Shady Stock Options, a question spawned by the Credit topic Options

[crash2029]

I was reading the credit topic and at one point payment in stocks is mentioned. I would like to try to do this for variety's sake. My only problem is that I have no idea how to implement such a system. How many stocks should I give them? What are they worth? What can they do with them? Could they be useful enough bother with the additional bookeeping?

In a similar vein I have often read of payment in commodities and equipment. I like the idea of nonstandard payment but I don't really know how to do it. How do I figure out market reactions to various goods?

Finally, how would I make use of insider trading? Many runs affect local markets and savvy runners could very well supplement direct payment with advance notice of market conditions. But how would I govern such a system? Without getting a degree in economics, of course.

Any help would be appreciated.

[TheOOB]

I generally run investments and stuff as a discount of lifestyles and keep it entirely roleplay. I have a player who will spends way entirely too much time playing buissnessman if you let him.

[Crusher Bob]

Simple version:
Tell players that they have X Y equivalent in 'commodities and stocks'. And Z Y in actual cash. If they need access to the non-cash funds, they can get the face value in cash after... (roll d6) (1: next day 2-3: next week 3-4: next month 6: 3 months). If they need the funds faster than that, they take... say a 1% hair cut on the actual value for every day that they redeem early.

So, for example, if they get unlucky and need 6 months the get the stocks out, but needed the money tomorrow, they can has out at roughly 10% of face value.

Complicated version:
Get some historical records of several years worth of stock prices. Also get some bits of historical financial news for the same time period. Tie performance of in game stocks to your historical data. File the serial numbers off your financial news and insert into your campaign, so that there be 'excuses' for the in-game market fluctuations.
So, for example, set the 2nd crash to markets in 1973, and then just adjust the years. (So 2070 would be, what 1976?)

[edit]
Which puts you just in time for the Hunt brothers attempt to corner the orichalcum market... Bonus points if you get them into an orichalcum creating business just in time for orichalcum thursday (Late March ~2074)
[/edit]

[Backgammon]

Few stocks actually pay dividends, so stock would not simply act as a boost to lifestlye. A payment in stock is, effectively, a differed payment. If Mr. J gives the runners 1000$ worth of stock, that is effectively money the runners cannot spend. If anything, right now, the runners have LESS money then they thought. However, they can wait for the stock to gain value and then sell them, turning the 1000$ payment into perhaps 1300$ - this is especially true if Mr. J / the runners know that the stock is about to go high due to insider knowledge.

[Pendaric]

Take a look at Assets Inc in loose alliances for a little inspiration too.

[MaxMahem]

A payment in stock is, effectively, a differed payment. If Mr. J gives the runners 1000$ worth of stock, that is effectively money the runners cannot spend. If anything, right now, the runners have LESS money then they thought. However, they can wait for the stock to gain value and then sell them, turning the 1000$ payment into perhaps 1300$ - this is especially true if Mr. J / the runners know that the stock is about to go high due to insider knowledge.

This is how I handle it as well. Payment in stock or stock options, or any other sort of investment commodity is essentially just another way of putting money in the players hands but with an interesting hook to it.

A Johnson could offer the players payment in Ares Stock with the emphasis that 'hint hint' this stock may increase in value if the run is successful. You could play this a number of ways. It could be an on the up and up offer where the run really will have the intended impact on the stock. However, corps generally value runners as deniable assets, and a payment in corp script or stock tends to go against this, so it may be a more common option for a Johnson posing as an Ares Johnson, but actually working for someone else. This level of deception is generally to deep for me however.

The offer might also be a screw-over. The J doesn't actually work for Ares (though he is trying to pose as them possibly), and the run is actually against their interest in some way. (This generally would have to be non-obvious to the players or they would smell the rat immediatly). And the succesfull completion of the run will lower the value of their payout. Setting the payment up in escrow is a good way for the J to handle this. He can claim he paid the runners, but not actually have to meet them and hand-over the de-valued stock (which could have negative health implications). This sort of twist is best if you include some sort of way for the players to figure this out and double cross their Johnson. Who should likely be some party they are already on pretty bad terms with.

The way I have always liked to use stock is for it to be a bonus for the Johnson to offer the runners upon succesful completion of the run. Especially if it was very fruitful run for the company. The J could offer them a slightly larger payout (maybe as much as 25-50% more) if they take it in stock. This is kind of a way for the J to say. "Yes, I represent Ares and we are pretty pleased with what you have done." It also works nicely to tie the runners interest to that of the company.

A final 'gottcha' you can hit the players with when giving out stock payment is penalty fees for trying to convert it back into untracable cred. Depending upon their connections a fee of 10-25% may be appropriate. All of the above could be applied to corp-script as well if you wish.

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I did try the 'have the stock pay dividens' thing as well. But it didn't work so good. Basically because its improable for the runners to have a sufficent quantity of stock to pay a meaningful dividen. I'm no accountant, but typical stock dividens are in like the 5-10% range, which means unless the runners hit the honest to goodness big-payday, the payout won't be especialy relevant to them, especially on a quarterly basis.

[crash2029]

Hmm. Definately food for thought. Thanks guys.