Timeline ending soon?

[Outlander]

 

[StormWolf]

"Always watching, Solo. Ho ho ho."

 

[Kibagami]

 

[StormWolf]

Back to regarding next timeline, something I've been aching to see properly explored is how the entirety of the galaxy would handle a power vacuum. Seemingly with each timeline or major Star Wars RP set piece in forum or tabletop, it is either in the frame of the films or something immediately reflecting their themes. AKA "two warring factions of near-equal strength duking it out," or "Big Bad vs the Underdogs". In the case of this past timeline, we did both!
What'd be a fun change of pace would be "main factions" starting out relatively weak in the beginning of the timeline and its plot. Aforementioned power vacuum would allow Indies to grow in power, and likely catch up to the primary factions, forcing begrudging alliances, bargains, etc in order to make any considerable headway. With the talk of limiting the number of characters someone can play, perhaps keep it to one FS per player, to give that sense of Jedi/Sith aren't all over the galaxy just yet, replenishing their numbers after nearly both were entirely eradicated. These themes of lawlessness in the wide expanse of the galaxy would draw some constantly fluctuating faction lines (or areas entirely devoid of faction allegiance). While the fledgling New Republic would be trying to maintain order in their expanse, a Jedi is sent to act as a defacto law-keeper on a planet in the Far Rim until an Alliance garrison shows up.

Keeping in mind that Star Wars is a space-western-fantasy King Arthur Heroe's Journey, these are all things that could fit, but push the envelope enough to explore beyond the "faction v faction/empire v underdog" storytelling that seems to alternate its way down the Star Wars timeline.

 

[Mr.BossMan]

Back to regarding next timeline, something I've been aching to see properly explored is how the entirety of the galaxy would handle a power vacuum. Seemingly with each timeline or major Star Wars RP set piece in forum or tabletop, it is either in the frame of the films or something immediately reflecting their themes. AKA "two warring factions of near-equal strength duking it out," or "Big Bad vs the Underdogs". In the case of this past timeline, we did both!
What'd be a fun change of pace would be "main factions" starting out relatively weak in the beginning of the timeline and its plot. Aforementioned power vacuum would allow Indies to grow in power, and likely catch up to the primary factions, forcing begrudging alliances, bargains, etc in order to make any considerable headway. With the talk of limiting the number of characters someone can play, perhaps keep it to one FS per player, to give that sense of Jedi/Sith aren't all over the galaxy just yet, replenishing their numbers after nearly both were entirely eradicated. These themes of lawlessness in the wide expanse of the galaxy would draw some constantly fluctuating faction lines (or areas entirely devoid of faction allegiance). While the fledgling New Republic would be trying to maintain order in their expanse, a Jedi is sent to act as a defacto law-keeper on a planet in the Far Rim until an Alliance garrison shows up.

Keeping in mind that Star Wars is a space-western-fantasy King Arthur Heroe's Journey, these are all things that could fit, but push the envelope enough to explore beyond the "faction v faction/empire v underdog" storytelling that seems to alternate its way down the Star Wars timeline.

My name is Mr.BossMan and I support this message.

 

[Green Ranger]

The tricky thing about a landgrab over independant worlds scenario, is that we don't...really have a system in place for managing planetary conquests when there is no opposing side. I ran into that issue earlier in the timeline with the Bogan - we set up battles and asked people to participate if they wanted to NPC the opposition, and eventually we won those battles because literally noone signed up. So framing a whole setting around that could be...problematic, to say the least.

 

[Omiya]

@StormWolf This is everything I want, except I'd rather it not be the fledgling New Republic, but actually be the first Republic. Like seriously forget everything we have in the EU about the Old Republic, I want to go to the actual founding of the Republic before the Jedi were a huge deal or the Sith were a legit problem.

@Green Ranger Instead of invading a planet would it be possible to explore? I mean if we were to set the next timeline during the dawn of the Republic I highly doubt much of the galaxy outside of the Core Worlds would be known, beyond Hutt space and even then only the Cartel would really have any idea what was in their territory. I think the Chiss Ascendancy, Hutt Cartel, and a fledgling Republic could really work.

