I'm on AIM for the next 4.5 hours, then maybe again at 12:30 EST or thereabouts. spencerlovesgod, if you don't have it.
I forgot to say, that I'm in this with the Sith, the Rebellion (or at least Jaeriel's part) and the Empire (or at least the SS). Not to mention my other characters scattered here and there, such as the bounty hunter imprisoned on Wayland, the one that infiltrated Palestar, Fellex and the Dragonnes (if I can ever find time to finish that opening thread). This is gonna be fun.
Way to put me on the spot, dick!;). And now if/when I do write 1 post like I was vaguely debating doing already it will just look like I did because of you. Way to take credit for my posts before they are even made (or even started on notepad for that matter).
I had a few other idea that I've been bouncing around on AIM with some people, that tend to go like this:
1) A complete restart at the end of this thread. The current factions would end up with one planet per active player. So, for example, if TNO has three active members, than TNO gets 3 planets. 2) A tech restart. Due to the out-of-control arms race and constant OOC bickering about whose tech is best, I submit the following ideas regarding tech: a) At the end of this thread, each faction keeps its current ships but only retains the designs for one ship per active player. b) The remaining designs must be re-submitted on a limited basis, namely, 1 R&D thread per active player per faction within a set amount of time. So, for example, say the Confederation has three active players. The Confederation would then get, as a whole, three R&Ds per x amount of time. For each faction, the number of R&D threads per set amount of time may also increase by 1/10 planets owned. c) The reinstitution of an R&D approval board. This board would be the ultimate decision-making body in all issues regarding R&D and technology. They would approve submitted R&Ds, ensure that the R&D limits were not being broken by any faction, and would mediate disputes about whose ship is better in Battlegrounds threads. This board would consist of one member from each major active faction to avoid claims of unfairness.
3) The institution of a planetary takeover cap. This is to encourage character development and plot focus. I would suggest a 2 planet/player/month cap, or one takeover per two-week period. A player may write more stories as he wishes, but he must remain within the two-planet per month limit. Additional words may be added to the takeover threads, or character-focused stories may be written, but takeovers should be capped in order to allow for the smaller factions and those whose members have busy lives in the real world to have a chance at competing.
So, those are my thoughts, and the members I've talked to (Kalshion, Kach Thorton, and Xiantus) seem to be in agreement. What says the rest of TRF?
As far as R&D goes, let's do something along the lines of a Washington Naval Treaty on it, and have a "No R&D holiday" of about 2-3 months after this period begins, with the restrictions of 1 R&D allowed for every 5 planets a faction holds, up until said faction holds 25 planets, at which time the restriction becomes 1 R&D for every 10 planets. And no more than 1 R&D per a 1 week (7-day) period.
I would be up for a thread like Om and Beff suggested.
I'm inclined to disagree with most of your suggestions Jaeriel, mostly because it handicaps smaller factions, which further strengthens larger factions, and as a result, makes it even harder than it is right now to challenge the status quo. In addition, such a move would undue the work of members who were previously active, and may yet return, such as the Union, BDE, the BHG, etc.
In addition, how are we going to define active? One IC post in two weeks? etc.
Aside from deciding what active is, The very problem with this is that too an effect, it actually will reduce the amount of RPing done. If someone has a winter break, vacation, etc, they are probably going to want to do much work. But if there are significant limits in what they can do in a given, they will not be able to get as much done.
I would not mind the idea of an R&D oversight via moderators or a board, etc. However, this culminates in more work for people, most of whom as it is do not have the time for basic RPing as it, much less extra work in looking over people's R&Ds.
There are other things I suppose, but being in the middle of finals, my time is somewhat limited to debate the subject at hand. 1) A complete restart at the end of this thread. The current factions would end up with one planet per active player. So, for example, if TNO has three active members, than TNO gets 3 planets. 2) A tech restart. Due to the out-of-control arms race and constant OOC bickering about whose tech is best, I submit the following ideas regarding tech: a) At the end of this thread, each faction keeps its current ships but only retains the designs for one ship per active player. b) The remaining designs must be re-submitted on a limited basis, namely, 1 R&D thread per active player per faction within a set amount of time. So, for example, say the Confederation has three active players. The Confederation would then get, as a whole, three R&Ds per x amount of time. For each faction, the number of R&D threads per set amount of time may also increase by 1/10 planets owned. c) The reinstitution of an R&D approval board. This board would be the ultimate decision-making body in all issues regarding R&D and technology. They would approve submitted R&Ds, ensure that the R&D limits were not being broken by any faction, and would mediate disputes about whose ship is better in Battlegrounds threads. This board would consist of one member from each major active faction to avoid claims of unfairness.
3) The institution of a planetary takeover cap. This is to encourage character development and plot focus. I would suggest a 2 planet/player/month cap, or one takeover per two-week period. A player may write more stories as he wishes, but he must remain within the two-planet per month limit. Additional words may be added to the takeover threads, or character-focused stories may be written, but takeovers should be capped in order to allow for the smaller factions and those whose members have busy lives in the real world to have a chance at competing.
I've always been partial to the Mirror Darkly episodes of Star Trek.
Secondly, Corise and Wes; stop coming up with stupid ideas. A restart of any kind is lunacy - it leans towards the Math Faction paradigm which, aside from yourselves (and having come well after, ironic) everyone has moved past. Moritoriums on R&D's, planets lost... all infantile solutions. The outcome, a result of the story or stories involved, would determine what results affect which factions and how. Throwing a blanket over the outcome and saying "Everyone will do blank" is beneath us as adults. So forget all about that. If that's a result you want to see, think of it for yourself, not for everyone else.
B. The term active does not need to be redefined. Websters and Oxford do a good job of defining the word. That said, everyone would be responsible for doing what they do, as Omnae said - you deal with the cards dealt. It's simple, really. Post a million times a day or once a month and avoid coming to a place where you depend on someone else to post before you can. And, that said; anyone who elects to get involved in a fleet-like dynamic where you depend on someone else needs to understand that they are making the choice to do so. That said, again, I think that it would be reasonable to expect some sort of reply within 72 hours to a week... but that's just me.
Omnae - I'm all for it, and not just because I proposed it. I think that once the pleebs get over the thought that they need to discuss everything before hand, everyone will be on board. (That's Wes and Corise who, by coincidence are still under threat of death, imposed by me, to avoid one another In Character. If they can keep that in mind I think the rest of TRF will be fine.)
Title proposal: "In to the Mirror Darkly - A Rebel Faction Saga"
Also, I like the single thread epic. For people who want to go out and respond in their own way I don't see anything keeping them from reacting to galactic events in their own threads as well, so long as the meat of the matter is confined to a single thread.
And incase I didn't insult the bean counting enough... scan up the page for the comment posted by Wilkar in regards to my usual reply regarding such things. (With minor regards in the matter to Park and Telan)
