Poll - What factions do you want Open for Players to play

Question for the Poll: Please choose which factions do you want to see as an Open faction that a player can choose to play within the game from game start. It doesn't matter if you yourself wish to play that faction, but instead which factions do you feel should be available for any player to be able to choose to play if they so wish to choose that faction.

NOTE: The Naval side of the code will not be available, but if it were coded then would you like to see these factions available for Players to play.

• - Imperials
• - Boda Family
• - Getham Family
• - Roder Family
• - Merk Verk
• - SOA
• - Cymru
• - Seeker
• - Buccaneers
• - Banner Religion
• - Gift Religion
• - Ring Religion
• - Order of the Hand Knighthood Religion
• - Heretics
• - Independent
• - Bandits
• - Pirates
• - Blood & Fire Religion
• - Serkeanar Religion
• - The Cult of the Dark One Religion
• - Barbarians (SeaKings)
• - Skelts
• - Guilds
• - Brotherhood (Mob)

It's interesting that I see people wishing to open up factions such as Guilds, Bandits, and Pirates. I would have thought at least those sorts to be NPC. For instance, there's always the classic Heliographer's Guild that needs to remain independent of player control. I would have thought that all the Guilds should be likewise model-controlled.

[quote='Davin' pid='137696' dateline='1581657859']
It's interesting that I see people wishing to open up factions such as Guilds, Bandits, and Pirates.  I would have thought at least those sorts to be NPC.  For instance, there's always the classic Heliographer's Guild that needs to remain independent of player control.  I would have thought that all the Guilds should be likewise model-controlled.
[/quote]

I selected Bandits and Pirates, but think they should just be independent.  An NPC pirate or bandit is just an "independent" clan run as an NPC that has been labeled as a pirate or bandit -- at least as I see it.

I like the idea of playing Guild.  I'm not sure if players should play the Guild senior positions -- at least at the start -- because everyone depends on the Guilds and they would have to be truely neutral.  But it might be fun playing a Guild clan running around defending their interests and building Guild offices and acting as ambassadors for the Guilds.

Oliver

I would like to see the Guild faction defined. I did remember seeing a Guild declared clan once and even saw a Brotherhood clan as well too!

I have given this a lot of thought over the years and have talked to a number of GM's about what skills they might actually have and here is what I have come up with:

Declared Guilds clans skill set:

SHP - Shipwright
SEA - Seamanship
NAV - Navigation
ENG - Engineering
MER- Merchant
ADM - Administration
ORA - Oratory

Now it the skills are what they do for a city basically. They have all the Naval based skills that are for shipyards, the city based skills, as well as Oratory skill which is related to the Helios communication based ability. Basically they are a city based clan, although I think there should be a Blacksmith or Smithy based  skills added as well too. Maybe drop the ADM skill and add a SMH - Smithy skill instead.  Remember they create "Manufactured Goods" that are needed for everything. So maybe their skill set should be:

SHP - Shipwright
SEA - Seamanship
NAV - Navigation
SMH - Smithy
ENG - Engineering
MER- Merchant
ORA - Oratory

Factional benefits:
1) Can make Manufactured Goods from metal.
2) Can build ships from resources.
3) Can make Uniforms/Winter Uniforms from resources.
4) Can support Construction projects, with some mancycles bonus.

Defined like this, I think that it could be fun to play one of these clans.

[quote='Dark Shadows' pid='137712' dateline='1581696009']
I would like to see the Guild faction defined. I did remember seeing a Guild declared clan once and even saw a Brotherhood clan as well too!
[/quote]

That could have been my clan!  I had a Guild clan briefly before that game stopped.  I had so much going on right before the game stopped... I miss this game so much and am happy just being able to talk about it again.

Oliver

LMAO...you were so close to getting Ambushed! I only stopped because I felt better of it and was asked to not attack you.

[quote='Dark Shadows' pid='137735' dateline='1581781907']
LMAO...you were so close to getting Ambushed! I only stopped because I felt better of it and was asked to not attack you.
[/quote]

Thank you!  LOL....

So much was about to happen in Midgard back then before it closed down.  I had just became Blood and Fire senior and had some other clans doing cool things.

Oliver

You know I would like to see the Blood & Fire Religion and the Serkeanar Religion redesign both to be expanded on as far as the Cult of the Dark One has been. Oliver since you were the former B&F #1 can you flush that faction out more for us. I would like to see someone also do the Serkeanar religion as well too.

[quote='TheDarkSide' pid='137740' dateline='1581816799']
You know I would like to see the Blood & Fire Religion and the Serkeanar Religion redesign both to be expanded on as far as the Cult of the Dark One has been. Oliver since you were the former B&F #1 can you flush that faction out more for us. I would like to see someone also do the Serkeanar religion as well too.
[/quote]

Sure.  Not sure playing Blood and Fire is where I'm at now, but I can look it over and share my thoughts.  I think having Blood and Fire and Serk in the game are a good idea.

Oliver

[quote='FutureSojourner' pid='137706' dateline='1581677713']
I selected Bandits and Pirates, but think they should just be independent.  An NPC pirate or bandit is just an "independent" clan run as an NPC that has been labeled as a pirate or bandit -- at least as I see it.
[/quote]

I agree that Bandits and Pirates should be "independent", and they'll show up as Independent on scouting reports.  But I'd like to give them a name to keep them identified in the programming.

I also think they should be NPC-only.  Anybody can act like one if they want to.