 

[Outlander]

The tricky thing about a landgrab over independant worlds scenario, is that we don't...really have a system in place for managing planetary conquests when there is no opposing side. I ran into that issue earlier in the timeline with the Bogan - we set up battles and asked people to participate if they wanted to NPC the opposition, and eventually we won those battles because literally noone signed up. So framing a whole setting around that could be...problematic, to say the least.

Maybe have something like quickbattles? You talk it out with a moderator who wins, loses, and what the losses are, a long post is out up for the conquest, and maybe a cool down is given so people can't just bull-rush through them?

That, or scrap conquests for unaligned planets. Maybe make it more open ended in those scenarios, so it can be completed through like a mission pack, or find someone to rp the diplomacy.

 

[Mr.BossMan]

What about making larger main factions, but weaker main factions. I am thinking more of "Fall of rome" type stuff. For instance we start the main factions to the point were they are overstrectched. Way beyond the point to were they can protect themselves. They are literlly so big and large that it has weakned them.

Then we let the independent factions take there pick, they attack on there terms, when the main factions are so spread thin that they can not defend their own territory's. Do you know where I am going with this?

So that way we can still have the main factions, and the people to help role play the defenses. But the NPCs avalible to the main factions will be limited/nonexistant. So that gives the independent factions a much needed advantage and some breathing room to pick and choose what and where they want to expand.

 

[Green Ranger]

Maybe have something like quickbattles? You talk it out with a moderator who wins, loses, and what the losses are, a long post is out up for the conquest, and maybe a cool down is given so people can't just bull-rush through them?

That, or scrap conquests for unaligned planets. Maybe make it more open ended in those scenarios, so it can be completed through like a mission pack, or find someone to rp the diplomacy.

I don't want to make it sound like I'm consistently shooting down the idea or anything, so just before I start I want to sort of make that disclaimer. It's an interesting idea, for sure, and I'm more than happy to explore the possibilities of it. Part of the reason why I invited speculation is that I want to see what you guys come up with on your own to sort of see if we can work any of these ideas in to what we're working on at the moment.

I think the idea of quickbattles is an interesting one, for sure, but it's also somewhat problematic. From my experience, one of the biggest things people expect from main factions is major battles. The problem with introducing quickbattles or skirmishes over unaffiliated worlds is that the timeline both becomes largely automated, and it's also something of a landgrab. Even with cooldowns introduced, it means taking a lot of the RP out of the RP. The reality for main factions really is that all of the other stuff - training, missions, diplomacy etc. is really just fluff around battles, which are the main reason for a main faction's existance - because they drive the timeline, get new members involved, advertise the factions and just generally breathe life into the timeline. We've had periods of peace, or even just ceasefire periods where battles aren't happening, and generally speaking, the site as a whole tends to suffer when that happens.

I just feel like quickbattles, while an interesting idea, and definately something that can happen on the side, especially for independant factions, aren't particularly ideal for main factions because they rely on battle activity so much. Just my two cents.

What about making larger main factions, but weaker main factions. I am thinking more of "Fall of rome" type stuff. For instance we start the main factions to the point were they are overstrectched. Way beyond the point to were they can protect themselves. They are literlly so big and large that it has weakned them.

Then we let the independent factions take there pick, they attack on there terms, when the main factions are so spread thin that they can not defend their own territory's. Do you know where I am going with this?

So that way we can still have the main factions, and the people to help role play the defenses. But the NPCs avalible to the main factions will be limited/nonexistant. So that gives the independent factions a much needed advantage and some breathing room to pick and choose what and where they want to expand.

EDIT: @Mr.BossMan - That's...actually not bad. I will say this much - we're looking at reducing the scale of the conflict, so that we don't wind up with 3/4 of the galaxy belonging to one superpower or the other, but we're sorta trying to do it in a way that will make it consistant with canon portrayal of larger governments. I'm trying to be vague here, because this is all obviously still prone to change as discussions continue, but I will say this much - we definately want to nerf those galactic conflicts so they are more consistent with what we see in canon, and the realities of how a faction like the Republic truly operates (as opposed to how we've been pretending those factions operate in RP) is definately on the table as a matter being discussed.

