Maybe talked about before - but Top Down Promotions in factions.
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Player control is a huge perk in this game. As more players come in, players will want to do more. I think DM factions are vital for the server, for the story, and for some players style of play.
In my opinion Player run factions are great, a bit more wild, and less stable - but can do amazing things and contribute to the server and can - as groups of players - get involved in many plots.
DM factions should be a conduit for stories, a good place for players who maybe lack the time or drive to come up with their own goals - and simply want to be part of something bigger or iconic. But, DM factions have a huge issue.
Promotions.
Player characters represent the extraordinary members of society - and that should be reflected in DM factions. Now, I get the feeling that is the way things are going, but I think, for DM factions, applications should be removed completely.
100% gone.
The DM's can award the top dog position in a faction as an EiG reward. That top dog then can promote/demote as their hearts content. No application needed.
"But... but what if they appoint a dufus like Krust to be a high ranking War Wizard!?!?!" Well... then that is where the NPCs come in. Most factions are empowered by a strong NPC, be it the King, or maybe a civic council, so on and so forth. The NPCs voice their concerns. Dynamic roleplay comes from the actions - good or bad - of the players in charge.
The less applications the better. The less DMs need to approve promotions better. Putting the promotions completely in player hands will allow a lot more intrigue based RP than before.
"But... what if people just start bribing their way into positions" - sounds like intrigue to me!
"But... I'm pretty much an unknown player, how will this help me?" - Honestly, your chances of getting in and promoted are better if PC's are in charge XD
Just some thoughts.
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I agree.
When I was Warden in the Militia it seemed strange that I couldn't even hire Privates since it needed an app, Or promote people unless they apped.
While I understand that arrest powers are a perk that can be ooc abused If its reported to DM's they can clamp down quickly.
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We kind of just added more apps back to Militia for example, after numerous complaints about Militia Privates causing OOC issues of fun for multiple people in game.
Ultimately I would like for it to work this way too, but it’s something I think we need to discuss at length and figure out the proper process. We do need to have some checks.
I know NPCs can remedy situations, but that often just feels like a railroad to the player involved on the other side, which is a feeling I know I hated as a player.
The PC Warden and Chancellor should probably be able to promote up to sergeant without an app required, but it should also have OOC checks from our end
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We're still trying to work out HOW this is gonna work, so if you got an idea for a nice process that is simple for everyone to follow. Please suggest it and write down the instructions.
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@Bowser giving those privates a nudge nudge "switch it up a little", "keep this in mind", is a much better option than locking a position behind an app
Edit: On my first arrest on Phil, I had a DM pop up on a Militia Private, and he went "The beatings probably enough, no need to fine/stocks/etc", got the message across nice and easily
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Who: Name of Promotee (Login/Forum)
By: Name of the Promoter (login/Forum)
Reason for Promotion: Justify increase in rank and responsibility (1 Paragraph, or 2)OOC: Has Player been Informed of the Dos and Don'ts? Has Player gone through Training Scenarios of Do Not Overabuse Power?
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Unfortunately, we’re not always present to mediate every situation, which is how things get out of hand.
Like having 5 undead werewolves invis sphered in the militia tower in a cell and feeding two PCs to them, with no DM.
Like Puffy said though, a better process for this would be great; we just haven’t found it.
Part of our recent effort to reform the app process was to make it feel like less of a chore and instead a short and concise plan of what you will do to make things fun for yourself and others.
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@bowser Yeah... that's fair on that first point... hilarious that it even happened though.
Glad the conversation is happening, at least
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From my personal experience, promotions and hirings via PC agency tend to be easily approved apps. Any PC I had who apped for promotion got it with very little effort on my app and PCs I hired or promoted on Eagleguard had an easy time getting approved. I think it’s a good formality but people are skittish by it because they either think it’s harder than it really is or they feel wrong applying for their own promotion
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Yes, we basically have this worked out. We just have to nail down exactly how it works.
But basically a higher rank PC can promote a lower rank one by "recommending" them to whoever is in charge ultimately. The recommendation will just be a quick chance for DMs to double check we're not giving power to someone who has had OOC complaints about doing things unfun or anything. Then promotion!
If they then screw up, it looks bad for the guy who promoted them. So players would be pretty careful not to play favorites with buddies.
But favortism is a HUGE problem in the last two suggestions you made and people will quit a server much faster over outright favortism they can see from buddies promoting buddies (either real promotions or just promoting their ideas as cool) and the perception of favortism people still harbor despite the fact we need a whole team of DMs who don't all have the same ideas/friends/interests approving an idea and moving it forward.
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I like what Thune presents,
Earn a recommendation would make for a much easier "app". The app becomes more of a final check that the player understands/respects the role OOCly and the PC has done tangible things.
"APP"
Hey DMs. I earned a recommendation from X for Y.I've been doing:
- Leading people into the underdark looking for a strawberry sundae
- Helping this PC make the perfect spoon
- Ran into a sundae hater and started a slow build up to a duel of Sundae vs. Salad
I'm think maybe I'll do :
4. I like cookies too so now the perfect cookie.Thanks!
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I think that's what those apps are. When my old PC was promoted to Lord and PDK, I wrote a little blurb in an app for it making it especially clear a higher power was approving it.
I was approved in one day.