Subject: Proposal: amendment to Pharmacy (2nd attempt)

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 13:02:42 -0000

There seems to be a surplus of pills *cough*. Putting a limit on the 
supply of pills would add a strategic element to the game, perhaps 
making people buy or beg for pills from other players, or persuading 
them to have a vaccine through fear of a shortage of medicine, or 
even allowing the possibility of 'investment' in pills. 

*cough*

So, pills are to be made in the pharmacy at a given rate(I intend the 
supply to be plentiful at first, but perhaps tightened up as the 
rules are tweaked). Perks, wages etc. paid in pills must be taken 
from the pharmacy. A Pharmacist (who could also hold another office) 
oversees the whole operation, making pills, and setting buying and 
selling prices.

This rule is drafted so there should be no immediate large change in 
the way the game is played. Change would come about more gradually, 
as pharmacy stocks reduce (perhaps), as nurse changes prices, or as 
the rule is amended in the future.

=================================

Amend the title of rule 24 to "The Pharmacist, and the
Pharmacy."

Replace the current text of rule 24 with the following:

A. The Pharmacist

i) At any given time, one player may be a pharmacist, and their 
identity is part of the gamestate. The player may hold another 
position at the same time.

ii) If at any time the pharmacist is unable to fulfill his or her 
role, or that Player wishes to vacate the office, Doc must choose a 
new player to take over.

iii) Duties to be undertaken by the pharmacist during Pharmacy Office 
Hours:

-make pills to add to the pharmacy's stocks.
-consider whether the pill price list needs amending, and do so if 
necessary. He or she may also make adjustments at other times if 
necessary.
-draw a salary of 75 cash points
-check that the PDP carries correct information regarding pill stocks 
and pricing.

B. The Pharmacy

iv) The Pharmacy sells pharmaceutical items to players for cash. Any 
player may, at any time, buy the items listed in the table below, if 
the pharmacy has the item in stock. The pharmacy can never have a 
negative quantity of an item in stock. Players may also sell unused 
items in their possession back to the Pharmacy for cash.

In the interests of public health and safety, no player may purchase 
more than 3 pills of each type from the pharmacy in one day.

v) Pricing: The price at which the pharmacy buys or sells each item 
may be changed by the Pharmacist during Pharmacist's Office
Hours, or at any other time deemed necessary by the Pharmacist. 
Otherwise the previous price list is assumed to continue. The 
following table contains the minimum and maximum values that the 
Pharmacist may set. 

The price at which the pharmacy will buy an item must always be equal 
to or lower than the current selling price. 

The objective of setting prices is to attempt to maintain Pharmacy 
stocks above zero, while also making pills affordable to players.

Item	Pharmacy sells	Pharmacy buys
(in cash points)	(in cash points)
1 yellow pill	20-100	0-90 
1 purple pill	20-100 0-90 
1 red pill	20-100 0-90
1 blue pill	20-100	0-90
1 green pill	10-90	0-80
1 "Getting over your addiction" pamphlet	0	0
1 "101 ways to avoid infection" pamphlet	0	0

vi) Pills are made only in the pharmacy, and may not be created by 
any other means.

All pills given to players by Doc as perks, or provided through the 
action of any other rule, must therefore be withdrawn from the 
Pharmacy stocks. 

vii) The pharmacy's stocks are increased by the Pharmacist once 
during each Pharmacist's Office Hours by the following
quantities, rounded to the nearest integer, where n = the number of 
players at that time:

Yellow pills: n * 1
Red pills: n * 1
Blue pills: n * 1
Green pills: n * 1.5
Purple pills: n * 1

Pamphlets are printed to order, and given out free by the pharmacy. 
Stocks of pamphlets are therefore inexhaustible, and the PDP need not 
keep records pertaining to pamphlet stocks.

viii) Records of the Pharmacy's stocks, and the current price
list, are maintained on the Player Details Page.

ix) The following are interim measures while this rule is being 
brought into force:

When the PDP is able to maintain records regarding stocks and the 
price list, this rule will be enacted fully by proclamation by Doc. 
Until that time, the pre-existing rules will continue to the extent 
that:
a) the pharmacy is considered to have an inexhaustible supply of 
pills; 
b) the Pharmacist may not alter any price mentioned in this rule,  
c) the Pharmacist is not required to replenish pharmacy stocks, and 
d) Doc may continue to create pills to give to players

On full enactment of this rule, the pharmacy will be provided with 
initial stocks of 30 pills of each type.

