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PSA: If you have been having stutter/FPS lag on Disco where it does not run as smoothly as other games, please look at the fix here: https://discoverygc.com/forums/showthrea...pid2306502
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Also 1 more thing.
Proven fact that making new commodities for your faction or buffing commodities WILL NOT MAGICALLY increase faction activity.
Besides the Premium Scrap buff that was huge ofc.
But you have case after case:
LR- needed a commodity so me and Kettle got Black Market Munitions buffed for 2 weeks.
Result: just us trading it. I just noticed JM trading it sometimes and me doing it on my AFC.
Gallia smugglers needed activity so Nox was buffed.
Result: Not really anything changed.
Mollys needed activity so Gold was buffed.
Result: Mollys didnt even log in to play.
Basically you need a solid platform of activity. The buffs come and work AFTER players wana play your faction.
PvP
Give your faction something to shoot, or to interact 'violently' with.
Trading
Trading is a great (although sometimes boring) way to rack up activity. It's best to do these in convoys, so that it's not boring.
Individuality
Encourage your members to play their characters as individuals, rather than drones logging on for the sake of activity. Get them involved in RP projects.
Edge
Try and see if your faction can offer anything that indies cannot. To go the extra mile, try and see if your faction can offer anything that other factions don't.
Those are just four principles that I feel can be generalized to any player faction. It's a useful 101.
to enhance trading activity you can also fix targets and rewards.
for instance you could say inrp that Planetform just signed a contract with someone that need some commodities to be delivered to some stations/planets before a given date.
you can define the list of commodities in relation with a terraforming operation. then you can artificially increase the price at destination (give a reward when players post delivery printscreens on the forum) to make the trade worth it. Make a daily count of the commodities delivered. Manage escorting patrols for convoys. Congrats everyone when job's done.
such 'event' can be restricted to your faction members or also include indies or everybody (in this case you could even succeed to recruit new people). It's up to you. If open to all, you could fix rewards depending on the reputation of the trader toward planetform. you can also recruit additional escorts for traders. you could involve the Gaian faction for some mini-event. We did that with ZTC and that was pretty fun.
(03-25-2015, 01:15 AM)Garrett Jax Wrote: I started up a profitable trade run for you guys with Gaian Wildlife and Apfelstrudel. That should give you a guys a good kickstart. If you have suggestions, throw them our way in Players Request.
I know, it is appreciated. but since you can just do the same run with any ship its not really helped us as much as it could have.
I just see thousands of freelancer serenitys, pirate trains and BWT's instead of planetform ships.
Why would average player (Mr. Smartass, in further text) haul Wildlife legally, when he can smuggle it and annoy Gaians, BPA and RFP? He ain't some noob!
And what when Wildlife and Strudel demands drop down? Mr. Smartass will simply switch to next route and make fools of some other officials, for a change. How happy is he when annoyingly runs from them, saying: More luck next time!
Why would Mr. Smartass be responsible for his deeds to some boring faction leader? Why would anyone know who is Mr. Smartass, by simple checking faction rollcall. Better make indie pirate and annoy everyone in NY. Or a FL, even better. Wait, pick stronger side, shoot, annoy.
I said ANNOY four times. That's why all log: to annoy others. Game supports it well. You can annoy others with your forum RP, in game RP, talks, guns, abusing your IDs... You can even annoy people by not logging, like happened on last two events I "participated". And you can annoy them via mobile skype tomorrow, from your classes or job.
Are you nice and making a nice faction? In Disco you're good as dead. But... Be creative and find some charming and bold way to annoy people. I'll ask to join.
TL;DR:
1.) planetform's problem is that their goals only implement per-version-update basis
2.) result of #1 means your members feel like they're not getting anything done
3.) result of #2 means they're inactive at best, or they leave at worst
(03-25-2015, 02:27 AM)Riess Wrote: Today I think that for faction to be really active, you need to find something grindable that you really enjoy doing. The more such activities faction has, the better, but it must be something you don't need prior arrangements to get started. Then you need to find one or two more guys who enjoy doing those thing and enjoy doing them together with you and each other. Even if in group chat you are all OORP discussing something completly irrevelant to game, but interesting for you guys, the time will be fun and flow fast. And if there is positive chem between you guys, there won't be problem in doing this again and again. Hours on tracker (and in game presence) will happen on its own.
Basically this.
Common interest and goals are what drive organizations. Be it profit or pew or camaraderie, groups exist when two or more peeps get together to do something they want done. And it's that 'getting something done' is what's important.
Problem with groups like planetform is that they're marathon-factions: their ultimate goals (terraforming planets) are very long-term. Couple that with the fact that we only get updates on planetary changes and new star systems on per-version-update basis, it's understandable that a member of planetform would feel exasperated that they feel like they're not getting anything done, so they leave.
I can get into the rant of the trade-factions and pew-factions, but for now this is just my 2 Pesos (because the cents in our country can't buy anything).
This is purely a personal player / gameplay perspective, not so much about roleplay.
One problem is that the economy is so bloated in this mod. Why join a trade faction, what are we supposed to use the credits for? I have absolutely no fun flying through the same empty systems over and over and over again only to watch some number on my account grow into hundreds of millions, and I am sure other players that played extensively feel the same. Regarding pews, you can do the same pews on a host of ID's which makes things difficult for niche factions.
Something you could do is create some sort of story arch with the Gaians (they are fairly active and seem to like to pew a little and roleplay as well), where the two factions control progression and give pews context and meaning - there's ample supply of Corsairs at the moment, and they could be dragged into it and rekindle the Gaian-Corsair relationship at the same time. You could draft security pilots (PVP folks will surely join if there's stuff to shoot at) and have a nice little Paladin or Hussar squadron or something along those lines, to keep activity on your hands rather than indie/BAF/hunters.
A story could set the stage for pews in some currently unused Bretonian system or even a system occupied by Gallia (make sure you pick one without an insane amount of NPC gunboat patrols etc.); maybe even set up a disposable POB (something to do for planetform haulers) there if you can be arsed and make some sort of conquest "minigame" out of supplying/attacking it, and make that system an attraction of sorts. New PVP venues always get some attention at first, and if the story and pews are good it will catch on I am sure.
Planetform installations in Poole are current target to one hairy macho nation (notorious Operation Green Grass). You may want to use that for some relaxed RP, pews, anything. Contact me or Thunderer if we can help you anyhow.
Monotony is your enemy. Legality also works against you generally (as Planetform) although I have it on good authority that BOWEX was a laugh.
People like to roam which is why some ID's do/did well. Others tie you down which is why eventually they fail to (hopefully) be recycled at a later date.
A big cargo run through hostile territory with good enemies (I mean good RP'ers rather than a-holes with blasters) is always fun. Both the excitement of making it or getting caught. Eitherway, it's good fun.
I don't know what the level of RP on this server is anymore but hopefully you can find a good spot.
Good luck