02-11-2020, 09:01 PM
Hmmm... I'm not sure how to explain my reticence. For one thing, I need plenty of (and varied) "bad guys" for everyone to be able to fight against. If they're all PC factions then I have no control over them at all and can't provide you general resistance. This might be fine for "builders" but not so much for players interested in combat.
In addition, if the "bad guys" are NPCs then I can control how tough your opponents are and how widespread they are and how often they appear. As PCs I lose all of that GM control as well. For one thing, there might only be a few such clans on the whole continent, and who would you fight against if they're nowhere near you?
As PC clans, the "bad guys" will be able to set up ambushes guaranteed to wipe out whoever they're gunning for, which wouldn't make that player very happy (especially if he'd been building up the clan for a long time). OTOH, if the "bad guys" were enough of a nuisance, "good" players (or even competing "bad" players) would band together with enough force to guarantee that they'll have a successful wipeout, making it no fun for THAT player.
I'll have to give my feelings more thought to see if I can explain more of them. But for now, think about Midgard game design from a D&D DM's campaign designer's point of view -- how much fun would anybody have if no "monsters" were NPCs and people were personally playing both sides of all encounters? Part of the fun is knowing there are given enemies out there that it's your job to kill and that don't have a personal investment to resent losing.
In addition, if the "bad guys" are NPCs then I can control how tough your opponents are and how widespread they are and how often they appear. As PCs I lose all of that GM control as well. For one thing, there might only be a few such clans on the whole continent, and who would you fight against if they're nowhere near you?
As PC clans, the "bad guys" will be able to set up ambushes guaranteed to wipe out whoever they're gunning for, which wouldn't make that player very happy (especially if he'd been building up the clan for a long time). OTOH, if the "bad guys" were enough of a nuisance, "good" players (or even competing "bad" players) would band together with enough force to guarantee that they'll have a successful wipeout, making it no fun for THAT player.
I'll have to give my feelings more thought to see if I can explain more of them. But for now, think about Midgard game design from a D&D DM's campaign designer's point of view -- how much fun would anybody have if no "monsters" were NPCs and people were personally playing both sides of all encounters? Part of the fun is knowing there are given enemies out there that it's your job to kill and that don't have a personal investment to resent losing.