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Post by Jopper13 on May 3, 2013 12:45:56 GMT -5
The heralds and some players have been discussing a new mechanic for the game... factions.
The primary goal for this mechanic is to have PCs join together into cohesive groups and find ways to expand on the group and their overall power and influence. Factions can earn money, gain supplies through trade and hard work, and increase their economical, martial, and political influence/power. Factions also earn exp when their members attend games and that exp can be spent on bonuses and increasing their influence.
I think this system could be easy to track, fun, and reward cohesive groups in the game.
I have a first draft writeup of how this might work, but I wanted to open this up to the players to see what ideas they have about this topic.
Thanks!
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blueruby
Order of Starkhaven
Plot Staff
Captain Anne Cash
Posts: 924
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Post by blueruby on May 3, 2013 12:59:38 GMT -5
Personally, I like the concept of having a limited number of troops available to a faction (obviously you can get more, but these things take time and resources). That way, NPC deaths are less devastating than PC deaths, but still have consequences, and will provide a motivation for NPCs to role-play as people who want to not be dead.
I also would love to see some form of scouting mechanic. If a faction has a dozen trained scouts in an area, chances are they're going to have more information than a group that might have one person hanging out. Then they could have different information, which can be just as valuable as physical resources, if not more so. Maybe chart out a map with different regions for scouts to survey, and let the faction decide how many (if any) scouts they deploy to a certain region? And of course, if scouts are in a dangerous region, there's always the chance they don't make it back...
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Post by rasp on May 3, 2013 13:34:17 GMT -5
Well now I'll be busy getting Hanibal and his stogie out of my skull all afternoon. What factions emerge among the player will be the fun part. Of course they'll be atleast one wrecking crew. The cross functionals. Perhaps a trade alliance?
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Post by stanrick on May 3, 2013 14:13:51 GMT -5
So would would pack longfang be the faction or would the brothers longfang be the faction?
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Post by Jopper13 on May 3, 2013 15:07:10 GMT -5
Examples of current factions.
Order of Arnath Watchwolves Clan Phoenix Syndar Pirates of Oarsmeet Crow's Landing Pack Longfang New Vandregon Baroness Katherine Bloodfangs
These are either established groups in the story or have been created. They have a decent PC following, so it elevates them from "just a pack/group in my PC's bio" to an actual group that has members in the game.
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Post by shanaaber on May 5, 2013 11:57:47 GMT -5
I like this notion alot. It can lead to interesting political RP between factions and RP for those looking to join a factions.
Though it will need to be tempered alittle otherwise clicks start to form and would really hate to see such a wonderful open group as Last hope is fall into alot of the click traps I have seen over the years in larger organizations.
-Shana
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tcochrane
Player
Herald
Esoteric Knowledge Guy
Posts: 573
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Post by tcochrane on May 8, 2013 22:27:15 GMT -5
I'd say that the fear of cliques appearing isn't too likely - we've already had a number of formal (and informal) groups involved in the story of LH - this is just meant to be a method for tracking them, allowing them to know what sort of impact they're having on the story, and get involved in a little more overarching plot.
The big point listed is, of course, NPC tracking. If your faction plans on having nameless mooks, be sure to have some identifiers for them! By coming up with a simple bit of garb that indicates someone is with your faction, it gives you the chance to actually have NPCs.
As has been said, these are mechanics in progress, so keep making suggestions. We love getting input and looking at how it might fit into the overall scheme of things.
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evakos
Mardrun Trading Consortium
Posts: 53
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Post by evakos on May 9, 2013 14:11:02 GMT -5
Is there a particular number of PC the faction would need to have? There are 4 of us that roll together, but we never finalized a "faction" because there wasn't a reason to.
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Post by Jopper13 on Jun 28, 2013 12:49:16 GMT -5
A faction will require 4 PCs and someone with the resources skill to be created. Also, the new faction forums are up! We will add people and continue to work on the mechanics. The more ideas, the merrier!
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Post by Jopper13 on Jun 28, 2013 13:17:33 GMT -5
Also, here are some angles to consider.
BANKING Can players deposit money and items into their factions "holdings" for safe keeping? Should that cost money or be a way to invest money and have it earn interest?
REPAIRS/HEALING After events, can you get cheaper/free armor repairs and wound healing if your faction has access to blacksmiths and healers?
RATINGS How should we track a faction to see how strong they become in the different ratings? Martial, Economical, Political, etc.
