Focus!

[The Old Hack]

Umm, what about us square pegs that don't seem to fit into any of the round factions? Is it OK if we merely determinedly hang onto some big faction and do the best we can to act as a sort of auxiliary to it? :?

I have to agree with the original post here. When you're playing a PC that's in the middle of the action, and is trying to push forward your faction's goals, it becomes very difficult when you've got to fight so many at once.

Especially when in a faction that seems hellbent on making as many enemies as it possibly can! :shock:

[Garem]

That happens. Having known your current character on a few different characters, you're essentially a de facto member of the group you most highly associate with.

They may not consider it.
Your character may not even think so.
You're also denying yourself some of the benefits of being within a faction!

I don't think the point of this thread, or the additional points derived from it, necessarily mean that every character should be a uniformed faction member. Hell, that's more like a red vs. blue arena server, not EfU.

[Drakill Tannan]

Umm, what about us square pegs that don't seem to fit into any of the round factions? Is it OK if we merely determinedly hang onto some big faction and do the best we can to act as a sort of auxiliary to it? :?



Especially when in a faction that seems hellbent on making as many enemies as it possibly can! :shock:

Why make square pegs that don't fit?

The most fun characters i've had were made specifically to join a specific faction since the begining.

[The Old Hack]

Why make square pegs that don't fit?

I don't know. I just seem to manage again and again. Solace tried to join the Sons but was rejected. I then moved to the Dominion, and since I like to play mages, my mage characters can't join the Armada. I suppose I could try for the Conclave, but at least my current character has her loyalty full with the Duke and distrusts the Conclave. Even if the Order was an option, they won't accept nonhumans. (I guess I could try Belkar's trick with a pair of stilts and a very long coat, but I can't really see the Order buying that one.) I don't feel like breaking loyalty to run with the Wildfolk, either. That leaves me sort of without any DM faction to join I can think of.

...maybe it is just me who is the square peg. :(

[BeteNoire]

I'll take up my typical role here and say the following -

Four major factions, including the Conclave/Stygians/Sons/Order all of whom could use more members.

What are these factions actually doing besides providing faction loot? Sure, they are a stepping stone for your PC in a way, but they each seem to have no true agenda, have developed odd truces, and are impossible to fight against. (A PC / PC faction cannot replace these, thus they are eventually immune to our assault....(that's not really bad, but you know, they can't be influenced very much)) <-- like math

The Stygians have been heavily wounded by a loss of their core behavior I think, lacking the lawfulness that they once had and even the mercenary feel has faded, and the hatred for magic has especially been lost.

The Docks appear to have never lived up to their conceptual design, The primary faction here was basically removed of a tangible influence (although they like to arrive by magical boat if you oppose a member), and the other gangs are idle flavor NPCs.

The Conclave has apparently taken it upon themselves to be one of the largest annoyances since it's arrival (possibly similar to myself) and thrusts it's bit of power directly in-between everyone else's business without actually having a noticeable agenda, or for that matter, finish it's birthing plot. To a player like myself they appear to be nothing more than a control against the inevitable defeat that a faction would face in a two-faced war (See, Ixpadia vs the colony) and do far more as an OOC tool for NPC behavior than they do as an actual IC faction.

Perhaps it is only me, but I believe that things have simply become too separated in terms of interaction with four primary factions and a majority of those being forced into regulated treaties and truces.  

A vibrant community of PCs that dwell in the wilderness.

Reactive and aged characters that have not been a threat or imposing force in a long time. They lack interaction with a large majority of the server after being spoon-fed level gathering quests and more to level 7, and typically can pick and choose 100% of their battles due to massive stealth.

Oddly enough, this is one of the areas of the server that has lore that truly interests me but I've never been able to put myself within it because I find their reactive nature overly dull.

A necromantic cabal that recently succeeded in animating the bones of a wyvern into a powerful undead.

An interesting concept that people should be joining I think.

An aberrant group.

While this is one of the few 'factions' that has tangible evidence of it's existence, what are they even doing? The primary influence is rather inactive, and in their own words, semi-NPC. Their agenda remained almost completely secret until they were very powerful, and now it wishes more people to join after some purple tendril's arrived all around the module.

A cult dedicated to the release of H'Bala.

Common enough, and I do hope that someone eventually succeeds.

A dwarven/gnomish alliance.

Beaten and battered lately, but that leaves a great opening for a new style within the same faction. There are many types of leaders and many dogmas even within a minority race's pantheon to spring this back to life in the near future.

A group dedicated to championing the cause of good.

Good is the black sheep of EFUA, a force that is pressured into being reactive against the biggest and baddest PCs that show up now and then while remaining influential and entertaining in the many days in between the next big bad ass who, rightfully so in my opinion, is often far more powerful and crushing than any single one of these people. Good is simply harder to play and harder to make interesting as it almost completely requires a big proactive evil player to fight against, and then also requires them not to be curb-stomped within seconds by that powerful foe.

In the words of countless DMs, reactive is dull and dull will see little loot or reward, and good is at it's best, reactive.


(All opinions are either from a devil's advocate standpoint or from my own little perspective, no offense should be taken ;)  )

[Nightshadow]

What BeteNoire said.

Join the Cabal, we've got a Wyvernlich. :)

[Wildlings]

They lack interaction with a large majority of the server after being spoon-fed level gathering quests and more to level 7, and typically can pick and choose 100% of their battles due to massive stealth.

