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Non-PK conflict idea.
I've been thinking, and had this crazy idea. I don't know that it'll ever be implemented or if any of you even agree with it. But I'll post it because I'm a sad panda today and need to feel productive.
What if Aetolia had a form of conflict that was -not- based on PK. (example: lusternia peaceful village revolts) Something happens, requires attention, you go and do some peaceful (or at least not violent?) things to win it over. Heck, let's say it's a damned chess tournament for the favor of a village or for some benefit. Heck, make it about ylem. A group of alien leprechauns invade Sapience and you have to go complete a series of checkers games against them for the ylem they have in their backpacks. Something. Anything.
Here's the kicker. Participating in that will give you some kind of flag that lasts, say, two hours, three, whatever. With that flag, you get booted out of unstable areas instantly, just like newbie areas once you're past level 30. Then put them on a timer just like lesser foci, every couple of hours or whatever it is. You could also give people that gain ylem aura from a foci unable to participate in those areas too, for reciprocity.
What this does:
- makes people choose between a non violent form of conflict or a violent one
- forces each form of conflict into smaller numbers (I think we all agree 10v10 is not fun)
- gives 'noncombatants' a viable and productive way to earn city points for favors/gold/credits outside of minor hunting, lessers, and like.. donating a craft item or what have you.
- the flag would only last for as long as it would take for the next type of conflict to kick off, so you would not be forced into one type for extended periods of time. You could still do both, just not back to back.
I'm sure there are flaws here. I'm just trying to come up with something we can do. Because this:
http://pastebin.com/f2yFcWX7
This makes me sad face.
What if Aetolia had a form of conflict that was -not- based on PK. (example: lusternia peaceful village revolts) Something happens, requires attention, you go and do some peaceful (or at least not violent?) things to win it over. Heck, let's say it's a damned chess tournament for the favor of a village or for some benefit. Heck, make it about ylem. A group of alien leprechauns invade Sapience and you have to go complete a series of checkers games against them for the ylem they have in their backpacks. Something. Anything.
Here's the kicker. Participating in that will give you some kind of flag that lasts, say, two hours, three, whatever. With that flag, you get booted out of unstable areas instantly, just like newbie areas once you're past level 30. Then put them on a timer just like lesser foci, every couple of hours or whatever it is. You could also give people that gain ylem aura from a foci unable to participate in those areas too, for reciprocity.
What this does:
- makes people choose between a non violent form of conflict or a violent one
- forces each form of conflict into smaller numbers (I think we all agree 10v10 is not fun)
- gives 'noncombatants' a viable and productive way to earn city points for favors/gold/credits outside of minor hunting, lessers, and like.. donating a craft item or what have you.
- the flag would only last for as long as it would take for the next type of conflict to kick off, so you would not be forced into one type for extended periods of time. You could still do both, just not back to back.
I'm sure there are flaws here. I'm just trying to come up with something we can do. Because this:
http://pastebin.com/f2yFcWX7
This makes me sad face.
7
Comments
Maybe, @aishia, but that would be on the creators to ensure that this secondary option is equally valuable to cities. That's why I said make it about ylem, so there isn't any looking down on people for taking that option. They're still ICly doing a great service to their city. Worst case, you reduce lessers to the purists who really are only in it for the PK, you know?
Most of the people that go to lessers (most, I say) do it because they're interested in fighting. There are quite a few that don't participate that likely would go to something more peaceful. I know that the shadow tether just has more people overall, but I think the ratio of participants vs nonparticipants is better there. I could be wrong on that, I suppose. So if 5 or 6 people from lifer side go to this other option it forces (in theory anyway) shadow side to pull resources (people) to meet them or lose whatever benefit/perk/reward it is. I have to assume at least a couple of them will come out of the pool that they draw from for lessers.
I could be wrong about all of it, though. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.
I believe I wrote something about people 'preaching' to the villagers and if enough were swayed, there would be a revolution of some kind and they might switch loyalties. If people from the protecting city were to attack denizens in their area, the general level of loyalty towards them would be lowered, making it easier to sway the population.
It would also open up for Admin to run smaller events with negotiations.
While some mechanics for producing stuff for your city make you open-pk while you are doing them (minors) I think I've only ever had a fight, personally, develop from that activity like twice.
Regular starfalls where the city that collected the most meteorites total could use them to buy/build some perk or get some kind of payout would be an interesting and easy way to make something absolutely anybody could help with that didn't require combat.
I suppose I can understand why some would want pk-free events and things like lessers to be mutually exclusive, but I don't agree that it would be super beneficial. People often tell me that lessers aren't really the largest ylem producing activities anyways, so I think this would feel super restrictive based on an entirely OOC principle. Additionally, people often look at combat and try to split everybody into two groups, combatants and non-coms, when really it's not that binary a thing. Some people absolutely like to do both sorts of activity, and it would feel a little hacked to say you couldn't play a game of checkers or whatever because you went to a lesser in the last 24 hours.
Rawr
I don't care if you have to play capture the flag or bait the frog or have a drinking contest with the above mentioned alien leprechaun. :P Ah, well. It was just an idea anyway.
The reason the statistics are making Rashar a very sad man is that Lessers are the main place for people to fight (if you're not in the Sect), making everyone rush in there in the hopes of grabbing some of their own. It's not easy, nor is it fair, to tell people "No, you can't come" and it's kind of annoying to be one of those people who sit out an opportunity to fight and learn because you want to try and even the numbers.
We had a trip down nostalgia lane on one of the clans just the other day and it made me remember there being far more opportunities for personal conflicts without it being necessarily griefing back in the day, but then there are always the trolls who wreck things like that for everyone else. I think the main thing to keep in mind is to attempt to be respectful OOCly towards other players. If you want some RPK and the other part says no, then stop and move on unless they do really stupid things (at which point you, or someone else, might have to have a word with them about their actions in a civil tone). Sure, you might not like someone else OOCly, we don't all get along in the world, but most of us are grown-ups so it should be possible to show respect.
Also, it's at least a good idea to keep sharing ideas on what to do to improve things.
Fighters try to hold/take the gates, while non-pk players use some sort of resource gathering to help strengthen the offense or defense of their respective sides. This allows everyone to engage in the instance. I think the ideas from everyone above certainly warrant some merit and consideration,
That runs the risk of an equilibrium where each side dominates at a respective, e.g. darkies dominate lessers, lifers dominate the non-pk option. If that happens, then there would be zero conflict, as each side occupies their niche.
As is, even though one might assume that the lifer side has more non-coms, we should also bear in mind that the darkie side has its fair share of non-coms too who would jump in if given the chance. Especially from Spinesreach. I'm sure there's a boatload from there.
Some of us who are into the PK scene might end up being absolute shite at the non-PK option, and leaving us out would skew the balance even more.
I'd suggest leaving it open to all first, and see what the demographics are actually like before deciding a hard limit like that is needed.
Otherwise, yes. We absolutely need a non-PK option of conflict.