House Sharboneth Faction Discussion

[Random_White_Guy]

Retainers serve for the cause, not for the coin.

That's why they've got more status, I'd assume

[erglion]

I think those are some very nice ideas. Thanks for sharing them with the playerbase and asking for feedback.

As I know from other factions, having many ranks and divisions makes it even more important for them to be well populated by PCs.  

I think the medal system is a good way to motivate players to achieve.  On one hand I wonder if there is anything more that can get players motivated to join, on the other I can barely count all the perks already in place.

I encourage people to join the DM factions.

[VanillaPudding]

Retainers not being payed is stupid. They officially work for the house and should get paid for it. I previously played a 'retainer' that was 100% not an armsman and I got paid, assuming I decided to wear the clothing that made no sense. Either way, if you're going to put these things in as applications, they deserve rewards other than some title that is hardly respected because of the factions nature.

[core]

Retainers not being payed is stupid. They officially work for the house and should get paid for it. I previously played a 'retainer' that was 100% not an armsman and I got paid, assuming I decided to wear the clothing that made no sense. Either way, if you're going to put these things in as applications, they deserve rewards other than some title that is hardly respected because of the factions nature.

I really don't think that it is stupid at all! Quite a few factions receive no salary - I would imagine that Retainers would receive some sort of tithe or commission for good works that they do for the House, yet they are 'employed' as such.

[Caddies]

I am guessing the DMs envision Retainers to actually work for the House out of a sense of loyalty to their liegelord (being Alemander, in this case)- which is, for me at least, a sweet concept. Personally, if you're only applying for a faction because you get a salary, or if getting one is so important that you consider applying 'not worth it' if you don't, you probably shouldn't be applying in the first place.

Either way, I highly doubt Retainers won't get renumerated for excellent service to the House anyway; but rather than being mere gold pieces, I assume their rewards might be of a nature suited to the reason they serve in the first place; things like marriages into the noble family, holdings, titles, status, etc.

The more traditionally medieval it gets, the better!

[artfuldodger99]

I think the faction looks excellent i like the medal system and weaknesses that PC's can seek to address.
 
I also like the fact that there is a difference between the various armsmen and the Retainers. The slight differences between how these two gives lots of potential rivalry. Retainers being politically motivated and ambitious (but not paid), getting their position by luck or status (app) and the Armsmen, stoic and hard working and making their way up from the bottom.

[The Beggar]

I love the more political, actual-noble house feel this gives! Medals, titles, earning the prestige of your Lord! It feels very actual-fantasy, and as amazing as the Watch was, it makes them look stunningly modern to me!

Medals and the long term process of advancement promotes the holding of long term characters, which in turn promotes the faction and drives inter faction conflict. -ANYTHING THAT PROMOTES FACTION GOWTH, FACTION LONGEVITY, AND CHARACTER LONGEVITY IS L33T.-

[Howlando]

First off, discount any previous experience you may have had, it isn't particularly relevant to what we're moving towards.

The reason "Retainers" don't get paid is because it is a more prestigious position than starting off as an Armsman. If you apply to be a "Retainer" and get inducted, you start off as higher ranking than all the grunt soldiers/guards. Instead of being expected to focus on issues like civil defense/law enforcement (which can be expensive), the idea is that you're sort of an agent of the House that's expected to act more independently to pursue the House's agenda.

Trade-offs are important. If you succeed as a Retainer, demonstrating the initiative/independence that is desired from the position, then you can become a Master Retainer and start to receive a salary.

[Dr Dragon]

Outranking literally tons/most pcs is a big deal as well as representing the house. Im sure their will be rewards here and their if you do well!

[Letsplayforfun]

I'm not sure if that's on topic, but the Sharb. faction isn't appealling to me at all, because it's neutral, and therefore seems to draw "everyone" and it's contrary, making it confused on it's goals - apart from the law enforcement which is pretty clear.

And since i can't imagine a LG working for a house that supports lots of bad things, so it only seems natural that the only people attracted to the house are neutral or evil (LN, N, NE, basically). That's why i guess there's more 'corrupt' people and less people to counter balance those.

What i would like to see is a Noble House that has a clear opinion on religions, a clear opinion on "what land are we going to submit now?", a clear goal on "what are we building next in the colony?", a clear taxing system that will piss off people, and so on, a clear list of restricted items (to promote smugglers, for ex.). I don't see it, though i admit i don't look very close.

[Anonymous Bosch]

In ye olden times, junior officers were often paid less than the enlisted men as a method of keeping the great unwashed out of the officer class.
The logic applies nicely to retainers!
None of that meritocracy palaver.

[BoganOverlord]

And since i can't imagine a LG working for a house that supports lots of bad things, so it only seems natural that the only people attracted to the house are neutral or evil (LN, N, NE, basically). That's why i guess there's more 'corrupt' people and less people to counter balance those.

What i would like to see is a Noble House that has a clear opinion on religions, a clear opinion on "what land are we going to submit now?", a clear goal on "what are we building next in the colony?", a clear taxing system that will piss off people, and so on, a clear list of restricted items (to promote smugglers, for ex.). I don't see it, though i admit i don't look very close.

There have been a handful of successful non-evil PCs since the house really became a faction, and I'd like to see more.  This sort of mix keeps the intra conflict high, and can lead to some very cool stuff that was outlined earlier.  

As for the second part, I'm pretty sure that the House has all of that, except maybe the clear stance on religion.  Even that is pretty much a vague 'whatever promotes the will of the Governor is good kind of thing, but I wouldn't mind seeing some cool priests try to make their faith the only legal one on the colony with Sharboneth's blessing.  I'm fairly sure there is a tax system of some kind in place, and it's only a matter of rolling up a PC and making that into law.

[IxTheSpeedy]

Letsplayforfun, I don't think of House Sharboneth as Nuetral as much as really really lawful.  In my mind the ultimate lawful alignment is Lawful Nuetral, all that matters is law, the good or evil implications aren't as important as maintaining order and ensuring the populace are also protected by the laws already in place.

[Ebok]

Sharboneth really comes across to me as twisted and evil all the way up the ladder, but that's just me.

The Watch on efu rocked because they held an indisputable importance to the city. Sharboneths look more like rich tools that just so happened to have bought this dump and everyone in it.

What needs to be seen is, What does this faction stand against? What issues does it have with the other factions? (within the watch it was a constant battle against seekers and spellguards or with one or the other, and allot of the awesome came from changing tides. But you could see these tides from outside the faction!) You knew the watch had to protect against the big baiddies that surrounded the city. You knew that there were people inside and people outside that were wanting to damage the city in some regard, these required finding. Criminals were not rare becuase half the server (literally) was entirely against this faction. Lower and the Watch created allot of storied that I'm sure the DM team is more yawn about. But which wouldve sucked without.

Here, the DM information basically says Sharbs suck on their own, they rely on the other two DM factions. We dont really see why. Sure joining it might reveal more, but that hardly attracts people to interact with them. Or more importantly, against them.

If Sharbs need both the Armada and the Order, then they cannot really provoke conflict with either. Leaving the factions of "opposition" to be nearly entirely Player concepts. Three DM factions against a player? I mean, why?