 

[Outlander]

I don't want to make it sound like I'm consistently shooting down the idea or anything, so just before I start I want to sort of make that disclaimer. It's an interesting idea, for sure, and I'm more than happy to explore the possibilities of it. Part of the reason why I invited speculation is that I want to see what you guys come up with on your own to sort of see if we can work any of these ideas in to what we're working on at the moment.

I think the idea of quickbattles is an interesting one, for sure, but it's also somewhat problematic. From my experience, one of the biggest things people expect from main factions is major battles. The problem with introducing quickbattles or skirmishes over unaffiliated worlds is that the timeline both becomes largely automated, and it's also something of a landgrab. Even with cooldowns introduced, it means taking a lot of the RP out of the RP. The reality for main factions really is that all of the other stuff - training, missions, diplomacy etc. is really just fluff around battles, which are the main reason for a main faction's existance - because they drive the timeline, get new members involved, advertise the factions and just generally breathe life into the timeline. We've had periods of peace, or even just ceasefire periods where battles aren't happening, and generally speaking, the site as a whole tends to suffer when that happens.

I just feel like quickbattles, while an interesting idea, and definately something that can happen on the side, especially for independant factions, aren't particularly ideal for main factions because they rely on battle activity so much. Just my two cents.

No worries, Mate! Mostly just spitballing myself, and I completely get your reasoning. :D

 

[Mr.BossMan]

EDIT: @Mr.BossMan - That's...actually not bad. I will say this much - we're looking at reducing the scale of the conflict, so that we don't wind up with 3/4 of the galaxy belonging to one superpower or the other, but we're sorta trying to do it in a way that will make it consistant with canon portrayal of larger governments. I'm trying to be vague here, because this is all obviously still prone to change as discussions continue, but I will say this much - we definately want to nerf those galactic conflicts so they are more consistent with what we see in canon, and the realities of how a faction like the Republic truly operates (as opposed to how we've been pretending those factions operate in RP) is definately on the table as a matter being discussed.

Holy **** I can now die a happy man.

 

[StormWolf]

@Omiya My issue with pre-Republic is that with that there is no sense of urgency. The story in that timeline would be sluggish until we get a few years in and things accelerate. My whole push for post-OT/post Imperial collapse is how the galaxy would have fractured when its superstructure goes "poof". First Republic, again, would have too many empty variables in the New Canon. I am looking at it when the EU is discarded. With the New Canon, the Dawn of the Jedi/First Republic has nearly no starting point. It would require a lot of world building on part of the staff and player base, or just cherry-pick things we liked form Legends. Even then, it has so much empty space that it permits almost too much of a void that can be exploited. Even then, the exploration component you want with the First Republic setting, while it could be fun, would be extremely constraining/easily exploitable. Like, I want to re-reroll my Cathar Jedi next timeline. In what you are proposing, however, I'd need to wait until someone discovers Cathar before I can roll my Jedi. So I'd have to make a character to find Cathar just so I can play my "main", or wait for someone else to find it?

As @Mr.BossMan said, I would like to see the "main factions" be at the breaking point at one way or another. Whether they are overstretched, understaffed, bankrupt, etc. This allows PCs in the main factions to act in the interest of preserving/recovering whatever they have, as well as having antagonistic extremist forces within the ranks that think "conquer more and we'll be fine!" Example being New Republic trying to consolidate and simply can't due to a lack of system support, while some of the Rebel veterans think that they can get resources the old fashioned way - by taking it. With the Empire fractured, the New Republic wobbling like a newborn fawn, and the spaces in-between at the mercy of warlords and crime syndicates, the opposition wouldn't be directed at each particular faction unless they cross paths. In reality, they would be more occupied with keeping themselves from delving into complete chaos.
This would alloy the Jedi to be peacekeepers, the Sith to be the iron fist, and have a fertile crescent of opportunity for Indie factions to sell their services or peck at the dying/underdeveloped main factions.
Now, this may be a stretch, but I'd go so far as to say that seeing the Jedi/Sith not hand-holding with another faction would be a welcome change. Both sides of the Force would be recovering in the wake of the Empire. The Sith and Jedi both seeking Force-Sensitives as they pop up on the grid, serving their interests rather than being subservient to the wants and needs of the Republic or Empire. To see the Jedi actually act as guardians of the galaxy (hehe) and Sith as their antithesis driven by unfettered ambition would be like a cold sip of champagne. Imagine the tension of a New Republic garrison establishing itself [forcefully] on a Far Rim world and the Jedi needing to stand against the Republic for a change, rather than heedlessly obey the beck and call of the Senate, because what a Senate says its people needs is rarely synonymous with what the people truly require.

