Armada needs help, and distinctiveness

[Nihm]

They're supposed to be elite mercenaries, but are actually a laughingstock that has a long, long run of nearly unbroken pvp losses against everyone.
 
They're supposed to dislike magic but rely more on buffs than anyone.
 
At any given time over half of the server's pcs are opposed to them in some way - nature, order, docks.  The initial arrests always result in some stocks time or fines which is intended only to encourage people to come back against them in the future.
 
Therefore I think it would be good to actually make them superior in close combat the way their organization is supposed to be, but actually isn't as things are now.
 
As a Stygian pc progresses in levels, or undertakes further challenges (rituals) to advance in his understanding of the techniques, he should gain more strength, constitution, and magic resistance, and perhaps even the ability to dispel his foes.  However he should lose the ability to recieve spells from others, or drink potions other than healing, the more this progresses.
 
They're supposed to be elite close-combat warriors and opposed to using magic to win battles, so how about making them that way mechanically, as well as having abilities the average adventuring warrior doesn't have.

[Paha]

First of all. They do not dislike magic, they dislike the idea of using it to win a battle from afar. Gues they could hate the normal idea of using magic for buffing as well, but that's the small limitation in how nwn works, so I suggest just throwing that out of the window. Lets agree that they hate fireballs and siege style battles.

I do agree, certain things would require a little updating to lift their appearance and presence, but some of these are being pursued in game, and others are surely known to some extend. I do agree that they maybe could earn some small perks in progressing within Armada, but I would not go in great lengths with it.

I see that their prestige is made by the players, and as much as some may hate it, this may often come from success in combat, but that's how they roll, specialists on other hand also handle very secretive and more subtle matters which have not been accounted very often.

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

There have been pretty mechanically scary Stygians in the past. It really largely depends on the players joining their ranks

[Portal Rat]

I think their armor could stand an upgrade at the very least. The last time I played a Stygian, the uniform was a couple of steps down from the armor I owned prior to joining. That was over a year ago.

[tspawn35]

Like Gavril and Anitolli where both very compant and scary Stygians who loved there job

[Gippy]

I do think it's difficult to live up to the standards of what the faction is supposed to be.

[Thomas_Not_very_wise]

Some minor bonuses against mages, their equipment could use some + bonuses to mind effecting stuff.

[Gippy]

I do not feel like giving them overpowering loot advantage is the answer.

[The Old Hack]

Part of it is that they have so many enemies at any given time. They are almost always outnumbered and that is a very difficult handicap to overcome. I am not sure how to overcome that except maybe that several players could agree on attempting to make Stygians at the same time and form a team.

[Damien]

I agree with nihm, letoing some useful feats and skills would make playing what a stygian is meant to be a lot easier. I mean the conclave mages already get some crazy additions to them as well as including the faction loot.

[Craig210]

The Armarda has had some very very scary sharks. I wont list the most recent ones, but they have caused some serious damage.

Yes they are going through a hard spot right now, but the same can be said for the sons a month ago.

But with the increasing amount of active players on efu, we might just see a boost in people joining them. I know i will be trying for the armada on my next character.

Giving mechanical bonuses to a faction doest seem fair if they end up being overpowered we will see a great loss of characters. For instance look at battle marcher perk before it was nerfed.

[Groucho the Marxist]

I'm just remembering William Eldridge and trying to imagine him with some of these added bonuses....


Yeah, bad idea.

[Ghost]

Conclavists do not get any crazy things added that anyone else in any faction (or outside a faction) can't earn outside the blood-bond, which is not crazy at all, it supplies no added "power" to the PCs unless earned through very long RP. Also those powers are things that a mage's spells can duplicate easily enough.

Fact is, it goes in phases, I've seen times where the Armada has had large advantages. Also, I've seen periods of times where they've killed criminals and traitors at a far faster rate than they themselves been killed.

As a faction they already have the largest advantage of all, a payroll....which means they're typically amongst the best supplied PCs on the PW. The problem is, and will always be, if you run into someone with fair supplies, and superior PvP skills, the Stygian will lose. Giving advantages to the extent where a player of low to average skills can beat a player of superior skill would be rather extreme advantages indeed, and would make those of superior skill pretty ridiculous for anyone to have to deal with.

[Wildlings]

A Stygians reputation should not only be based on his PvP ability.  I can think of at least 4 -6 well known Stygians that were NOT PvP masters.  It was their presence and the fear of what they MIGHT do that kept most PC's at bay around them.
 
Any way.. perhaps a store that is Armada only that they could buy gear at.  This would not make them Mechanically better, but could give them the upper hand in 'basic' equipment. They are the elite fighting force on Ymph, they should have access to better quality weapons and armor than your average adventurer.
I'm not saying the quality of this gear should be to the caliber of DM loot.  Just perhaps minor bonuses that most 'normal' gear does not have.  It should also cost a decent penny.  (they do get paid after all)  This might give them a slight advantage in a minor way.

[Gippy]

The Order is pretty much an enemy of everyone and has somehow thrived. It just is about players, and the greatest problem with the Stygian Armada is that players can't live up to the way the faction is conceived and DMs are reluctant to use NPCs to go and crush people that should be crushed. It is a flawed system. Either players must accept that their actions will bring NPC reprisals and they will inevitably die to NPCs... or the NPC portion of the faction needs to be toned down to be representative of PC strength at the time and be willing to adapt to the ups and downs that entails.