You would be suprised the number that don't have stealth.  (Cleric in the wilds.. nope no stealth there.) And making it to level 7 in the wilds is not an easy thing.. just leaving your home you can be eaten by any number of thing.

[Howlando]

I wasn't really interested in starting a discussion about the factions or their dynamics, but rather simply suggesting that players would find more satisfaction (particularly with limited play-time) in seeking involvement (of any kind of another) with existing groups rather than trying to begin new ones.

The Stygians have been heavily wounded by a loss of their core behavior I think, lacking the lawfulness that they once had and even the mercenary feel has faded, and the hatred for magic has especially been lost.

Their state of decline (I think that's fair to say), although true, nevertheless presents interesting opportunities. Perhaps a Stygian who wishes to return the corps to its former vigorously honorable ways, or some amoral brute taking advantage of its weakened state to enrich himself? Regardless of what kind of Stygian concept you go for, it makes the faction as a whole more fun and interesting when there's a dynamic within the group itself.

And of course they still have lots of things to do, what with the vast number of enemies and potential threats.

The Docks appear to have never lived up to their conceptual design, The primary faction here was basically removed of a tangible influence (although they like to arrive by magical boat if you oppose a member), and the other gangs are idle flavor NPCs.

The Sons aren't as overwhelming a force as they used to be, but still provide a degree of shelter for the dynamic/atmosphere of the Docks which nurtures plenty of interesting concepts.

The Conclave has apparently taken it upon themselves to be one of the largest annoyances since it's arrival (possibly similar to myself) and thrusts it's bit of power directly in-between everyone else's business without actually having a noticeable agenda, or for that matter, finish it's birthing plot. To a player like myself they appear to be nothing more than a control against the inevitable defeat that a faction would face in a two-faced war (See, Ixpadia vs the colony) and do far more as an OOC tool for NPC behavior than they do as an actual IC faction.

Well, maintaining an uneasy Truce seems a lot more interesting to me, providing more opportunities for prolonged conflict, rather than a war that would be over in a week.

I will agree that the Conclave mostly exists to support its membership of interesting arcanists. Playing an independently ambitious Wizard or Sorcerer who also happens to be involved in the faction and take advantage of its resources seems key.

Various plots around it continue to progress.

Perhaps it is only me, but I believe that things have simply become too separated in terms of interaction with four primary factions and a majority of those being forced into regulated treaties and truces.  

There's more opportunity for interaction with complicated truces than there would be with kill-on-sight. A week-long PvP fest war would be settled either by whichever side happens to be the strongest at that particular moment of time, or by NPCs - neither seem ideal.

Reactive and aged characters that have not been a threat or imposing force in a long time. They lack interaction with a large majority of the server after being spoon-fed level gathering quests and more to level 7, and typically can pick and choose 100% of their battles due to massive stealth.

I think your analysis there is pretty much all wrong. The fixation on the gathering quests seems particularly odd!

An interesting concept that people should be joining I think.

Indeed.

While this is one of the few 'factions' that has tangible evidence of it's existence, what are they even doing? The primary influence is rather inactive, and in their own words, semi-NPC. Their agenda remained almost completely secret until they were very powerful, and now it wishes more people to join after some purple tendril's arrived all around the module.

If you're interested in the theme, or getting involved in a story-based Johannes plot, then a player can seek involvement in some capacity (either in opposition or alliance, or somewhere between the two). If not, then don't. I won't spoil things here though.

Common enough, and I do hope that someone eventually succeeds.

When it happens, it will be because of player effort.

Beaten and battered lately, but that leaves a great opening for a new style within the same faction. There are many types of leaders and many dogmas even within a minority race's pantheon to spring this back to life in the near future.

Often race-based groups don't seem to go over very well to me, but I think the Golden Alliance has been pretty interesting and played an intriguing role in a lot of plots over the past months. I definitely would like to see it to continue to attract player interest.

Good is the black sheep of EFUA, a force that is pressured into being reactive against the biggest and baddest PCs that show up now and then while remaining influential and entertaining in the many days in between the next big bad ass who, rightfully so in my opinion, is often far more powerful and crushing than any single one of these people. Good is simply harder to play and harder to make interesting as it almost completely requires a big proactive evil player to fight against, and then also requires them not to be curb-stomped within seconds by that powerful foe.

In the words of countless DMs, reactive is dull and dull will see little loot or reward, and good is at it's best, reactive.

I disagree pretty strongly here. Good is by no means necessarily reactive. It can (and does) go far beyond, "identify big PC evil, fight them."

It's important to understand EfU as something more than a fast-paced pvp/arena server with a veneer of RP on top.

[Garem]

On the subject of the Golden Alliance...

Beaten and battered lately, but that leaves a great opening for a new style within the same faction. There are many types of leaders and many dogmas even within a minority race's pantheon to spring this back to life in the near future.

Oh, you know it, babe. =)

Oh, and on the NPC Sons- just because you don't see them doesn't mean they aren't there. I'm going to butcher this quote, but inexistent proof is not proof of inexistence. When they appear, unless specifically stated otherwise, they are not just created with a flash of DM magic because they want to. They are still around. Or you can maintain your position that the DMs are intentionally metagaming. Not to say they don't, or can't. >.>