Economy

Economy

The economy in this system revolves around Criptoscrip (CS), the primary currency used for rewards, purchases, and maintenance. Players earn CS based on mission difficulty, with payouts scaling from trivial personal gear acquisitions to epic-scale capital ship heists. The rewards are structured to reflect both the risk involved and the potential for long-term asset accumulation, whether through direct payment, salvage rights, or backer-sponsored incentives. Maintenance costs add a layer of strategic depth, forcing players to balance expansion with sustainability, while backers provide financial relief in exchange for loyalty or favors. The economy is designed to incentivize progression, from scrapping together light vehicles to commanding fleets, with every credit earned or spent shaping the crew’s rise (or downfall).

Criptoscrip Rewards

Missions grant Criptoscrip based on their threat level, with payouts tied to what players can realistically afford afterward. A Pathetic job (1,000–50,000 CS) covers sidearms and wheels, while an Epic mission (100M+ CS) funds battleships or orbital bases. As GM, this ensures rewards match both the effort required and the campaign’s power curve. Small jobs sustain gear, while high-stakes ops transform players into warlords or fleet commanders. (Suggested rewards based on vehicle cost and mission difficulty)

You should not worry about your player getting too much money; they can only spend it on so much. The main money sinks are bigger vehicles which, although powerful, are as powerful as anything you can simply give to the enemy. Many parts of the story won't benefit from players having a base on the other side of the solar system, and if it does, lean into it. Money paints a target on your players' backs, and recognizing this means that yes, their power goes up but so do the stakes. So suddenly they are multimillionaires; well, suddenly a system government is coming to “collect” back taxes. You should do your best to incentivize money sinks. A nation or corporation sink investment for massive narrative benefits for the players. Heck, give players a colony or world to pour their money into. Another good trick is to allow players to invest money back into their backers, growing their power immensely and allowing them to increase the backer benefits (see backers). Remember also players will want a vehicle each, and this gets expensive quickly; you can use this to your advantage to curtail their funds.

Resource Rewards

Raw resources (minerals, organics) or processed goods (materials, components) offer alternative payouts. A Trivial algae vat raid might net 1 ton of organics (1,000 CS), while an Extreme refinery heist yields 100 tons of compounds (300M CS). These rewards cater to scavenger crews or factions building infrastructure, turning loot into liquid CS or stockpiling materials for crafting/trade.

1. Raw Resources Mission Rewards
*Minerals = 500 CS, Organics = 1,000 CS*

2. Processed Resources Mission Rewards
*Materials = 1000, Components = 5000, Compounds=3000*

Organisation Rewards

Some missions offer players the opportunity to seize, create, or grow organisations as assets for their crew. A trivial reward might be seizing a hostel from a rival gang, whilst an extreme reward would be taking over a mining operation. The rewards do not require the players to pay the founding cost, skill test, or founding time.

Increasing the development level of an organisation is another reward that can increase the capability and influence of organisations already owned by the players.

Here is a table showing Development Levels mapped to the Mission Difficulty scale.

Vehicle Reward

Instead of CS, some missions grant vehicles outright. A Trivial task might award a gang’s motorcycle, while an Extreme operation could let players seize a frigate. These rewards skip upfront costs but come with strings (e.g., repairs, enemy claims) or backer obligations, making them high-value but high-maintenance assets.

(All values in Criptoscrip - CS)

Maintenance

Maintenance is for monthly or annually; it can help ground the game and serves as motivation for players. You should offer ways around maintenance as an incentive. Having things paid for by others is a powerful reward. Backers will do this, but players might create contracts with others to have them cover maintenance. Also, maintenance can be safely ignored for smaller items with larger incomes. Monthly upkeep ranges from 0.5%–2% of an item’s value: a Light AFV (1M CS) costs 5,000–20,000 CS/month, while a Capital Ship (100M CS) drains 500K–2M CS. Clever players offset this via backers, smuggling revenue, or leasing assets to NPCs, or risk their gear decaying into scrap.

