Subject: Proposal to rule 24: The pharmacy

From: [email-masked]
Date: Tue, 16 Jan 2001 12:59:15 -0000

There seems to be a surplus of pills. 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. 

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