A Solution to the Gallic Number Balance Problem

[Druen78]

I don't think it's because Gallia is France. It's the way it has been forced upon Disco: it's a "trauma" that is still affecting the playerbase, seamlessly transmitted from the veterans to the newbies with a generalized distaste towards Gallia because it's Gallia. I dislike it as well, it's no secret. And I'd never fly a character that I don't like playing.

This is the kind of attitude that promotes the binary sort of thinking which is burrowing itself into diplomacy lists across the whole server. There's more than one way to skin a cat, and you don't have to be shooting at the Royal Navy to be undermining their efforts.

And you see, that's part of the problem; a lot of gallic players go on with the "you don't have to hate Gallia at all costs!" thing... but how can you justify not hating an imperialistic dictatorship that attacks and oppresses everyone else without provocation? No personal offense, but it's a bit hypocritical. Of course everyone hates Gallia: Gallia is EVIL. Don't deny it.

[Omi]

This is the kind of attitude that promotes the binary sort of thinking which is burrowing itself into diplomacy lists across the whole server. There's more than one way to skin a cat, and you don't have to be shooting at the Royal Navy to be undermining their efforts.

And you see, that's part of the problem; a lot of gallic players go on with the "you don't have to hate Gallia at all costs!" thing... but how can you justify not hating an imperialistic dictatorship that attacks and oppresses everyone else without provocation? No personal offense, but it's a bit hypocritical. Of course everyone hates Gallia: Gallia is EVIL. Don't deny it.

I don't think you understood what I was going on about at all. Like, even slightly.

I'm saying that I am surprised there aren't more (read: any) factions playing an opportunistic role, kind of like a treacherous version of the Reavers' deal with GRN|. The idea of cosying up to the Gallics with the intention of nicking technology/dragging them into conflicts for your own benefit/etc. is an avenue of RP that hasn't been explored with relation to us at all, to the best of my knowledge.

But then again, if all people can come up with is "we hate Gallia lots so we shoot them as top priority targets" with regards to every-faction-ever's diplomacy, then maybe I shouldn't be surprised at all.

As for a "distaste" towards Gallia; well, that's a problem people have to sort out for themselves. Like it or lump it, though, Gallia looks to be here to stay.

And so what if it attracts the low-rp crowd?

There is lack of interest because no one wants to be France.

No comment.

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[Trogdor]

Well, I mean, low-RP doesn't seem to be an issue anymore, since now we have a faction that can just silently engage anyone they want in many systems.

So that's fine, the guys playing those characters can just as easily make GRNs and scream "FRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANCE!" at the top of their lungs in a frothing rage as they charge into battle.

Edit: The preceding post is only half-serious. But seriously, I think people would be willing to make GRNs, and would put some modicum of effort into roleplaying them, if they were cheap to make and equip.

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[Thexare]

There's more than one way to skin a cat, and you don't have to be shooting at the Royal Navy to be undermining their efforts.

Great! Now tell me one that will actually work. I suspect that you forget that we're not playing EVE, we're not playing X. Freelancer is a simple game, and sabotage efforts only work if we can actually get the faction to play along with it.

Now, yes, this is an RP server. So, I would hope that a decent number of the people that decide to make a Gallic character to take advantage of this would occasionally take the time to read news articles and rumors and get some RP ideas. Assuming the house was developed decently, it shouldn't be that hard. Okay, maybe a few newbies will use it as an excuse to just look for fights, but... well, first off, welcome to war, people are going to get shot at. Secondly, what newbies?! I'm reasonably sure 19 of every 20 people playing, at a low estimate, are veterans.

Of course, from time to time I make the mistake of having too much faith in people.

[Black Widow]

Gallic armor upgrades. A clone of the standard armor upgrades statistically, but at ridiculously low prices, and only usable on Gallic craft.

This, combined with an across-the-board price reduction on Gallic ships and equipment, will mean you can fully arm a GRN, Council, UC, Maquis, etc. fighter for less than one trade run. Bombers? Also cheaper. Caps? Yeah, maybe lower the cost on the GBs and possibly cruisers - that's up to the devs, I don't care either way.

I figure, make the total price of a fighter, armor included, about 1.2mil. Bombers, maybe 4-6mil. Compare that to Sirian fighters in the 15-20m range, bombers around 30mil. The ridiculously low prices may be a better motive for people to start there, as it'll take almost nothing to set them up.

Fact is, it makes sense for almost everyone to hate Gallia. Twisting existing factions into supporting them would be... unpleasant. I recall there being considerable displeasure from the Junkers about that.

Instead, make it easier for GRN to scramble sheer numbers. After all, if it's so cheap a freighter can pay it, why not slap together a GRN Lynx?


Kazinsal informs me that keeping these armor upgrades off Sirian ships is possible, and if nothing else it could be hooked into technerf.

Instead of this why not just move the centre of the starting system from Pennsylvania to a Gallic core system.

