Enforce OOC activity requirements for player run businesses

[Demonmit1]

What is this suggestion?
If a commercial property goes entirely unused for 6+ months, the property should be forced to be scriptly auctioned.

 

Why is this suggestion a thing?

At least 80-90% of commercial property is already owned by players, and only a select few are ever actively open, being ran as a business, or hosting events. I was heavily involved in Weazel News for nearly a year, active in working with businesses and events, and have seen prominent properties never once opened or active.

A lot of properties sit unused and empty, and there's no IC system in place to realistically manage inactive properties, so it should be handled on an OOC level.
Many criminal focused players would also likely have an interest in operating a business, but due to current IC regulations, requesting a property from SASG is limited to being 6 months clean. For most people this isnt worth the time investment.

Interior drug labs are no longer a thing and are no longer a balance concern for allowing crims to own a property.

 

How would this be implemented?

Here are a few different options with varying levels of intervention, from scripts to LFM manual review, that could be implemented.

1. Scripted auction system

   1. If a property owner doesnt log into the server for 6+ months, the property should go to auction. Currently commercial property auctions are manual afaik, while residential auctions are automated from what I understand. Inactivity auctions for commercial properties should be set up.

2. Recorded activity interacting with the property

   1. If a player isnt inactive, but has not interacted with their property for 6+ months, the property should be forced to scriptly auction. Players hoarding property for the sake of hoarding property is detrimental to the activity on the server, preventing newer players from being able to try out business ideas.

3. Recorded activity of business activity / events

   1. If the player isnt actively using the property, actively running the business that the property was set up for, or not hosting an event once every 6 months, the property should be forced to be auctioned.

 

How could this be enforced?

1. Require businesses to have active “player ran business” forum threads.

2. Require businesses to have active “legal faction” forum threads.

3. LFM should get more involved with Property & Housing Bureau to help moderate player run businesses on an IC and OOC level.

[Ash]

Properties should just work on the same system as houses where head admins can trigger automatic auctions for any properties where the owner doesn’t meet the activity threshold. That would free up more than enough abandoned properties.

[Hector2Fingers]

16 minutes ago, Ash said:

Properties should just work on the same system as houses where head admins can trigger automatic auctions for any properties where the owner doesn’t meet the activity threshold. That would free up more than enough abandoned properties.

big +1 to this one.  No need to make it complicated with a different script.  Have it work exactly as houses do.

[Demonmit1]

28 minutes ago, Ash said:

where head admins can trigger automatic auctions for any properties

11 minutes ago, Hector2Fingers said:

No need to make it complicated with a different script.

from what I understand, housing auction script was updated to be automated, not requiring manual admin intervention. if commercial property could be set up like that, that would be great! there hasnt been a manual commercial property auction by staff in over 16 months, so relying on that system isnt going to work.

[Smoke1]

2 hours ago, Ash said:

Properties should just work on the same system as houses where head admins can trigger automatic auctions for any properties where the owner doesn’t meet the activity threshold. That would free up more than enough abandoned properties.

i agree with this, ive seen alot of great places just gone an not able to be used by anyone ever again, Would be nice to see them back! Same with warehouses that aren't owned by gangs, 

Edited December 26, 2024 by Smoke1

[HobGoblin]

Apartments also need this. 

[Cup]

34 minutes ago, HobGoblin said:

Apartments also need this. 

agreed besides credit based ones obviously

[Diligo]

11 hours ago, Cup said:

agreed besides credit based ones obviously

possible to just refund the credits? If any house can go on auction and the items that were there were stolen, i think refunding the credits would be the best option, especially if the house owner was banned and hasnt made a decision appeal that has been accepted or is not planning to do so.
Also this cant be abused by cheaters giving their friends credits because you cant gift credits in the Forum panel

[UseroneGaming]

I was initially against this, because of past experience of losing properties for slight inactivity on other servers.

However, when you mentioned once in 6 months, that's when I was like - yeah, that seems beyond reasonable. If you cannot open your business once in 6 months, then you might as well temporarily close it until you can open it again. If you want to keep a location in a particular case, you should be able to open it at least once in 6 months.

I support this suggestion. But the inactivity timer should be very generous.