LTC3 Jobs

[DanHoward]

I was wondering how the monthly pay for each job on pp. 46-50 was determined.

[Rasputin]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

I was wondering how the monthly pay for each job on pp. 46-50 was determined.

I presume using the average pay (B517) listings in the Basic Set (B265 for cost of living; a job would need to clear this on an average month to make it worthwhile) tweaking for relative levels from job to job so a charcoal burner makes more than a building laborer makes more than a courier, even though all are TL 1 Struggling jobs.

[nik1979]

the funny thing about jobs in LT is that there is no industry standard, its about what you can get away with. In early mesopotamia there was massive amounts slavery due to bad debt. this is also true in many other early civilizations. When there were more policy, history and tradition that allowed people to better qualify what is a fair price for work, then getting just enough to get by slowly became more common.

Basically depending on how the information on compensation gets around, you can keep the ignorant in perpetual debt and servitude.

[DanHoward]

I suppose this question should be directed to Matt.

[nik1979]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

I suppose this question should be directed to Matt.

I want to know too, want to link this to his google+ stream?

[Turhan's Bey Company]

Originally Posted by DanHoward

I was wondering how the monthly pay for each job on pp. 46-50 was determined.

To a large extent, by staying within the income and Status guidelines from Basic, with inadequate historical data providing guidance. There's a bit of math lurking in the background to make sure that the incomes for subsistence jobs weren't wildly incompatible with the rules for farming and herding. As for higher-paid jobs...well, I'm sure there's plenty to quibble with, but since data is spotty and we have to offer a single number for a given profession across all of space and time, a lot of specificity has to fall by the wayside.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by nik1979

the funny thing about jobs in LT is that there is no industry standard, its about what you can get away with.

Actually, that's comparatively less true of preindustrial societies. Prices and wages were comparatively slow to change; there was a strong sense that "we've always gotten a penny for a day's wage, so that's the fair pay rate," and in some cases governments would enforce this through law—especially for staple commodities such as loaves of bread, where the law might define the size of a loaf and the price it sold for. Rapidly changing market prices were more an industrial thing.

Bill Stoddard

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Actually, that's comparatively less true of preindustrial societies. Prices and wages were comparatively slow to change; there was a strong sense that "we've always gotten a penny for a day's wage, so that's the fair pay rate," and in some cases governments would enforce this through law—especially for staple commodities such as loaves of bread, where the law might define the size of a loaf and the price it sold for. Rapidly changing market prices were more an industrial thing.

Bill Stoddard

I'm quite curious what a high-TL society would be like if prices were formed primarily through tradition and comparison to tradition.

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

I'm quite curious what a high-TL society would be like if prices were formed primarily through tradition and comparison to tradition.

Catastrophically inefficient, I would think, with shortages and surpluses all over the place.

Bill Stoddard

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by whswhs

Catastrophically inefficient, I would think, with shortages and surpluses all over the place.

Bill Stoddard

Perhaps. But perhaps also more stable, with fewer fluctuations and sudden bancrupcies due to this or that good becoming no longer sellable. Perhaps.