Again, spitballing. This is what I would think as fresh and fertile grounds for original RP, rather than the recycling of Legends plots for TOR/Pre-Republic settings.

 

[Omiya]

@Omiya My issue with pre-Republic is that with that there is no sense of urgency. The story in that timeline would be sluggish until we get a few years in and things accelerate. My whole push for post-OT/post Imperial collapse is how the galaxy would have fractured when its superstructure goes "poof". First Republic, again, would have too many empty variables in the New Canon. I am looking at it when the EU is discarded. With the New Canon, the Dawn of the Jedi/First Republic has nearly no starting point. It would require a lot of world building on part of the staff and player base, or just cherry-pick things we liked form Legends. Even then, it has so much empty space that it permits almost too much of a void that can be exploited. Even then, the exploration component you want with the First Republic setting, while it could be fun, would be extremely constraining/easily exploitable. Like, I want to re-reroll my Cathar Jedi next timeline. In what you are proposing, however, I'd need to wait until someone discovers Cathar before I can roll my Jedi. So I'd have to make a character to find Cathar just so I can play my "main", or wait for someone else to find it?

I disagree, but I see your point, pre-Republic would require a lot of world building and maybe that's something the admins and other players would rather not deal with, personally I've always enjoined world and character building more than actual battles or conflicts, and I understand that a lot of people wouldn't agree with me. I disagree with your point about urgency though, much like what you and @Mr.BossMan said about wanting to see the main factions in their death throws so to speak, are very similar reasons as to why I'd prefer to see the main factions basically start with nothing and have to work from there, whereas you guys want them to start with way too much and lose/work to keep it. Basically I agree with you both, but I've always prefered things when they begin, so much potential, rather than when they are gonna break down, although both have their merits.

As far as your Cathar Jedi, you wouldn't have to wait till someone discovered Cathar to play them, just because their homeworld hasn't been charted doesn't mean it isn't out there. Guaranteed it would require some creative writing or RPing to get from Cather to the Jedi or vice versa, but again all I see is a great deal of potential for an amazing story.

Now, this may be a stretch, but I'd go so far as to say that seeing the Jedi/Sith not hand-holding with another faction would be a welcome change. Both sides of the Force would be recovering in the wake of the Empire. The Sith and Jedi both seeking Force-Sensitives as they pop up on the grid, serving their interests rather than being subservient to the wants and needs of the Republic or Empire. To see the Jedi actually act as guardians of the galaxy (hehe) and Sith as their antithesis driven by unfettered ambition would be like a cold sip of champagne. Imagine the tension of a New Republic garrison establishing itself [forcefully] on a Far Rim world and the Jedi needing to stand against the Republic for a change, rather than heedlessly obey the beck and call of the Senate, because what a Senate says its people needs is rarely synonymous with what the people truly require.

Again, spitballing. This is what I would think as fresh and fertile grounds for original RP, rather than the recycling of Legends plots for TOR/Pre-Republic settings.

I agree with you on this, regardless of what timeline we end up with I really don't want to see the Jedi or Sith taking a major military or political role, as far as within another main faction. Seeing the Jedi protect a distant world despite the Republic wanting or needing it under their control would be an excellent opportunity for an interesting story. I also want the Jedi and Sith, if they do end up at war, to fight each other on a more personal scale, rather than with armies at their backs as they rampage throughout the galaxy.

