expert in making robots that don't work. It might not seem like it's worth going to (useless robots? really?), but the speaker is witty and inspiring.
RANK 4
• Sound Dampening: Although the strange tones reverberating around the city don't seem to be stopped by walls, better sound dampening materials at least cut through the worst of it. Your residence or preferred place of patronage receives a low-cost upgrade to provide some relief.
• Putting Roots in History: You happen to be nearby the Wiosen Botanical Gardens or assisting someone with a small task there, and it turns out that person is a botanist. In thanks, they've decided to name a new cultivar of flower after you! (Hopefully it didn't go extinct in the mass die-off).
RANK 5
• Peace and Quiet: Although they're not sure why, some engineers have found a few areas in the Opara Core that seem unaffected by the penetrating drone assaulting the city. They've decided to invite you to their secret hiding spot, since they like you and you could use the respite, they say. While you're there hanging out, they'll be happy to discuss any research or projects you're working on and offer support to help you succeed with whatever it is.