Forums » Suggestions
Player Factions
namely, factions that *players* can create and control.
Basically, its an extension of guilds. Big guilds should eventually be able to construct or own stations. Control of these stations would be held by the guild master, or whoever has been assigned to take care of it. Hopefully it will be possible to set conditions like "if they're itani, -800. if they're UIT, -200. if they're serco, +200" as a starting point. To monitor space, you'd probably have to research scanners at a pretty huge cost in order to cover sectors around the station. That'd be cool, because you'd have a defined area of influence in the system.
The thing is, we're getting awesome AI (slowly) and a revamped faction system. If guilds can own stations, then surely they have control over the station NPC fleet, and can dispatch squads whenever and wherever they please- and these NPCs would be able to report the identity of whoever attacks them if even one makes it back to the station sector. Hopefully at some point you will be able to permanently "escort" a player with an observer drone at a considerable distance and 2 strike force within 500m, at a decent cost- and have them keep an eye on him on behalf of your guild. Under observation, they will incur faction losses just as if they were in monitored space.
Now if these stations had the "default" randomly generated missions (cargo transport, escort, bot killing in guild monitored space, stuff like that), they can surely also have custom, unmoderated missions (within reason... inappropriate content could be reported pretty quickly and carry insane penalties) with purely faction rewards, set by the owners. (Basic values, just very small/small/moderate/substantial/craploads.) A way to test out any players that pass by, and a way for them to gain influence with your guild faction- whilst giving them tasks to do that don't require your supervision, because the mission system takes care of it for you.
So now we have a decent asshole-penalty for people your guild doesn't like. Your facilities are unavailable to them, since your guild master can smash the standing of anyone he chooses- and the best part is, you can FORCE the player you don't like to WORK for his standing back- by helping your guild. :) Sending him out on assassination missions, sending him to collect resources... anything you like.
And this guild faction status would be what decides their color on your radar, so that solves that problem too...
Here's the fun part.
If a player manages somehow to achieve Pillar Of Society with your guild faction, the NPCs at your station(s) TRUST them.
Really trust them.
So they gain a certain amount of control over the station operations. For better or for worse.
This control would extend to the standing-altering power of the master. So you can act as spy, become trusted by the guild and station, and let all your pirate buddies in to have a party. Naturally, there would be a guild bank, too. They'd probably have limited access to that as a result. The authority to start/stop/alter vessel construction projects and the like.
And if your guild doesn't notice this, or is inactive, your precious station could be completely taken over by a rival guild without the need for any bloodshed. This "hijacking" would be based not on the sheer volume of time you play, but the activity of your guild- basically, if you're not paying attention to your station, you're gonna lose it. Empires have to be monitored, y'know...
Basically, its an extension of guilds. Big guilds should eventually be able to construct or own stations. Control of these stations would be held by the guild master, or whoever has been assigned to take care of it. Hopefully it will be possible to set conditions like "if they're itani, -800. if they're UIT, -200. if they're serco, +200" as a starting point. To monitor space, you'd probably have to research scanners at a pretty huge cost in order to cover sectors around the station. That'd be cool, because you'd have a defined area of influence in the system.
The thing is, we're getting awesome AI (slowly) and a revamped faction system. If guilds can own stations, then surely they have control over the station NPC fleet, and can dispatch squads whenever and wherever they please- and these NPCs would be able to report the identity of whoever attacks them if even one makes it back to the station sector. Hopefully at some point you will be able to permanently "escort" a player with an observer drone at a considerable distance and 2 strike force within 500m, at a decent cost- and have them keep an eye on him on behalf of your guild. Under observation, they will incur faction losses just as if they were in monitored space.
Now if these stations had the "default" randomly generated missions (cargo transport, escort, bot killing in guild monitored space, stuff like that), they can surely also have custom, unmoderated missions (within reason... inappropriate content could be reported pretty quickly and carry insane penalties) with purely faction rewards, set by the owners. (Basic values, just very small/small/moderate/substantial/craploads.) A way to test out any players that pass by, and a way for them to gain influence with your guild faction- whilst giving them tasks to do that don't require your supervision, because the mission system takes care of it for you.
So now we have a decent asshole-penalty for people your guild doesn't like. Your facilities are unavailable to them, since your guild master can smash the standing of anyone he chooses- and the best part is, you can FORCE the player you don't like to WORK for his standing back- by helping your guild. :) Sending him out on assassination missions, sending him to collect resources... anything you like.
And this guild faction status would be what decides their color on your radar, so that solves that problem too...
Here's the fun part.
If a player manages somehow to achieve Pillar Of Society with your guild faction, the NPCs at your station(s) TRUST them.
Really trust them.
So they gain a certain amount of control over the station operations. For better or for worse.
This control would extend to the standing-altering power of the master. So you can act as spy, become trusted by the guild and station, and let all your pirate buddies in to have a party. Naturally, there would be a guild bank, too. They'd probably have limited access to that as a result. The authority to start/stop/alter vessel construction projects and the like.
And if your guild doesn't notice this, or is inactive, your precious station could be completely taken over by a rival guild without the need for any bloodshed. This "hijacking" would be based not on the sheer volume of time you play, but the activity of your guild- basically, if you're not paying attention to your station, you're gonna lose it. Empires have to be monitored, y'know...