02-13-2020, 03:44 PM
(02-11-2020, 09:01 PM)Davin Wrote: 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.
Some thoughts...
Regarding "I need plenty of (and varied) "bad guys" for everyone to be able to fight against....
No, not really. I don't want to play D&D. I want to play Midgard. A game I still think about. The beauty of Midgard, for me, was the political power-gaming. The networking with other factions. If I'm a city leader and I keep getting harassed by NPCs I'm not going to have a lot of fun because I'm not playing Midgard so I can go out on "quests" against "bad guys." I have fun building, networking with other factional leaders, working on alliances. I also enjoyed doing unusual things through special actions and getting to know the nuances of a city. I tended to be an urban player and liked building up cities.
Another reason why I don't want to play D&D is that it is a polarizing game with clearly defined good and evil (and several shades of it in between Lawful Good and Chaotic Evil). I don't think reality is so polarized and I have enjoyed playing nuanced clans/characters in games. For example, in the MMO Star Wars the Old Republic, my main character since 2011 is a Light Side Sith Lord. I also have a "dark side" Jedi. I think it would be fun to play a Cult of the Dark One clan that publically is the philanthropist of a city. Helping others and well known and loved, while secretly building up the Cults interests. His motivations could be different from others in the faction, but it could be fun to play. Not every clan/position needs to be a caricature of what their faction stands for -- i.e., all Cult clans dress gothic and brooding.
Ultimately, I think it is important to recognize that people will play Midgard for different reasons and try to make sure you have elements of the game for everyone to latch onto. I'm not saying there should never be "bad guys" for "good guys" to fight. But for me, not my preferred cup of tea.
Oliver