We are all aware that MassiveCraft has been undergoing some faction world maintenance. It was also declared, that the upcoming factions world would still be attached to the Massive network, but have separate regals, inventories, and potentially factions--thus making it a "fresh start". This is an opportunity, to do a trial run for some new features and systems.
Here's how I'd like to see the new world delivered, that will hopefully make the launch exciting for all parties involved (staff and players). I'm sure this has a project name within the staff team, however for the purpose of this post, I'll refer to this new world system as MassiveKingdoms.
First off, let's review the economy. Fresh regal count, means it's a fresh start. Upon login, new players should not receive any regals. Instead, the starting area should have a shop that buys (and does not sell) gathered materials and ores. This means, blocks, ingots, and mob drops. What should not be included are craft able items, like enchanted weapons or armor. This way, players can earn money by spending time gathering materials and selling it to the server shop. With that earned capital, they can then trade it with players for more refined goods like god gear. That way the market for player made goods is 100% player based, while staff can still control prices of those produced goods by fluctuating their raw material's value within a server shop. So far, we have a system for introducing regal's and for trading them with other players, all that's left is a system for taking them out of the economy. Faction taxes are a consistent, and annoying, method for removing regals. I wouldn't play around with the tax right away. By keeping it minimal at first, it allows players to build up wealth and gauge the other all health of the economy. It can then be later adjusted. If we want to pull money out, then within this new survival world we establish public facilities, like darkrooms and farms, but charge players for their use. Of course, those player's can still make their own facilities, but other's will just opt to pay entry fee's for the convenience.
Now, I want to talk about factions and role play. Honestly, I really dislike crisis of kings. I don't like how it's forums intensive, nor do I like some of the constraints for entering. It feels like an exclusive and alienating system. The forums should supplement play on the server, not control it. I've always felt that RP and PVP play styles need to be separated. I wrote a post about it. However, it was met with some disagreement. Therefore, factions in this new world should be 100% RP based. In order to claim in the new world you must write an application, similar to a character sheet, including: name, lore (what kind of society is it, values of its citizens, etc), intended build style, a lore compliant faction description that gives a brief summary (for example: Barbaric Tribesmen of the North, Crazed Followers of the Moon God, Largest Southeastern Trade Port), and a list of tagged members (at least 3) who will join. A staff member then makes the faction and grants ownership to the player. If they want to change the description, name, or anything like that, they must file an application with staff. If they want to change relations either to ally, neutral, truce, or enemy they must also file an application similar to war declarations. Past all that, it'd still play like Massive currently plays.
IGN: Gumee
Faction: Vanos
/f desc: Neutral Scavengers of the Hyarocc Caverns
Lore: A group of sailors were stranded along the Hyarocc coast. With some exploration they unearthed large cavernous channels in the mountainside, that went on indefinitely. With no where else to go, they ventured further, ultimately finding the ruins of a lost civilazation. Using the remains of the previous tenant's remaining storage, they were able to rebuild and survive within it's walls. Vanos is now a hidden, yet thriving township that remains fairly neutral with external politics. They take pride in their nationalistic tendencies, and don't like to engage in trade with other factions. In fact, their whereabouts are unknown to most others. Their warriors are poorly equipped and rely on guerilla warfare tactics in order to handle threats. Their flag is of a rice bowl and they like squids for some reason.
Allies: None
Enemies: None
Truce: ExampleFac1, ExampleFac2
So what does this all do? Well, first off it commits a faction to a certain lore that they've been forced to put some thought into. Next, it creates a referable archive on the forums, for players to look up factions they have spotted in the world. With the establishment of the description, it allows players to get a general idea of what kind of lore is associated with the faction. They don't have to research them online or anything, they can get a general synopsis without leaving Minecraft. Then, it forces consistency, so that factions don't splinter off, or frequently change their name. It brands then to a certain identity. Lastly, it makes relations and diplomacy mean something. Factions don't have to rp (although the potential is there), but they can't just run around willy-nilly either.
Factions and PvP isn't unique to MassiveCraft. It's on almost every server. What makes MassiveCraft unique, is it's ability to blend Factions and PvP with other cool features and story progressions. Massive is an alternate world, it shouldn't feel like every either towny or factions or kitpvp server. It's a blend of all those genres. It's quite literally, massive. It's hard to integrate all these features, without making complex systems that make sense to the creators, but not the users (as I've seen happen far too many times on massive). This is a solution that gives depth to factions, maintains variety from other servers, allows players to develop quality factions they can take pride in, and offers an easy to comprehend structure, while still offering varying degrees of participation.
