Security Clearance - why is it worth anything?

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Base clearance plus a Perk per compartment?

Just be aware that most of those compartments are extremely small.

[Anaraxes]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

Just be aware that most of those compartments are extremely small.

Yes. It's not clear that you want that many points going into SC unless that Advantage is somehow central to the game. Perhaps something more like the Dabbler Perk, eight compartments for the price of one...

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

Just be aware that most of those compartments are extremely small.

Some are dead ends. A lot of things are classified simply because it might embarrass someone, or is related to a long past vagary of power politics, or simply because declassifying takes more trouble then classifying.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by Anaraxes

Yes. It's not clear that you want that many points going into SC unless that Advantage is somehow central to the game. Perhaps something more like the Dabbler Perk, eight compartments for the price of one...

I don't think individual compartments are really going to be worth anything. In the US, I might charge 1 point for Confidential, 5 for Secret, 10 for Top Secret, and 15 for TS/SCI/Poly/UNAMEIT. Minus the value of whatever level is "standard" for your rank. But as I mentioned before, I would normally either require it for everyone or refuse to allow it for anyone, outside a few special cases.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by jason taylor

Some are dead ends. A lot of things are classified simply because it might embarrass someone, or is related to a long past vagary of power politics, or simply because declassifying takes more trouble then classifying.

That varies a lot based on the TYPE of information, but I would say that this is a net wash in cost - for every "wasted" secret there will be one that can be used to real advantage by savvy players.

[jason taylor]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

That varies a lot based on the TYPE of information, but I would say that this is a net wash in cost - for every "wasted" secret there will be one that can be used to real advantage by savvy players.

It does make for a useful source of red herrings though.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by The Colonel

More prosaically, it determines who gets invited into a given facility and who gets to hang around in reception (at best) waiting for them...

Also, my salary has increased since I got my real-world security clearance. I can legally do more, thus I'm worth more to my employer.

[malloyd]

Though I do see the point. Security Clearance is essentially a specialized kind of Rank advantage. It's useless without abusing it to about the same degree rank in an organization that doesn't allow you to use your underlings for anything outside the mission of the organization is.

[cosmicfish]

Originally Posted by robkelk

Also, my salary has increased since I got my real-world security clearance. I can legally do more, thus I'm worth more to my employer.

Yes, but this is very setting dependent - there is no guarantee that someone in a different culture would experience the same.

[robkelk]

Originally Posted by cosmicfish

Yes, but this is very setting dependent - there is no guarantee that someone in a different culture would experience the same.

All social advantages are setting-dependent.