PERKS Can the faction buy perks kinda like how we can buy skills with our exp for our characters? What should they be and what should they do?
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Post by CPotter on Jun 29, 2013 15:36:41 GMT -5
I think the tracking of a faction should be updated based on the factions involvement in different events and how many members are at said events. Also the idea of having discounted healing and repair does make sense being that the idea of being in a faction is to improve the factions standing and that is hard to do with broken equipment and wounded members
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Post by Amicus on Jun 29, 2013 20:50:34 GMT -5
Just some brief replies:
BANKING I think it kind of makes sense to have a faction holding, but because it might function best differently, for each group depending on how their faction is set up, the group can make the call. If the players agree to share the pool, set a fraction of their earnings into a joint venture or refuses....they at least should have an option. Basically, what you guys have set up for a character XP pool, might be interesting to have a group financial pool and it's up to the faction leader to set something down. If they want to use it, they can, but its up to the faction itself, to regulate what goes in and what doesn't.
If anything, it should be up to the heralds to decide if the faction deserves interest on their money. I believe you guys judge a character's background story with an additional 3-5XP points. Couldn't you let people write a certain amount of stories in a year about their faction and if it makes logistical sense. credit their accounts?
REPAIRS/HEALING Considering Economical and Political points are awarded and used in procuring goods (Money, IOU's in a lot of business practices around the world today)...perhaps it can be transferred over, if they have someone that can utilize it with the "Resource" ability. I would think the Martial status would actually increase weapon and health damage because its risky engaging enemies.
RATINGS Honestly, if the factions are capped at certain numbers. It's seems like a total of 6 points, we wouldn't need to rank them...if they're capped, why bother? Last hope is about an evolving storyline, not necessarily who did what, but in fact, what got done.
PERKS At this point in time...I think it would be kind of fun. However, I'm not sure what would be good yet.
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blueruby
Order of Starkhaven
Plot Staff
Captain Anne Cash
Posts: 924
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Post by blueruby on Jul 5, 2013 14:25:28 GMT -5
BANKING: My vote would go to each faction effectively having a storehouse. It costs nothing to put stuff in and keep it there, but you don't earn anything on it. I also think it should take some time to access anything in the store house, so characters can't just magically have all their faction's reagents in their bag one day after not doing anything the previous one. How to determine who can put what in and take what out of the stores should be left up to the factions individually.
REPAIRS/HEALING: Discounted price, assuming your faction has access to the specialist required. They are skilled laborers, and won't work for free. They also need to pay for materials, which adds up quickly if everyone keeps showing up with their armor and limbs broken.
RATINGS: I like the concept of quantifying the abilities and standing of each group. Using those numbers to determine what a faction is able to do out-of-game, and what kind of numbers/specialists/items they can bring to events in a way that seems less arbitrary than "Oh, these guys would have this because they're badass" or "No, you can't do that because of 'reasons'".
PERKS: If we want to make factions be living things, changing and evolving with the story, then basically make them characters. Let them gain experience and buy skills. Certain things are only possible with certain skills (Getting an Herbalist NPC, for example). Others would simply be easier (upgrading militia NPCs to actual soldiers, help them survive longer).
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Post by CaptainM on Jul 7, 2013 2:58:07 GMT -5
I think that how each aspect of a faction is going to work would need to basically be a case by case assesment. Such as the faction of the last of some warriors or remnants of a town probably would not have much access to banking or other such perks that say Vandregon with a whole village to back them would.
BANKING: I think intrest would be interesting to add in escpecially if you could have the value rise and fall such as with a fluctuating economy.
REPAIRS/HEALING: I think, as long as it makes sense, that factions characters in a faction should be able to use an out of game action to heal or repair for a price. Ot would be just traviling back to the village or what not to rest and resupply. I think even very small factions could be able to depending on the skills the group members have.
RAITINGS: I don't really know. It would be interesting to quantify how influential a group is.
PERKS: I think just like with class skills perks should be set in a simmilar fashion like depending on the groups different raitings it would open up different perks.
I think this would be very interesting to even bring in trade with other nations/factions.
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Post by Jopper13 on Jul 29, 2013 10:31:39 GMT -5
Here are is the Beta draft of the faction mechanics. Some players got a chance to look at this at the event on Saturday. We are almost done finalizing these, so we need any/as much input as possible. Thanks! Attachments:
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