Maintenance Cost Table

Backer Rewards

Backers

Backers are powerful individuals, organizations, or factions that support the players, not as traditional employers, but as sponsors who provide resources, connections, and opportunities. They may be allies, patrons, or even shadowy benefactors with their own agendas. Players don’t work for them in a direct sense, but their backing comes with benefits and potential strings attached.

How Backers Work

Not Employers, But Enablers

Backers don’t give direct orders (usually). Instead, they provide:

Free equipment (weapons, armor, vehicles)

Maintenance coverage (repairs, fuel, medical costs)

Replacement gear (lost/destroyed items)

Intel & contracts (better missions, insider knowledge)

Special perks (black-market access, legal protection, vehicle upgrades)

Loyalty is Fluid

A backer may be loyal (genuinely invested in the players’ success) or manipulative (using them as pawns). Players can lose backing without losing the NPC. Instead, the backer may:

Lose influence (can no longer secure funding)

Withdraw support (until players regain their trust)

Become an obstacle (if betrayed)

Backer Rewards = Expanded Benefits

As players prove themselves, backers increase their support:

More free gear (higher quality, experimental tech)

Bigger stipends (covering more maintenance costs)

Better contracts (higher-paying, more prestigious jobs)

NPC allies (elite bodyguards, hackers, medics on retainer)

Exclusive perks (free equipment installs, political favors, safehouses)

You should create a backer page that has the details of the players' backer, their relationship to the players, their name, any other affiliations they may have, the reward that they are giving, as well as anything they are covering the cost of. You can add to this over time, and players will like to see that they are paying for less and less themselves.

Example Backer Tiers

Losing Backing

Funding Cut: The backer’s faction loses money/power; they can’t help as much.

Political Shift: Their organization changes priorities.

Advancement: The backer may no longer be able to fund the players as the players have grown beyond their means.

Displeasure: Players offended their patron; must make amends.

Betrayal: The backer was using them all along.

Player Characters as Backers

In some campaigns, player characters can serve as backers by leveraging their wealth, influence, or faction connections to sponsor a team, covering equipment, maintenance, and mission costs in exchange for a share of profits and the ability to steer objectives. Unlike traditional employers, player backers actively shape the narrative by managing resources and pursuing long-term goals while field operatives handle the action, creating a dynamic of mutual dependence. The backer provides funding and protection, while the team executes high-risk operations. This relationship introduces strategic depth, as backers must balance generosity with control to maintain loyalty, and teams must weigh their patron's demands against their own interests, with potential for betrayal, shifting alliances, or shared faction-building as the campaign evolves.

Players can take on backer roles, using their resources to sponsor a team, but with critical limitations:

No Hand-Waving: Player backers must follow the same limitations as NPC backers. Requests are constrained by:

Finances (Can they afford the request?)

Contacts (Do they have the right connections?)

Skills (Can their faction/NPCs realistically fulfill it?)

Feasibility (GM arbitrates if a request is possible at all).

RP Over NPCs: The key difference is roleplay dynamics. Instead of negotiating with an NPC patron, players debate with a teammate, adding interpersonal stakes.

Shared Consequences: If the backer fails to deliver (e.g., runs out of money), the entire team suffers logistical penalties.

Example: A player backer orders "top-tier military gear," but if their faction lacks arms-dealing contacts, the GM may rule they can only procure black-market junk.

Backers & Advancement

Backers add concrete rewards as a part of advancement, which you can view here.

Job Boards

Contracts offer CS, XP, gear, or backer points, forcing trade-offs. Example: "Sabotage a Depot" might pay 75,000 CS or grant a Light AFV. Do players need cash now, or an asset later? Backer-aligned choices (e.g., free repairs for loyalty) add faction-building stakes. Players can and should endeavour to negotiate for more rewards and this might more or all of the reward options. Also if player do a excellent job friendly NPCs might want to give them additional rewards out of gratitude or as means of enticing them for further work. 

Ongoing Contracts (Salaries & Retainers)

Some employers, particularly factions, corporations, or wealthy backers, offer recurring income in exchange for long-term service. These contracts often include base pay plus bonuses, but may restrict player freedom.