[QUOTE=Plane;2355587]
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what difference do you think there would be, if you earned a bonus CP to:
a) spent that bonus CP to buy a favor from a detective
b) spend that bonus CP to buy 10% starting wealth and put a detective on retainer
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Game mechanically speaking? The second detective will doublecross you or just flake out if his reaction to you was low enough or the threats or bribes from your enemies are convincing enough. If you spent character points on the favour he will definitely play straight with you.
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Yet there's clearly still value in having something in your possession/control even if it lacks plot protection, even if it's offset to 0 by some implied drawback/disadvantage built into an equipment/mook metatrait (Enemy: Watcher being easiest to throw in)
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It is not "offset to 0". Rather there are simply multiple game currencies.
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The cheapest gun (B278 derringer $100) is nearly 50% of the $250 average Starting Wealth at TL0, but looking at B27 there's this rule I only just noticed now about doubling price for each TL of separation, so since that's TL5 it would be >200>400>800>1600>3200 value.
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But I specified "when you can buy or steal one off the shelf". You can't buy or steal one off the shelf in a TL 0 setting.
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If we just used a fixed value for equipment based on TL0 it sounds like the issue would be solved, the problem is basically how much equipment drops at higher TL/wealth while the price of advantages (even gadgets meant to emulate equipment) doesn't.
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Since money and character points (and of course fatigue) are different currencies gained in different ways there would always be mismatches.
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Or, maybe by buying an ally of positive value you're getting to ignore whatever built-in compromise normally makes it a 0pt package?\
Like maybe GMs should always assume you either take the zombie as a dependent, his family finds out and becomes your Enemy, the zombie's spirit becomes your Watcher, etc.
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No. He shouldn't. What such a GM should do is never use skill based magic in the first place. That way he won't be forced to fit square pegs into round holes.