User:Shai Halud/Asuran Banking Krewe

This idea suggests a storage system for GW2 as well as an investment system for adding in new weapon and armor improvements as well as some lore to go along with them.

The ABK

The ABK is the third oldest krewe and has probably existed in its current form since after the perfection of gate technology. Actually, one might say its current form has only existed since it joined the Triple Krewe Council (TKC). It was only after this point that they set themselves up as an international service similar to the gate system, but much more lucrative. After Tyria was cut off from Cantha, ABK agents, using their Asura Beacons and gate technology to transport items, soon replaced the Xunlai Agency as the major banking service on the continent. Through them, members of any race can safely store items and money and invest in Asuran research projects which often result in technological breakthroughs of some significance.

Storage

To set up a storage account, you have only to visit one of the ABK offices located in towns and cities throughout Tyria. There, you can buy a materialization matrix (for about 100g), which comes with a storage account. You will automatically have four storage windows and one "materials" window when you open an account. Storage accounts are available to all of your characters who have a materialization matrix (this is not an actual item that takes up space in your inventory nor can you sell or trade it). You can also expand your storage for a fee.

The ABK uses "Gate Beacons" to create areas of access encompassing the surrounding settlements. Beacons have to be linked up to a gate, so these areas of access only exist in Cities, towns, and outposts which have a functioning Asuran gate. Once you enter a settlement with a functioning beacon, you can access your storage accounts from any point within the settlement. You can store both items and money (up to 200,000,000 gold per account).

Investment Opportunities

While at the one of the ABK offices located in cities and towns throughout Tyria, you may participate in a few other activities as well. One new feature is the savings account. You can open up one such account for about 500g. You can deposit up to 999,999,999 gold in one of these accounts. However, you can only withdraw up to 10,000g or 20% of your savings (whichever is higher) from this account every 6 hours. Another advantage is that deposits under 100,000 gold receive a 50% monthly interest rate, meaning, at the end of every month, the bank pays you an amount equal to half of the minimum amount of money you had in your savings account during the month. Accounts with more than 100,000 gold receive a 15% interest rate and those with more than 200,000,000 receive no interest. However, if you do not make any deposits during the course of a month, the ABK will assume you are dead and will not pay interest to your account. You may only have one such account at any given time.

Another activity you can partake in is investments in Asuran technologies. The game devs will propose a certain number of new upgrades for weapons, and, sometimes armor. These will be listed at the local ABK office, and while there you may invest money in any of them. You can invest in more than one at a time and you may not know how much has already been invested in each of them. At the end of a certain period, dev will look at which technology received the most funding and implement that into the game. Upon implementation, those who invested in the technology will either receive a reward in gold or the upgrade itself from the bank (depending on how much you invested compared to others). Other technologies which received high funding may be implemented likewise or entered into the next round of developments needing investors.

The ABK is also constantly looking to acquire goods for its business constituents. What this means is that random items will become more valuable at certain times to the bank and can be sold to ABK offices for many times their actual worth. Some of these resources must be acquired in bulk before they can be sold, but others, like strange artifacts, are quite valuable by themselves. Of course, the ABK changes the list of things its looking for periodically, so these are all limited time offers. If there is a messaging system, you may be able to sign up to receive a newsletter every time the ABK changes what it's looking for so you can stay ahead of the developments. You may also be able to acquire a title for scavenger hunting by selling a certain number of these items to the bank.

Why this is a good idea

• Provides better storage than the current system
• Investments offer a gold sink as well as a good way for devs to add in new material to the game periodically.
• Savings accounts offer economic help to players with less money and gives richer players a place to store all their extra cash without resorting to ectos.
• Scavenger hunts provide an extra source of income

Why it may not work out

• May provide too many income sources for which new gold sinks will have to be produced
• New weapons and armor upgrades may be difficult to balance