nytefyre
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Post by nytefyre on Aug 3, 2011 16:02:01 GMT -5
hi all...this is my first post, and id like to commend the autors of this great program/game...very well done, and very entertaining...ive lost many an hour to it...
now, my question...is is possible to not be affiliated with an house/clan/syndicate? can you be just an independent ship working freelance? i apologize if this isse has been addressed, but i could not find the answer while i was browsing/searching (i do try to find the answers myself b4 i pester others, lol)...any help with this would be great...in the event that you can not be independent, might i suggest that it be an option for future updates? it might be fun to have no allegiance and work for yourself...esp for smugglers...
thanks again!
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Post by slayernz on Aug 3, 2011 18:04:07 GMT -5
Hi Nytefire and welcome to the forum,
Even though you have a starting faction, you are not bound to them in any way. In fact, you're fully capable of allying yourself to another faction and destroying every home-faction ship you come across. (I did that once when I accidentally started as Steel Song). You're able to work with another faction at the expense of your home faction, OR you are able to work quasi-independently and not have any allegiance with one faction.
The reality is that although you are completely free to act independently of any one faction, because each faction interacts with other factions (with alliances, wars, or embargoes), actions you do can and usually will have an impact on your reputations with other factions.
For example, you can be an independent pirate and blow ships up on a random basis. You'll be despised by the factions whose ships you destroy, but you might actually get positive RP with factions that are at war with the factions whose ships you destroy.
It's certainly possible to build positive relations with all 6 factions, just as it's possible to have all 6 hate and want to kill you.
All of this excludes the Independents because they are only a "proto-faction". That is, they aren't advanced enough as a collective to work together or even share information. They're kind of like the individual tribes that did their own thing but traded with the colonists ). You're just lucky that independents don't hold grudges because the amount of negative things you do to them over the course of a game definitely outweighs the positive.
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nytefyre
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Posts: 7
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Post by nytefyre on Aug 3, 2011 19:31:42 GMT -5
wow, thank you for your quick repy...it was in depth and very informative...it definitely cleared up some questions...
personally, and this is just my own opinion, i would still like to see an option to not affiliate your ship with anyone...and i said in my above post, it would be good for smugglers, but what i forgot to say is it would be awesome for bounty hunters as well...especially since bounty hunters are supposed to work for whomever is gonna pay top dollar...probably would have less reputation gained/loss per faction, but would fit better in the RPG aspect of certain classes...
just my 2 cents...perhaps it could be an option for future updates? (hint, hint!)
lol
regardless, amazing game, amazing community...i gladly purchased elite, and enjoy it completely! thanks all!! thanks devs!!
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Post by slayernz on Aug 3, 2011 21:10:19 GMT -5
The problem with being fully independent is the fact that you will still have some reputation influencers with the 6 factions. Even if you never did faction missions (you can do contracts with independent nations), if you bought/sold goods from one faction (eg Cadar) that was trade-embargoed with another faction (Thulun), Thulun would like you less because of it. Do that enough and Thulun won't even want to trade with you ... and keep on going and Thulun will want to execute you for ignoring their rants.
As a bounty hunter, I'd still like a special ability to access the Palace for (a) Death Warrants, and (b) execution/capture contracts. That would be a moderate change to the game engine so won't be quickly implementable.
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nytefyre
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Posts: 7
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Post by nytefyre on Aug 4, 2011 15:13:41 GMT -5
no, i completely understand what you are saying...i guess my real problem is that i wish you were not permenantly associated with a faction...maybe if there was a way to implement the ability to change during the game? like changing transponders or something similar...it just seems silly to be flying the flag of one of the houses (or syndicates) and then work against them...you would think they would excommunicate or blacklist you after a while, and wouldn't want you flying their flag representing them...and in the interest of players RPG-ing a pirate/privateer, wouldn't make sense for them to be able to fly a false or neutral flag? you know, like real pirates? would be neat to have this affect encounters or missions...just some thoughts...
i do appreciate your info and opinions though; im not trying to disagree or argue with you...i just think that since these options currently dont exist, they may make good additions in future updates...for picky people who overthink stuff such as myself...LOL
thanks!
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Post by slayernz on Aug 4, 2011 17:33:41 GMT -5
Ah ... I get you - you want the ability to either start as an independent, or at the very least change your factional allegiance during the game. If there were some ability for factional allegiance to be changed, it shouldn't be something that can be done on a week by week basis. It's more like changing your passport / citizenship. You can certainly do work for other nations, but you're still a member of your starting society. Even if you do really bad things, you don't get your citizenship stripped away - you just get locked up  ... you can fully change allegiances by moving to the new country, adopting its culture and then applying for citizenship. That takes time though - years even, but it is still possible. Also, I too am keen for Cory to allow us to start captains as independents down the track - it actually provides a challenge because you don't get any +RP with a particular faction on starting. |
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Post by susanexpress1 on Aug 4, 2011 21:32:36 GMT -5
the question is so difficult. i do not know how to deal with it when i met the problem before, but fortunately, a friend of mine solved the problem.
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nytefyre
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Posts: 7
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Post by nytefyre on Aug 5, 2011 7:33:28 GMT -5
slayernz: exactly! i think i finally made myself clear to you and others...lol...maybe cory could take at look at this concept, and maybe implement it if he thinks it has some worth...id love to help contribute (my ideas anyways) to this well done game!!
susanexpress1: ummm, ok...im sorry but i dont understand your reply...it is very vague.
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Post by Cory Trese on Aug 5, 2011 12:53:31 GMT -5
Unfortunately in ST RPG the "independent faction" is not a real faction in the game's database. They are the absence of Faction.
I have tried several times over the past year to reconcile that with a "Indy Captain" character but I failed as a developer / designer / programmer to see / allow this as a possibility.
I cannot put this feature into the game, I am afraid.
In Star Traders RPG 2 you will be able to play as an independent and complete contracts in the Urban Zone (some of them, the ones that make sense at least) without returning to the ship.
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nytefyre
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Post by nytefyre on Aug 5, 2011 13:30:55 GMT -5
i understand...its still nice to know that it had been looked into...
as an alternative, do you think there is a way to maybe allow the Captain to change allegeances with factions? or maybe make that an option in the upcoming sequel?
just my opinion/suggestion...you have made a great game in any case! i look forward to the next one!
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Post by Cory Trese on Aug 5, 2011 13:40:00 GMT -5
The different Factions (in the pen / paper RPG) are like different races. Thulun have bronzed skin, black hair whereas De Valtos are always described as blond with pale complexions and blue eyes.
That's really why at this point we've not considered a "change faction" option because in the world design it isn't something the Captain could really do.
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nytefyre
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Post by nytefyre on Aug 5, 2011 17:45:29 GMT -5
ok, i guess that was information i had been missing...i didnt realize this was a port of a table-top game...now it makes a lot more sense...i had never thought about it in a 'race selection' venue before...
*lightbulb!!*
thanks again!
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... you can fully change allegiances by moving to the new country, adopting its culture and then applying for citizenship. That takes time though - years even, but it is still possible. 