[quote='FutureSojourner' pid='137706' dateline='1581677713']
I like the idea of playing Guild.  I'm not sure if players should play the Guild senior positions -- at least at the start -- because everyone depends on the Guilds and they would have to be truely neutral.  But it might be fun playing a Guild clan running around defending their interests and building Guild offices and acting as ambassadors for the Guilds.
[/quote]

I worry about the neutrality aspect of that.  But I don't see any problem with clans running around helping them in any of those ways, and they might even ask for specific help and provide rewards.

[quote='Dark Shadows' pid='137712' dateline='1581696009']
I would like to see the Guild faction defined. I did remember seeing a Guild declared clan once and even saw a Brotherhood clan as well too!
[/quote]

Can you give me specific game reasons why?  What would be the benefit there?

[quote='DreamWeaver' pid='137717' dateline='1581700984']
I have given this a lot of thought over the years and have talked to a number of GM's about what skills they might actually have and here is what I have come up with:
[/quote]

So what do you mean by "skill sets"?  Is that something they get automatically, or a list from which they get to choose to train?

I don't like the idea of the former - it's too much for any given clan/person to have all those skills.

[quote=Davin]
[quote=DreamWeaver]
I have given this a lot of thought over the years and have talked to a number of GM's about what skills they might actually have and here is what I have come up with:
[/quote]

So what do you mean by "skill sets"?  Is that something they get automatically, or a list from which they get to choose to train?

I don't like the idea of the former - it's too much for any given clan/person to have all those skills.
[/quote]
 The "Skill Set" are th set of factional skills that a faction are know to have. Basically in all the other versions of the game when someone spin's up a clan, they start off as a Independent clan and are given (10) Skill points to then choose a set of skills for their clan

Leader:
Follower F1:
Follower F2:
Follower F3:

So then you get to apply what ever skills and up to max level-2 in any skill to add up to a total of (10) points to the clan. Here is a example of what maybe you might do:

LDR: CMD-2, STR-1, SGE-2
  F1: TAC-2
  F2: CTA-1, SCT-1
  F3: SGW-1

Now you choose from a list of skills, then you start the game with some skills. Next you decide to declare for a specific faction, and maybe you then train in some of the factions skills that they are known for. Say the player decided to declare for the Cymru faction, and then they are looking at the following skill set that they can train from:

CMD - Command
STR - Strategy
TAC - Tactics
ORA - Oratory
REC - Recruitment
ENT - Entertainment
PCB - Personal Combat

So then at the players choice maybe they might start training in some of the factional skills that they want to add to their own skill list.  This way no two clans will ever be the same but eventually they will have all of the skills that their declared faction offers but that will take time to pick up all the skills if they wish them.

Ok, fine so far. But I don't see this as doing anything but encouraging specific skills to be learned. Every skill should be available (if training is handy) to everyone in the game. So maybe you could word this as "recommended skills for clans in this faction"?

We can or I can do that, but the practical always works into game play.

Also remember that Zan, and Stephen Wier after him and Andy all were setting up having each character having (10) skills each and as well as also allowing to add other characters to the clan as well (up to 10) followers. Two of my clans had a 4th follower under Zan's game.

I haven't bothered broaching the subject yet, but what would you say to a variable number of potential followers based on your clan size?  As your clan got bigger then you needed (and could get) more followers to help manage it.

[quote='Davin' pid='137830' dateline='1581915945']
I haven't bothered broaching the subject yet, but what would you say to a variable number of potential followers based on your clan size?  As your clan got bigger then you needed (and could get) more followers to help manage it.
[/quote]

I like this idea!  I think three to start is fine, but as a clan grows to have more followers would be helpful.

I agree with what Oliver said above, (3) Followers to start and then as the clan gets bigger then it opens up the possibility to find a new Followers via using Special Actions to look for someone. Note my Cymru clan had a Cult Priest (that allowed my Non-Religious clan) to use the Preach command, and I saw her skills too of PRE - Preach, REC - Recruitment, RES - Research, ENT - Entertainment. My other Cymru clan had a peg leg Pirate (Buccaneer) named Bob that had NTA - Naval Tactics, TAC - Tactics, PCB - Personal Combat and Alchemy.(He knew the secret to Greek Fire, and worked on Explosive Powder ...aka...Gun Powder). I had to look for and find these two NPCs and then recruit them to join my different clans. I was at that time doing that with all my clans at the time the game ended. My Rank -5 Skelt would have been the next clan to get a 4th Follower, the NPC had CMD - Command, TAC - Tactics, SGW Siege Weapon, and SGE - Siege. That clan would have been a awesome combat monster, and it was coming to Midgard to play with the Imperials.

If we can increase the number of followers, then is it necessary to have 3 with such a small starting clan, or will 1 do and you can grow from there as retainers increase?

[quote='Davin' pid='137840' dateline='1582076039']
If we can increase the number of followers, then is it necessary to have 3 with such a small starting clan, or will 1 do and you can grow from there as retainers increase?
[/quote]

If it isn't broke don't fix it.  It has always been 3.

I am sure there was also a Winged Society faction in the version I played in in Australia. Sub-group of Gift religion who did the dirty work, I remember having a faction sheet (wish I still had all those old files)

I played Orthodox Banner last time but would probably just play straight Banner this time so happy you have them on the main list still!

Well, we can have pretty much anything you'd like to add to the list.  But I'd prefer to stay away from sub-groups and minor variants.  I'd rather see that sort of thing done as an accepted clique within the main organization that likes to concentrate on one aspect of their overall purpose/goals.