[DRAFT] Issue about setting goods' prices

[Al Hiwariyya al oula]

[desc] After failing to pay 10 @@CURRENCY@@ for a small bottle of water normally priced 1 @@CURRENCY@@ in a luxurious restaurant, @@RANDOMNAME@@, a struggling artist, was arrested. This raised the issue of overpriced water bottles.


[opt] "This is preposterous!" screams the locked up artist from a pre-recorded video on his attorney's phone. "I only had 2 @@CURRENCY@@ on me and never expected a small bottle of water to be overpriced!" The attorney, @@RANDOMNAME@@, continues "Water is a basic commodity and its price should be set by the government or even be free of charge. These greedy capitalists shouldn't be able to set the price as they wish."

[effect] Water was taken off the menu in several restaurants since it was deemed unprofitable.
Tourism Increases
Authoritarianism Increases
Industry: Beverage Sales Decreases


[opt] "Why not go further?" suggests @@RANDOMNAME@@, a leftist thinker. "The government should set the price of every basic commodity like bread, sugar, rice and other essential products like coffee, tea and cigarettes. Don't tell me coffee isn't essential?" @@HE@@ says while puffing smoke from a Titanes cigarette.

[effect] All refrigerators have one price set by the government regardless of their performance.
Authoritarianism Increases
Industry: Retail Decreases
Economic output Decreases
Wealth gaps Decrease


[opt] @@RANDOMNAMEMALE@@, a large man in a tuxedo interrupts angrily "Why every decent business owner can't conduct his business freely anymore? If you can't afford buying water in our restaurant simply stop coming here!" He adds while raising the artist's bill "I still didn't get paid! The government should do me justice and sell some of the offender's properties to give my rights!"

[effect] Citizens' properties can be often auctioned to pay restaurant bills.
Wealth gaps Increase
Industry: Retail Increases
Inclusiveness Decreases

***

Alternative:

Instead of arresting the artist, he didn't order water because he couldn't afford it so he got health complications (kidney swelling) because he was really thirsty and didn't drink.

(This is my first issue - I hope it's not too bad)

[Candlewhisper Archive]

Welcome!

First off, I'd always advise having a title to a thread, even if you haven't come up with a title yet.

For example, you could title this thread [DRAFT] Issue about bottled water prices as a placeholder while you come up with a good title.

That said, while the issue is different in its angle, the heaviness of overlap with #693 Bottled Up Problems (and to a lesser extent 699) makes this issue hard to use.

Basically, I think this game doesn't need any more issues about bottled water, unless they are especially groundbreaking or unexpected. An issue as prosaic as this doesn't feel worth revisiting that ground.

[A Humanist Prognostication]

There's an issue about false advertising, hidden fees, and/or implied contracts (like when you sit and eat before paying) in here somewhere...

[Al Hiwariyya al oula]

Hello and thanks for your reply!

Welcome!

First off, I'd always advise having a title to a thread, even if you haven't come up with a title yet.

For example, you could title this thread [DRAFT] Issue about bottled water prices as a placeholder while you come up with a good title.

Edited

That said, while the issue is different in its angle, the heaviness of overlap with #693 Bottled Up Problems (and to a lesser extent 699) makes this issue hard to use.

Basically, I think this game doesn't need any more issues about bottled water, unless they are especially groundbreaking or unexpected. An issue as prosaic as this doesn't feel worth revisiting that ground.

If the bottled water has been tackled several times we can change the object or good that's being traded. I think the issue is more about setting prices by the government which is something we have in our country for bread, sugar, gasoline and electricity. It's a good thing to some extent since it provides basic needs for the poor but when faced with a shortage, the black market develops. This is happening in Syria for example. Since there is shortages due to the war, people buy bottled gas from the black market.

What do you think? Is it valid? Or this idea has been used before?
Thanks!

[Al Hiwariyya al oula]

There's an issue about false advertising, hidden fees, and/or implied contracts (like when you sit and eat before paying) in here somewhere...

Thanks for your reply.
Please see

If the bottled water has been tackled several times we can change the object or good that's being traded. I think the issue is more about setting prices by the government which is something we have in our country for bread, sugar, gasoline and electricity. It's a good thing to some extent since it provides basic needs for the poor but when faced with a shortage, the black market develops. This is happening in Syria for example. Since there is shortages due to the war, people buy bottled gas from the black market.

What do you think? Is it valid? Or this idea has been used before?

So do you think it's an original idea?
Thanks again!

