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! |
COMMERCE
RANK 1
• Health & Safety: The nearby restaurant you were going to visit is having a spot of trouble proving that the selys in the kitchen wasn't a routine violation and no, the inspectors really did just pick the wrong time. You have nothing to do with this and could probably get out free, but if you step in to vouch and/or take the blame on yourself, you might be thanked. Or cursed. Hard to tell, really.
• NO TIPS: Did you forget to tip? Maybe you did, maybe you didn't, but a whole lot of waitstaff seem to be awfully grumpy with you. Did you cross an arcane etiquette boundary? Surely not with so many at once, right?
RANK 2
• Free Prunes!: Congratulations, you've won! What did you win? A month-long supply of that thing you literally never use! Too bad, if you aren't seen making use of it you're going to insult more than a few people. Gooooood luck!
• Community Chest: Especially if you live outside the Dreaming Bridge, isn't it your privilege to contribute monetarily to the betterment of your neighborhood? Don't you want to buy overpriced cookies to support good paving practices? Don't be silly, of course you do, if you don't want dirty looks for a solid month.
RANK 3
• I'll Pay You Back!: Someone you know in a friendly way, but perhaps not a long-term friend, is trying to get a business off the ground, and wants your help financing it. They'll pay you back double, they promise! It's something of a significant amount of money, though. And you may see double or even triple the amount of returns next month or the month after, if their business takes off; or you may never see that money again.
RANK 4
• Missed Decimal Point: Something you were expecting to be decently expensive turns out not to be. The person taking your money explains, a little sheepishly, that there had been an error in their pricing, now corrected, and it's really only this much more reasonable amount. Have a nice day!
RANK 5
• Something From Home: Sometimes, the things from Dreamfolks' worlds are snatched up and hoarded or sold for exorbitant prices. Not today. This little thing you recognize, as soon as you make the appropriate noises, is simply handed to you with the fond wish that you remember your home well, and perhaps come back and tell them stories about it...?