Pill prices will initially be set as follows:
- Pharmacy's buying price – zero, for every item. It's up
to the 
Pharmacist to change the prices offered to players.
- Pharmacy's selling price - the same prices as prior to the 
enactment of this rule, namely: 
	
1yellow pill	40 cash points 
1 purple pill	35 cash points 
1 red pill	30 cash points 
1 blue pill	25 cash points 
1 green pill	20 cash points 
1 "Getting over your addiction" pamphlet	0 cash points 
1 "101 ways to avoid infection" pamphlet	0 cash points

---

From: "Jeffrey J. Weston" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 08:25:35 -0800 (PST)

> Replace the current text of rule 24 with the following:

[snip]

> B. The Pharmacy

Some thoughts from the peanut gallery...

Interesting proposal. I like the idea of supply and demand with
regard to pills. However, it looks like we might be better served with two
rules instead of one. One for "The Pharmacist" and one for "The
Pharmacy". The content could be split along the lines of section A and B
that you detailed in your proposal.

I don't like giving The Pharmacist such a huge say in how prices
can be set for pills. I would much rather see the prices set by the rules,
perhaps giving an equation to set prices based on the number of pills in
stock.

You don't specify what happens if The Pharmacy doesn't have enough
stock to give out for a specific need. What happens if Doc wants to give
out a perk, but no pills are left? Can that player receive a rain check
and get the pills when The Pharmacy has pills again?

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 15:50:21 -0000

--- In [email-masked], "Jeffrey J. Weston" <jjweston@k...> 
wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Jan 2001 m.couchman@b... wrote:
> 

I thought about that briefly, but wasn't sure what sort of formula 
would work best, particularly without knowing how the pill stocks 
might vary in the future. Any suggestions?

> and get the pills when The Pharmacy has pills again?

Again, I'm open to suggestions. As it stands, I suppose that Doc 
would be unable to give out pills at the time, which might slow 
proposal production a bit! On the other hand, it sounds entirely 
reasonable that a player could take owed pills at a later date.

---

From: "Jeffrey J. Weston" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 09:15:54 -0800 (PST)

> might vary in the future. Any suggestions?

Well... In short pill price should be higher with low pill supply
and lower with a high pill supply. Perhaps:

price = (x/y) * z

x is a constant for the "ideal" number of pills in the pharmacy
supply. y is a variable reflecting the actual number of pills in the
pharmacy supply. z is a constant for the cost of pills when we have the
"ideal" number of pills in the pharmacy supply. You would have to put a
maximum limit on prices, since they would be infinite if pill stock ever
reached zero...

The value of z for the pharmacy selling pills should be the
current prices for pills. You would select a lower value of z for when the
pharmacy buys back pills. Perhaps the current price minus 10? The value
for x would have to be determined by game play... I would start it at 30,
the initial stock of pills you are giving to the pharmacy, and go from
there.

> reasonable that a player could take owed pills at a later date.

Well... Perhaps every time a player receives a pill as a perk, or
some other benefit, they would receive a certificate that allows them to
trade it in for the pills they are owed at any time, as long as the
pharmacy has stock. In combination with my Hospital Rooms proposal, they
would only be allowed to exchange the certificates while at the
pharmacy...

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 16:35:56 -0000

> > can be set for pills. I would much rather see the prices set by 
the 
> rules,

Well, assuming the PDP can be easily programmed to automatically 
charge for "purchases", how about:
If (N >= P) then
Cost := ((N-P) * C/4) + (C * 1.5)
Else
Cost := C - ((P - N)/4)
END IF

Where: N = Number of players
P = Number of pills of that color
C = Base cost of that color pill (i.e. Red = 50, green = 20, 
etc.).

As the number of pills increases price falls very slowly, but as the 
number of pills decreases the cost goes up arithmatically based on 
base cost of pill.

Feyd

---

From: "Jeffrey J. Weston" <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 09:43:45 -0800 (PST)

You did not ask for a pill.

On Tue, 16 Jan 2001 [email-masked] wrote:

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>

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 16:56:31 -0000

> number of pills decreases the cost goes up arithmatically based on 

I quite like that one. We'd have to cut the pharmacist's pay, now his 
job's being done by a computer! I've no more time to work on it 
now... I'll see what Doc thinks about it all.

---

From: [email-masked]
Date: 18 Jan 2001 16:23:00 -0500

Hmm, this is one very LONG rule, and there's some unresolved
discussion concerning pricing. This seems a major complication at a
time when another big complication (hospital room structure) has just
come up.

I'm inclined to favor zero-sum stuff of this sort, but I think this
will have to be REJECTED for the time being. A simpler approach to
the idea might be feasible...

Martin has FoR.

-- 
- Doc