[Candlewhisper Archive]

For sure, there's never actually been an issue about the price of basic commodities.

I'd note that the question would be different depending on whether you were a capitalist nation or not, and actually in terms of the issue base, there's big gaps in issues for non-capitalist nations.

An issue about how we distribute essential food commodities in a planned economy could be particularly interesting and needed.

In a capitalist economy, it'd be more interesting to look at more complex factors affecting a free market. For example, in many countries there have been interesting things happening with cheap supermarket milk causing economic sustainability problems for small dairies.

[Australian rePublic]

Hello and welcome to Got Issues! It's always nice to see a new writer!

I've had worse drafts than this, even as a published author

Now let's take a look. I'm gonna be abrupt and to the point here, which is a reflection of my personality, not your work:

Why would anyone go to a resturant with only 2 @@CURRENCIES@@? Unless deflation was at such a ridiculous level, that 2 @@CURRENCIES@@ could buy a meal at a fancy restaurant, and if that were the case, why would the normal price of a standard water bottle cost half the price of a full on lobster meal?

Also, many places around the world dictate that restaurants give free water. I know the law states that in parts of Australia, water must be provided for free, if your establishment serves alcohol. I think other places are more generous. Also, also, whether or not it's the law, many restaurants do this anyway. If you were going to an expensive restaurant, and the law doesn't exist, you could probably see it coming. Also, also, also, why not ask for tap water?

Honestly, especially with as little money as this guy had, this sounds like an artist was saying "Woe is me, I went to a restaurant during their busiest period of their busiest day and decided to sit down at one of the few available tables and keep asking the busy waiters for stuff! How dare they try to profit from me!" which would make a hilarious issue, but not this one

If you want to do an issue about the price of water you could take these approaches:
- Bar tenders are complaining because too many are entering their pubs and taking nothing but water, taking up seats, but they can't do anything, because the law stipulates that they must provide free water
-The restaurant didn't have tap water available, and the guy (who ordered and could afford the food) is a tight arse
-Cities have a lack of public water bubblers, causing citizens to pay for water bottles when in public. Now you could argue that many public toilets have water bubbles in front of them (as is the case in the USA), but
A-this doesn't apply to many countries
B- there's already an issue about the lack of public toilets, more than one, actually, if you count
-Tap water is undrinkable. You can use the water in your tap for washing clothes, flushing the toilet and bathing, but you can't use it for drinking. There are many places that are like this, but one which I have been to is Chios, Greece. The poor residents of the island have to buy water bottles when they are at home AND when in public, because they can't drink the island's water

[Jutsa]

Alrighty, AHAO, here's my review.

Also, check your telegrams.

First off, I should mention that the stats you gave, under [effect], should be removed.
Secondly, the effect lines should be in a non-sentence format. an example of such is this

So, with that out of the way, onto the boxes! Yay!

The Title/Issue/Validity
Title: I see you have no title. Well, lets see...
"Running Water" is a simple, pun-like title. "Hydro-Command" based off of Hydra Command, uh...
"Unprivatize Necessities" is a straightforward and un-punny one. Up to you. I personally like Running Water.

in a luxurious restaurant, @@RANDOMNAME@@, a struggling artist,

Ah, now here's an inconsistency. Normally, a struggling artist would not go to a luxurious restaurant, no?

Instead of arresting the artist, he didn't order water because he couldn't afford it so he got health complications (kidney swelling) because he was really thirsty and didn't drink

I don't think you need to specify kidney swelling, just mention that he had health complications. I think this would work a lot better, to be honest.
Validity: I think this issue could use two sets of options, one for state-run economies and one for those with private enterprise.
If you wish to go simple, you could just add a validity here that denies state-run economic nations from receiving this.

On the other hand, you could change your first option to let everyone have free water (available to all nations), the second and third
remain the same (but limited to privatized nations), and create a fourth that simply states that water should be paid, even in a state-run economy
(For state-run economies only). Your call, though; do what you wish.

Option 1:

*snip of all of the option*

There are two things I want to note, here.
1) You may have to rephrase the whole option, if you want to go through with having him hospitalized,
2) It's unconventional to have two speakers in the same option, although I'm sure it's doable, and
3) I highly recommend just making water free.

Water was taken off the menu in several restaurants since it was deemed unprofitable.

This is brilliant.

Option 2:

like coffee, tea and cigarettes. Don't tell me coffee isn't essential?" @@HE@@ says while puffing smoke from a Titanes cigarette.

