Except for the taxes, you haven't at all explained how this will give better control of factions how this will create larger wars (nobody stops you from making empire wars today) nor how it will give a better factions experience. So I take this as a confirmation of my statement that it isn't really useful at all.
Something to achieve/do.
With regards to this, I did expand on it a little, but to put it simply, creating an in-game empire would be something even higher to aspire to than merely ruling a faction and trying to recruit over 100 people into it. I personally think it would draw more people onto the server (Build your Empire!) but this is mostly an opinion, so it can be voided as an argument I think.
Larger wars/conflicts.
Currently wars on MassiveCraft are always the same few factions, with little incentive for more to join into their conflicts or for them to attack each others subfactions beyond "lol why not" (which, I admit, is generally good enough hue). However, if something like this was to exist suddenly having and protecting subfactions has a benefit beyond simply protecting ones honor - now you get paid a part of their taxes, so it's in ones best interest to care for their subfactions and rush to defend them. This would, in theory, expand PvP on MassiveCraft because now PvP factions would want/need enough people to protect all of their subfactions. As a non-PvPer, I don't know how accurate my judgement is, but if I was getting paid to protect people I'd do my damnedest to keep them safe - just like how i try to take care of faction members/recruits because they help pay the taxes hue.
Alternately, to enforce an expansion of PvP on the server or to get people interested in it again, features could be added with this plugin that would include a Warscore of some sort, and have Imperial demands, such as giving over subfactions from one empire to another, which could create more reasons for different factions to PvP and would demand that anyone building an Empire in the survival worlds either be capable of PvP or have PvPers that support/aid them.
Better control/centralization of empires.
Currently "Empire" means only that all members of your "empire" slap, say "-{Qaliphate}-" or "[Dominion]" in their faction description. There is no way to keep track of who's in your empire except to keep notes elsewhere (in a book, for example, or irl, which is pretty meta for a server with so much roleplay) or to /f f everyone you're allied to every time you need to list them. There are also no ways to prevent a faction some simply slipping out of your control by removing your "empire" from their description. With an Imperial expansion like this, Empires would be real. They would no longer just be "add [HSE] to your desc and we're cool" it would become an enforceable, coordinated, trackable setup of Subordinate factions and Imperial factions. Also, there is no control over subfactions. Empires get nothing from them except a chain attached to their leg and an excuse to go to war with each other over it. A subfaction can bail, it can go to war independently, it doesn't pay taxes or tribute to the overlord faction... nothing that would be roleplay-accurate happens with them.
Now, I know a sort-of control can be maintained by attacking subfactions that bail on your empire or break your rules, and that is indeed realistic... so I suppose an argument can be made on realism that it should be handled in game, but much like my old Mechbank, it's pretty much impossible to use PvP for enforce something in-game when people can just go behind a wooden door to avoid you.
Deeper factions experience.
This would divide factions into 3 types of faction: Imperial, Subordinate, and Independent. That alone creates deeper factions experience because now instead of all factions being exactly the same as the one next in line, a faction leader can weigh the cost & benefits of subordinating to an Imperial faction or becoming an Imperial faction. Yes it's more complex, but this *shouldn't* change the core features of factions, nor should "become subordinate" be included in the forced tribute rules (that should remain at maxtribute for forced truces). Most newer faction leaders wouldn't/shouldn't be looking into Empires/Subordinates for a short while into their rulership of a faction, so it would be much like getting into PvP or roleplay, you'd start medium and be able to either build bigger or build smaller as you choose. Currently you start medium and never go anywhere from there.
Furthermore, with an expansion like this factions would be able to interplay in more politics. Sure, PvP will be a big factor in who becomes who's subfaction, but diplomacy will also be important. Piss off a faction and they'll never become subordinate to you (I'm looking at you Raptum hue), but if you work to become their friend before asking to vassalize them they'll be much more inclined to do so. This would force even big PvP factions to show some level of respect to smaller, less powerful factions, because now to expand their empire would actually cost those factions freedom (in exchange for tax benefits) rather than just being a factor of pride.
Tax benefits for the poor & tax hikes for the wealthy.
