Faction Desirability, pre-poll
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As Factions are a good thing in general, and as the discussion on perks shows, there are varied reasons for why people do not go after them more, I'll make a Poll to try and see how their desirability could be increased. But, I'm under no stupidness to think I know all the possible reasons out there, so here goes. Add SHORT responses for things you think would make YOU want to be in a faction more.
Note, this is NOT for discussing them items. Just for mentioning them so they can be put into the poll.
Discussion can take place in the other existing thread.I'll kick it off, with some of the things mentioned In the other thread, and some others.
Some similar items will be combined (such as Discounts and PayChecks).
And it can be removing things too, not just adding. Such as less time requirement for forum stuffPay Check/Discounts/CityWidePerks
Clearer OOC pre-expectations
Clearer IC post-expectations (e.g. promotions, activities, missions,
Faction-only quests
More Faction-specific gear/powers
Access (not free) to special gear
More Developed Characters
Less time commitment for administration stuff (e.g. Forums, etc) -
Availability for goal-less characters.
Might seem contradictory with the purpose of storytelling, but I propose that, rather, developing personal goals for a character then joining a faction to find they want you to do X Y Z immediately creates a conflict of how the player will spend their time. There's then a risk of PCs who are in the Wyrmguard just to boss people around - those exist in RL, and while they aren't driving plots, maybe they would be playing a goal-less, faction-focused character as an interim (besides which there is no shortage of faction goals if they started off without one).
So in short: allow joining without a related goal in mind, such that characters exclusively made to be in a given faction can exist if a player is joining just in order to be in it anyway. It doesn't cover all the bases by a longshot, but I think it adds appeal to a clientèle - for interim characters that can be a clientèle a lot of people are frequently in.
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Some pretty good points popping up here. I think H's last post actually struck a chord with me.
What if - after playing for a while, players were eventually zapped by some mystical dm toy. This toy flagged their CD key as an 'advanced' player. Someone who has been around a while. Knows the ropes. Can be generally trusted not to make a mess of things.
What this "Advanced Player" status does is during character creation, lets them talk to a special dude in the Road to Arabel. This guy will take them to an advanced character creation room. Which will let them choose an existing faction to join.
They get sent through an introduction sequence. Very small. Likely all just text. They are told to bug a dm to add them to the forums. And they are automatically set up to join what ever faction they joined for.
They sign on at the lowest rank. And sure - maybe they are just people who follow orders and fill boots. So what? Let them. The cream of the faction will rise to the top. Make it to get a promotion you need to send in an application. And make the promotion have some real tangible differences than your rank and file member.
Yes. I know we have things like the Silver Bannermen - but they would still serve their purpose of being an entry point to new players - or factionless characters.
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@H:
Availability for goal-less characters.
Might seem contradictory with the purpose of storytelling, but I propose that, rather, developing personal goals for a character then joining a faction to find they want you to do X Y Z immediately creates a conflict of how the player will spend their time. There's then a risk of PCs who are in the Wyrmguard just to boss people around - those exist in RL, and while they aren't driving plots, maybe they would be playing a goal-less, faction-focused character as an interim (besides which there is no shortage of faction goals if they started off without one).
So in short: allow joining without a related goal in mind, such that characters exclusively made to be in a given faction can exist if a player is joining just in order to be in it anyway. It doesn't cover all the bases by a longshot, but I think it adds appeal to a clientèle - for interim characters that can be a clientèle a lot of people are frequently in.
We already do.
However, there is a difference between "goalless" as you describe it and a character who is clearly just taking up space in a faction and is not doing what the DMs ask players to do when they get perks from the DM team–which is involve other players in roleplaying adventures and stories.
We've approved characters in the past who said things like "my character actually is suppose to be lazy, not terribly bright, and entirely unmotivated, all he does is the bare minimum, usually shoddily, while trying to take credit for other people. However, I fully intend to involve people in lots of plots by doing X, Y, and Z." Then they actually went out and did the X, Y, and Z and were AWESOME characters.
We've also had people who have a history of not involving other players, who did nothing but quest and talk in-character with other players. We consider such characters fine in the community, because every world needs backdrop and some people just enjoy this alone. However, if you want a perk from us that lets you stand out in the game world, you need to be doing stuff that makes you stand out in the game world.
People here, honestly, are TOO goal focused sometimes on their applications.
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okay, here are two : NO free sleep, though cheap, and NO free sendings.
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Free sleep, free sendings and CHEAP healing are the three things that make being in a faction a) POSSIBLE b) BEARABLE. Unless you with a "retainer only" group, you end up giving all your cash away as rewards. Faction characters = dirt poor
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People here, honestly, are TOO goal focused sometimes on their applications.
Can't blame them. Most times I had an app turned down, DM told me it was alright overall but lacking in the "goals and plans" department. Because it didn't seem to potentially generate that much fun for others. I grew to think goals are actually a point DMs pay the most attention when evaluating an app.
On topic: You should allow for multiple choices in the poll because it's never a single reason, imo. Access to special gear is probably redundant, because it is already there.
What I would really love to see in a faction is being able to go all the way up the hierarchy and become a faction leader. -
There's a difference between your characters motivations and plans, and what cool stuff you will do in game to make fun stuff for the server.
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Gold has never been a motivator to any great extent to me, i would prefer to be paid in useful items. it might be useful if the faction had suitable loot in a faction shop that could be bought cheaply by faction pcs and passed out as reward rather than just 'gold'.
i am thinking something specifically similar to the red hart medals, guard rings, etc (ie. obviously from a specific faction, but of use to anyone that has managed to earn them) though unlike those a charges per item rather than use/day would be better obviously - repeat favours means you get a replacement!
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I tend not to join factions full-time. What I do enjoy doing is working with factions, while not being part of them, regardless of perks or benefits, UNLESS it agreed with my character's desires, plans and thoughts (as was the case with Deron Galloud and the Black Dragons of Cormyr).
I like the feeling of unity in a group, people working together, taking part in events as a faction or group. This is still happening but the characters I tend to play now find the city "disgusting" or they are factionless "loners", who will join a cause they believe in, but not the group per se.
Most of my Rogues tended to drift between Factions as informants and spies, and I LOVE doing that. Obvious back-stabbing Spies, but they provided people with a lot of useful knowledge, and spread info on events rapidly. Unless there was a faction dedicated to selling and buying information none of my Rogues would ever join a single group (in an honest manner).
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I like the feeling of unity in a group, people working together, taking part in events as a faction or group.
That would be another for me, but given the above I guess it's a matter of happensakes. I haven't been in many factions, but I've never been in one that had a feeling of unity. Two were just discohesive, but two (Divine Council and Mage Guild) were flat out hostile, PC-wise.
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True. For some reason, when people want to band up, they usually form player factions.
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I think it's incredibly stupid to lower the standards because a few people hate doing forum work. Factions are rewarding because people put in considerable effort (even if it's bear minimum). Even free sendings is a considerable perk, a faction base, and the backing of NPCs is more so. This idea to permit PCs without direction in something more than an association (like the Silver Bannermen) is ridiculous and should be discouraged.
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Add, "I hate applications" to the poll.