A few things to note, here.
1) I'm not sure what Titanes is, but either way, I don't think you should include the cigarettes, since not all nations have them,
and I don't really think it's worthwhile to add that validity for just the dialogue, so probably just cut out the last sentence.
2) Without cigarettes, I think you can probably cut out the whole "and other essential products like coffee, tea and cigarettes."
and change it to a simple "and coffee".
3) I'm not sure if a question mark should appear after essential. I believe an exclamation point or comma would be more
grammatically accurate, although I'm not entirely certain if it's necessary. Still, just to be safe, I recommend changing it.
4) If you decide to add a private/state set, this would have a privatized validity.

All refrigerators have one price set by the government regardless of their performance.

The result of this is fantastic and vastly overdramatized, I approve.

Option 3:

@@RANDOMNAMEMALE@@, a large man in a tuxedo interrupts angrily

Comma after tuxedo, and in this case, a period after angrily.

"Why every decent business owner can't conduct his business freely anymore?

Add is it that after Why.

If you can't afford buying water in our restaurant simply stop coming here!"

Add , then after restaurant - and, if you decide to change the description, change this line entirely.

He adds while raising the artist's bill

Add a comma after both adds and bill

Citizens' properties can be often auctioned to pay restaurant bills.

Remove often.
Final note: If you go through with a private/state set, this would have a privatized validity,
and a fourth option would exist about state-run pay-to-get water for state-run nations only.

So, to summarize:
1a) Either restrict the existing issue to just privatized nations, or
1b) Restrict options 2/3 for privatized nations and add a 4th option for state-run nation, pricing water.
2) I recommend changing the description, option 1, and a tiny bit of option 3 to indicate the alternate plot you mentioned,
although it'd be a fair bit of work,
3) Have option 1 just make water free,
4) Add a title (I still fancy the Running Water one myself, but again, your call - can be something different altogether.),
5)A few grammatical adjustments, but not many.

So, overall, I believe this issue could use a good amount of rewriting (hence my offer is still available for taking this up myself,
if you want), but I believe this is certainly workable, and in fact, I believe it's an important issue that's not yet in the game.
Very much, good luck to you, AHAO.

[Al Hiwariyya al oula]

Thanks for the reviews!

I agree, the struggling artist needs to go. I actually was inspired by a story of a friend who didn't have much money on her and had health complications since she couldn't buy overpriced water.

Also, many places around the world dictate that restaurants give free water. I know the law states that in parts of Australia, water must be provided for free, if your establishment serves alcohol. I think other places are more generous. Also, also, whether or not it's the law, many restaurants do this anyway. If you were going to an expensive restaurant, and the law doesn't exist, you could probably see it coming. Also, also, also, why not ask for tap water?

- Lengthy boring explanation -
I live in Lebanon where you can't drink tap water. It's only used for washing, bathing... Basically most of the houses you go to in Lebanon have a water cooler (the ones you only find in offices in the US) and drinking water delivery services and shops are really common. Every minimarket you go to sells gallons of water (10 litres) and selling drinking water is a booming industry.

"Lebanon has one of the fastest growth rate of per capita consumption of bottled water.[58] Lebanon has seven major brands of bottled mineral water for local consumption and for exportation to the water-starved countries on the Arabian Peninsula and in the Persian Gulf.[59]"
wikipedia

The government sets the price of the half liter water bottle in universities only, but restaurants are free to charge as they wish.

Title: I see you have no title. Well, lets see...
"Running Water" is a simple, pun-like title. "Hydro-Command" based off of Hydra Command, uh...
"Unprivatize Necessities" is a straightforward and un-punny one. Up to you. I personally like Running Water.

Running water is really good. I think we should go with it.

I don't think you need to specify kidney swelling, just mention that he had health complications. I think this would work a lot better, to be honest.
Validity: I think this issue could use two sets of options, one for state-run economies and one for those with private enterprise.
If you wish to go simple, you could just add a validity here that denies state-run economic nations from receiving this.

On the other hand, you could change your first option to let everyone have free water (available to all nations), the second and third
remain the same (but limited to privatized nations), and create a fourth that simply states that water should be paid, even in a state-run economy

All good with me

Cigarettes can be removed and instead he could be sipping coffee.

I'm sorry I'm ending my reply rather abruptly, but I think all the comments are valid. I believe the this issue is mainly about setting the prices of basic commodities which can take extremes.

Thanks again!