Factions in Project Eternity

[Shadenuat]

Eh, we're adventurers, we should't join anything unless it is as cool as Red Mages of Thay. Free as wind and such, and, well, just 6 random people in a large world, so I don't think it should be possible to place local politics from it's toes to head. How factions feel about our group should be important though.

I know people feel strongly about Obsidian letting player change the world as Soul-eater, Courier or like, but a realistic story where you are not the center of the world can be fun too once in a while.

Edited September 19, 2012 by Shadenuat

[Lucas]

Hehe, I would like to vote for all of them (I'm referring to the first question of the poll) :D.

 

Ideally, they should:

 

- Be integrated in the story of the world

- Depending on your class and race , you could be totally unable to meet/join some of them

- Joining and raising the ranks might create conflict with another, so that you can't join other factions at that point (in other words, the opposite of Bethesda route, where you can join whatever you want at any time)

- Companions might react to your faction choice.

 

Of course it also comes down to how much development time (and budget) Obsidian wants to pour into this particular feature.

[Ashram]

I like the idea posted about having a faction with the ability to accept and use multiple classes.

 

I also favor the idea of being able to move up the ranks and perhaps move into a leadership role with the ability to influence goals/direction. Basically another vehicle for the PC to exert influence, good or bad, on the world.

[IcyDeadPeople]

I generally don't like factions much in RPG's, mostly because they feel like they give too much "control" to the player over the world (given that you're a single person +5~ companions), and seem to cross into strategy game territory somewhat.

 

What if you wish to play a character who feels strongly about a particular side of a war, for example? Doesn't it enhance the RP if you can actually take a stand and choose to ally with one of the sides? Or if you wish to play a character who follows a particular in-game religion, or a criminal character who joins a gang of ruffians or assassins, etc.?

 

It can be fun to play a loner character who does not associate with any factions, but I think it can also be fun to play a character who identifies with a particular group of NPCs.

Edited September 19, 2012 by IcyDeadPeople

[Wombat]

Does anyone remember the cleric alignments in Icewind Dale? I'd love to see something like that but faction based

 

Can you explain a bit more for those of us who haven't played the game?

 

Something along the lines of various groups of clerics that follow different deities?

 

Yeah they had different gods that your cleric would select and if I remember correctly they would grant differently abilities. Some god's weren't available to certain alignments though.

Precisely speaking, IWD2 and ToEE had the deity, which are shared by divine classes such as paladins and clerics. I agree that factions should have various classes inside of them. Likewise, depending on their beliefs, it would be natural to have other classes under the same deities. If the belief is not warlike, they may not even have "paladins."

 

 

I generally don't like factions much in RPG's, mostly because they feel like they give too much "control" to the player over the world (given that you're a single person +5~ companions), and seem to cross into strategy game territory somewhat.

It's same with good vs evil scenario. I mean, exaggerated political influences are rather tied with "epic" scale story than whether there are two factions (goog/evil) or more than two factions. Personally, I'd like to see more humble campaigns, too, though.

[incubus9]

I also favor the idea of being able to move up the ranks and perhaps move into a leadership role with the ability to influence goals/direction. Basically another vehicle for the PC to exert influence, good or bad, on the world.

 

This sounds too much like the Elder Scrolls games. I feel that once a character has reached a level of prestige where they control hundreds or thousands of people, what motivation do they have to go out adventuring and lay their life on the line? Basically what I'm saying is that there shouldn't be a cookie cutter formula where you do "X" quest chain and become leader of "Y" guild or faction. Influencing it and possibly destroying them might be interesting. Participating in internal faction politics where the player assassinates the leader under the orders of a rival leader or searches for a cure for the disease which is killing the faction leader could be plausible and interesting ways to gain influence inside the faction. It seems unlikely that anyone could join a guild and in the space of one month go from initiate to supreme ruler, no matter how competent or heroic that person is.

[Oerwinde]

If a game has a factional emphasis but I can't outright join a faction, but rather remain like a free agent or hireling, I tend to feel disappointed. Making a factional emphasis but excluding a player from proper commitment to one faction or the other is rather like taking me to a steakhouse and only letting me order the salad. If there are going to be factions, let me get in there and join one as proper member and put my freelance associate days behind me.

 

There should be both joinable and non-joinable factions. But I would have many of the joinable factions be aligned with one or more non-joinable faction. So you could do missions as a free-lancer for the non-joinable faction, while showing your allegiance by joining an aligned joinable faction. Your influence in that faction should then be recognized by the non-joinable faction. For example, say you do freelance jobs for a national government, but don't hold an official position in that government. But you are able to join a nationalistic organization and rise in the ranks. The national government should recognize your commitment and your position of influence, while not being officially associated.

[Halberd]

For the second question I chose the Bay of Crowns...

 

It just seems like it will be a busy and interesting place in the game. Maybe there will be a city there with a town watch or militia...maybe there is an army located there. Pirates maybe?

