Gulids, organizations, fractions and their Impact on the Game and Player.

[ArchBeast]

This topic is about most conserning me "Gulids and organizations". This topic is NO about IF you whant them in game becouse they will but they can be presented in many ways.

 

My dream of project eternity is that the gulids/fractions will make a huge impact on world and player himself. For example i allway think that "one man army" idea in D&D games (when player and his companions almost conguer whole world, kill anywon and almost play role of demigods )

 

I mean that in whole world where lives not only player and his companions and where filled with influencial characters/ mages, warriors, nobles, merchants etc. They will propably make own gulids and fractions to have more power (group of people should be allways stronger then 1),

 

It will all goes down to politics and silent war/conflict for influence.

 

In my opinion joining those type of gulids whould not only be "join able" but this must be absolutely necessary not for pushing storyline-forward-only but for gaining your own political influence, greatly enhance our capabilities and the availability of resources.

 

We alrady now that there will me stronghold, so why not gulid related-stronghold. Mage hold for mages, Knight Hold for fighters and paladins etc.

 

For example we have wery powerfull enemy, he has his own political influences, and ONLY posibility to win this kinf of battle is to make your own political power.

 

For interested i sugest to watch "Game of thrones" or read a :

A Song of Ice and Fire

George R. R. Martin

 

 

Whould you like to advance from stable boy to noble powerfull mage ? You want every mage in world to know you and power of you spells and wisdom ? You want evry who can hold a sword be insired by your's strength, heroism, courage, and skills?

 

If any want the same please suport this topic ...

 

Thank for attention.

Edited October 17, 2012 by ArchBeast

[Brannart]

I would like for factions to have a huge impact on the game world but I do not think joining them is necessary.

[Tsuga C]

Merchants, thieves, assassins, mercenaries, teamsters, wizards, etc.--bring on the guilds, but making them mandatory is a bit of a stretch. They should have substantial influence in some cities, of course, but don't let them become the end-all, be-all of the political and social maneuvering.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Tsuga C

[Katrar]

I understand the hesitancy behind not wanting to push players into factions, but IMO it's silly to have political and social maneuvering that is not tied in some way to various groups/sects/factions.

 

I hope there is political & social depth to the game, and that our actions and decisions can have consequences beyond time to level up. =)

[ArchBeast]

I would like for factions to have a huge impact on the game world but I do not think joining them is necessary.

 

Then haw 6 men can win a fight with stronger and better prepared enemy (and im gessing why will fight some) prapobly leading an army ....in BG character was lacky in my opinion he don't facestronger enemy until he gain hes own power and was killing major enemys one by one ... and this game was desined to do so... but what if some powerfull force can cruch you like a bug ... and 1 reason they don't do this is becouse they are not affraid of you ...

 

Besides the D&D design that makes you feel like most powerfull being on the planet killing dragon in 1 hand and demigod in other is a bitt to childish (no offence) I like idea that im not only living powerful person but theres planty of them ...

[ArchBeast]

They should have substantial influence in some cities, of course, but don't let them become the end-all, be-all of the political and social maneuvering.

 

Why not ?

 

I can tell you why Yes :

 

1. If we are talking about role playing game that requaiers not only player but other people then politics, war for influences between citys should be normal thing like eating cakes or singing in wood becouse thats normal part of the WORLD and not 1 person game ...

 

2. This can be wery fun if it's done right, rouges shoud relly like this sistem, putting dagger in someones chest, poisoning his food, stoleing some importan papers, intimidaiting and obtaining influences in this way whoud be much more better for rouges, thieves etc then running woods etc.

 

3. This shoud be a wery good oportunity also for mages, mages can be powerfull (not only tanks or bomb like war machines) charactors they can easly fight with other mages for gaining more power or influences and knowledge....

 

4,. This shoud put some realism to the game, no more 1 men army that is most powerfull person on earth an care only for wondering woods and rescue cats by pulling them from trees and helping kill some rats or wolfes 1000000000 time ina a row....

Edited October 17, 2012 by ArchBeast

[Pshaw]

I think joining guilds is always fun but every guild should have its bonuses as well as its downside. If you join a thieves guild you should not be able to then join a guild that helps enforce laws. If you join a religion that is the antithesis of what one of your party members follows or believes they should leave. If you side with a faction that leans towards privileged society maybe you should become a more common target for thieves when traveling or have commoner NPCs shout insults at you in the markets.These choices are always good but I prefer them to not just be straight up bonuses. Siding with 1 faction/guild should exclude you from others.

 

How far you go with such a thing is entirely up to the developers though. You could go all the way to Fallout NV type levels where the factions you side with affect the outcome of the game or just small bonuses and side quests.

 

I don't much like the idea of getting your stronghold from your faction though. I kind of want the stronghold to feel more my own than a guild house would. I like the BG2 style of retaking a fort from monsters then deciding to keep it. In elderscrolls games I prefer my own house to staying at any of the guilds you eventually run.

Edited October 17, 2012 by Pshaw

[ArchBeast]

And what about plots and politic ?

