No Interest in DM Factions?
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@Khamal:
No real conflict between the factions that I can see. Everyone gets along, and they seem stale.
That's the players fault. There could be so much conflict.
The Harts hate the Mage's Guild cause they use magic in a non honourable way. And because they support necromancy and infernalism.
The Mage's Guild hates the Harts cause they want to be in charge of the city.
The Purple Dragons hate the Harts because they replaced them.
The Harts hate the PDs because they are cormyrean, and thus enemies in the past war.
The Mage's Guild hates the Sheriffs because their jurisdiction on magical crimes overlap.
Same with the Harts.
They also hate the Sheriffs because they have abandoned the city welcoming the Grodd.
The Sheriffs hate the Mage's Guild and the Harts because they never allowed them to do their job, shunning them and eventually forcing them to retreat to EW.
The PDs hate the Sheriffs because they are filthy sembians.
The Sheriffs hate the PDs because they are filthy cormyreans.
Etc etc … -
I agree that each factions inspires a certain stereotype to each player. For example the mage guild may accept fighters, clerics and the like, but in the end the naming alone directs you to think mage. A mercenary company on the other hand requires various talents by nature. The sheriff are guards off shoot or people tend to think so, so most will think sheriff=fighter or ranger or ranger/rogue. When was the last time we saw a mage sheriff or guard?
Why I liked the old house factions better is because they hadn't a particular leaning towards a certain class, and each one was a team of various classes working together. They had a certain mindset that made you think more in a concept level for the character you want to play, than his class-race combo. Same mostly applied for purple dragons-war wizards.
I think factions along the line of houses, or mercenaries and so on might work better in attracting people all in all because of the freedom of concept, or the mere illusion of it if you prefer, compared to the current factions. Greencastle is a good example of such I think, and so where the Ecclestina Order, one of the coolest factions created by the DMs IMO, at least to those watching from the outside. CoG is also providing a relative freedom of class-race combo but the mindset behind CoG does require a specific concept, again IMO.
To the DMs who read this and disagree, bare in mind that as a player I cannot possibly know what really goes on with each faction so I make assumptions from the feeling I get from each of those, and I believe it reflects the average player's thoughts on each faction. So please don't reply with "X faction is not at all about that" or "Y faction allows that variety of concepts and classes" cause it ll be moot, I already recognize this is probably the case already. Of course I may be wrong but I m mostly stressing the subconscious impressions you get from each faction.
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We actually had a pretty prominent wizard in the Sheriffs once.
But we're happy to hear ideas, even if those ideas are misconceived and we're talking amongst ourselves on what we can change.
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Well it wasn't for lack of trying.
From a RH perspective:I tried to get some conflict with the MG, but it was pretty much nipped in the bud when Caden took 15 minutes to cast some spells at me. Of which about 10 seconds for the actual casting, if that.
We tried to get some conflict with the Chosen, but it ended when Thaun took 15 minutes to beat down Melina, keeping the staffs to himself and using them.
We hardly got along with the sheriffs, ever, but there wasn't much we could do against them in the first place. I tried some minor political jabs but they all ended up useless. Though, one of the last things Gwarn did was to insult the Easthaven Mayor a little.I sorta got along with the PDs because 1) they were our best allies against the Grodd and b) Zanaver sorta risked his life trying to save me once.
And then Melina seemed to get along with Isobel so I couldn't be too mean to her.I tried to get conflict going with the Cult and eventually succeeded when the Listener got tired of me. It didn't go too well.
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Any significant change in the module takes a lot of effort, dedication and time. Change within a DM faction comes by much harder and the game begins to seem more like a job than entertainment, so I understand the appeal to PC factions. PC factions tend to have about 5-10 members, DM factions have 100+, so your character's opinion holds more weight in PC factions.
If anything, getting promoted and being able to move stuff around on the server with the back up of your DM faction should be made much, much easier. Thus increasing their appeal.
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I love seeing faction players at odds forced to band together to take down some big threat. Often those parties, with that rp and tension, are so fun to be in. I look forward to being in some of that.
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MG - RH conflict is pretty cliched and has been done to death. It doesn't really make sense anymore, since their roles have changed since the days of the council.
Arguing that a vault for foul items guarded by an army is not secure enough? Good enough reason for pissing off the religion of the leadership of a prominent defense force? Apparently this is a good idea for some people in the past, but it doesn't really hold weight considering what has transpired over the long term.
