I've just started a Laundry game in the Providence area. Due to scheduling issues we only meet bi-weekly, and I've been finding myself leaning more towards AR game mechanics during the downtime. (Email is perfectly in tune with the setting, and to my delight nobody had registered
LaundryOps@gmail.com)
For example, this evening my players recieved this email*:
Dear Valued Laundry Employee,
Thanks to a joint subcomitte incorporating members Accounting, Quality Assurance, Operational Oversight and Medial & Psychological, the new Employee Documentation Incentivization Program (EDIP) has been instituted. The following message is from the newly re-named EDIP subcomittee:
"EDIP was created in response to concerns within Med/Psych that the documentation QA measures for field operatives within the agency (Such as Auditing, Official Reprimand, and Mental Probing) were having a negative psychological effect on operatives who are already under considerable mental strain. The Proper Paperwork Compulsion Gaes initiative was one attempt to deal with the problem, but testing found it was unsuitable to the rigors of Organization reality. (Note from Med/Psych: We ask that you avoid mentioning "Materiel Requisitions Rubrick 12-B" in the presence of Mr. Denton and Ms. Hughes during their recovery. This should be easy as these forms have not been in use since 1987 and are mentioned only as a footnote on some unfortunately outdated field equipment registration forms.)
"Our new initiative provides a positive reinforcement for agents in the form of monetary rewards for proper documentation above the current standard of practice. Since it would be inappropriate and against government regulation to add these bonuses to paychecks, they will instead be awarded in the form of Personal Budgetary Enhancement (PBE) accounts for the agents to call upon for operational-related expenses. These could be used to requisition extra personal equipment during field ops, upgrade accommodations or travel arrangements during offsite deployments*, for personal enrichment through the Training department, requisitioning extra refreshments at the annual Holiday Party, or any other usage for which departmental funds would usually be earmarked.
"Any documentation you wish to have counted for these purposes should be addressed to the Laundry Operations Email Switchboard (Note from IT: this address) with "EDIP" somewhere in the subject line. Documentation valuation will be in accordance with Rubrick E-902. In keeping with the Fiscal Opacity Security Regulations, valuation will be in abstract "Budgetary Units", equivalent to those mentioned in your Laundry Budgetary Policy Introductory Handbook."
Your PBE Account Number is 000000022
To access your Personal Budgetary Enhancement Account Status Click Here.
I used Google Docs to create a
Personal Budgetary Enhancement Account Status page for each of them, as well as the "valuation" rubrick to tell them how much a given thing is worth.
I've already sent an "official nickname reassignment" notice to one of them because his nickname wasn't the geekiest possible, and I intend to send everyone an "orientation packet" email that shows them their view of the organizational structure around them, as well as the names of their supervisors.
Has anyone else used stuff like this? Any suggestions for more stuff I could send them?
*As a side note for non-Laundry players, your "operational budget" in Laundry is used to let you requisition stuff when your "Status" rolls within the agency fail. You have a (very) small limit that's shared among all players. Things that you might requisition: Backup, Guns, Armor, Computers and of course Training Courses, which allow you to rank up your skills. This is basically the "get more XP for doing out of game stuff that adds to the world" system I'm putting in place.
