I find this to be an interesting post for a number of reasons. Let's go through it bit by bit.
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: Notice to the community
Having received a few complaints about the ongoing RP in Fortitudine PoB Infocard.
Let's take a look at what that infocard says (I've typed it up character-for-character):
Fortitudine Infocard Wrote:This Point of Business belongs to BMF Breetonia Mining and Fabrication, wich is the player faction for BMM. Fortitudine is the main Hub in Bretonia for Gold refiining and trade.This start of the art instalation also produces food rations. This services are available to all customers 24/7.
Fortitudine is any trader best choice for sourcing lawfully obtined Gold. As the public can see by BMF prices and wages. We at BMF dully respect our workforce and strive to change BMM image of worker abuse.After the Galic War, Bretonia Mining and Fabrication was nationalised by the Crown in order to change the public opinion, among the other advantages it would bring to BMM the introduction of a civilian oversight.
Customers will take note of our small service fees needed to maintain the instalation up and running as well as our crew wages and well being. Port-war the BMF board focused on providing the Bretonian civilians with dignif ying work places and wages that could help bring the population back from the economic caos brought about by theGalic War. Fortitudine stands today as a beacon of Bretonia Mining and Fabrication efforts to change BMM publicimage of worker abuse.
Fortitudine, serving the community since 7-27-2014 (821 A.S.)
I would not advise drawing attention to this infocard in its current state. Base infocards, as with all object infocards outside of Connecticut, are intended to be in-roleplay items, generally representing what someone who can see the base or dock with it can reasonably know or imply about the base in question. Fortitudine's infocard, however, starts off with an ooRP statement -- "Breetonia Mining and Fabrication, wich is the player faction for BMM" (emphasis added). Player factions are an out-of-roleplay concept; within the universe there is no difference between players and NPCs, they're all just human beings trying to survive within Sirius through whatever means. Furthermore, with the recent emergence of GF: as a faction, BMF is no longer "the" BMM player faction, but "a" BMM player faction -- albeit the official one.
Furthermore, one of the largest corporate entities in human history would not make explicit references to accusations of worker abuse levied at them. If they did, they would do so euphemistically. In real life, when large corporations are accused of this sort of thing, they generally ignore it or try to sweep it under the rug somehow, or perhaps pursue gag orders aimed at anyone who tries to file a lawsuit, or find ways to silence those who report on their activities; they certainly don't put a big sign on their big factories that says something like "yes everyone hates us and calls us abusive towards our employees, but we're being nice " -- this is absurd and unrealistic to an utterly extreme degree.
Finally, you close the infocard off with reference to real-life dates and "the community" (another thing that doesn't exist within the roleplay game world). This is not good; you can do better.
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: The main worries revolve around Bretonia Mining and Fabrication's efforts to improve the public perception of how BMM treats its employees.
The BMF Board acknowledges that these inRP claims may be controversial, especially since the BMM worker abuse supports the need for the Molly faction.
If anyone is concerned about this angle of roleplay, it would be because of your conflation of inRP and ooRP motivations. I doubt anyone would dispute that the biggest powertraders on the server are able to treat their members generously (such as by helping set up ships and such), but your faction's frequent inability to distinguish between the game as a meta construct and the roleplay environment has perhaps led to some concerns that BMF's players feel that inRP accusations of being abusive and exploitative are intended as ooRP insults (which they aren't).
It's nice that you've acknowledged a fundamental principle of game design and of storywriting alike (that everyone needs some kind of inherent motivation), in this case the Mollys wanting freedom and humane working conditions vs BMM wanting zero resistance to their ruthless profiteering). I hope that you can thus understand when there is inRP skepticism applied to these claims, and that these claims would be entirely disregarded ooRP (as it is canonical lore that BMM is ruthlessly abusive, and simply claiming otherwise doesn't change that canon).
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: We want to make it clear to the community that the BMF Rps for this will not result in any changes nor we would expect it to.
Simply put, we are roleplaying topic solely for the purpose of roleplaying and nothing more.
We at BMF have been accustomed to roleplaying without tangible rewards for many years, even constructing a shipyard in RP that some of you may recall, among other instances.
