Where is balance between Good and Evil, currently?
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I was talking with a few folks about where this balance currently lies. One person was holding out that the server, with activity of the Zhents, Malarites and Shriffies and some player factions is heavily swoung towards Evil in the city. Another was saying that the recruitment drive in the Red Harts balances this out and that you see many folks surging off to defend Immersea and Arabel from undead and Orcs.
Where do you think it is? You could choose to answer it from different aspects. One is how you, as a player, see things. Another would be to look at the city from the viewpoint of a visitor from another place, such as Waterdeep or somewhere. The DMs will have another view, with access to many forums and fingers in many plottish pies.
Discuss.
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The Sheriffs aren't an evil faction. Whereas the Zhentarim are evil and the Red Harts are good. I'd also be quick to point out that all these factions are lawful so the chaotic factions are the ones that are way out of balance.
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I dont think it has become more evil, nor good. But more chaotic, as a general server setting. This allows for evil beings to take more advantages, and have less risk in doing what they do, because most of what they will have to face will be other pcs, rather than the established npc forces of Cormyr (as a reference to earlier days).
For instance, as it is, I wouldnt be too frightened killing off someone who pissed me off, simply because the law system is flawed and easier to dodge.
If anyone remembers the Batman begins movie. People werent more evil in it, but the system was weak, and as such, evil had alot less hardships being badasses.
Now… Thats part of it. The second part is that there is no longer a team good. All through coa, we have had a team good. People with high levels, heavy loot, and who when it was needed rose to the occasion. It was usually this group who also spend most of their time furthering plots, and because of it, had more power.
They were able to put their differences aside, and bond when it was needed, despite political differences.This is no longer the case. The Cormyrians, The Court, The Red Harts, and likely several plkayer factions atm are mostly good. Yet, because of politics, they have a shitty time putting aside differences, and therefore arent as powerful as they in theory could be.
Whereas, the sheriffs (Ill say neutral, as to not turn this into a rant war), the zhentarim, the red moon, Fivestar, have an easier time coming together, because they are able to get their political agendas squared away, or because their political agendas in the short run are actually the same.
Secondly, they are far more bold than the other factions. The zhentarim can allow their people to do just about everything. If they succeed, wonderful, if not, then they are always willing to hang said subject for their crimes.I had a long talk with KIY during the Clar Banda Plot. He showed me, that walking the RIGHT AND TRUE path, which up until v4 had been the easiest thing in the world to do, should and now rightfully is the hardest path to walk.
Good, shouldnt be easy, but hard because you have to consider the outcome of your actions against others. Lawful is to follow a specific code of conduct, and to abide when ever possible to the laws of the land. Tough route. Combine the two, and you have a world of difficulty to do both just and good at the same time.
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Wait, the sheriffs aren't evil?
Its been my long held belief that "evil" is "winning" in Arabel at the moment. This is because it leads to good RP, as good guys try (and fail) to properly cooperate, much like evil for the longest time used to try (and fail) to cooperate. We have a bunch of factions that, for good or ill, are either opposed to each other, or are created in such a way that they are not able to cooperate as much as they should be.
Ultimately, we need to have more of "you scratch my back, I scratch yours" rather than "Do what I want, I give you nothing in return than my thanks" which is how I feel many PC and DM factions operate right now, at least, the guys I'm interacting with. We have players that are governed by ulterior motives and the need for A&I success in order to progress on their plots, yet do not want to "give" to the people who are helping them.
In order of "winningness" I am looking at…
Sheriffs
Malarites
Zhentarim
Red Hart
Mage's Guild/Court of Arabel.
CormyriansMage's Guild and Court are tied for nearly last place. Mage's Guild for being not very able politically, while Court for being nearly powerless. Red Hart have put in some victories, but pale in comparison to the awesome power of the Sheriffs and Malarites, which I view as 1 massive faction right now.
Zhents may be overstated here, but I feel they have some very good players and they are coasting on the last few incredible victories and will very likely gain some more. The Cormyrians are the underdogs here. They have been consistently abandoned by the players who apped for envoys and telswords. This new bunch of like 9 application PCs have to win back the opinions of everyone previously abandoned, as well as win a few victories so that they have bragging rights, which they currently do not have at all.
Court of Arabel has the possibility of become extremely powerful, if they can ever properly control the Red Hart and the Mage's Guild as allies. They should also be reaching out to the people who have benefited immensely before from the Court, such as Fangvale.
Custodians aren't even in the running. In fact, the Rift Plot has dragged on for so long that its a white elephant. Something needs to happen to get people to finish up that plot. CoG? No idea whatsoever. I know they were building stuff a few months back, but like Custodians, seems to have ground to a complete stop.
The Sheriff/Sembian/Malarite overfaction is possibly the new Purple Dragon/War Wizard/City Guard combination. Hard to attack, immune to arrest, impossible to defeat, backed by tons of NPCs and with the threat of civil war looming if you push them too hard.
