DiscoveryGC ID Overhaul - Official & Independent [Arioch's Proposal]

[Foxglove]

Well, since this has been made visible again, I guess we can give our comments. All in all, I do believe that you have sort of missed the point of making IDs easier and because of this, I believe that it would not address the problem of people misunderstanding what they are allowed to do. Please consider the following for a moment.

The way you have structured IDs in your rework follows the pattern of positively defining (-can do X) and negatively defining (-cannot do Y) what a player with a particular ID is allowed to do within the game. I posit that, by both positively and negatively defining what a person is allowed to do, you are not just needlessly restrictive, but also not taking the easiest route you could take in streamlining IDs. What I would propose is either negatively defining what a person cannot do, thus in principal allowing them to do everything unless the ID forbids it, or positively saying what a person can do, thus in principal forbidding the player to do anything unless the ID allows him to. This would look somewhat like this:

Examples

(1) Example for negatively defining what a player can do

Liberty Navy ID

Pilot carrying this lawful ID is a member of the Liberty Navy, who:

-cannot engage anyone who is considered lawful by the House of Liberty.
-cannot demand credits or cargo unless levying a fine or confiscating contraband.
-cannot use transports with 3600 cargo or greater.

Zone of Influence: Liberty, systems directly bordering Liberty, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, New London, Dundee

Allowed ships: Fighters, Freighters, Transports, Gunboats, Cruisers, Battleships

(2) Example for positively defining what a player can do

Liberty Navy ID

Pilot carrying this lawful ID is a member of the Liberty Navy, who:

Can engage and destroy any ships within Alaska, Ellesmere or the Zone-21 Minefield that do not belong to either the LSF or Liberty Navy.
Can demand contraband and levy fines within their Zone of Influence, and attack if ships refuse to comply.
Can attack ships which are in violation of Liberty laws or belong to a house or organisation considered hostile by Liberty within their Zone of Influence.
Can defend allied or neutral lawful ships and bases within their Zone of Influence.
Can escort traders within their Zone of Influence.

Zone of Influence: Liberty, systems directly bordering Liberty, Leeds, Newcastle, Manchester, New London, Dundee

Allowed ships: Fighters, Freighters, Transports, Gunboats, Cruisers, Battleships

This would be the way of making IDs as simple as possible. In (1), the principle is that everyone can do everything unless the ID prohibits it, and in (2), you are not allowed to do anything unless you are permitted to by the ID.

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Secondly, I really need to object to you touching Official Faction IDs. Reading through some of the comments posted here already, you clearly are not familiar enough to be restructuring these, as you also add restrictions that are seemingly arbitrary and have not been there before, for good reason. As the leader of the Nomad Vagrants, I cannot agree with your version of our ID. Let me highlight what I mean.

Vagrant ID

Current Vagrant ID

Pilot carrying this unlawful ID is a member of the Nomad Vagrants, who:

- Can freely engage all ships within their Zone of Influence.
- Can assist other Nomads and Wild both within and outside their Zone of Influence.
- Can freely engage ships with Jump Drives and Survey Modules both within and outside of their Zone of Influence.
- Can freely engage any Core or Order ships both within and outside of their Zone of Influence.
- Can treat Transports as combat targets.
- Cannot demand credits or cargo.
- Cannot dock anywhere except for Nomad and Wild bases.

Zone of Influence: Omicrons, Omegas, Taus, Sigmas, Independent Worlds, systems containing Wild or Nomad bases.

Allowed ships: All Nomad ships.

Vagrant ID as proposed in the OP

Pilot carrying this unlawful ID is a member of the Nomad Vagrants, who:

Is allowed to do the following anywhere:
- Can escort transports.
- Can attack any ship [or bases] in self-defense, to protect a Nomad or Wild ship, or in defense of a Wild base.
- Can attack bases and ships belonging to The Order, The Core or carrying Jump Drives and Survey Modules.

Is allowed to do the following within their Zone of Influence:
- Can attack any ships or bases.

Is not allowed to do the following:
- Cannot trade or smuggle.
- Cannot demand credits or cargo.
- Cannot dock anywhere except on Nomad and Wild bases.
- Cannot ally with anyone except Wild, Oracles and Commune.

Zone of Influence: Omicrons, Omegas, Sigmas, Taus, Independent systems, systems containing Nomad or Wild bases
Allowed ships: Nomad Fighters, Nomad Gunboat, Nomad Cruiser, Nomad Battleship

Firstly, I really don't see how you made the ID easier to understand with that. Secondly, you also arbitrarily tried to add restrictions (shown in spoiler above in red) into our ID that were not there previously, and for good reason. The Vagrants are not diplomatically tied to the Oracles where we would consider them worthy of allying with. We also would be unable to further individual roleplay with mere Freelancers for example, because they are not part of the Oracles, the Commune, or the Wild. It would be best to allow official faction leaders to decide themselves how their IDs are worded, as they know best what is good for the factions they lead.

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In conclusion, I do not like the proposed changes. They do not streamline. They in fact make it more difficult to read IDs.

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