Should official factions have more power?

[swift]

It already has been done--the increased prices along with the really long lower paying trade runs does decrease the number of caps out there--or will given time.

And along the way, they stop many people who'd actually use them very effectively and greatly contribute to server RP from getting them.
Like me for example, or the next guy. I can't bother to trade for hundreds of hours in order to get a shiny new toy to RP with.

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<span style="font-familyalatino Linotype">

<span style="color:#000000">All morons hate it when you call them a moron.

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<span style="color:#33FFFF">The CFF</span>

<span style="color:#33FF33">CFF Communication Channel and RP Collection</span>

[Eppy]

Bluntly, yes.

Official factions need their balls back. Specifically, we need control - yes, TOTAL control - of our guard systems back. The right to arbitrarily deny anyone entry, regardless of alignment, and to destroy anybody who violates whatever controls we impose on our space. The only thing 'official' about us is cosmetics. We did some stupid things back in the heady days when the server started expanding, but we've all certainly learned how not to govern a faction and now we find ourselves with virtually no purpose; we're quite like the Red Hat Society. We look kind of stylish, but we don't do anything. We shoot. We pirate. We get luld at by our own people. When I was still a fascist dictator it was considered acceptable to blow people up for lulzing at you; this is another thing that should be looked at. Pilots in a military or police or what have you setting should be marginally subject to the authority of the official factions because a lot of indies tend to preclude factional authority, and, by extension, factional RP, which I think by its very nature takes precedence over indie RP.

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Quick comment - we thought that Panzer was the Leader, Swift. -Agmen

Which Dreadnought was that?

One of your nine.

[Othman]

Official factions should definitely have more power than the unofficial ones and any other loose groups. Not only does acquiring the official status require hard labor and a dedicated roleplaying background that may even take years to establish but handing them the ability to interdict undesired instances is the only possible way to enhance the gameplay and a healthy and slower development instead of a faster but plagued one. I can see the official factions mostly dealing with bad examples that can't be sanctioned within the server rules but remedied with dialogue and some tutoring. With the help of dedicated faction leaders, I believe the load on the admins' shoulders could be decreased to an extent.

I for one, would personally like to see dominant Corsair and Outcast factions to be more strictly bossing over the independents and other unofficial groups. Same should apply to LN and RM as I see both houses in a lack of discipline as of late. Letting independents too loose might end up damaging the overall harmony and we have seen several examples of it.

Take a look at the Bretonia-Kusari war. Can anyone see the same amount of capital ships being deployed by unofficial groups there, that have been deployed in Liberty and Rheinland? I want RM's strict policy back as in the old days. And Corsairs should really need to take a look at their status in Gamma once again.

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On the uncharted lagoons of anguish, I sail with a canoe made of my sins.

[Athenian]

This is not just about players taking on the responsibility of addressing issues that disrupt game-play - which to my mind is the only real justification for disciplining any player.

The debate about faction power should not lose sight of the other power that factions have. A faction in Discovery is not a online clan built on exclusivity or a hierarchy, and if you think it is, you must realise that factions are managed. That is to say, run by people, who devote free time. And not for the purposes of dictating how x or y should be. Think of faction leaders as (groan) Gamesmasters. Their role is to promote and encourage quality player interaction. That is why in Discovery many players are in several factions.

Factions generally have their own skype chat. That, first and foremost, along with a forum presence, is the other side to faction play, the out-of-game side. That structure is the most effective way to promote co-operative play, educate players about various aspects of the game and discuss things. Heck, with enough hard work it might even help creat that which can't be encoded into the game - fairness.

How the intended nature of factions translates into in-game activity is crucial. If the goal of a faction is to ensure that player Y can't do the equivalent of puncturing the Discovery foot-ball with poorly-thought out and inconsiderate behaviour, the how players handle that in-game had better be good. Bossing people around for docking at x or flying y or carrying z should be done as imaginatively as possible.

Which is why it's best if you, aha, spy on your faction members from time to time. By flying as one of the faction's worst enemies. Because that gives a real taste of how your intentions become polluted.

Faction players are players, but they shold be referees also. Or linesmen. Whatever they are called. They keep play flowing, they ensure anyone kicking anyone else in the nuts gets an early shower, and occasionally they get to take the odd free-kick. It's the last part that causes confusion, because it's a role that doesn't really exist in any other game.

I suppose the point I'm getting at is that the administrative work-load of the server is part of faction memebers' responsibility. Just not in the way we might think.

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Former member of "the most paranoid group of people in the community"
Discovery Community Forum Rules

[Cyberanson]

I for one, would personally like to see dominant Corsair and Outcast factions to be more strictly bossing over the independents and other unofficial groups. Same should apply to LN and RM as I see both houses in a lack of discipline as of late. Letting independents too loose might end up damaging the overall harmony and we have seen several examples of it.

