"Note that timing information becomes important in this case; it needs to be clear to everyone when the next opportunity is.."
Aye. Something like ..
That shows up only on buildings that have work available, invest ready, and for a skill you possess. So for a newb on the world its a very simple (and - importantly -
simple to explain) process of going about, finding the shiny dollar signs (they'll glow and throb in an eye-catching manner when complete ) and getting the money by clicking the WORK ME button. (The button process itself will be full of immediate reward.. they'll be paid immediately for the first cycle and there'll be ka-ching noises and UI gratification, coz Thats What People Expect these days :] ). (Most people are 95% Pavlovian ;] ).
The timing and length of the work once you've clicked the button will be configurable and dynamic, so the server can automatically adjust itself to the level of population and activity. (If there's few workers, then a single click might give 'em an hours wage, whereas when busy it might even drop to single cycle).
I'm not too bothered about the competition rate for wages - if everywhere is min wage that's not so bad - but with the player only being able to have X active jobs in progress at any one time (X again being a dynamic property that can self-adjust to activity levels and demand) it could mean that active players seek out the higher paid jobs to make the most of their working time, and well paid jobs will get the most attention.
No, it doesnt solve all the problems with alts.. Anything that encourages players to work with each other (which is kinda fundamental to the whole process) is open to abuse and its nigh on impossible to determine when thats a case of genuine players working together in a familial manner or something more sinister. This method does at least mean that the 'helpers', in either case, can't just be completely passive, and so there is some essential value in the amount they contribute.
Dealing with malicious alts - without completely removing any kind of social dependency that i really want to try to keep in the game - does still require some higher-level consideration, which includes the setting of an initial price point for the game (or to look at another way - making a residence permit a requirement for taking a job), and ( e.g.) tracking when player behaviours indicate they are purely feeding cheaply-earned cash into another, and then taking appropriate moderative action - an area which has been developing over the last few server iterations and will be followed up on in server rules, terms of agreement and general policy actions.
@Morv.. Actually this wouldn't cover the farms at first, coz this system is primarily a replacement for the standard employment system, but if it works out I'd definitely look at moving the scripted farms to a similar process. (Already scripted much of that for Aramathea..)
p.s. Also note the little (barely visible) 'For Sale' sign next to the property in the picture above. Thats just a lil extra nicety in the next client.
