Attracting trouble / warfare theory crafting

[BenjiMac]

It's well stated that players should not be able to assert enough influence to derail the economy or lock down their own territory (subject to change, presumably). However, this doesn't stop them disrupting the economies of their rivals and engaging in prolonged conflict.

As the largest collection of occasionally attractive but always aptitudinally sub-normal and drunk citizens, with the manliest of leaders, and ample supply of beer and red meats and with the implied introduction of paint schemes, the holders of the yellowiest and blackest of space wreckage..The squadron will attract its fair share of trouble. Everyone wants a pop at the champ as it were.

How do we all think conflict/war will play out in the PU? Will it follow some kind of EVE model or do you envisage something new entirely?

Obviously, instancing will play its part to keep scale down in individual battles but assuming most orgs will have areas of operation, an internal economy and external trade relationships and operational needs - conflict will always be a possibility.

Scott Manley's dramatic reading of the history of the fountain war on youtube inspired me to consider our own future and I'd love to hear your thoughts, expectations, plans and hopes.

 

[supitza]

It's well stated that players should not be able to assert enough influence to derail the economy or lock down their own territory

But we owe it to ourselves to try.

As the largest collection of occasionally attractive but always aptitudinally sub-normal and drunk citizens

That has to be one of the most beautiful things anyone has ever said of TEST.

 

[FluffyVonRage]

All depends on the number of TESTies we can cram into one instance.

I do predict us collectively very much having members griefed specifically because they're a part of TEST - what we'll have to do is educate people as to what happens when you piss in the beer. Having said that, we could also completely eliminate any possibility of this happening through just capping out an instance, or always working in groups.

Looking forward to 3.0 for a definite answer :D

 

[Blind Owl]

Who would ever mess with us? We're the nicest people around.

 

[MikeNificent]

Who would ever mess with us? We're the nicest people around.

Haters gonna hate.

 

[Sportsvee]

TEST is to nice to hate.

If anything we will probably grow even bigger. The A-holes of the verse will likely be the real targets.

Just look at Owl, he's someone only a mother could love.

 

[Pander]

Yeah were gonna take some heat

Its like rebels vs empire in my mind haha

I will make an effort if i'm flying around with YJs to help others and give a good opinion of us

But I can also see yjs acting like fire fighters quelling one thing then moving onto the next plea for help or the next ship from a bad guy org we have to blow up etc it will be constant and it will be fun but dam its gonna be tough!

 

[Sportsvee]

Yeah were gonna take some heat

Its like rebels vs empire in my mind

Gotta love the Empire, creating jobs for people, stability, hygiene, etc.

Not like those smelly rebel scum

 

[FZD]

Eh, I wonder how many people can fit in an instance. If it's equal to or less than 500, we could, relatively easily, just create trade-instances. Just a ton of freight ships flying products around, no escorts, no turret gunners. Just pure profit.
That seems a bit silly tho.

 

[Blind Owl]

Just look at Owl, he's someone only a mother could love.

My mommy loves me? Finally!! Yay!

 

[maynard]

All depends on the number of TESTies we can cram into one instance...Having said that, we could also completely eliminate any possibility of this happening through just capping out an instance, or always working in groups.

Looking forward to 3.0 for a definite answer :smile:

This instancing will be problematical and immersion-breaking.

My guess is that no org will be able to fill more than half the available slots in any one instance, so they can't eliminate the possibility of attack. But that could be easily circumvented by filling an instance with alt characters who are not org members.

The org with the most members will always have an advantage. If org A can fill X number of instances, and org T can fill X+1 instances, org A's infrastructure will be vulnerable in that last instance.

There's a reason Eve Online's sovereignty mechanics, kludgy as they are, exist. They prevent system control ping-pong by requiring concerted effort, sustained over time, to conquer a system.

Will CIG ever deliver game mechanics that allow org vs. org gameplay on an epic scale? I have serious [CONCERN]s.

 

[Han Burgundy]

Specific tactics will depend on how the gameplay mechanics are layed out. One thing we should try to implement as a sort of TESTie code is: You play nice, we play nice. But if you cross us, we will crush you like an insect. You want to trade with my brother? Sure thing. Here's a list of other sellers in our ORG that may also have what you need. If you attack my brother, however, I will burn your village to the ground and destroy everything that you have ever loved.

