Faction #16 The Cult of the Dark One

[DreamWeaver]

LOL...very true...I wanted to make them different than the Blood & Fire. To me the B&F are more of a stand up army fighter, where the Cult is a strike from the dark side kinda of faction. Both are evil, it is just the flavor of Evil that is different. Heck the Barbarian's might even be scared of the Cult.

[DreamWeaver]

So Davin to make it clear, your saying that the Cult of the Dark One is locked down as a NPC at game start. I am asking as I have a player that would like to play at least One Cult clan. I ask about this clarification, because it is THAT player that helped me come up with this latest vision of the faction.

[Davin]

I'd need to be convinced that a player should be allowed to play in an "evil" faction.  I'm not saying we won't do it, but just that I'm not in favor of it and need to be convinced of the game need.

[DreamWeaver]

Well it would make a clear enemy of the OTGers, just like the B&F whom are also a "Evil" faction do also do it as well. It is just a different point of view, honestly.

[DreamWeaver]

It also would be a different side of the coin, and would add a lot more color to the game giving other players many more options in which to roleplay. it would add strife and chaos into the game and would make players look over their shoulders and stop taking things for granted.

[Davin]

Let me hit you with this comparison with D&D...  If we have assorted pockets of evil/bad beasties in D&D that players need to contend with, they need to be able to wipe out (or otherwise dispose of) these little bands without dying out themselves, otherwise there wouldn't be any fun in playing for an adventure or two before dying.  Consequently, parties are traditionally more powerful (in one way or another) than the enemies they take on.  If a player decided to play a family of Bugbears (for instance), behaving as Bugbears behave, how long will it be before another party of adventurers comes along to (successfully) kill them and rid the area of their disruptions?

Likewise, let's say there's a group of Bandits (or similar) harassing trade near a city.  The city wants them gone and arranges for one or more clans (PC or NPC) to go get rid of them.  How long is that group going to last?  And if you're actually a player playing that group, how long will you live?  Isn't that going to be really anti-fun?

[Davin]

Well it would make a clear enemy of the OTGers, just like the B&F whom are also a "Evil" faction do also do it as well.  It is just a different point of view, honestly.

But the OTGers will have plenty of religious-based enemies, just not humans.

[Davin]

It also would be a different side of the coin, and would add a lot more color to the game giving other players many more options in which to roleplay. it would add strife and chaos into the game and would make players look over their shoulders and stop taking things for granted.

Granted, it would be more interesting in some ways.  But it will also be more deadly and I don't think there's going to be much interest in signing up to die before getting to play for very long.

[Davin]

FWIW, there's no reason why any clan (especially an Independent) can't run around doing things against the law (such as setting up roadblocks to demand tribute).  But they shouldn't plan on "making a living" entirely from that.  They would soon become too much of a nuisance to the "law-abiding" population and everyone else in the area will be hired or convinced to gang up on them and take them out.

[DreamWeaver]

I was kinda hoping that the really evil factions would be restricted to NPCs, at least early on.  Do you think we really need true evil player factions?

I remember in the early days of D&D players weren't ever permitted to play evil alignments, and for some good reasons.  Later, this was less restrictive, but I've never seen an evil player party work out very well in D&D.

I believe the feeling is that it is just 'perspective'. The Cult would add a real fear aspect into the game as players would not know if they were being 'watched' or not. Now I am just speaking out for this player 'TheDarkSide', whom just created his account today. You know the way this boards Admins work, he will be lucky if his account becomes active in 2.5 weeks plus. Just like 'Bonecrusher' sits in Limbo, awaiting his Activation Email to show up as well too!

Maybe what you do Davin is let the player play a Beta-Test Cult declared clan and see what happens. Maybe you will see how the Boogie-Men can be played in the game to scare the pants off of others in the game. Fear does make for a rather good plot line at times. Give the player a chance to give it a try and see what developes. Maybe he might surprise you.

So what will the fate of both the Blood & Fire, and Serkeanar? Will they also be locked down as NPC's as well too?