Posts: 3,105
Threads: 96
Joined: May 2012
Staff roles: Balance Dev
Just to quickly clarify this stuff: the Kusari - Liberty "conflict" that 5.0 worked towards is a corporate one. Ageira versus Kishiro, because of the invention of jump technology by Kishiro and the threat that poses to Ageira's monopoly (ish. I know EFL exists).
Now I will say that Ageira and Kishiro aren't just your regular old corps. They are a huge part of the Houses they're a part of, and the pull they would have over their respective governments would be immense. Let's not forget that Freelancer is a pretty dystopian setting, these supercorporations are insanely powerful.
It's kind of hard to represent this well, though, and I heard a few cool ideas for how a conflict like this could escalate in a way that players could actually play out. Nobody's suggesting openly hostile, military action from one House against another here, but some sussy stuff between the corps directly in the borderworlds (their IDs allow this already) leading to some "incidental" brawls between lawfuls isn't out of the question in my opinion. It is however very difficult to enable this in-game through IDs without it inevitably turning into what every other House conflict has always turned into: massive capital ship fleets clashing in the middle. Which would be a bit silly and not particularly desirable.
I'm okay with Platinum playing a role, but I'll also say that I was kind of planning to just rotate refined HRC prices a little bit to instigate competition / "gold rush" type stuff. It's easy enough to do. @jammi make me that placeholder news article to override on the server end!!
That brewing conflict is nice and easily justified over the Jump Drive path, yes.
Platinum is just a mild bonus on the side and the potential actual enabler for IDs to do stuff. (Current IDs do not permit us skirmishes outside some very thin ice RP). "Protect allies in ZoI" permits for mutual defense of miners after all.. so a solution until we have ID adjustments at best.
Platinum can play a role, but a small one. Price rotation is a nice idea btw.
(01-16-2024, 05:01 PM)Shimamori Wrote: Galileo is a radioactive waste devoid of resources.
There are major platinum deposits in Galileo that Samura, Kishiro and DSE all have a claim to after getting conned by the guy that discovered them.
My god, they added platinum deposits to Galileo, a system lacking planetoids or anything that can have metal deposits. While the very presence of platinum there makes little sense, gameplay-wise I see your point. Didn't know it changed post-patch, don't mine.
(01-16-2024, 05:01 PM)Shimamori Wrote: Galileo is a radioactive waste devoid of resources.
There are major platinum deposits in Galileo that Samura, Kishiro and DSE all have a claim to after getting conned by the guy that discovered them.
My god, they added platinum deposits to Galileo, a system lacking planetoids or anything that can have metal deposits. While the very presence of platinum there makes little sense, gameplay-wise I see your point. Didn't know it changed post-patch, don't mine.
(01-16-2024, 05:31 PM)Charos Wrote: Outlaw factions such as Outcasts and Corsairs can highly profit from Platinum by pirating or buying it from Shikoku to sell to their home system. A trading loop to and from Shikoku
I might believe into a Rogue or Outcast are pirating Platinum, but not Corsairs. They are nothing to do with Plat between Liberty and Kusari.
Corsairs and Outcasts can actually smuggle artifacts or cardamine to Shikoku for decent profit and buy platinum back, leading to armed convoys within Kusari back to the Omicrons. Do I need to further explain the effects of a boosted price?
(01-16-2024, 06:49 PM)Charos Wrote: Corsairs and Outcasts can actually smuggle artifacts or cardamine to Shikoku for decent profit and buy platinum back, leading to armed convoys within Kusari back to the Omicrons. Do I need to further explain the effects of a boosted price?