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Has anyone had any thoughts about how to improve the charter rules? As far as sub systems go, they seem to have done a better job balancing things then they have in the past. But I do have a few concerns. (Just looking at the non spoiler charter rules, since I am a player.)
A lot of Buildings don't seem to have a *lot* of effect on what the players can do or what equipment they can access.
So some thoughts I have had:
Equipment
There doesn't seem to be any information under charter on how you can increase the level of items available. I was thinking it would be neat if each relevant building allows purchasing items related to that building at up to "Char level +N" (Where N should be some number between 0 to 2 probably.)
Hospital (Medicinals)
Armory (Weapon and Armor)
Augmentation clinic (Augmentations)
Fusion Enchanter (fusions.)
Graveyard (Necro-tech)
Menagerie (Animal related items.)
Research Institute (Technological)
Technomagic Circle (Magical)
Technomancer Circle + Research Institute (Hybird Items)
N also could be based on factory level of the settlement you are in. (Since otherwise I don't see a lot of point in factories unless you start running out of hexes to putt resource nodes in...) Or trade pacts.
Unrest
Since upkeep = size (or size - Wis) and assuage Unrest = size /5 (or size / 7) (plus 1 week of downtime) it seems like it could get *very* attractive at higher levels to just never pay upkeep...
Perhaps the unrest created by not paying upkeep should depend on how *many* credits worth of upkeep you don't pay.
I was thinking 1d4 plus an additional 1 per 2 RUs you fail to spend.
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Note that, per the Crafting Equipment and Magic Items section on page 235 of the Core Rulebook, characters can simply make any item they want in 4 hours as long as:
1) They have ranks in the required skill(s)* equal to or greater than the item level;
2) They have the same amount of credits/UBPs as if they were buying it; and
3) They have tools (basic tool kits are 20 cr; or free for certain classes such as biohacker or mechanic) and a workspace (can be assumed that it's part of the PC's residence or they can use available workspace in the settlement).
Considering they will likely be higher level than most of the other inhabitants of the charter pretty quickly, they probably won't be buying equipment from what is made in the settlement(s). Also, as the administrators/leaders of the charter, they can probably request anything up to character level +2 from their patron (paying normal price) and it will arrive in about a month or so (one charter turn, or maybe two for character level +2 items). If you want to give the PCs more incentive for adding buildings, it might be better for buildings to allow purchase of certain items at 90% of normal price instead of restricting access without the building.
*- Engineering for weapons, armor, vehicles, and technological items (you can probably allow Life Science for weapons that have the Living property and the Preserver's Mantle/Dendron Armor); both Engineering and Mysticism for hybrid items; Life Science for food and drink; Life Science or Physical Science for drugs, medicinals, and poisons; Mysticism for magic fusions and magic items; or an appropriate Profession for specialized items
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I run three Kingmaker Campaigns and in all of them, the player were not focused on the gain they will get from building a new building, but what the kingdom/people (in RP terms) will get from it.
One campaign even ended because they build what is logical (RP-wise) instead what is effective (stat-wise) [which resulted into an unbeatable Unrest-Spiral]
I don't know the charter rules, bur I think they will be close to the kingdom building rules.
I think I would try to get away from the pure "stat-bonus" and lean more toward a RP/Event-Bonus. So make running the "Kingdom" more RP-focused then like a mini-managment game.
Your Idea definetly goes into this direction, but as Dragonchess stated, the SF crafting rules are a relative easy so I don't think you would get the incentiv/benefit you looking for out of it.
Of course you could simply scrap the RAW crafting rules and say "You need building X to build itemtype Y" (what sounds logical and like a fun game system for me).
Or steal from the Kingmaker PC game: Building X give the player a random free item of type Y each month/round.
Unrest
Since upkeep = size (or size - Wis) and assuage Unrest = size /5 (or size / 7) (plus 1 week of downtime) it seems like it could get *very* attractive at higher levels to just never pay upkeep...Perhaps the unrest created by not paying upkeep should depend on how *many* credits worth of upkeep you don't pay.
I was thinking 1d4 plus an additional 1 per 2 RUs you fail to spend.
I realize this is kind of an old thread but . .
I'm playing in the Horizons Campaign setting now. You are correct, once you get a few hexes it never makes any sense from a straight economics standpoint to pay upkeep. Under the rules you gain 1d4 unrest for not paying and then just Assuage Unrest to lower unrest by 1d4 for a single RP. Once the colony has 2 hexes it should never pay unrest again under RAW.
My suggestion is modify Assuage Unrest so it's not available as a Downtime Activity unless you Pay Upkeep in the same Charter Turn. So if you don't Pay Upkeep unrest goes up 1d4 and you don't get to do anything about it that Charter Turn. Unrest becomes a problem at 10 so a colony could theoretically skip it sometimes but not every single time. It kind of makes sense too, you pay upkeep to maintain the status quo then you can assuage to lower your unrest.
We've also run into a rule problem with Events. No colony should ever have a negative event unless they really have no clue. It's super easy to keep Charter Ability equal to or above Colony TN.
Maybe make TN = # of colony hexes/2.5 and still rounded up??