EFUFRS : Faction Reputation System

[Mort]

EFUFRS is a fully scripted system that was made in order to track the impact of certain PC actions upon the population in order to promote a certain type of philosophy for the growth of the fledgling city. EFUFRS will be affected by scripted decisions which means that you may impact and gain reputation toward certain demographic variable by doing certain actions IG (without the requiring of a DM), and you may also gain reputation toward a certain demographic group of the population by DM-judgment.

This provides the DM with a tool to monitor the reputation between two groups and therefore aid in determining who the unrepresented population is supporting as the city is being built and what will acts will be supported by the unrepresented population. This is an attempt to provide a finer and interesting new dimension to EfU that go beyond what has been traditionally attempted.

To this end, a variety of banners, each led by an NPC, (but some could certainly be led by PCs or become led by PCs in time), have been introduced in-game. I understand these new 'players' so to speak will cause undue friction as, with everything new that we introduce, there is a conservative feeling of unknown within it and the first animalistic instinct is to oppose change at all cost. This is fine, but it is something that has been fairly long to implement (script-wise and design-wise) and I am fairly sure that if people participate and get active in these new dilemmas that go farther than killing those who oppose you, things will get quite interesting and it will help DMs immensively in determining which groups merits the support of certain group of the unrepresented.

By joining a Banner, you will become a representant of that particular Banner's philosophy and your acts may be noted by the population in favor of that banner. It is a tool for DMs and players-alike to monitor the impact that characters can have on the formation of the city and of the ruling philosophies that will guide this formation. This system is a meritocracy that gives a new political dimension to be swayed and gain influence for your vision (or the vision of the people you represent) to become a reality which go beyond the traditional arm's race.

There are several possible Banners for characters to join at the moment, without applications:
 - The Stygian Armada (Banner must be handed by faction-member character).
 - The Fleet of the First Bolt (Banner must be handed by faction-member character).
 - House Malatesta (Banner must be handed by faction-member)
 - The Fellowship of the Cheerful Dead
 - The Chauntean Precepts (Led by Mother Oggla)
 - The Credo of Strength (Led by Gaeseric the Unyielding)
 - The Tyrran Conclave (Led by Eumond Haramunos)
 - The Ilmateri Theocracy (Led by Samael Lashneveous)
 - The Helmite Guardianship (Led by Karzan Fyoris)

Some of these banners may go or not, they are but a philosophy that requires player-interest in order to grow. Some of you may wish to create your own Banner and this is certainly possible (Note that unlike factions, a PC can only belong to ONE banner.) Due to the rate that characters get killed or die, we thought it best for stability to establish the 'leading' figure as NPCs as they are more stable within the gameworld, but these leading figure would certainly be welcoming of suggestion so long as it goes with the original philosophy of the banner.

Impacts from characters belonging to these Banners will be monitored behind the scene through a reputation system, fully scripted, unique on EfU:A. Impacts can be made through both scripted means and/or adjusted by DMs to allow for a greater flexibility and control. This system was implemented as an attempt to give the best possible balance between a control/impact of the gameworld for characters and a required stability for the gameworld to advance and be amusing/fun for all players involved.

Just a few examples of the new scripted tools that will work independetly and without a DM:

 - Organize caravans to bring ore shipment Caravan or to guard ore shipment Caravan to the city in order to gain reputation through the system.

 - Organize bandit raids or trade embargo in order to prevent Caravan from delivering a particular resource back to the city.

 - Control territories of fertile lands or raid resources on behalf of your banner in order to improve your reputation or control over specific groups within the city.
 - Indulge in donations to specific groups in order to sway them.
 - Do certain scripted quest/event that would improve your relationships with a specific group that may not have XP or Gold reward.
 - Establish trade routes with other nations/city on behalf of your banner
 - etc. There is no limitations to what we may come up to script that players can engage in without the help of DMs in order to have an impact on the gameworld and all the above have been scripted, but would need to be beta-tested.

DM events or DM-sanctioned Player ideas to improve relationships with certain demographic group will certainly be another way to give flexibility to this massive entreprise.

As was said before, EfU:A is still in beta-stage and this was seen as an idea, that require some test, in order to create a fully vibrant world in which players can engage in meaningful and interesting conflicts that go beyond what was traditionally seen with or without the supervision of a DM.

[Mort]

The first few days would be time to organize based on the system. If you are interested in forming a banner, I'd suggest you express your sentiments through an application so we can modify the system and include you. There should be an appropriate amount of thought put into this so we dont have the module constantly based on lack of involvement or otherwise. Hence the benefit of having a banner handled by an NPC as they will never be tired and give up!

It's taking a bit more time to implement than I had hope and I was just too enthusiast to introduce it! So just be patient for now.