Player Factions
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Looking for some tips to building and organizing a player faction or group. From your experiences what is the best and worst things to do as far as building up. What is the best ways to motivate people to follow faction goals?
I know it always comes up but just how much does money help does it help long term or only short term. What creative ways of funding have you come up with?
Finally how often does the group succeed and by that I mean accomplishing at least a few of it's goals.
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Iron clad goals and a definite plan. Ideally, the goals should be broad enough to interest a wide variety of mindsets.
The best player factions I've seen so far had it's members doing stuff even when the leader wasn't online. That's something you can get only with a properly defined mission statement.
Other stuff, in my opinion, is largely secondary to the above. Getting people to want to accomplish your goal for the faction is the way of making it work.
Ultimately, it's always down to a specific goals. You can accomplish something only when you actually have something you want to accomplish.
When people have stuff spelled out for them like an algorithm, they're more likely to do it.
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A hierarchy I find is imperative; I’ve been involved in countless factions over the years and have led a majority of them – I’ve found democracy isn’t as productive as a dictatorship! But the dictator has to delegate. As Relonor said it shouldn’t be reliant on the leader, delegation so characters can pursue faction goals without oversight is the key.
Distinct goals – and I typically find PC orientated goals to be the best for a solid foundation. The faction needs a clear direction and several projects to undertake at any one time so any member can delve into something if they’ve some free time to kill.
Conflict. If you promote within the faction a rivalry or conflict with another PC entity your members will always have an outlet for some intrigue and PvP – There’s so much to do with feuds that chews up a lot of time and proves – in my opinion – the best part of the game.
Membership. Proactivity – or a lack of, kills PC Factions. You need to get your name out there and recruit, recruit, recruit! I’ve always favoured the easy to join, easy to get kicked out approach in that regard. Welcome players on board willingly, if they’re not pulling their weight – get rid. I’ve found half a dozen active contributing players to be sufficient enough to be true influence on the server.
Keep the DMs up to date with your plots and plans, accomplishments and goals. If you’re shaking the server and you’re out doing things, involving people and the DMs are familiar with your concept and what you want to achieve you’re going to be getting DM assistance.
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Completely missed your last question.
Factions achieve their goals all the time. Attainable short term goals are always good to maintain momentum and direction. I’ve often employed a long-term goal which is largely unattainable however – but the joy is all about the journey, all about the path taken to get there, whether you make it or not is irrelevant. Make the journey enjoyable, conflict-heavy and interesting and you’re laughing.
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Ultimately, it's always down to a specific goals. You can accomplish something only when you actually have something you want to accomplish.
When people have stuff spelled out for them like an algorithm, they're more likely to do it.
I agree with this as much of my time here has been in PC factions. Make yourself and epic long-term goal and a faction with a clear demographic. You can be a goodly and just faction with goals and ideals influenced by that. Or a greedy merchant/mercenary guild that works for profits, regardless of means, etc. It doesn't have to be a noble house (as there have been quite a few of them lately), so think creatively.
What I think is important is that you make your subordinates feel like they mean something. Find ways everyone can contribute to your victory. There is nothing more boring and frustrating than being in a faction where there is nothing to do when the boss is not around or you have no clue as to what is going plot-wise.
"Come, we're off to kill bulettes for their hides!". "Sure thing, but why?" "Because we need them!" Oh, right… Make sure you transfer down information and reward loyalty from other players. Promoting a person to a position of more responsibility is a good way of recognizing their efforts. And while a dictator approach will gain more results, make sure you listen to your members for input and opinions. (You don't need to heed them, but listen nontheless)My points to make it worthwhile to be part of a PC faction (as a member):
- It gives me something to do (plots, adventure)
- Bonding between members of the group
- Respect/hate of other PCs (intrigue)
- Interesting things that I can work towards (goals that are fun)
In order to succeed you need a large, broad and long-term goal. It doesn't need to be possible to achieve, but it needs to have several sub-goals underway that are clearly defined and easy to work towards. Having a few ranks of power where your "officers" can forward tests to new recruits and orders to your other members is a good idea too. But all in all, getting people to stay with your faction and remain interested requires the players feeling that their time is well spent.
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Something which has NOT been pointed out, but I think requires the attention. A good PC faction starts with your play times and evolves outward. Trust me when I say that you will become extremely frustrated if you don't at least make this inquiry to your potentials when you are first getting started with them. This becomes especially essential if you decide to start recruiting on a weekend, and then try doing things during the week.
Now, don't read this to say that your faction should ONLY include people you play with regularly, but the first core group should, indeed, fall into this category, or else you'll spend all your time waiting for them.
And on that note, the second most important thing. Hierarchy has been said a lot, but what is essential is not just that there is a hierarchy, but that those you place as your number 2, 3, etc. all know the hierarchy, and share in at least most of the goals of the group. I've seen MANY good groups disappear over night simply because the lead character has to take a break for RL, or because he/she dies.
All opinions. No facts.
But I am right. :shock: -
Leadership.