"OMG MAGE GUILDZ CORRUPTZ!" = >_>
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No, I was arguing something entirely different.
Eventually, two things will happen to the items in question:
A) they will be destroyed.
B) they will be used.
because they won't remain in one place permanently, forever, until the end of Faerun. The Vault is not eternal.Logically, anyone who prevents A is directly or indirectly causing B to happen.
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Everyone is playing LoL.
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I'd like to see one or two new factions myself, preferably one leaning more towards evil concepts (the other could be anything) just to add some freshness to the whole thing.
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Turn the Cult of the Eye into a DM faction, really.
They're already got more members than all the factions upholding the law.
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EV faction
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Who's to say the Mages Guild isnt evil? Necromancy? Trying to take over the city? Why does everyone assume because the face is good the inside is as well? Every faction can be as evil as the players within it make it. Intelligent evil as well, not just 'Hello we are evil and you die now' (Not a jab t those doing this, I love that style) there is some incredibly good factions already in place if people were to just utilise them a little more and make the most of them this lack of interest wouldnt be a problem.
Rough example - Necromancer joins the Mages Guild, he plans to ressurect Undead army and attack a City. He has access to supplies, other powerful wizards for knowledge and a title to hide behind. Using the Mages Guild as his device for ultimate evil (Because he knows he can practice it safely and under the noses if everyone) he pents his power without interruption and wins Arabel. Everyone cheers.
Where is that guy? It can be done with any faction, the Sheriffs are about as corrupt as they come. Really we should be asking where the good factions are these days! Factions are not everything they seem and they can be whatever you make them to be I think. There is a variety of factions out there that are easy to join (Now more than ever because there's no one in them!)
As far as friction goes Foba outlined it perfctly. Its not difficult to find, if you aren't getting it, its more than likely that you're doing something wrong.
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I really liked New Kilgrave as a faction. It was blatantly evil but opened up for so many concepts and players. Despite being a DM plot faction, it felt very player run and its the only time I've actually felt that every effort was appreciated.
I was also sad to see it go, but the unfolding events and the loss of its leader sort of struck a crippling blow to the whole thing. Belaern did a heroic effort for a long time, but it was never the same again.There is still much untapped potential in the settlement, even if a new Shadovar faction might not be the best move, but what do I know…
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I quit trying to make apps as I know I'll be rejected anyways, also why should I spend 3 days writing an app just so the power that be will be happy with it and give it perks?
Besides I don't plan characters, I make them let them become what they may and have fun with it, I've never needed to have an app on arabel to have fun.
I'd rather RP into a faction that write a app on why I should be allowed, on three characters I've roleplayedinto a faction and been rejected on the apps, I think thats what drags it down in numbers.
all in all what is a faction aside some loot,drama,politics everything I get in a character I thought up in five minutes. The DM factions are fun to roleplay with and all but the app process just for me makes it not worth it to spend a few days writing and more than a week if ever the DM's get back to you
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I tried to get conflict going with the Cult and eventually succeeded when the Listener got tired of me. It didn't go too well.
Don't say that. As you'll recall, you kept charging us naked in the sewers and demanded OOCly that we FD you. We didn't want to, but obliged the request eventually.
Turn the Cult of the Eye into a DM faction, really.
I wouldn't want this, however it is my goal to cause the destruction of one faction, one sub-faction and the creation of a totally new one.
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I really liked New Kilgrave as a faction. It was blatantly evil but opened up for so many concepts and players. Despite being a DM plot faction, it felt very player run and its the only time I've actually felt that every effort was appreciated.
Kilgrave was a PC faction, actually.
It went up to DM plot faction a lot later.
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So many bitching about the Law (or lack thereof) these days. Should probably try being the Law and join one of the Factions. Not easy!
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Turn the Cult of the Eye into a DM faction, really.
They're already got more members than all the factions upholding the law.
We are the DMs of our own faction, thank you. The DMs are currently our players.
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@AWESOMEMAN:
Don't say that. As you'll recall, you kept charging us naked in the sewers and demanded OOCly that we FD you. We didn't want to, but obliged the request eventually.
That wasn't what I meant. Apparently my actual attempts went just unnoticed.
And I was charging you in a tunic.