Poll - How many Clans should players be allowed to have?

[FutureSojourner]

Question for the Poll: How many Clans should players be allowed to play within the game? So far it has been stated that 3 seems to be the core value of clans. It has not been made clear how many clans the GM wants each person to play during the beta-test, but the 3 clan core value has been brought up as the value at game start. Now historically the range in the number of clans has raged from 3 up to 9 clans, and even then I hear that some had even more than 9+. So what is a fair number of clans to allow a player to actually play?  Some might argue allowing someone to play 9+ clan might allow someone to unfairly balance matters within the game. Those with deep pockets could certainly run a lot of clans and that could unfairly unbalance gameplay. The real question is what do each of you feel about this issue.  My advice is for each to take the poll and add a comment on what you think and why. I will start and do this myself after I set up this poll.

During the beta test I expect people to start up, let's call it "numerous" clans.  Let's not go crazy with it but I'd like to test the code in as many ways as possible.  That may mean dropping some of the clans when we go live, but I expect you'll have ideas about how to do that by then.

I'm trying to get rid of the "deep pockets" syndrome altogether by having everyone pay the same amount regardless of how many they run.  I may end up needing to add extra charges for special things like combats or SAs, but we'll see how that works out.

My biggest problem with many clans is the clan-version of "deep pockets", such as how many cooperating clans can you bring to bear on an issue (either reasonably or "unfairly")?  For instance, let's think of an overly-inflated extreme example... if you started 100 clans with 2000 retainers in each one, what could you do against the guys playing only a few clans? Would they resent that sort of heavy-handedness?  Even if it were 6-to-1 (because someone only has time to play one clan), wouldn't the same concept apply?  Yes, you good players wouldn't want to group all your clans together and run around causing mischief, but that doesn't mean some other player wouldn't.  How much can I give away without causing headaches somewhere?

I have no idea what "deep pockets" is... in my world a clan is $5 with three special actions and a city is $5 with three special actions.  I'm used to most of the GM comments on special actions being "Noted and done," and I'm okay with that if I'm doing something like training or another action that doesn't require much of a response.  Paying $5 to input a build order and recruit command with three special actions sounds reasonable -- that is what my usual turns consisted of (building along with special actions).  I was paying close to $100 a month on Midgard.  I may not do that now, but if I have to donate plasma again I would consider it -- if the game was fun and like it was.

A simple disclaimer would seem sufficient -- new clan location is not guaranteed.  A player can request a clan in a specific area but due to game balance and other playability factors, a specific location is not a guarantee.  The seasoned players will understand and anyone trying to drop 100 clans in a location is likely a seasoned player or a friend of one.  Again, I think you are over thinking this.  Pick 3, 6, or 9 and be done with it.

Oliver