Post originally by Spike at 2005-06-15 14:56:47
Converted from Phorums BB System

Let me see if I can sum this up pretty simply.

To begin with, there is little, if any incentive for trade between clans, each clan is presented as being able to take care of all the basic necessities of living independently, along with providing relatively specialized industries, such as crossbow manufacture. In essence each clan is a mini-monopoly. Obviously there is trade, and shipments of goods, but I fail to see why. Specificially, if you can get a crossbow from your clan (for free, mind you) why buy it from another?
Couple that with the fact that the richer you are, the more resources you have access to, the less you are expected to know about husbanding them, using them, or even keeping track of them. The maxim 'it takes money to make money' is unfortunately true, but in the setting those with money aren't expected to even try. Further, excessive spending by a high status clan member, even into bankruptcy levels is fully paid for by the clan, without a word to the offender.
None of this is crippling, really, but it does start to add up.
More egregious is the idea that I, as a member of the clan can get six guys to spend a week or two carrying me to another city, and not have to pay them a dime for their time and effort. Since they are clan members, they are expected to provide this service for free. Just like the free crossbow mentioned earlier you have some guy working his ass off for literally nothing. Of course, his resources are provided free of charge too, but what about his time? Where is his incentive?
Now admittedly, this is beyond the scope of any RPG, but what about taxation? The clans provide nothing to the Empire, the imperial clan, I assume, is as self contained as any other.

Hmm... I seem to have gone off track, into details that are admittedly thin in my library. Here is my helpful summation: No money flow, no incentive for work, no incentive for interclan trade= a cart with four broke wheels, you can drag it, but it ain't easy.
Hope that helps things up.