Of course, these are the opinions of someone who doesn't know the full story behind everything going on. I'm likely wrong in many places, feel free to pull apart my arguments!
What we need are a bunch of freedom fighters trying to smuggle explosives into the sheriff's tower! That would be the Chaos Good trying to fight back against the evil oppression inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!
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What we need are a bunch of freedom fighters trying to smuggle explosives into the sheriff's tower! That would be the Chaos Good trying to fight back against the evil oppression inherent in the system! Help! Help! I'm being oppressed!
Wouldn't work of the 10 peaple you get involved 6 would want to talk about it for 3 months 2 would want join the faction instead,and the last couple would wander off into the sunset holding hands.
Anyhow back on topic.
I'd say evil was winning mostly due to the fact that the evil groups are more organised and the good ones fairly inactive with the exception of the red harts but even then if your not actively tring to help them you would have no clue what they were doing.
Another big reason evil is more popular is that "evil"invite everyone to help the "good" factions only let good come along and lend a hand now while this isn't a bad thing it means that the player base is always going to be working with the evil groups more.
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Right now I'd say good is dominating the galaxy. The Jedi, Clone Troopers and other Republic forces, which are led by Senator Palpatine and also have some really infulencial PCs like Yoda and Obi Wan on their side. They are pretty much unstoppable and have the law on their side.
In comparrison the Trade Federation are getting thier asses kicked, and I think the Sith faction has gone completely inactive (Has anyone seen one since Maul got PK'd?)
With even more powerful characters siding up with the good guys like Anakin Skywalker, I don't see this situation changing any time soon.
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@Deadlock:
Right now I'd say good is dominating the galaxy. The Jedi, Clone Troopers and other Republic forces, which are led by Senator Palpatine and also have some really infulencial PCs like Yoda and Obi Wan on their side. They are pretty much unstoppable and have the law on their side.
In comparrison the Trade Federation are getting thier asses kicked, and I think the Sith faction has gone completely inactive (Has anyone seen one since Maul got PK'd?)
With even more powerful characters siding up with the good guys like Anakin Skywalker, I don't see this situation changing any time soon.
Deadlock has just won the forum wars.
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@Deadlock:
Right now I'd say good is dominating the galaxy. The Jedi, Clone Troopers and other Republic forces, which are led by Senator Palpatine and also have some really infulencial PCs like Yoda and Obi Wan on their side. They are pretty much unstoppable and have the law on their side.
In comparrison the Trade Federation are getting thier asses kicked, and I think the Sith faction has gone completely inactive (Has anyone seen one since Maul got PK'd?)
With even more powerful characters siding up with the good guys like Anakin Skywalker, I don't see this situation changing any time soon.
I hear Han Solo has returned however, despite Chewys player taking on another concept.
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This is straying off-topic, but I wanted to throw my two cents into the discussion regarding Chaotic Good. As the player of a Chaotic Good character in a Neutral Good to Chaotic Good (I think) player faction, the greatest difficulty of being Chaotic Good is respecting the will of the people.
Chaotic Good would like to fight to win back the freedoms of the people. However, Chaotic Good would not like to impose their will upon the people for whom they fight.
Right now, the people of Arabel have chosen to be protected by the Sheriffs and the Zhentarim. Chaotic Good cannot oppose them without opposing the will of the people.
Additionally, there are no signs of the Sheriffs and the Zhentarim taking the freedoms of the people. There are no freedoms to win back.
There is potential for freedoms to be taken, but until that potential is actualized, and the people of Arabel cry out for freedom fighters, Chaotic Good prepares on the sidelines, hoping the other shoe will drop soon.
At least, that is my interpretation of the alignment in the context of Arabel.
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@Deadlock:
Right now I'd say good is dominating the galaxy. The Jedi, Clone Troopers and other Republic forces, which are led by Senator Palpatine and also have some really infulencial PCs like Yoda and Obi Wan on their side. They are pretty much unstoppable and have the law on their side.
In comparrison the Trade Federation are getting thier asses kicked, and I think the Sith faction has gone completely inactive (Has anyone seen one since Maul got PK'd?)
With even more powerful characters siding up with the good guys like Anakin Skywalker, I don't see this situation changing any time soon.
However, deadlock, every faction like this one has had a history of forum spies. Who knows how high up the dude is, copy/pasting stuff from the forum, never getting IG to get caught?
It may yet turn around.
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However, deadlock, every faction like this one has had a history of forum spies. Who knows how high up the dude is, copy/pasting stuff from the forum, never getting IG to get caught?
It may yet turn around.
Hey! Many of those spies died to bring us this information.
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You'd think the Bothans would know how to use e-mail.
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I know, right? Bothans are stupid.
However, some OOC chat in #forumwars let slip that the spy is very, very high up. Maybe the lynchpin the faction is revolving around.
This is exciting!
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