We acknowledge and greet our sworn enemies, the Molly pilots, for what is a game without opponents?
Do not worry, we are simply engaging in role-playing for fun and to show the BMF stance, and although we show support for our pilots in space, BMM will continue to be strict with their employees as they have always been.
This is good. You should roleplay for the sake of it, because it is fun, not just to make a mark or just to get something out of it. It's nice to see that your attitude towards your fellow community members playing the part of BMM's adversaries has changed for the better as well.
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: Secondly, something i found really funny, was addressing the complaint that BMF is not the player faction for BMM:
BMF is the sole official faction for the BMM IFF since the previous BMM player faction disbanded.
For approximately 10 years, we have been the only official player faction for BMM that has maintained its official status.
You bear some measure of responsibility for this, given the numerous inRP and ooRP occasions on which you have attempted to distance your player faction from its associated NPC faction in various (often ridiculous) ways.
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: If we were not recognized as BMM regardless of the miles and miles of Roleplay we made until today, well, in this case, yes we will ask for stuff and yes we expect the "doors" to open for us to build our way into existance,
We would pursue a canonization request amongst other things obviously and if anyone deserves it its BMF for sure.
That isn't how this works. Simply posting a lot of AI-generated text, first of all, does not count as roleplay, and second of all does not entitle you to anything at all. What entitles you to consideration of receiving "stuff" of any nature is to do good, extensive, lengthy, well-documented roleplay that demonstrates your commitment to:
- a unique and compelling concept;
- creating fun interactions for the entire community, including your own players, other factions, indies, and your enemies;
- upholding the highest possible standards within the community.
I don't think BMF has shown strong dedication to any of these things (as inflating your members' bank accounts does not count as creating fun interactions for your own players), let alone all of them, and I doubt anyone else within the community who isn't part of your faction (besides perhaps the other notable base-owned players) would disagree. I'm sure you'll take umbrage with this, but ultimately, most of us think our own RP is the shit, which is why we do it instead of something else. It's the opinion of the rest of the community -- and in the case of what you're asking for, the staff team -- which matters.
Furthermore, I must inform you that canonization requests are, as far as I know, no longer a thing. There were a few submitted during my tenure on the staff team and the general response among the team was that regardless of the quality of the requests they had to be denied because the entire faction canonization system was unworkable. If you really want to get your faction canonized, you're going to have to do an utterly extraordinary job of displaying an unshakeable commitment to the three things I listed earlier -- with an especially heavy emphasis on the "unique and compelling concept" bit, something that really and truly demonstrates why it is that BMF not only "should" and "deserves to" be separate from BMM, but why it "needs" to be separate. For your faction's entire history, you've done nothing but play as (I hesitate to say "roleplay as") BMM. This is not fundamentally mod-lore-altering stuff here, folks.
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: Additionally, we have the capability to build our own NPC stations, something most factions can only dream of, provided we receive the necessary permissions from the "Gods" we actualy can and done it,
I'd hope it would be obvious by now that this isn't an inRP forum section. You don't need to use euphemisms like "the Gods", you can just say "the dev team". Also, you don't have the capability to build your own NPC stations unless the dev team (or "Gods" if you truly insist) say that you do. And, in case you haven't noticed, quite literally every faction (besides the Militants I guess for some reason) has NPC stations, so it's clearly not something that "most factions can only dream of" because literally every other faction has already done so multiple times over.
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: Here is our shipyard:
More than a year long project,
Almost every single player faction involved,
THOUSANDS of hours of server activity all around,
Trading, Piracy, all Houses involved because of the origin of the materials chosen.
Lord MacRae Shipyard
(take a good look at how long it took using the timestamps) (if there is the concern of: "this is too long ago" you are a bad joke haha)
Calling people who might levy potential critiques of your extremely ambitious plans for mod development "a bad joke" isn't a good look. Remember that official factions are supposed to uphold a high standard -- preemptively insulting other members of the community because you think they might possibly maybe say something you don't personally want to hear is actively lowering the bar, which is not behavior befitting an OF and certainly not something that paints you in a good light when asking for special considerations like story canonization etc. It's nice that you put so much effort into Lord MacRae Shipyard, though. I mean, I assume you did, I haven't actually clicked the link because all your RP prior to the popularization of LLMs like ChatGPT was incomprehensible and everything since has been nonsensical (like only now realizing the Mollys are terrorists after they've been pirating and bombing you for around a hundred years, or trying to ally with the Corsairs despite being a nationalized Bretonian corporation).
