Make factions matter

[eNTi]

i want to propose an in game rule set to make factions actually matter. specific reasonable numbers need to be discussed:

1. trading with enemy players should result in a severe symp loss with your own and any allied faction,
2. imping enemy players should result in a severe symp loss with your own and any allied faction

to make sure you don't do this accidentally we need some sort of popup window with a yes/no question that can be optionally turned off.

for that to work we need two tables in the database that state the faction and a faction datetime of an item, so people can't just throw stuff on the floor or put it in containers to trade. the faction entry should be cleared after a certain time on the floor or when dropped from a belt. a new faction should be set when picked up/traded by a player with a different faction again based on a timer depending on faction/hostility.

i'm aware that this will not stop trading and it shouldn't but that's not the point. it should hinder friendly relations between rival factions.

[J@ck on Cr@ck]

1. trading with enemy players should result in a severe symp loss with your own and any allied faction,
2. imping enemy players should result in a severe symp loss with your own and any allied faction

While I agree with your headline "make factions matter" I dont agree with the way you want to achieve this.
The poking idea only makes it more difficult to find one, which can be very annoying.
The trading issue can be easily circumvented and all it would do is make it more bothersome to trade.

[Deus Ex Machina]

While I agree factions should matter, I wouldn't have come to the conclusion of your ideas. Interesting enough, I would quite like to try them, it might emphasize differences and really have an influence on how factions are viewed. Maybe not make the symp loss severe, I think one pooint would be enough (if the thing is tried at all) to bring the point across. Could make things interesting.

On the thread title, what could make factions matter more:
-) Having the vote for representatives be carried out
-) Having faction representatives have some possibilities for their faction (e.g. setting prices of FSM Items in certain ranges, being able to set guards twice a voting period (for example switch between copbot behaviour and faction behaviour or give money for additional placements in the HQ), set a flag if runners are punished for trading FSM items to the enemy (regarding thread openers ideas), ...
-) Have more faction guards / faction members in the open world that react to enemies. At the moment there are only Storm Bots, TG listening posts and HQs I think(Canyon Military Base and Tech Haven ARE HQs in my opinion, btw we lack more Turrets in TH )
-) Have PvP Missions in the citycom against enemy factions (e.g. Kill 5 Fallen Angels for Tangent Technology runners)

I am sure there could be more

[Dropout]

1. trading with enemy players should result in a severe symp loss with your own and any allied faction,

Making it even harder to find someone with FSM access.. GREAT idea..... *sigh*

2. imping enemy players should result in a severe symp loss with your own and any allied faction

Maybe when the server population reach at least 75%..

[eNTi]

yes it would make access to certain items more difficult. not impossible mind you. you can always trade around corners. get a friend get stuff for you or have a character from different faction.

i do agree that it difficult to find an fsm even now from time to time, but it would also make the items more valuable. ease of access spoils us all atm.

this would also change pvp somewhat because it's not so easy to get oneself battle ready in a few minutes again. it certainly wouldn't make the game easier, but more fun imho.

i'm not a pvp player so i don't much care for people who do nothing but zoneline pvp when there's no opfight. in this respect i'm very much biased.

as it stands now, with all factions interacting on p1 as if there were no rivalries at all, factions are almost meaningless, unless you need access to a lab or factory. these are mechanical changes to support the lore and thus the feel of the game. for those of you who don't give two fucks about the world an immersion they are very much just a another inconvenience that stands between you and your next meaningless kill/death. for me, neocron is much more than an overly complex death match arena with bad combat mechanics.

[Dropout]

I do not enjoy PVE, and I certainly do not enjoy RP.

I am one of those people who either go to PP1 or log off, if there isnt any opfights.
And the only reason, why Im not killing everyone, is because Im so piss-poor, that I can afford to loose my items..

As long as Im not in a zone where I can kill people (read: In a safezone), everyone is Allied.

If items were harder to get, than they are currently, I wouldnt be playing. Just like leveling, if that took longer, I wouldnt be playing.
I have on several occasions searched for FSM items for 2-3 days.. Making it harder to gain those items, would be absolutely insane..
Even the fact that NEED-to-have items like SF is close to impossible to get, pisses me off tbh.

[eNTi]

I do not enjoy PVE, and I certainly do not enjoy RP.

I am one of those people who either go to PP1 or log off, if there isnt any opfights.
And the only reason, why Im not killing everyone, is because Im so piss-poor, that I can afford to loose my items..

As long as Im not in a zone where I can kill people (read: In a safezone), everyone is Allied.

If items were harder to get, than they are currently, I wouldnt be playing. Just like leveling, if that took longer, I wouldnt be playing.
I have on several occasions searched for FSM items for 2-3 days.. Making it harder to gain those items, would be absolutely insane..
Even the fact that NEED-to-have items like SF is close to impossible to get, pisses me off tbh.

well i feel for you regarding the sf. especially if you are playing pe, getting the items you need just to use the most basic competitive items is insane, but the changes i'm suggesting wouldn't really make it more difficult to get an sf. only marginally. those items are rare nonetheless and they should be. what needs to be changed is the must-have character of those items.

i'm not an rp player myself. if i wanted i could rp the faction differences but i'm not because what's the point? it's no fun and i see no point in crippling my own income. it's basically the same as with the le. when le didn't have any (special) disadvantages people would just keep it in, because why the fuck not? since the mechanical changes people are popping le out all over the place. suddenly there's a good reason for that and since there the disadvantages are there for everyone it's a fair option to consider.

[Drachenpaladin]

I do not enjoy PVE, and I certainly do not enjoy RP.

I am one of those people who either go to PP1 or log off, if there isnt any opfights.
And the only reason, why Im not killing everyone, is because Im so piss-poor, that I can afford to loose my items..

As long as Im not in a zone where I can kill people (read: In a safezone), everyone is Allied.

If items were harder to get, than they are currently, I wouldnt be playing. Just like leveling, if that took longer, I wouldnt be playing.
I have on several occasions searched for FSM items for 2-3 days.. Making it harder to gain those items, would be absolutely insane..
Even the fact that NEED-to-have items like SF is close to impossible to get, pisses me off tbh.

Planetside 2. Honestly, its your game.

[Kame]

I highly dislike the idea.

Making trading more pain than it already is.

For what reason exactly ?

I dont think this would acheive anything.

[Dropout]

Planetside 2. Honestly, its your game.

Been there, done that - Got bored after a month..
Went back to NC (which I have played since NC2 release) after that.

[eNTi]

I highly dislike the idea.

Making trading more pain than it already is.

For what reason exactly ?

I dont think this would acheive anything.

immersion! conflict and scarcity of resources, so that gaining something isn't simply a matter of asking for it nicely and maybe tip 5k. if you want to pvp why not play something that's solely focused on that? quake arena or something.

it would achieve, that achieving something would actually feels more like an actual achievement and you don't throw yourself into meaningless danger in zoneline pvp just because you are bored and got nothing to lose anyway.