[IcyDeadPeople]

The latest update seems to suggest a myriad of different cultures and factions in the game - very exciting stuff!

 

The cultures of Project Eternity are in a variety of different technological states. Though some remote civilizations are still in the equivalent of Earth's Stone Age or Bronze Age, most large civilizations are in the equivalent of Earth's high or late Middle Ages. The most aggressive and powerful civilizations are in the early stages of what would be our early modern period, technologically, even if they are not culturally undergoing "Renaissance"-style changes.

 

For most large civilizations, this means that all of the core arms and armor of medieval warfare have reached a high level of development: full suits of articulated plate armor, a variety of military swords, war hammers, polearms, longbows, crossbows, and advanced siege weaponry. Architecturally, these cultures also employ technologies found in Earth's Gothic structures, allowing them to create towering vertical structures.

 

The most recent technologies seeing use in the world are ocean-going carrack-style ships and black powder firearms (notably absent: the printing press). Cultures with large navies and mercantile traffic are exploring the world, which has led to contact with previously-unknown lands and societies and settlement in new lands. Despite their intense drive, these explorers have been restricted from aggressive long-range exploration by monstrous sea creatures that pose a lethal, seemingly insurmountable threat to even the stoutest, most well-armed ships.

 

Some cultures and individuals place a high value on "strong" souls, souls with a "pure" lineage, "awakened" souls that remember past lives, "traveled" souls that have drifted through the divine realms, or those that co-exist with other souls in one body. However, the opposite is also true, resulting in negative discrimination and sometimes outright violence.

 

Thinkers, spiritualists, and scientists of the world have theorized for thousands of years about the nature and purpose of this process, but others have turned to prayer for answer. Rather than illuminate the presumed higher purpose of this cycle, the gods have obfuscated the truth, at times spreading cosmological lies, pitting believers and empowered chosen agents against each other, and tacitly approving the prejudices of their followers to maintain power.

Edited September 20, 2012 by IcyDeadPeople

[IcyDeadPeople]

Today's update reveals that a new faction will be added to the the $2.2 million stretch goal:

 

The $2.2 million stretch goal will still include a new Region, a new Faction, a new Companion and all the hours of additional gameplay, quests, NPCs and items that go along with those things.

[LordCrash]

Today's update reveals that a new faction will be added to the the $2.2 million stretch goal:

 

The $2.2 million stretch goal will still include a new Region, a new Faction, a new Companion and all the hours of additional gameplay, quests, NPCs and items that go along with those things.

Isn't that known since day one???

[ohmygodsquad]

Based on the information we've been given so far, what with differing opinions on souls and with the gods purposely obfuscating the big picture in order to pit various sects against each other in order to gain power, I think what we'll be seeing are factions based more on various philosophies regarding souls and the afterlife within the game world than certain classes and locations. Sort of like Planescape.

 

Just speculating though. There's other things to base factions on that would be better than just having a "Fighters Guild" or a "Mages Guild": a National Geographic sort of faction that is always trying to find ways to survive the dangerous seas and explore the other continents, a faction of inventors trying to make firearms and other technologies more widespread, an archaelogical society trying to preserve the ruins of older civilizations and stop looters.

 

That said it shouldn't be like the Elder Scrolls games where I can be the head mage and head fighter and head thief all at once while not really effecting the world in any appreciable way.

Edited September 21, 2012 by ohmygodsquad

[Vorhees]

I didnt answer the poll, the first question is lacking an "all of the above" choice and I dont know enough about the world for the second question, but one thing I know I wouldnt like is if the factions worked in a similar way as they did in the elder scrolls games. The fact that your character could become the archmage, leader of a mercenary fighters guild, master of a band of assassins, leader of a thieves guild etc etc all in one go seemed especially ridiculous to me especially when you coupled that with little to no reactivity from the rest of the game world reguarding your accomplishments.

 

I think I would like to see fewer joinable factions (by all means put plenty of non joinable ones in as well) where choosing to become a full member/ vying for leadership of a faction would rule out the others.

 

-edit- poster above me pretty much nailed my sentiments towards the elder scrolls style of factions.

Edited September 21, 2012 by Vorhees

[alphyna]

What I want from a faction? The chance to have a meaningful and interesting discussion with its leader about their ideology. Everything else is arbitrary.

[IcyDeadPeople]

I didnt answer the poll, the first question is lacking an "all of the above" choice

I certainly understand, and I would be in favor of "all of the above," as well, as I like all of those features. I suppose the idea of the poll was to see which particular feature people find most appealing.

 

and I dont know enough about the world for the second question, but one thing I know I wouldnt like is if the factions worked in a similar way as they did in the elder scrolls games. The fact that your character could become the archmage, leader of a mercenary fighters guild, master of a band of assassins, leader of a thieves guild etc etc all in one go seemed especially ridiculous to me especially when you coupled that with little to no reactivity from the rest of the game world reguarding your accomplishments.