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: If this becomes a reality with our first NPC station we will need an IFF and an ID,
Border Mining Force is a RE-PRIVATIZED Bretonian Mining and Industrial Corporation that aims to forcefully take hold of valuable resource in remote locations.
Without the Bretonia Crown full knoledge, they built remote instalations, specializing in ship and weapons development wich they use maintain secrecy, and outmaneuver its competitors.
They competes with Daumann and the Independent Miners Guild. They partner with Border World Exports and BMM.
This Bretonian Corporate official faction ID is used by Border Mining Force employees, who:
- Can attack Gaians.
- Can engage in piracy against competitors outside of House Space.
- Cannot dock Cruisers inside House Space, except on BMF bases.
- Cannot use Battlecruisers, or Battleships.
- Cannot use ships with more than 4,300 cargo space.
Within Zone of Influence (Bretonia and bordering systems, Omegas, Taus):
- Can attack ships considered hostile by Bretonia or BMF.
- Can attack competitors outside of Bretonia.
- Can engage in piracy against Corporate ships outside of Bretonia.
"Border Mining Force" is a silly name. Any native English speaker can tell you that this sounds unnatural and essentially makes no sense. What do you border on? You clearly aren't bordering on a good name. Furthermore, putting ALL-CAPS in your requested ID is extremely bad form (also your own feedback thread isn't the place to request ID changes anyway, there is a Faction Requests subforum for that).
The fact that your proposed ID is mechanically identical to the BMM ID further underscores just how completely without basis your entire canonization concept is. What makes you different from BMM in any material, practical way if your ID lines and mining bonuses are literally identical to BMM's? Also, this is a point we'll return to later, but why are you suddenly operating behind the Crown's back? Why were you privatized? What benefit does the Crown derive from spinning off a section of BMM's assets into a new entity that isn't beholden to them in any way? I'm pretty sure Queen Carina is still in charge, not Margaret Thatcher.
Finally, I'd highly recommend that you have a native English speaker proofread something as important as an ID request (and to return to an earlier point, your base infocard as well).
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: Ofcourse a new faction needs a new set of objectives that are unique to BMF
I agree wholeheartedly. Let's see what you've suggested:
Secure and maintain control over high-value resource locations, particularly in remote and unregulated areas.
Develop advanced mining technologies to increase efficiency and reduce detection by competitors and authorities.
2-Technological Advancement
Invest in research and development for cutting-edge ship and weapons technology to protect and expand operations.
Establish secret laboratories and manufacturing facilities to innovate without external interference.
3-Strategic Partnerships
Strengthen alliances with Border World Exports (Bowex) and Bretonia Mining and Manufacturing (BMM) to facilitate the transport and sale of mined resources.
Form covert agreements with other factions to gain intelligence and operational support.
Secondary Objectives
1-Operational Secrecy
Enhance security measures to keep remote installations and heavy assets hidden from the Bretonia Crown and rival factions.
Heavy assets classification under test vessels assure deniability.
Employ advanced surveillance and counter-surveillance technologies to protect operations from espionage.
2-Market Influence
Manipulate market conditions to destabilize competitors like Daumann and the Independent Miners Guild (IMG).
Use economic leverage to influence local and regional markets, ensuring favorable conditions for BMF's activities.
3-Expansion and Diversification
Explore and exploit new territories in the Border Worlds to diversify resource acquisition.
Invest in secondary industries such as refining and manufacturing to add value to raw materials and increase profitability.
Tactical Objectives
1-Defensive Capabilities
Develop and deploy a fleet of advanced combat ships to defend resource locations and installations.
Train specialized security forces to handle potential threats and incursions from competitors and authorities.