 

Let's say that you OWN a stronghold, some neighbor dude may think to quickly concouer your stronghold and making it's HIS. If you own stronghold some peasants may ask you for your protection ... etc for politics ..

 

And for plots, let's say that you and few other Archmages are canditades for Gulidmaster ... killing ech other, intimidaiting, sending them to jail fabricaiting papers of theirs crimes etc....

 

In my opinion Gulids shoud be consistant to the storyline and even be required becouse if we separete gulids and storyline then people will be gulid quests or main storyline .... And if joining gulid don't impact story line this is only consolation prize (NWN2 gulids not adding anything to the game), and not big goal

 

Secondry i can't belive how single character that was stable boy can become powerful mage even without teachers etc ? miracle or blessed by the gods ?

 

Besides, if there are guilds they have the most gold and influence and power (they are political players) so sensible to join them and use some of their power than to look for it between the stones in the woods.

Edited October 17, 2012 by ArchBeast

[Karkarov]

Guilds are cool and fine but they should not be "central" to the story. If you should choose to join one maybe it can factor into the main story somehow but it should not be a game changer. If you are a powerful lord owning a stronghold the guilds should be more than happy to get in your good graces whether you are a member or not as well. Options are the best way to making the game fun for the player so they should have the option to be independent too. That doesn't mean guilds can't factor into the story, it just means membership shouldn't be forced on the player.

[Durinax]

Guilds should not be mandatory, being able to play one off of the other would be fantastic (in effect being able to do multiple guilds but if your not caught your rep does not drop with the other guild).

 

I am also a fan of the idea that you can create enemies within the guild who try to trip you up and such.

[ArchBeast]

Ad what about politics should are charactor be involved in international potilics or ony lokal ? :D

[Karkarov]

Ad what about politics should are charactor be involved in international potilics or ony lokal ? :D

Again sure, if the player wants to take that route and Obsidian can do it. There is going to be limitations in the game somewhere, they can't do everything. This could once more tie into the stronghold concept. It might be how you acquire it or perhaps once you have it, again, a lot of people would logically want to be all buddy buddy with you at that point. Some might become your enemy too. We just have to remember the game has a set plot and the devs don't want to focus too much on any one thing or too many things as it either limits options or waters down the campaign.

[Fromage]

Well I am very much in favor of more political involvement for the player, and I think a robust faction-based system would be a great way to do that. There should be a LOT of them, much like in a MMO (but without their complete irrelevance outside special loot like in MMOs or the ability to join any of them but just go thru a questline with them like in TES). However, I kinda doubt PE is going to be that kinda game.

 

I think it would work best as a core for a game's design, the idea being that many factions would exist and they all would have goals that they were pursuing that the player can help them with, stop them from achieving, or just ignore. In many ways this would be the ultimate sandbox game, not just a simualted physical space you can traverse at your leasure, but a political one, the lack of which has always been my number one disappointment in each and every Bethesda release (I crazily thought that each new game would INcrease the complexity and player agency...ten years later and more fool me, heh).

 

Anyway, that kinda just became a rant about me being disappointed with Bethesda, but the reason I brought them up is that they (and even more so Obsidian with New Vegas) have come the closest to actually achieving that ideal, with the notable failure of not giving them enough depth (which is understandable given the pressures to make more and more graphic intensive games).

[Corban Saezer]

http://forums.obsidian.net/topic/61677-gulids-organizations-fractions-and-their-impact-on-the-game-and-player/

 

I would very much like a mage guild to go with the wizard that I intend on making. But how will the guild affect your gameplay? Let's say you go up the ranks and eventually get your own alchemy lab/shop that brings in some income, and improves your crafting. Over time, as you do guild missions or generally follow a gameplay style, you get promoted.

 

At some point, you begin to interact with headquarters more. For those who like things to go on while they're adventuring, this would keep things interesting; when I played Baldur's Gate, I liked coming back to Athkatla after a good week of adventuring, only for something to pop up!

 

As for inter-guild warfare, how would they implement this? Would you occasionally see conflicting factions fighting in the streets? Or get a newsletter tabulating the going-ons ("Alchemy Lab destroyed near the docks, pushing back guild territory" ? )

[Gromnir]

am not sure what a fraction is in the present context, but it sounds like something we would enjoy. got our vote for more influential fractions in pe. am calling dibs on 10/6... big lewis carroll fan.

 

HA! Good Fun!

[rjshae]

^^^^

You really don't want to mess with an evil fraction. But the others are not half bad.

[Darkpriest]

^^^^

You really don't want to mess with an evil fraction. But the others are not half bad.

 

I call my factorial against any fraction...

[Kai]

I'd like a lot of factions and a lot of choices regarding them. I'd also prefer if they're not treated like they were in Skyrim where you could be Master of the thieves guild, the Dark Brotherhood, the Companions and archmage of College of Winterhold at the same time. Becoming the leader of a faction could make sense, but it should prevent you from becoming the leader of any other factions (although you could still join/work for them), as I feel the leader of a guild/faction should be commited to that faction.