Trade License

[BraveSirRobin]

What if the garda were for some reason only allowed to issue say 8 licenses each season? Shred mercheants are going to fight, bribe and back-stab their way to get those licenses at all costs. Other who don't win are going to either be driven out or underground an all the risks that come with it. That might seem a bit arbitrary but look at it this way, many places in the states have government controlled liquor licenses where they're only allowed to issue so many or so many new ones each year. The restaurant I worked for 3 years ago was like that. I used to hand our mayor $200 in 10 and 5 bills every 2 weeks.

Similarly, Svari could decide he doesn't want all these outlander merchants taking business way from hardworking barovians and that only so many should be allowed to set up shop. It might seem like a hallow restriction, but restrictions can create conflict and with it roleplay.

Realistically, that would cause more problems than fix them for the Garda, though. After a certain point people just start setting up in the Drain or like they were during the Civil War, the Wachters could set up Markets Days or market areas. .. Or even people would start setting up meets outside. It'd be disruptive to the current flow of RP rather than adding to it because it would disorganize most of the newbies' ability to trade.

[LeviShultz]

How about making it an item available to guards only so that you have to go about getting one? Guards can price hike, take bribes and generally do what  we expect from the Vallaki garda.

I like this instead of putting a fixed price on it.

Realistically, that would cause more problems than fix them for the Garda, though. After a certain point people just start setting up in the Drain or like they were during the Civil War, the Wachters could set up Markets Days or market areas. .. Or even people would start setting up meets outside. It'd be disruptive to the current flow of RP rather than adding to it because it would disorganize most of the newbies' ability to trade.

IC problems maybe. That they'd be feel to capitalize on, enforce or ignore at their own peril. Conflict doesnt disrupt RP. It creates it.

[Hlot]

I don't know current prices but I'd take a ferry cost for reference and assuming license costs around 50 coins for outlander, it's like nothing. So - what about forcing people to trade just in Vallaki Market District during day, unless they pay "special price for special license"(probably only obtainable by a big bribe from PC) that allows them to trade anytime, anywhere?

[Miuo]

I see the two merchants groups as being entirely seperate. Locals who sell, sell things at a cost affordable to the typical barovian and tend to trade in things a common household may need. Outlanders trade in things adventurers and the like need, often costing more fang then a local will ever likely see in their life time. So i dont think the guy who sells the licenses really cares, other then that now there is a way to tax outlanders fang where before there wasnt.

Its why i think the licenses should still be more. I mean if a city could tax the exceedingly wealthy seasonally and get away with it, why wouldn't they? Just by upping the license to something like five hundred fang. A few outlanders would be able to pay the salary of the garda, or ensure they had proper well made armor or weapons. As well as lessen the burden of the locals allowing them to thrive a little more. If they have more money it also means they have more disposable income to spend at actual local merchants as well.

[BraveSirRobin]

How about making it an item available to guards only so that you have to go about getting one? Guards can price hike, take bribes and generally do what  we expect from the Vallaki garda.

I like this instead of putting a fixed price on it.

Realistically, that would cause more problems than fix them for the Garda, though. After a certain point people just start setting up in the Drain or like they were during the Civil War, the Wachters could set up Markets Days or market areas. .. Or even people would start setting up meets outside. It'd be disruptive to the current flow of RP rather than adding to it because it would disorganize most of the newbies' ability to trade.

IC problems maybe. That they'd be feel to capitalize on, enforce or ignore at their own peril. Conflict doesnt disrupt RP. It creates it.

Let's hypothesize that we go this route, and that's what they do. Vallaki is not a monopoly on trade, it's just where newbies are. Merchants would begin organizing to do trade elsewhere, because they can't legally do it outside Vallaki because it gets given to someone else. There are more than 8 merchants that do stuff outside of Vallaki. Since the conflict is, it's illegal to do trade without a permit, and the merchant doesn't have one because they are limited in quantity, then you're losing RP in the outskirts to send it somewhere else. It doesn't add to it, or retract necessarily, it displaces.

Only now the Garda only have a handful of people they can do stuff with. Which loses out for everyone. I'm not even concerned about that, since my character doesn't regularly sit out all day and peddle wares. But it wouldn't create conflict with a resolution, it would create limitations that would reasonably be avoided by not interacting with the Outskirts.

[Blight]

See, I was thinking of a different way of doing.

What if every season, the Vallaki Guard only handed out X amount of Licenses? For example, 6? And they handed them out all at the same time. Merchant companies could apply for them, and it would be up to the Guard to decide who gets them. I think this would create excellent roleplay, people bribing officials and incentives to the guards to select them for their licenses, etc.

Getting a license would become about who you make friends with and who you are clever enough to get on the good side of. I honestly think it'd be a brilliant solution. The Guard still maintain some control over who gets the licenses, they wouldn't be taxed with getting flooded with tells because it could be a decision made on the forums, it would create roleplay, and lastly the guards wouldn't have to spend all their time checking licenses because they KNOW who is an authorized merchant holder in Vallaki. Honestly I think setting up a system like this would be the easiest way for the Guards to regulate the trade license system while also creating opportunities for roleplay within their ranks. Merchants would constantly be buttering up guards, finding discount programs and the like to get their permit approved over their competition with the least amount of OOC possibility. Every, like, RL month a merchant company would apply in a specific thread for licenses and then the Guard players could announce which comapnies have been selected to recieve licenses.

Thoughts?

[MAB77]

What you suggest would be more fitting Borca, where corruption is the system, than Barovia. Strahd would never condone such system and would promptly hang corrupt officials to pass his point. He'd gain nothing by forcing some vendors to trade illegally. He has zero tolerance for corruption and law breakers. As it is, the trade license represents Vallaki's way of collecting taxes, identify vendors and somehow keep tabs on them. A logical way to do things for any city officials. They don't have to be extortionists about it, hence the low cost convincing the merchants it is in their best interests to comply.

[LeviShultz]

Since the conflict is, it's illegal to do trade without a permit, and the merchant doesn't have one because they are limited in quantity, then you're losing RP in the outskirts to send it somewhere else. It doesn't add to it, or retract necessarily, it displaces.

I don't see how diversifying RP into more areas in Barovia instead of the outskirts is anything less than desirable.

[MAB77]

I don't see how diversifying RP into more areas in Barovia instead of the outskirts is anything less than desirable.

At the other end, the availability of trade licenses in Vallaki does not prevent merchants to trade elsewhere either, nor stop players who refuse to pay taxes to Strahd not to get a license. The presence or absence of trade license would not "diversify RP into more areas". Players will keep trading where customers are regardless.

[BraveSirRobin]

What you suggest would be more fitting Borca, where corruption is the system, than Barovia. Strahd would never condone such system and would promptly hang corrupt officials to pass his point. He'd gain nothing by forcing some vendors to trade illegally. He has zero tolerance for corruption and law breakers. As it is, the trade license represents Vallaki's way of collecting taxes, identify vendors and somehow keep tabs on them. A logical way to do things for any city officials. They don't have to be extortionists about it, hence the low cost convincing the merchants it is in their best interests to comply.

I am appeased. You've probably shed the most neutral and clear light on this issue than anyone else.

[Norture]

I don't see how diversifying RP into more areas in Barovia instead of the outskirts is anything less than desirable.

At the other end, the availability of trade licenses in Vallaki does not prevent merchants to trade elsewhere either, nor stop players who refuse to pay taxes to Strahd not to get a license. The presence or absence of trade license would not "diversify RP into more areas". Players will keep trading where customers are regardless.

Merchants with enough things that people want can also set up shop anywhere, and people will come to them.