 

[maynard]

...One thing we should try to implement as a sort of TESTie code is: You play nice, we play nice. But if you cross us, we will crush you like an insect...

haha, I vote for, "Nice system, we'll take it!"

I'm here for the PVP, I'm fine with making enemies

 

[Han Burgundy]

haha, I vote for, "Nice system, we'll take it!"

I'm here for the PVP, I'm fine with making enemies

True, that approach is fun, but if we go too crazy with the whole black flag thing our less PVP friendly members will find themselves being ganked by anyone and everyone for no good reason other than the fact they're with TEST. Making enemies is fine [and fun], but if you're an asshole to EVERYONE for no good reason, it will diminish the enjoyment that non-combat focused TESTies can have. Alliances make things a whole lot funner and more complex than the 'Us VS Them' mentality and I'd hate to see us adopt that. To be honest, I would leave TEST if we became just another pirate org. Black flag has its function for sure, but it can't be our main schtick. We are bigger and better than that.

Just my $0.02

The just need not fear the Care Bear Stare

 

[BenjiMac]

True, that approach is fun, but if we go too crazy with the whole black flag thing our less PVP friendly members will find themselves being ganked by anyone and everyone for no good reason other than the fact they're with TEST. Making enemies is fine [and fun], but if you're an asshole to EVERYONE for no good reason, it will diminish the enjoyment that non-combat focused TESTies can have. Alliances make things a whole lot funner and more complex than the 'Us VS Them' mentality and I'd hate to see us adopt that. To be honest, I would leave TEST if we became just another pirate org. Black flag has its function for sure, but it can't be our main schtick. We are bigger and better than that.

Just my $0.02

The just need not fear the Care Bear Stare

This was actually partially my point, so ita great you raised it directly. a squadron of the size and sheer raw sexiness of this one is going to attract a wide range of people but politically, TEST is a single unit. While we all embrace the truth as espoused by the glorious leader and Im looking forward personally to all the action we can expect to find ourselves in, purely by being a member of TEST there are those who may log in one day to find themselves in a bad neighborhood and flagged for attack just for membership.

Its hard to keep such a big force united but Im sure we'll manage it.

 

[supitza]

If you attack my brother, however, I will burn your village to the ground and destroy everything that you have ever loved.

I like you.

 

[maynard]

...if we go too crazy with the whole black flag thing our less PVP friendly members will find themselves being ganked by anyone and everyone for no good reason other than the fact they're with TEST...

If you haven't earned a bounty by engaging in criminal behavior, you will be safe in policed space. CIG is seriously anti-griefing, they will make effective consequences to protect you there.

Once you leave policed space, no amount of good reputation will make you any safer. There is a reason the NBSI (not blue shoot it) doctrine evolved in Eve Online. When encountering a stranger in unpoliced space, it is safer to get the drop on them than to take the chance that they will get the drop on you.

As I've said elsewhere, an org the size of TEST has no effective means of enforcing any standards of behavior. We're just going to have to live with the consequences the worst of us bring down on the org.

 

[supitza]

When encountering a stranger in unpoliced space, it is safer to get the drop on them than to take the chance that they will get the drop on you.

I like to imagine there will be many spaceships flying around, not engaging each other all the time: traders, scientists, mercenaries etc. If the PU will be like a WoW PVP server (or NBSI), where you get attacked by EVERYTHING that is not your faction, it would kind of break immersion. The PU is supposed to be a realistic, Human vs Vanduul scenario, not a continuous chaotic free-for-all.

 

[maynard]

I like to imagine there will be many spaceships flying around, not engaging each other all the time: traders, scientists, mercenaries etc. If the PU will be like a WoW PVP server (or NBSI), where you get attacked by EVERYTHING that is not your faction, it would kind of break immersion. The PU is supposed to be a realistic, Human vs Vanduul scenario, not a continuous chaotic free-for-all.

Unlawful space is unlawful. How does it break immersion if some random asshat attacks you?

The only sane options when you come across a stranger with offensive capabilities are fight and flight

 

[supitza]

Unlawful space is unlawful. How does it break immersion if some random asshat attacks you?

The only sane options when you come across a stranger with offensive capabilities are fight and flight

I imagine it like an unlawful city IRL, for example. The chances to get mugged in the street are higher, but not every single citizen of that city is a mugger. In unlawful cities IRL, people don't just shoot each other in the streets all the time, nor do they run away from each other on sight.
"I just jumped to a less-policed system. Oh, there's a person! Shoot him. Kill him dead!"