doc/quotas
96/11/11 last rev.
96/07/01 original
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"Soft" Building Quotas
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	Previously, we had too many folks who were building
excessively and/or with poor style (spelling, design, reality, etc.--
for details, see the doc/lot-building, in Tanstaafl City Hall's
Department of Development, northeast of Center).  It proved
insufficient to merely expect players to voluntarily follow the rules,
and only "check on" them rarely and in random fashion.
	Accordingly, the staff of HoloMuck has instituted a new system
of "soft building quotas."  Now the *default* will be to build less,
and one must get *approval* to build more; this is the opposite of the
former system.  Players will be able to pass through the following
stages of building restrictions:
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	Stage 0: no B bit
	Stage 1: allowed up to 25 db items (rooms, objects, exits, etc.)
	Stage 2: allowed up to 125 db items
	Stage 3: more than that
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	Some useful commands:
 @quota       how many items you have, compared to your current quota.
 @stats me    how many of the items are rooms, objects, exits, etc.
 @owned me    the names and dbrefs of all your items.
 ex #9876     further information on item #9876 (for example).
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	The "test" for progression to Stage 1 (up to 25 items) remains
the same as before: an apartment inspection (@inspect) and a
requirement to read the City Hall Department of Development docs.
	To become a Stage 2 Builder (up to 125 items), a player needs
to have his/her stuff checked over in a "25 item test".  All 25 of the
database items should conform to design and style specifications as
stated in doc/lot-building.  You might be rejected for reasons such as
poor spelling, unclear exits, undesc'd rooms, excessive database use,
forgotten unlinked rooms, extra objects, improper parenting, etc.
Again, see doc/lot-building for details.  However, it *is* OK if all
25 of your items are private (for example in a private house, not
contributing to the public good).
	You may request a "25 item test" by sending mail to one of the
quota-checking chancellors (see below).  If you pass the test, your
quota will be raised to 125 items.  However, if you *fail* a 25 item
test, you will (a) be fined up to $50 and (b) be low priority for
another test.  Why?  Because these tests are very time-consuming for
the chancellors, and we want to discourage players asking for them
when they are clearly not ready.
	Note that, if you do fail a test, the checker will *not*
provide you with complete instructions on what you have to do to fix
everything.  *Some* specifics may be given ("rooms #12345 and #23456
have no descs" or "you have 5 items with the same name"), but (a) as
soon as enough problems have been found, the checker will STOP
bothering to check any more, and (b) the checker will assume you have
read doc/lot-building and so will not explain any problems in great
detail.
	To become a Stage 3 Builder, another check is needed, the "125
item test".  Not only should the design and style of your 125 items be
flawless, but your contructions must contribute in some way to the
good of the muck-- interesting public areas, useful programs, etc.
Your quota will then be set at the checker's discretion, perhaps 200
items if you have done *some* good for the muck and the building is
*somewhat* interesting, or 800 items if you've done a spectacular job.
However, a failed "125 item test" (due to, for example, poor design,
poor spelling, or having all your items in a private house) will cost
a player a fine of $100 or more.
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	Note 1: These tests can be time-consuming, so sometimes you
may have a long wait before we are able to perform them.  However, it
is still better for your sake that we have these "soft quotas" (which
may eventually be exceeded), rather than "hard quotas" which can never
be exceeded.
	Note 2: All judgments of the chancellors are final!  If you
argue, you will probably be refused any future checks.  You might also
be fined.  We staffpeople are volunteers and we are here to have fun,
just like you; we are not here to be your servants.
	Note 3: Regarding "old" players, those who are *already* over
the new quota levels: Your quota has been set at your current count of
database items (as of July 1, 1996) PLUS 15.  If you want to build
beyond that, you should probably clean up what you have already built,
recycling old items and building new ones.  The "checkers" *will* take
requests for the "25 item test" (if your quota is currently between 25
to 124 items) and for the "125 item test" (if your quota is currently
at 125 or above); *however*, you have lower priority on the staff's
time than do new players, particularly for the "125 item test".
	Note 4: One current problem: objects bought at stores are
usually still owned by the *seller* and charged toward his/her quota
instead of the buyer's.  Eventually, we may change the store program
so that objects being sold (and the actions attached to them) are
automatically @chowned to the buyer instead.  For the moment, if you
are a seller, you should build all objects for sale (and the actions
attached to them) set 'o'wnable.
	Current quota-checking chancellors: Snark, Arwen, Laurel,Willow.
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[For an email copy of this document, email 'snark@collatz.mcrcim.mcgill.edu'
requesting "doc/quotas"]