I wish I could buy Drinks that cheap! Options

[Eugene]

Picked up SR4A the other day, leafing through the pages, saw the p.49 Underworld 93 prices, and laughed. 4 nuyen for Scotch? 3 nuyen for a glass of wine? If only we in the real world were so lucky.

[Alexand]

You forgot the 4 to 1 Conversion for UCAS dollars to nuyen.

So actually thats a $16 glass of scotch, and a $12 glass of wine (I presume the it's the average/cheap stuff). If your paying more than that at a RL bar, you might want to find a new place to drink chummer.

[AllTheNothing]

Picked up SR4A the other day, leafing through the pages, saw the p.49 Underworld 93 prices, and laughed. 4 nuyen for Scotch? 3 nuyen for a glass of wine? If only we in the real world were so lucky.

You take what you pay for, I'm not an expert of Scotch but I can tell that there's some wine sold around that's dirty cheap (and usualy tastes awfully); are we sure that they don't mean Scotch flavoured beverage?

[Kerrang]

You forgot the 4 to 1 Conversion for UCAS dollars to nuyen.

So actually thats a $16 glass of scotch, and a $12 glass of wine (I presume the it's the average/cheap stuff). If your paying more than that at a RL bar, you might want to find a new place to drink chummer.

Just what I was gonna say. In my local bar, a decent glass of scotch (15yo Glenlivet) is about $5. Given the prevalence of synthahol in the SR world, a decent glass of real scotch would likely come in around the price noted above.

[Blade]

You forgot the 4 to 1 Conversion for UCAS dollars to nuyen.

Except that you forgot the 1 to 4 conversion rate from USA dollars to UCAS dollars. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

Despite all the hype it got, the Underworld 93 is still, IIRC, an undeground bar in the Barrens, where people don't have that much money. I expect drinks to be cheaper there than in Downtown. Actually, due to its reputation, the 93 might even be one of the most expensive bar in the Barrens.

[Alexand]

^^

Good point (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[MJBurrage]

By legally enforced definition "Scotch" is whisky made in Scotland from malted barley, and aged in oak for at least three years. And I would be very surprised if that changes even in the Sixth World.

Having said that, there is still Scotch cheap enough to make well drinks. Note that the quoted price never said "single-malt" nor did it give an age. There is a vast difference between generic blended Scotch, and 15+ year-old single malt.

For example in Vermont where wholesale and retail liquor prices are the same, and regulated:

• Lauder's Scotch @ $0.33 / oz
• The Macallan 30yr Single Malt @ $29.57 / oz

The Lauder's (even with typical bar markup) would only go for a couple bucks a shot, and it would probably be even cheaper in an unregulated market. So cheap Scotch for 4¥ a shot is very believable.

At the really high-end, the 40-year-old Laphroaig I was looking at recently is worth around $112 / oz on today's market.

[Khyron]

In the future there is only SoyScotch. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

[LurkerOutThere]

By legally enforced definition "Scotch" is whisky made in Scotland from malted barley, and aged in oak for at least three years. And I would be very surprised if that changes even in the Sixth World.

Really? You can take the return of dragons and magic the breakup of world powers and the introduction of mega corporate entities but you can't grok to the truth in advertising laws going bye bye? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/rotfl.gif)

On a related note, do people actually track thigns down to this level in their games? I tell my players not to bother with any food and drink expenses under 100 nuyen as long as they've got low or better entertainment values on their lifestyle.

[BlueMax]

The price may be accurate.

In certain "low government" views of dystopia, there will be no tax on your booze. Right now, in the West, 60-90% of what you pay for your booze in a bar is various taxes.

BlueMax
/sin tax
//for all you SINNERS

[Eugene]

Where does it say that the conversion was 4:1?

Also, the VT site lists prices for finding it on store shelves, not what you'd pay in a bar. I was just in Chicago, where the bar I was at was charging $8 for beer, $12 for martinis and $15-30 for Scotch, depending on the label. Granted, the bar I was at was on the expensive side. But the 93's location in the Barrens probably doesn't make it a representative price across Seattle, either.

We don't micromanage nuyen in this way; I was just surprised at the prices. Maybe I don't go to enough dives.

[Bugfoxmaster]

Guys!
This has been said before, but again:
It's the shadows: No tax costs, crappy drinks. This means: Cheap Booze.

[Nath]

Where does it say that the conversion was 4:1?

The Neo-Anarchist Guide to North America and Shadows of North America's unpublished (but still official) excerpt Cost of Doing Business had the UCAS Dollar to Nuten exchange rate around 4:1. But note this is UCAS Dollar (2062) to Nuyen (2062). UCAS Per Capita Income is ¥28'000, to be compared to 47'000$ nowadays.

[TBRMInsanity]

One of the only things I liked in D20 Modern was the idea of credit instead of cash (drawing from the idea that you have credit cards, instant loans, etc). As stated above I think your lifestyle covers the cost of certain items. I would house rule that any clothing, food, drink, and/or daily costs that are equal or less then 10% of the monthly cost of your lifestyle can be considered negligible and thus cost you nothing (so (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 50 for a squatter lifestyle, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 200 for a low lifestyle, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 500 for a medium lifestyle, (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 1,000 for a high and (IMG:style_emoticons/default/nuyen.gif) 10,000 for a luxury lifestyle).

[MJBurrage]

Also, the VT site lists prices for finding it on store shelves, not what you'd pay in a bar.

By law in Vermont, what you pay in a liquor store, is exactly tha same as what the bar pays as well. Discounts of any kind (bulk, etc.) are not allowed.

So a bar in Vermont pays 0.33/oz (0.50 per 1.5oz shot) for the cheapest Scotch. At that cost, a 4.00 drink has a 12.5% beverage cost, which any bar would be very happy with.


As for currency conversion, one can argue the exact details, but Shadowrun has always kept the Nuyen close enough to 1:1 with the present USA dollar that just using a modern price at par works for any small expenses.

[InfinityzeN]

Lifestyle covers the actual payment as stated. If your using the extended lifestyle rules in RC, the different categories determine the max level that you don't have to actually pay for. The two that come to mind for most things would be Entertainment and The Necessities.

Entertainment would cover going to bars and clubs, vacations, etc. As an aside, you need an Entertainment of 'High' to have unlimited access to Underworld 93. Looks like it is a rather expensive and high demand place, despite its location.
The Necessities covers covers your clothing and food. Though you can always go out of pocket for better (crazy though, it is often cheaper to get the next level up)