 

I think I would like to see fewer joinable factions (by all means put plenty of non joinable ones in as well) where choosing to become a full member/ vying for leadership of a faction would rule out the others.

 

-edit- poster above me pretty much nailed my sentiments towards the elder scrolls style of factions.

Personally I don't see any problem with other players being able to join multiple factions. In my case, I've never enjoyed playing a JOTA character and it doesn't interest me at all, but if some others enjoy sort of burning through all the game's content in one playthrough, it doesn't bother me if it is technically possible. If it's possible to play a hybrid fighter/thief/mage character, I suppose it might as well be possible to join a Fighter's Guild, Thieves' Guild and Mages' Guild, although I personally would never play that kind of character.

 

I'm actually hoping there is no generic Fighter's Guild, Mages' Guild, Thieves' Guild at all, but instead multiple interesting unique factions with their own backstories, alliances and enemies. And most of all with a logical purpose for the group's existence, besides serving to provide the player with quests.

[IcyDeadPeople]

Some exciting new info about the factions in Project Eternity!

 

It seems there is a cultural group of Glanfathan elves who are native to the region and sound like they might perhaps be a little xenophobic, in contrast to the Dyrwood Elves, who migrated to the area from across the sea, together with humans. These are the same race, same sub-race, but very distinct cultural groups, with different language, dress, values and customs.

 

Really hoping subraces are not divided from one another based upon being 'good' or 'evil.'

They will not be.

 

Dark elves are an old concept, but the dark-skinned "drow" are a Gygax invention. We have a few elven subraces, some of which will seem more familiar than others. In addition to the subraces, there is significant cultural division between separate groups even within one subrace. The elves that came across the sea with their human allies to settle in the Dyrwood encountered Glanfathan elves that looked almost identical to them, physically, but spoke a completely dissimilar language, dressed differently, had different values and customs, and lived virtually at a Stone Age level of technology -- all this despite abundant evidence that an ancient empire once stood around them. As a result, the elves who settled in the Dyrwood tend to feel much more kinship toward human neighbors, with whom they share a language and hundreds of years of coexistence, than the Glanfathans.

 

I hope this is a glimpse of the rich detail we might expect to see among all the different cultural and ethnic groups.

Edited October 1, 2012 by IcyDeadPeople

[NOK222]

A Faction of Brothel Maiden/Masters, do it Obsidian.

[IcyDeadPeople]

For your information:

E.g. the bay area in the north is called "Boot of Ondra" like you can all see in the kickstarter video at about minute 1:00 when the camera flies over the map of PE.

 

Thanks very much, and I also learned that the "Lake of Drow Tombs" is actually the "Lake of Drowned Tombs"!

 

Unfortunately, it's not possible to edit older posts, perhaps I should wait until we have more information about the various groups and then ask a moderator to help update the OP.

If a game has a factional emphasis but I can't outright join a faction, but rather remain like a free agent or hireling, I tend to feel disappointed. Making a factional emphasis but excluding a player from proper commitment to one faction or the other is rather like taking me to a steakhouse and only letting me order the salad. If there are going to be factions, let me get in there and join one as proper member and put my freelance associate days behind me.

 

I understand your sentiment, although I think in addition to a limited number of groups the player might actually join, the narrative environment can benefit from having lots of smaller factions that the player doesn't necessarily join, but that react to the player's choices and actions, perhaps we might see a system that tracks the player's reputation with many different groups.

[Shaewaros]

One of the most important thing about joinable factions for me personally is that they should have some kind of requirements, especially when the player begins to rise in ranks. One of the most disapponting aspect of Oblivion was that you could actually become a grand master mage without knowing anything about magic. In Morrowind every faction has specific requirements for every rank and achieving those ranks really made you feel like you have accomplished something and it was virtually impossible to join every faction and rise to the top. PE should have similar rank requirement system than Morrowind had.

[AGX-17]

Factions are the most fundamental thing in any world of social creatures (your family is a faction, your city is a faction, your state or province is a faction, businesses are factions, charities are factions, religions are factions, individual churches are factions, clubs are factions, your nation is a faction, your political parties are factions, etc.) So they should be important to the plot even if you can't join. I don't know enough about any of them to want to join one.

 

A Faction of Brothel Maiden/Masters, do it Obsidian.

 

The word maiden implies a lack of worldliness or sexual experience.

 

One of the most important thing about joinable factions for me personally is that they should have some kind of requirements, especially when the player begins to rise in ranks. One of the most disapponting aspect of Oblivion was that you could actually become a grand master mage without knowing anything about magic. In Morrowind every faction has specific requirements for every rank and achieving those ranks really made you feel like you have accomplished something and it was virtually impossible to join every faction and rise to the top. PE should have similar rank requirement system than Morrowind had.

 

That's because Bethesda post-Morrowind are bad game designers (chalk it up to Todd "I love Xbox" Howard,) who believe in the casual experience of being the best at everything and doing everything with one character, rather than the roleplaying experience.

Edited October 14, 2012 by AGX-17