2-Offensive Operations
Conduct covert operations to sabotage rival mining operations and weaken their market position.
Engage in targeted raids to acquire valuable resources and technology from competitors.
3-Intelligence Gathering
Establish a network of informants and spies within rival factions and regulatory bodies.
Use gathered intelligence to anticipate and counteract moves by competitors and authorities.
Long-Term Objectives
1-Political Influence
Gradually infiltrate political and regulatory bodies to gain influence over mining regulations and policies.
Use political leverage to secure more favorable conditions for BMF's operations and expansion.
2-Sustainability and Environmental Impact
Develop sustainable mining practices to minimize environmental impact and reduce the risk of detection.
Invest in public relations campaigns to improve the faction's image and deflect scrutiny from illicit activities.
3-Technological Dominance
Aim to become the leading developer of mining and military technology in the sector.
Secure patents and intellectual property rights to protect technological advancements and maintain a competitive edge.
By focusing on these objectives, the Border Mining Force can effectively expand its operations, maintain secrecy, and outmaneuver its competitors in the highly competitive mining industry of Bretonia.
None of these would be unique to BMF. In fact, almost all of these are basically the goals of any mining faction, and several are the goals of any faction in general. "Evade detection when possible"? Wow, that's very creative. "Improve efficiency in our primary activities"? I don't know a single faction that doesn't want to be better at what it does (maybe the Farmer's Alliance?). Several of these quote-unquote "objectives" are in fact just the same thing rephrased multiple times in a clear attempt to pad your post out. There are absolutely no specifics given -- what kind of illicit activities do you want to do that are apparently so incredibly important to keep secret? Why do you need to infiltrate regulatory organizations? If you're trying to go for the regulatory capture angle, why do you care about environmental sustainability in the slightest?
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: However, we all understand that these aspirations are often met with a resounding "no" from our "Gods," as BMF we are merely mortals without divine favor hehe.
For those who haven't decided yet, please consider: either we role-play for the joy of it and are allowed to continue in peace, or we role-play with purpose, and when the "Gods" grant us something, you get to continue to voice your concerns about BMF.
Like I already said, this isn't an inRP forum and you can just say "the staff team". But you didn't get to read this post as I was writing it so I guess that's unfair, but I do want to point it out again because it's a really uncanny way to refer to other members of the community. The admins and mods and devs aren't gods at all, actually, they're humans just like you who are volunteering their time and effort to try and make the community a better place and make the mod more fun for us to roleplay and right-click in.
If your aspirations are often met with a resounding "no", then perhaps you should consider why that is. I don't think "divine favor" has much to do with it.
Anyway, we all roleplay for the joy of it (I'd hope), and when other members of the community don't allow us to continue in peace, that's called harassment and should be dealt with via sanction reports. This is not incompatible with roleplaying with purpose, because the mutual enjoyment of ourselves and our RP partners is a purpose -- a very noble one, at that.
Finally, we get to voice our concerns about BMF at any time, actually, because every official faction is required to have a public feedback thread. If you don't like people voicing their concerns, then you're free to drop your OF status and be relieved of the oh-so-burdensome requirement of having a feedback thread.
(08-25-2024, 12:07 AM)Lord Chaos Wrote: Feel free to post or ask directly in game if you have any questions about BMF's role-play. I apologize if my words come across strongly; that is not my intention. I speak from a place of playfulness and joy.
Best regards to everyone, and fly safe!
Dylan Hunt
I'm glad that you wrote this post from a place of playfulness and joy. Seeing lighthearted whimsy in others truly brings a light to my soul, to such a degree that I can't describe it with mere words to you. I hope that you accept this feedback in the spirit it was given. I will freely admit that I've never been the biggest fan of your faction, but I certainly don't want to see you and your people leave the community. Instead, I'd like to see you listen to the concerns expressed by your fellow players and perhaps address them so that you can better contribute to making this an immersive, entertaining, and beautiful roleplaying community, because roleplaying is a magically transformative medium that has the power to change us as human beings for the better like few other things do. In this spirit, I wish you all the best (and I really do hope you consider what I've written).