I also just want to add that I'd be very disappointed to see recycled plots from Legends, no matter what era we end up in. Now there was some interesting things going on through the EU, and reading those old books as a teenager was what made me fall in love with the universe, (MedStar II: Jedi Healer and Legacy of the Force: Tempest were the only ones in my local library had so they were my first), but at the same time I'm not all that sad to see them go, I'm actually excited because it means we get to basically pave our own legacy, and nothing could make me more excited then that.

 

[Loco]

Possibly the most effective thing I've seen implemented in the entire time period I've been a member here is the "abbreviated" battles that have happened the last few months. Narrow focus, one-on-one, no NPC fights without a grand scope or scale and with a strict timeline in place to keep things on track. Manaan, Bestine, whatever the other one was... I have honestly been blown away by how smoothly those battles went compared to how drawn out and ugly past inter-faction conflicts have gone. I like this new system- smaller, more regulated, more frequent battles as opposed to the grand conflicts of days past, and I would like to see more of it.

 

[Green Ranger]

Possibly the most effective thing I've seen implemented in the entire time period I've been a member here is the "abbreviated" battles that have happened the last few months. Narrow focus, one on one fights without a grand scope or scale and with a strict timeline in place to keep things on track. Manaan, Bestine, whatever the other one was... I have honestly been blown away by how smoothly those battles went compared to how drawn out and ugly past inter-faction conflicts have gone. I like this new system- smaller, more regulated, more frequent battles as opposed to the grand conflicts of days past.

I don't think it's any mystery that the staff absolutely agree with you, and we'll be keeping the model of these smaller, shorter battles moving forward. Some very minor tweaks to the rules may be made, but expect to see the Manaan Rules being the status quo of battles in the next timeline.

 

[StormWolf]

@Omiya I'm a big world-building fan as well, don't get me wrong, but it is complicated enough of a process with a group as small as the staff to come to agreement on the state of things from [basically] scratch, let alone all the members of the forum. Regardless of timeline, it'll require some creative acrobatics, which is all part of the fun, but there comes a point where it just becomes busy work. Filling in the massive void of pre/early Republic would be a massive undertaking.
I simply prefer the greater sense of liberation that follows the collapse of Imperial infrastructure. The belief in the Unifying Force philosiphy without being ostracized, the radical political reform or lack thereof, familiar-but-different ships, locations, names, etc. In something in a safe distance from the Imperial collapse and the TFA, there is enough in the Lore ballpark to give a superstructure to build upon.

 

[Marf]

I don't mind the implementation of a further character limit, but I will be sorely upset if we are unable to have more than one character in the same faction. Sith are my passion, and I always like to have two to explore the different classes and aspects of their culture. I've been planning a Sith Sorcerer for months, but I'm seriously hoping to keep Andromeda (my Sith Warrior) aswell.

I'm also a massive fan of the SWTOR era and I'd be super happy if the new timeline resembled a similar setting.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Re: the dawn of the Republic. I'll say this. It won't be the dawn of the Old Old Republic (in canon, the Republic before c.1000 BBY - which, before the rise of the Empire, was also known as the "Old Republic" - was a separate government from the Galactic Republic of the prequel era). We agree that timelines where things aren't as fully developed don't work as well. We've tried it before. Good stories, but it didn't work in the RP.

 

[TwoSidedHeart]

This is a pretty genralized thing of me to say, but personally if I want to explore like... the times before the movies eg: The Old Republic, Ill just play that game haha. I like the idea of something 50-100 years after what we're assuming the new movies will be. ^_^

Granted, Ill rp pretty much any timeline since its Star Wars. :D Then again Im conflicted. I love the idea that 60ish years after the Jedi Purge, everyones like 'Jedi Who?' 'Darkside What?'. It gives me alot of ideas for storytelling with a Jedi or Sith character... well technically 'Dark jedi' character since the Sith are supposedly extinct. But then, I also like the idea of having everyone know what a Jedi and Sith are, though with the Jedi brought back to being more peacekeepers rather than like Magical Generals of War. XD