One or two players who lead and give definite and specific goals to subordinates. Katelyn and Marin achieved this with Obarstal, I think. Danu and Duggar did a few years back. The Iron Wings had two or three leaders with Aleana, Fredo, and Lori, I think. All three factions ran and ran, achieving great things in their own area and were known player factions. Kilgrave had it as well.
Don't let everyone join, but watch for those who will play a charater for a worthy length of time and not get bored and move on to a new character. This kills PC factions as much as anything else.
If characters don't pull their weight or pull in a different direction, use IC discipline, not OOC discipline, but consider throwing them out. Division in a Faction will kill a faction.
Test people with challenging goals. Make your higher level faction roles difficult to join but worth joining, so achieveing entry into the higher echelons is a goal worth attaining.
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Leadership.
One or two players who lead and give definite and specific goals to subordinates. Katelyn and Marin achieved this with Obarstal, I think. Danu and Duggar did a few years back. The Iron Wings had two or three leaders with Aleana, Fredo, and Lori, I think. All three factions ran and ran, achieving great things in their own area and were known player factions. Kilgrave had it as well.
And the Theur Aravae. The leader was out doing stuff all the time. I never saw him not out and about either RPing alliances, negotiating or acting against the lycans. My faction character sought the group out every chance she had because they were out doing stuff. I can't say anything negative about this awesome group.
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Make your faction awesome with public goals and people will want to get involved.
Not saying you can't have Secret Plans, but if you're the Demon Slayers of Doom, then at least people who have PCs into demon slaying will know they might be a good fit for your faction.
There's a bunch of factions that I have no idea what they're for/doing/into, and this makes me personally less likely to ever get involved with them.
Also I think try not to be a standy-back-mastermind type leader. Not saying they don't have their place, but you immediately make things more achievable when you're able to chip in and help out with the activities you want the faction to be doing.
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I know it always comes up but just how much does money help does it help long term or only short term. What creative ways of funding have you come up with?
-If you're evil, consider banditry/extortion/etc.
-One way to get involved in other plots, and people into your own is exchange services. So next time Faction X makes a sending asking for people to accompany them to the Ruins of Doom, you say, sure, if you'll accompany me to the Ruins of Unicorns in return, instead of payment. There are around 5-6 current bounty/whatever notices up at the moment that this might work for.
-Craft things. My current PC offers wands at cost price or free in exchange for help on plot-related adventuring, and this has been working well so far. You can also make decent money for hiring as well.
-Collect PC bounties/quest/caravan
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I know it always comes up but just how much does money help does it help long term or only short term. What creative ways of funding have you come up with?
-If you're evil, consider banditry/extortion/etc.
-One way to get involved in other plots, and people into your own is exchange services. So next time Faction X makes a sending asking for people to accompany them to the Ruins of Doom, you say, sure, if you'll accompany me to the Ruins of Unicorns in return, instead of payment. There are around 5-6 current bounty/whatever notices up at the moment that this might work for.
-Craft things. My current PC offers wands at cost price or free in exchange for help on plot-related adventuring, and this has been working well so far. You can also make decent money for hiring as well.
-Collect PC bounties/quest/caravan
Well Crafting is out of the question for non magical charecters which would include mine. I think exchanging favors can work well but does'nt that only add a few extra people to come along on a temporary basis. I am more refering to paying/rewarding faction members for thier time spent on these projects.
So is Collecting bounties PC or otherwise and questing caravan running about the only way to raise these funds for non magical Charecters?
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You can sell information as well, it's pretty easy to make a fair bit doing this for the right PC.
Merchant-type PC could make an income locating all the hard-to-find NPC merchants and re-selling goods.
Exchanging services can work with faction members also, as most people have their little side plots or backgroundy-type things they want help for.
It's also about getting people along to your activities which might in turn make them interested in joining.
Some people join factions to further their own PCs goals first and foremost, not to further the goals of that faction, if you get what I mean.
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Looking for some tips to building and organizing a player faction or group. From your experiences what is the best and worst things to do as far as building up. What is the best ways to motivate people to follow faction goals?
Become someone's lackey, minion, ally first.
Let people see how awesome you are, then gather them up into your faction. Find people who have something in common with your character, or who owe you something, ect. ic and keep them around you. That way, they have a vested ic interest in what you're doing.
Not many people will leap to follow someone they've never heard of. Sure, you can lure them in with promises of gold or whatever, but if they -themselves- don't have a reason beyond that to stick by you, they'll most likely jump ship first time something better comes along.
Figure out what motivates the characters around yours - whether fears, goals, background, whatever - and incorporate that into your recruitment strategy.
Also, make sure you let them know ic and ooc how valuable they are. One that I remember is Bluebeard. He was constantly talking about how the dwarves of the Iron Anvil were the lifeblood of the clan, or-something-or-another.
Even evil characters can do this by showering them with rewards when they do well, and lots of scary ass, awesome rp when they fail.
In short, make it more about the people in your faction and your combined goals than about your character.
But, eh, I've never started a faction so this is all theory.
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It's actually a good idea to first be in a well run player faction, see how it's done first hand before starting one.