The Cosmopolite
Jericho Fraction
The Star Fraction
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Posted - 2007.09.14 22:21:00 -
[1]
The approach in the blog looks good so far as it goes. I also agree with much that Nuyan said but with one caveat on the issue of docking.
Before getting to that, I'd like to emphasise that I believe factional warfare should not require allegiance to be declared for anyone. Of course, it should be an option for those who want to do it. However, those who want to fight against a faction without declaring for another faction should have that option. Yes, of course, I would say that given my loyalties but I doubt we'd be the only people wanting that option, particularly if initially it only starts with the big four core empires.
On the controversial subject of docking rights. I'm not surprised this has reared its head but I'm not going to outright oppose it.
What I would say is that if it happens without a quid pro quo then it will be a huge turn off for people and could potentially marginalise factional warfare. The quid pro quo cannot simply be that one's enemies are similarly denied access in your home region. If you don't care about any home region that is no kind of quid pro quo. Again, we won't be the only people who will wish to practise asymmetric warfare and docking restrictions will be a penalty with no plus side for people like us.
My view is that if you want to make it difficult to impossible for an enemy of a faction to operate in a faction's region in one way then you have to offer them ways to operate that are in keeping with their standings to that faction. In other words, if you want to restrict them from doing certain things in the territory of an enemy faction then make it possible for them to do things that loyalists of that faction cannot do.
Restrict their ability to use a market in an empire? Then give them a black market. A real functioning black market which loyalists cannot access.
Restrict their ability to dock in law-abiding stations in an empire? Then give them access to criminal and rebel stations in that empire. Restrict access to loyalists in some manner. Use deadspace and/or have stations shift but alway locatable by those friendly to them.
Just two ideas and by no means perfect or doable on the timescales envisioned. But simply restricting people without in some other way enabling them will not make factional warfare fun for that many people.
Maybe those people who want to have docking rights restricted also want a decent quid pro quo for that in gameplay terms. Really, any kind of restriction has to be balanced by some kind of countering ability.
Cosmo
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