Here's how I'd like to see the new world delivered, that will hopefully make the launch exciting for all parties involved (staff and players). I'm sure this has a project name within the staff team, however for the purpose of this post, I'll refer to this new world system as MassiveKingdoms.
First off, let's review the economy. Fresh regal count, means it's a fresh start. Upon login, new players should not receive any regals. Instead, the starting area should have a shop that buys (and does not sell) gathered materials and ores. This means, blocks, ingots, and mob drops. What should not be included are craft able items, like enchanted weapons or armor. This way, players can earn money by spending time gathering materials and selling it to the server shop. With that earned capital, they can then trade it with players for more refined goods like god gear. That way the market for player made goods is 100% player based, while staff can still control prices of those produced goods by fluctuating their raw material's value within a server shop. So far, we have a system for introducing regal's and for trading them with other players, all that's left is a system for taking them out of the economy. Faction taxes are a consistent, and annoying, method for removing regals. I wouldn't play around with the tax right away. By keeping it minimal at first, it allows players to build up wealth and gauge the other all health of the economy. It can then be later adjusted. If we want to pull money out, then within this new survival world we establish public facilities, like darkrooms and farms, but charge players for their use. Of course, those player's can still make their own facilities, but other's will just opt to pay entry fee's for the convenience.
Now, I want to talk about factions and role play. Honestly, I really dislike crisis of kings. I don't like how it's forums intensive, nor do I like some of the constraints for entering. It feels like an exclusive and alienating system. The forums should supplement play on the server, not control it. I've always felt that RP and PVP play styles need to be separated. I wrote a post about it. However, it was met with some disagreement. Therefore, factions in this new world should be 100% RP based. In order to claim in the new world you must write an application, similar to a character sheet, including: name, lore (what kind of society is it, values of its citizens, etc), intended build style, a lore compliant faction description that gives a brief summary (for example: Barbaric Tribesmen of the North, Crazed Followers of the Moon God, Largest Southeastern Trade Port), and a list of tagged members (at least 3) who will join. A staff member then makes the faction and grants ownership to the player. If they want to change the description, name, or anything like that, they must file an application with staff. If they want to change relations either to ally, neutral, truce, or enemy they must also file an application similar to war declarations. Past all that, it'd still play like Massive currently plays.
IGN: Gumee
Faction: Vanos
/f desc: Neutral Scavengers of the Hyarocc Caverns
Lore: A group of sailors were stranded along the Hyarocc coast. With some exploration they unearthed large cavernous channels in the mountainside, that went on indefinitely. With no where else to go, they ventured further, ultimately finding the ruins of a lost civilazation. Using the remains of the previous tenant's remaining storage, they were able to rebuild and survive within it's walls. Vanos is now a hidden, yet thriving township that remains fairly neutral with external politics. They take pride in their nationalistic tendencies, and don't like to engage in trade with other factions. In fact, their whereabouts are unknown to most others. Their warriors are poorly equipped and rely on guerilla warfare tactics in order to handle threats. Their flag is of a rice bowl and they like squids for some reason.
Allies: None
Enemies: None
Truce: ExampleFac1, ExampleFac2
So what does this all do? Well, first off it commits a faction to a certain lore that they've been forced to put some thought into. Next, it creates a referable archive on the forums, for players to look up factions they have spotted in the world. With the establishment of the description, it allows players to get a general idea of what kind of lore is associated with the faction. They don't have to research them online or anything, they can get a general synopsis without leaving Minecraft. Then, it forces consistency, so that factions don't splinter off, or frequently change their name. It brands then to a certain identity. Lastly, it makes relations and diplomacy mean something. Factions don't have to rp (although the potential is there), but they can't just run around willy-nilly either.
Factions and PvP isn't unique to MassiveCraft. It's on almost every server. What makes MassiveCraft unique, is it's ability to blend Factions and PvP with other cool features and story progressions. Massive is an alternate world, it shouldn't feel like every either towny or factions or kitpvp server. It's a blend of all those genres. It's quite literally, massive. It's hard to integrate all these features, without making complex systems that make sense to the creators, but not the users (as I've seen happen far too many times on massive). This is a solution that gives depth to factions, maintains variety from other servers, allows players to develop quality factions they can take pride in, and offers an easy to comprehend structure, while still offering varying degrees of participation.
