Posts: 3,332
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Joined: May 2012
Staff roles: Balance Dev
(01-02-2014, 10:32 PM)Mímir Wrote: You could ask indies what would make them join a faction rather than speculate about it. Just a thought.
The problem is that official factions can't offer anything substantial over indie factions. They're expected to uphold roleplay standards, and as such have to be somewhat restrictive in what a member can and can't do - indies can do whatever the [censored] they like. In a sense, joining an official faction means limiting your own freedom.
There's just so much more you can do as an indie. You can dock on Junker bases as a Rogue escaping the cops without causing the Congress any real diplomatic issues as they can just shrug it off as "Well, indies can't be controlled". The other way around: if you, as a random independent Junker, smuggle Cardamine and get caught? No big deal. A personal FR5 at the very worst, and that's still probably not gonna happen. The Congress, however, would have to talk its way out as the repercussions could be severe for them if they ever get caught.
I'm sure anyone can come up with plenty more examples.
All an official faction can hope to offer is what any faction should offer: a bunch of players with similar interests to fly with. However, official status doesn't help at all there.
I honestly didn't expected to see any admin posting here because it's how the things usually work.
So, maybe we'll even see the administration team\development group's opinion on the matter and, maybe, if the starts are in correct places on the night sky, we'll hear out what is the general development line, plans, vector of server's evolution. Doubtfully.
I'd hear this out, really. At least about the things our great pastors see being in need of correction, fixing, changing. Where we are going?
Or maybe we're wrong if waiting for a good change?
(01-02-2014, 10:48 PM)Dacul Wrote: At the beginning of this discussion people suggested that disco is dying slowly because there's nothing new to the game. Partially, they are right. However, PoBs are new things but they're not enough, it seems. So, I have a suggestion: start working with a dynamic lore (something like Clan Wars in World of Tanks). Territorial battles and all kinds of events moderated by a team of admins and where only the official factions can take part.
Organize them daily, or at least every weekend and you'll give people something to play for (except grinding credits for the next battleship or carrying supplies to their station). And make the results visible to everyone as in game news and forum announcements. You can even make a map to show the modifications. "This week, Gallic forces were defeated in Manchester and the eastern part of the system was secured. Grids # # # and # now belong to the Liberty Navy."
this is a genius idea.
seriously, dynamic stuff like this would be great. it would not only lend the perfect opportunity for factions, but would freshen up and dynamize the lore.
(01-02-2014, 10:32 PM)Mímir Wrote: You could ask indies what would make them join a faction rather than speculate about it. Just a thought.
I'm actually planning to do this, hopefully I can publish the results later today.
Please do. Personally, I'm very interested in helping out official factions in a way that doesn't alienate indie players.
It can be interesting. But...
I don´t want to be rude, but don´t you think that effort to doesn't alienate the indies brought us where we are now? That officials have problem to keep five active players? That 80 % of online players in the evening are indies? And seriously, how much factions have more than TEN active players. ..:J:.., IMG, GMG...maybe two or three more?
For example I personally don´t propose some strict restriction like "allow indies just HF, light bombers and freighters". But imagine that for example indies of trader corps would have maximum of 1 000 cargo units less than officials. That makes 4 000 cargo units for most of them. Is that really hard hit for indie players? Even Junker and IMG ID have just little more maximum at the moment.
So indies could have ALMOST same gear like officials. But I bet that lot of them would want to join official factions after some time on server just to be able fly the most shiny (or in this case the biggest) ships, despite the difference in cargo space would not be big.
As was said. Officials need something special, something what will attract players, so they will want join official factions themself.
Cant Admins clean this up so it is what its intended to be
A faction reminder.
And not a discussion tread of every thing Else, This is a Official Faction request
I am not a native English Speaker, so i make grammar errors.
But it annoys me when people make silly comments about that... especially brits who for the most part can't speak their own language let alone anyone elses!
(01-02-2014, 11:28 PM)roadrunner Wrote: Cant Admins clean this up so it is what its intended to be
A faction reminder.
And not a discussion tread of every thing Else, This is a Official Faction request
This thread began with Inactive factions and has naturally evolved into a discussion on how to, not only help official factions remain official, but to thrive.