Trial Discussion Series #1 - Foreign Shipping Depots [4.90.2]

[Teerin]

I noticed some feedback that trials could be discussed before implementation, so I figured I'd give it a shot. We'll also be talking about trials after implementation, and in fact, this series shall rotate between 4.90.2/Middle and 4.90.1/Initial. Time permitting, and providing that these discussions are indeed fruitful (consider this a trial of itself), this will be the first in a weekly series of eight trial discussions. Four for the next patch, and four for the previous one. To start it all off, I've chosen an easy(ish) one. Next week's topic will be on the impacts of the Removal of Omega-9 [4.90.1]. This current thread is not a feedback thread for that or any other trial; please keep it on topic.

Background: One of the main goals of 4.90 is to provide all seventy factions of the game meaningful storyline progression, which presents itself in at least one system or infocard change. This can be in Initial, Middle, or Final, and in addition to the main wars or other story events. It's not an easy feat, but since 4.90 planning began at the end of last summer, we've narrowed it down to five remaining factions without any concrete 4.90 plans.

The three relevant to this discussion thread are Universal Shipping, Incorporated (USI), Borderworlds Exports (Bowex), and Republican Shipping (RS/RepEx). As shipping corporations, they are among the hardest to develop plans for. They tend not to send invasive capital ships to war-torn systems or capture hostile bases. At most, they build new ones or potentially purchase another company's station. So, along these lines, we (being the story developers) have devised an idea for all three of them, but it's a little tenuous right now.

Trade generates wealth, so as the premier shipping corporations of their respective Houses, they could greatly increase their ease of access to foreign trade by building or purchasing a facility in another House. It would go something like this:

• Republican Shipping could build or purchase one in Bretonia or Liberty
  
• Universal Shipping could build or purchase one in Rheinland or Bretonia
  
• Borderworlds Exports could build or purchase one in Liberty or Rheinland
  

This plan could be visualized as a triangle between Bretonia, Liberty, and Rheinland. The problem is picking which House each corporation sets up shop in, then deciding upon a system, and finally figuring out if they're buying or constructing anew. We already have some ideas in mind, but are interested to hear what the community at large thinks.

Counterargument: multinational corporations might be considered by some as a threat that may infringe upon the sovereignty of the House's system which they have chosen to set up in, potentially diminishing their sense of control over the region in question, despite any beneficial economic implications of allowing it to happen. Further, there could be issues of unlawfuls (or other chased parties, enemies of the state, etc.) who are not rephacked to these facilities possibly using them to dock and evade capture, leading to much gnashing of teeth. Thus, the story planning developers ought to find another way to grant the aforementioned factions a means of progression.

Which way should the "triangle" flow, and why? Which systems/locations make the most sense to you, and why? Or why doesn't this plan work? No matter if you take up a stance for or against the overall idea, tell us why you came to that conclusion. Bonus points if you convincingly debate many sides (clockwise vs. counterclockwise triangle flow rotation; idea is good vs. idea is bad; preferred systems; etc.) of this in order to help everyone arrive at a more informed conclusion.

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"You see what your knowledge tells you you're seeing. ... how, what you think the universe is, and how you react to that in everything you do, depends on what you know. And when that knowledge changes, for you, the universe changes. And that is as true for the whole of society as that is for the individual. We all are what we know, today. What we knew yesterday, was different; and so were we."
- James Burke, The Day the Universe Changed (1985)