Clan Flexibility

Technically speaking, we started era 3 with 409 credits, 1 capital ship which I betrayed Terus for, and the DSMF which I also betrayed him for. And we had to sieze the DSMF from loyalists. Well thats not fair. From 1 barely leveled engineer who wanted nothing to do with any of it…The resources we got, were fought for. The ships, we stole. The entire era, the Imperium built 4 ships of its own. Everything else, either stolen, or absorbed. Which face it, was really the same thing. What gave the Imperium its advantage, wasn’t puff the magic handout. It was people too scared of being permed to stand up for themselves. As for Black Sun not getting a DSMF…I don’t understand that myself. We were still pretending they weren’t the biggest threat to our consolidation of power when they were apparently trying to get it, and I don’t think it would have in any way affected any balance at all, UNLESS, it was the idea that two evil clans would have resources to build cappies, and no "Good guy" clans would. Thats the only thing I can think of, to be honest. In which case, Black Sun still got shafted on that. In the future, there should be a way to build your own DSMF. And be damned if I know how that would work.

Public DSMF prints doesn’t seem that terrible a thing to me. They are incredibly vulnerable gathering points for defenseless engi chars.

Its my opinion that it would be a pretty good idea, the only thing would be finding a way to properly regulate it, as well as perhaps a way to move them one time…So you can have your DSMF…in deep space. Not a charted sector mind you, just some random uncharted spot. Then there would need to be a rule against gunning down engineering clans DSMF’s without being at war. Because you’d get trolls who fakesignaled, went on board, and blew the place up, because their alt was kicked out of the clan. Of course they’d claim something about wanting anarchy or chaos, probably think log it up, and cover their tracks. So something would be needed to protect them. Again, the details aren’t my bag, but honestly I think any clan should be able to get one, and only one frankly.

I don’t understand why a DSMF is a bone that has to be thrown by the imms anyway. Why can’t a clan just up and build one in deep space somewhere? The code systems should allow for the players to change the game in such ways without imm involvement.

I agree!

Fully agree with that Skiia. Could be done easy enough. Set a price on them like 30 mill or so. Have a prog to load one and toss it in a designated sector.

I mean, we were on the right track with structures. Why can’t players build things and create ships, stations, buildings, homes, shops, on their own?.. Without an application process or any imm involvement (short of oversight) at all. It doesn’t make any sense. If the imms don’t want the work of handling the process, and can’t do it efficiently, why not put it in the hands of the players?

"Oh, abuse! Abuuuse!"
Answer: Revoke privileges. Punish. Get rid of the offending.. thing. It’s much easier to clean up after a system than it is to not have that system at all and have to do all the work yourself.

The answer is simple. If you allow the players to be the controlling factor for such things, then the IMMs lose another piece of the power of being able to "subtly" direct which way the era goes. It can be preached until everyone turns blue in the face that the "players" control the destiny of each era, but the facts prove differently. I’m not saying thats a bad thing, I think tossing someone a bone here and there and subtly pushing things can be good for the flow of the mud overall, but just don’t pretend it doesn’t happen.

I also have this feeling that if players were allowed to build homes/buildings/bases etc, that we’d see the powerful clans become even more powerful once they stomp the crap out of the little guys and steal their fancy new building they put so much effort in to. Now that is logically how things work IRL, but it gets old fast in a game setting. I’m alright with the IMMs having to approve such things, I just think that they need to open up their ranks to people that do want to help out with such…and as mentioned prior, get rid of and punish those that abuse the power. Last I saw the IMM list was filled to the brim with people that are never online or are pretty much worthless when it comes to doing actual work (even work of the "answer a simple question" variety)…and thats generally what bogs down a mud, when it becomes 1 or 2 people doing all the actual work.

As much as I’d like to see the power to build things put into the players hands, I can recognize the problem with it – the mud would be a horrendous clusterfuck of unused structures.

Special Echo Sez: A building on Coruscant has become unowned! It is up for auction. If it is not purchased within 5 days, it will be demolished.