So without restarts the default start system for all new players will be Gallia, say Burgundy or something. This will up the generic population in gallia as more newbies that start there given its a new house are likely to evolve within that house as they may be taken by said house and the new ships, tech / traderoutes that gallia has to offer.

Its simple logic really to think that if the default house for all new players is within a Vanilla House (i.e. Pennsylvania in Liberty) then what real impetus is there to go to gallia and lay down roots there? As its so far and you have developed around trade and interaction with players in the Vanilla Houses ie Liberty, Bretonia etc.

You will thus more likely join factions based in these houses as opposed to say a faction based in gallia.

In Freelancer the simple theory applies, Activity breeds Activity. If gallia is busy with traffic from new players as Penn generates now in Liberty then even resident Gallic factions are also more likely to become more active in their own house rather than Leeds being the primary theater of gallic activity.

So yeh make Burgundy / other Gallic system the new Pennsylvania and the rest will be history as they say.

In relation to the OP's point I dont think special price concessions on gallic ships is the way to attract people to gallia as all they will do is buy them and then head to Leeds for LolGankFests. Resulting in Gallia remaining deserted which defeats the original aim of it.

[Pel]

Gallia is a design flaw in SO many ways.

There's no way to fix it unless some dedicated group of players takes it on as a pet project and RPs the crap out of its lore.

Even then, once they are gone, Gallia will lapse back into its Siamese twin role-- attached to Outcast space at the head and Bretonian space at the shoulder. Now it seems to be sharing part of an organ with Kusari.

Gallia duplicates so many things that already exist in Sirius. I agree that money is not really the problem, its the design.

Most of the unlawful factions in Gallia could have been another variant of existing factions. Like the Outcasts could have a more swashbuckling offshoot like the Brigands, with cool new technology. The Corsairs could have a military police force like the Maquis, with some new ships and tech.

Most of the lawful factions in Gallia could be some new mining companies and such within the existing houses (with their own ships). None of this would require new systems-- just new factions within existing systems.

If I had designed a new house like Gallia I would have placed it in some central area like Cassini, Alberta and Ontario. I mean, how much real estate does Gallia need? What are the chances of them finding such a vast new set of systems? In addition, this would increase the chance of people using the systems as a shortcut to established areas.

I would make the GRN fiercely protective, but not so isolationist. That would make them a "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of faction, surrounded by enemies, but without sufficient resources within their domain to just sit around and do nothing (so they have to venture out sometimes). Playing them would be more like playing a Xeno, but better funded.

In the end, if the RP is not based on one of the original FL factions and the original storylines, it has limited viability. No matter how fancy the mod is, new content will fall flat unless it has roots in the tale of Edison Trent and how he saved Sirius from the Nomad invasion.

That is, unless enough players dedicate themselves to breathing life into a new storyline that deviates greatly from the original one. In the original story we are David. In the story of Gallia, we must play Goliath.

That's my two cents.

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[Coin]

Gallia's problems are not going to be solved with cheap armour.

gallias problems are 1. Xoria needs to bribe people to go there 2. the systems are much too large compared with, say, Om7. 3. The hostility of gallia to everything and everyone needs to be dropped down a notch - if you don't have traders coming in, then you have no pirates. if you have no pirates, you have no police. If you have no police, then you haven't got a pool of gallic rp-ers who are fed up with with tiny ships, and so the recruitment pool for the GRN is small.

the real problem is that GRN/GP's hostility towards traders who are on friendly enough terms with the rest of sirius.

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[Rodent]

I strongly oppose this and think it's a trash idea. Since I'm at work...I will go over why exactly I think this as well as issues I have with your perception of Gallia once i'm back home.

[Thexare]

I strongly oppose this and think it's a trash idea.

You want to know what I really think would fix the Gallia problem? Nomad Suncrusher. Discovery would've been better off without Gallia ever being added, but I'm still opposed to most retcons. Thus, solar detonation.

But that would still result in a lot of wasted work, which I'd rather avoid.

Realistically, Gallia's not losing systems, and the ones it has likely won't be shrunk for several years (see also: Newcastle). Gallia's hostility to basically everyone is part of the lore (though the arrogance could be toned down), and won't change quickly either.

I'm trying to come up with something.

Keep that in mind next time you reply to an idea with an insult.

[Rodent]

uOh, was that offensive. My apologies...I'll make sure to use milder words while stating my opinion in the future. But...My opinion is not changed. Let's go over this.

Ship cost in disco has never been a bar when it comes to people making ships. You remember when the capital ship prices were raised to reduce silly capspam. And how that utterly failed? Money is no object in this situation...and your solution will just give a very temporary boost which will fade away quickly.

A far better solution is to generate positive interest in Gallia and get a cadre of people who enjoy roleplaying there...which is what we have been trying and getting results in. You can help by seeing if somone in your groups wants to join grn. I will be happy to answer any questions in that regard.