Crime: An alternative system for punishment

[jaberwocky]

Short version:

You get a collar (or arm/ankle-cuffs if you wear a quest-collar already) with debuffs. No option to go to jail time or to just pay gold.

 

Optional, you could be given a magical "scarlet letter", either in the shape of a tattoo on the forehead, or a non-removable circlet. This option might decrease the chance of breaking mods when you wear quest-related devious devices already.

 

As to why:

I find myself cheating by saving/loading the game when I pickpocket npc's. The reason is that I do not like the original crime-system.

• Paying some gold is just too easy (load game is faster than paying gold, with almost the same effect).
• Jail time just means waiting a little bit and loose a bit of skills.

Prison Overhaul is a nice addition to jail time. Due to being forced to wait, it feels like a true punishment. But after two times this system becomes monotonous, partly because the play through is rather passive.

 

Options for implementation (as the builder can decide for him/herself what to build exactly)

 

Duration

I suggest two sliders, one for bounty-level and one for days-per-punishment-point.

With a minimum of 1 punishment-points, each time the player exceeds (another) bounty level, the punishment increases. If the bounty-level is set at 150 and the player obtained a bounty of 500 septims, it means exceeding the bounty-level three times, meaning (1+3=) 4 punishment-points. The days-per-level determines how long the punishment device (or scarlet letter) must be worn by the player before a punishment-point is removed. When the player has no punishment-points left, he/she can ask a guard to have the device removed.

 

(if possible, don't count sleeping to earning freedom)

 

Effects:

There should of course be a large debuff for speech and prices. But also a couple of other debuffs, like 10 points less health/magicka/stamina together with a decrease of health/magicka/stamina regeneration might be nice, just like a decrease in the carry weight.

 

The nine holds:

When you wear a debuff item (or scarlet letter) in one hold, you can still receive a punishment in another hold. The punishment in the second hold will have its own timer, but the effects will be cumulative. While one punishment might be doable, two or three will most definitely hinder the player.

 

Optional: each hold might also give a large debuff in two (perhaps random) skills.

Optional: each additional punishment might remove clothing-slots. With three or five concurrent punishment, the player is force to remain naked.

Optional: getting caught in a hold twice results in additional punishment-points. *

 

* This last addition is to prevent the player from just do crime (like learning to pickpocket) in just one hold to avoid cumulative effects.

 

Good behavior (extending the mod):

When the basic is ready, good behavior could be introduced. Although some good behavior might be considered naughty behavior. You show good behavior by doing tasks, and completing each task will decrease the your remaining punishment-points. Each task will decrease your remaining punishment-points and each task can only be done once each day. The more naughty tasks will have a bigger impact when decreasing your punishment time. Possible tasks are:

• Bring mead to multiple guards
• Having sex with one or two guards
• Sweep the floor of a shop
• Dance naked in a tavern in the evening
• During daytime, spend one or two hours in a rack on the markter square
• Do a bounty quests (not limited to once a day)

Corrupt guards (extending the mod):

The Riften guards ask for an entry fee? Well, the Riften guards are not the only one anymore. Confiscate all your potions because they suspect you are a Skooma dealer, that is Skyrim for you. The chance for this to happen will be limited, but when it does, you have two options. You either comply and loose half your money or all your potions, or call them out. But there is a catch, when you call their bluff, in the next 24 hours you might suddenly end up with a bounty on your head. Preferably without a warning in the top-left corner of the screen.

 

Tweaking:

Of course you could remove the timer, meaning that the only way to complete your punishment is by showing good behavior. And the only method to complete your punishment fast is by doing the more naughty tasks.

 

Out of curiocity, how does this sound as an alternative punishment system?

[i am not]

I think this is pretty well thought out and definitely seems like a great alternative. Just get someone to do it or start on it, I would download. 

[Delzaron]

And about player execution /hard punishement ?

[jaberwocky]

And about player execution /hard punishement ?

 

I was actually trying for a playthrough, and death seems to undermine that.

 

...although with death alternative mods, an execution could be possible. And as snuff-fetish exist, an execution in a flamboyant, yet brutal and shocking style, could be possible. People who make such a mod might get my upvote, but I do hope they will add the option to disable executions.