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Big wave of nerd shit incoming, so I hope you're ready for vDriver currency/EXP mechanics:
>When elements of the digital sea clash and intersect, Crystallized Power is created. These are rough gems, stones, or other fragments of energized material forged from various elements of the digital sea. These can be procured from mines, veins on the surface, or even found at the site of Driver battles in limited quantities. Crystallized Power can be used as a power source, used for restoration of various objects/resources from the Digital Sea, used as a currency by most merchants, or reforged by a Driver to increase their capabilities.
>At the end of an encounter involving a Driver, any Driver with more Drive than their Base Drive resets to their Base Drive, then gains CP equal to 10% of the overage. Between encounters, in addition to changing any of their currently-equipped Installs, a Driver can use their stockpiled CP to make trades/purchases, or synthesize a Rank-Up Mark. You can only synthesize 1 Rank-Up Mark per encounter, even if you have enough CP to synthesize multiple. Each Rank-Up Mark provides +1 Rank.
>Once your Rank is 20, further Rank-Up Marks can still be Synthesized, but they no longer have any effect. Only the first 19 Rank-Up Marks in your inventory will have any effect.
I'm fond of the idea that energy can be crystallized into a psudeocurrency that can be bartered with, or used as power source, so I merged the experience and economy systems. Since IRL most currencies are (theoretically) backed by materials that everyone wants internationally, this still leaves room for nations to have their own unique currencies. This also promotes the idea that passion, when combined with elements of the digital sea, is what generates this power in the first place, leading to open-ended writing questions like "is /hfz/ keeping the lights on by having gladitorial fights between Drivers" or "what's actually in those mines under /gem/".
While it's called "Crystallized" Power for mechanical consistency, the form it takes isn't necessarily a crystal, and could be other resources depending on the writer.
Originally, a Driver's Rank was going to be a traditional level system, but I thought it would be more interesting if the player could craft a physical device or "proof" that increased their power instead, similar to a Pokemon Gym Badge. By making these physical items, it opens up writing opportunities like a Driver getting stripped of their Rank due to a mishap, misstep, or misbehavior abroad, or Drivers trading around Rank-Ups for tactical or sentimental purposes.