I totally agree here. If we would manage to reduce the faction count to one per NPC faction and would furthermore let enforce them their laws, we would get rid of a load of small senseless factions.

On the other hand this would push stereotypical behaviour, which isn't that good.

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ALG Waste Disposal
Faction Status - Recruitment - Message Dump

Rheinland Military Information Center | Marinenachrichtendienst Central Computer

[Doom]

This way too delicate matter to answer hasty like many here did.

In some aspects official faction with greater "powers" over indies could be good for the general behavior on the server. But then again if one LN in Defender and with rank of ensign will get to command indie battleship captain or admiral it will look stupid.

Limiting capital ships should not be done trough official factions.

Good thing would be dynamic relationships between factions and their NPCs that could change depending on how official factions act and what current politics are.

There are good and bad sides to this proposal.

[MacAulay]

I for one, would personally like to see dominant Corsair and Outcast factions to be more strictly bossing over the independents and other unofficial groups. Same should apply to LN and RM as I see both houses in a lack of discipline as of late. Letting independents too loose might end up damaging the overall harmony and we have seen several examples of it.

I agree with the fact that there is certainly a problem in Outcast space. But I think allowing the official factions "to be more strictly bossy" is an incredibly bad idea. Firstly, the indies far outweigh the officials in numbers at present and are the majority of the OC population. Furthermore, they are the most active part of the population and deserve a say. I can only think of 3 or 4 official faction players who are a regular presence in OC space, the others only seem to miraculously appear about the same time as the daily corsair fleet attack. They are effectively, at present, a minority. I personally would rather see more of them online but certainly not to throw their weight at the indie players as you seem to suggest.

My indie OC tries to work in conjunction with the officials, I am one of the few indie players who has taken any steps to learn OC laws and am currently pushing for more interaction and cooperation between the 2 sides in a seperate thread. I am well aware of the amount of downright idiots in the system who do as they damn well please and they are a huge problem and annoyance. If we want to do anything about them then we have to work together as OUTCASTS rather than seperate faction etc. Many indie players are of a similair mind and would willingly take any steps suggested by the official factions to create the harmonious environment we wish to attain.

But giving more power to those factions and allowing them to boss around indies will only create more problems and divisions. You could argue that any indie who was loyal to OC's would just tow the line and do what they are told, but speaking for myself, that north korean style of gameplay would be about the worse thing that could happen in OC space. I have to be honest and say that I really dont know of a complete solution to the problem, but I can certainly say that it is not what was proposed above. All I can suggest is education, involvement, consistency though example, and failing that, full-on broadside from cap ship

I cant comment on the Corsairs problems but I am guessing they are somewhat similair to ours. And again the above comments may pertain to those regions.

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This really isn't something that needs to be taken super seriously because it's a game and most of us are just here to have fun. You should try smiling, you'll feel better about things (honest).

[Othman]

Perhaps the word bossing isn't the exact word that should be used there. But my point is that official factions should be guiding more oftenly and watching over the others. Intervene if they see something wrong and etc. And for this to be effective, official factions should be as active as the unofficial ones at least, which requires dedication and free time.

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On the uncharted lagoons of anguish, I sail with a canoe made of my sins.

[MacAulay]

Perhaps the word bossing isn't the exact word that should be used there. But my point is that official factions should be guiding more oftenly and watching over the others. Intervene if they see something wrong and etc. And for this to be effective, official factions should be as active as the unofficial ones at least, which requires dedication and free time.

Yes mate I agree they should be guiding the others and setting examples, but from my experience there are only a few of them doing just that, just as there are a few of us indies trying to do the same thing. It is a problem that is not helped by the fact that OC and Sair are considered pirate factions which always seems to attract the less desirable type of player. Players who seem to think that being an unlawful means not adhering to any laws, even those of their chosen faction or region.

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This really isn't something that needs to be taken super seriously because it's a game and most of us are just here to have fun. You should try smiling, you'll feel better about things (honest).

[Malaclypse 666]

Take this cup from my lips.

I would like to think that the TAZ have helped the Zoner Community.

Do we require more power? Not really.

Do we attempt to help newcomers who are interested in becoming Zoners? When possible, I believe so.

Do we agree with the trend to hamstring official factions in the name of "fair play"? Indeterminate.

I am saddened by this whole discussion. Like my old shipmate Onca, I think fondly of the days when this sort of handwringing and sanctioning was the rare exception, rather than the rule.

Just kick dirt over me.

Abstain.

Mal

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