I've gone over this, but I didn't suggest these solely to give benefits to subfactions and costs to imperial factions. The primary reason I thought that taxes would be a good idea was that they would be realistic. What kind of ruling party doesn't demand taxes from it's subordinate territories? This also acted as a trade of to keep the setup balanced - an Imperial faction would wield a heap of power over it's subordination factions, so it should have a cost for doing so. Likewise, subordinate factions lose a lot of freedom when becoming such, so they deserve to get something in exchange as a balance to that.
Note: Remember that there are 2 Taxes for this - Imperial Factions pay more per chunk, Subordinate factions pay less per chunk - however, Imperial factions can also have a tax paid by Sub's into their own bank, but never enough to counteract the less-per-chunk tax cut of being a Sub.
I was more or less quoting Steve Jobs, because one of the most successful companies on earth was built upon the idea of showing people what features their tech products should have and not ask them. I am not trying to say that I can be as visionary as Steve Jobs, but it still applies that people who are not used to creating products (or in this case developing plugins) are usually bad at it.
Let me be clear. What I said was a list of things most players would not have thought of if they were asked what they wanted. I tried to assert my previous statement.
Fair enough. I never heard that quote from Steve Jobs, and I didn't know there was any such background to it. Regardless... why do you have a Suggestions subforum if you think that? It self-contradictory lol
You aren't ignored just because you aren't server staff, but as with any other suggestion I take time to think if it would actually benefit the server compared to what else I could do. Often other staff members says "this would be cool and that would be cool" and most of the time ti is really cool, but sadly most of those ideas are never implemented either.
Fair enough.
First of all empires make an already complex plugin even more complex. Complexity is bad because it makes it more difficult to use for people. Sometimes that complexity allows us to make even better plugins (MassiveLock for instance, it is really ****ing cool, but sadly a tad advanced for some players), but I see no real benefit with the things mentioned. You say better control and deeper experience, but you don't mention how.
With regards to complexity, it wouldn't be something that a brand new faction leader should suddenly encounter. Unless they're really unlucky/stupid/vocal, they probably won't even be noticed by any Imperial factions for a while, giving them time to learn about the system and the plugin overall long before actually being able/forced to take part in it. Add to this that it's not actually that complex an add-on from the players perspective* and it really would make it too much more difficult for people to handle I think.
*Subordinate = Lower faction tax, loss of faction controls/autonomy. Imperial = higher faction tax, gain control over subordinate factions. Independent = Neither gain nor loss tax or autonomy. Things like an Imperial Chat would just be another chat, once you get into one you can get into them all, and an Imperial Bank would be something only the Imperial faction can access, if you've made one and don't know how it works that's on you for not doing your homework, same as with anything else on Massive.
Second of all, there is tons of things that could be done to the Factions plugin (customisable ranks for one) that would add actual benefit and make the plugin more enjoyable.
Of course. This is, after all, just a suggestion. If you think/know of better changes *cough* Ranks *cough* go for it, but still... maybe toss it on the "we'll get to it someday" list? xD
For the last part there is also other things to work on. Currently we need to improve the premium package in order to secure revenue to thes server (among other things we do to make revenue) which most people don't think of.
Of course of course. Server needs should always take priority over player wants. I can't argue against that even if I wanted to. Focus on what's vital before looking into things that would be expanding on pre-existing features and aren't *necessary* for the server to run. By that token however, keep the suggestions in mind when you've run out of vital stuff to do, assuming that ever actually happens.
I did not find anything you said disrespectful. If I said anything disrespectful I am sorry for that it was not my intention.
Please tell what what I dismissed instead of replying to, I thought I had replied to everything you said, but I might have failed (I am only a human after all).
It wasn't anything you said that was outright disrespectful, it was the lack of response overall (most of your responding comments are like, 2 sentences, tops, without having enough information to properly respond to, which in turn led to my not-so-useful response hue). I thought I'd said something that upset you, so I was apologizing in advance. I was also a tad worried my tone was a bit aggressive at points.
Thanks for the in-depth response, I don't think you missed anything. Sorry for the wall-of-text response to your response. Not making your job easier am I? xD
