Changes to the asset fees for LA vehicles

[Ghostynipple]

Suggestion Description

There is a growing concern about having to worry about losing LA vehicles to asset fees through breaks or that they're forced to grind to pay off asset fees. The current system:-

LA Vehicles are unlimited in nature and aren't limited like property and imports. If you do not pay for your asset fees for 5 weeks, these will be completely repossessed and will be lost to the void.

Suggested changes;-

If you do not pay your asset fees for 5 weeks, the vehicle is "impounded" by the government and will not be released until all fees are paid with a % value fine.

Reason

The suggested changes give breathing room for anyone in need of a break, allowing them to not have to worry or feel like they have to desperately grind to keep a vehicle that is unlimited in nature, the fine would be ample enough as you're unable to use said vehicle until it's paid off.

Even if they're flat broke when they're ready to get their car back, the opportunity is there to get the vehicle back that they likely have some kind of attachment to.

Additional context

Suggested based on my own thoughts and others in the general feedback channel, I have odd spouts myself where I disappear for a time and it'd be great to return and have the ability to get back my vehicle, albeit with a little work.

[balonky]

I have 2 jobs, Selling ice cream (700-1.5k a hour with sales.) + Mechanic at Beekers (1k-2k with sales). I switch between them. Lets assume the pay goes up a little with this econ and the avg civ job pays 2k a hour.

I would like to own 3 cars. Retinue mk2 (95k), Futo gtx (120k), and elegy retro (260k) = 475k total. that's about 238 hours just to get the cars alone. Not even including Upgrades, cosmetics or stancing. working for 2 hours every day it would still take me 4 months just to get the 3 cars in the first place. (not including cost of living)

475k in assets and I'm now paying 14k a week in fees at 3% 2k a hour on average, that's 7 hours a week I'm working just to keep my 3 cars. Not even considering any future things I want to buy, or any regular cost of living like food and events that cost for entry.

There is a big difference between grinding to get something, and grinding to keep something. In the first situation I can take breaks whenever I want. in the second situation wanting to take a break means risk to losing what you've already worked for. if I wanted to take a break for 2 months, I would need 112k saved in my bank account only to pay those taxes.

I would easily work 2 hours a day at my jobs, and spend remaining time doing the things I actually love to do in city. Could I work for 8 hours a week to maintain my assets? yes I am very much so lucky enough that I have the time to. but I also probably have more free time the average player. Do I think its worth that much dedicated time? Every week for the rest of my lifetime in echo? it doesn't feel worth it for 3 cars I already spent 4 months working for.

I would love to see these asset fees for regular LA cars go away completely. Or maybe exclude cars under 200-300k. I don't personally see how it helps the economy to make casual players who work civ jobs grind more to keep what they've already worked for. I think money sink should be focused in areas with those who excessively repeat the highest paying jobs more then anything. More diminishing returns on jobs repeated instead of higher charges for everyone in general.

all that said, if it has to stay. for me personally, id say its only worth working 2 hours a week to keep my 3 cars. if making more than 2k a hour for the jobs I work. 1% seems much more reasonable. (5k a week for my 3 cars) ( 40k for 2 month break) if making around 1k a hour at these jobs, maybe more like 0.5%. (2.5k for my 3 cars.) (20k for a 2 month break)

it all depends how much the average civ job makes a hour. Right now the only reference I have is what payout was like before, and currently with that math I am nervous about if I should put in the work to get everything back, only to have to work a ton more to keep it.

at the end of the day, 3 cars does not seem like a unreasonable desire for a casual player. how many hours a week should really be expected to maintain these 3 cars for the rest of my lifetime in echo?

(I took most of this from my discord post, reposting here so it doesn't get lost in the sauce of discussion. )

[BipolarWeasel]

I would feel similar to GN but a few thoughts:

1) changing to a monthly or bi-weekly asset payment seems better for casuals and would make EchoRP more appealing

2) If staying with a Weekly asset tax and someone can not pay the asset tax after the 45 days, then they would have their car or asset 'repoed' BUT they would have an additional 45 days would be given to them to log in and pay the back taxes and a fee to get the vehicle out of the lot or keys back to their property. There are some people who may become hospitalized IRL and will not be able to log in within 45 days. They shouldn't be punished by having their assets removed because they can't log in for health issues. Even Blizzard and EA wouldn't do that. Some people may want to take a mental health break for a couple months (especially when it comes to streamers). They should be able to return and get their assets back after 89 days.

3) Removing the asset tax for vehicles under $100k makes sense. Most casuals will not own vehicles over $100k. Housing, however, should require payment of the asset tax.

4) Perhaps if the asset tax must remain, move to a system where there is a graduated tax rate. 0% tax for 0-$10k assets, 1% for $10k to $50k assets, 1.5% for $50k to $100k and so on makes sense.

Just a few ideas.

[FlawwsX]

We have reduced the asset fee from 3% to 2% for vehicles.