[Concept]Player Organizations

[Futuza]

As Jedi Knight Galaxies is a multiplayer game, social organizations in game will be a key part of helping players to organize and create their own fun and allegiances.  The primary goal is to give players the ability to organize in-game without needing to rely on outside tools (Such as a guild webpage, discord, etc) so that JKG is self sufficient for player organization.  Player organization has a broad number of different needs so here's an outline of what I would like to be available.  Keep in mind this is a concept outline and will be subject to a lot of change based on feedback and feasibility as we go along.

 

Factions

Factions are developer controlled NPC run massive organizations that exist on multiple planets throughout the servers.  Players may join a faction for certain benefits or perks in exchange for being expected to perform certain services or duties.  The two primary factions are the Rebel Alliance faction and the Imperial faction.  Other factions may eventually be introduced, but only these two will exist initially (for example the Black Sun and Hutts would be considered factions) to simplify things and get feedback for the initial faction system before trying out additional options.  There is technically a 3rd party faction available (Neutral), but everyone is initially assigned to this faction when they create a new character and it behaves different since it doesn't actually exist as a faction.  As you do favors for NPCs, through quests etc and by following a "story line" you will eventually be able to unlock access to a faction and have the opportunity to join it.  Some examples of benefits a faction might provide for a player: access to restricted areas where members of that faction are only allowed, faction specific weapons/equipment is available for purchase, faction produced items are sold at discount to faction members, additional faction specific quests become available, rewards for killing opposing faction players, etc.  We will probably also schedule regular weekly faction war events, where faction members engage in massive battles over some sort of territory or objective once a week - which will provide additional benefits to those who participate and win - while also providing direction for narrative changes in the overall state of the Galaxy.

 

 

Guilds

Guilds are player controlled and created organizations that exist on multiple planets throughout the servers.  Guilds have a max cap of 30 (subject to change) to prevent guilds from becoming massive bloated bureaucracies (that's what factions are for).  Guilds are the core social unit of JKG and provide a home and place of belonging for players that choose to participate in one.  They also conduct wars and compete with one another for resources.  Guilds can make alliances with one another and name other guilds as an ally or foe in order to quickly communicate to their members who is to be trusted and who is not.  Individuals can also be labeled as allies or foes.  Guilds can also officially associate themselves with a faction, but this will be made public and the factions will make certain demands of the guild (while also providing benefits).  eg: The Imperial faction may require you to kill 25 Rebel players every month as a guild.

 

Many of the planets in the game will have neutral territories that can be claimed and controlled by guilds.  Most of these take the form of small towns or large building complexes (such as a fort or factory) that are located in unclaimed territories not controlled by factions.  The process of how a guild claims a territory will be covered in a later concept outline and will deal with a lot of the end-game content for JKG.  In summary, certain territories in game can be claimed as Guild property by meeting certain requirements.  Once claimed, the guild has to pay maintenance costs and continue defending their claim on a regular basis in order to retain ownership.  They can repurpose the territory for their own benefit by using buildings or rooms in the territory as player housing for members of their guild.  The guild will have control over many policies that are applied to that territory.  For example, they can setup a tax on trade for certain (or all) items exchanged in that territory between players (or NPCs) or disable or enable PVP.  This can be beneficial to creating a localized economy and create incentive for encouraging trade in your guilds territory.  For example, a guild could make saber crystal trade legal in their territory and sold at a 10% discount, while making the sell of raw ore materials illegal.  Typically most territories will come with a variety of different NPC services which will be largely controllable by the reigning guild.  eg: The territory may have a security force which can be tasked with killing Imperial Stormtroopers and Rebel Fighters, while not attacking Bounty Hunters. 

 

Apart from controllable territories (which will be covered in more detail at a later time), guilds will have a number of other features, most of which will be accessible from within the guild menu here's some ideas:

• Guild chat where guild members can message each other (and maybe eventually voip, but we'll see...)
• Guild treasury controlled by the Guild Leader, this allows the Guild to pool funds together to buy prohibitively expensive items such as ships or buildings.  Also called the Guild Fund.
• Guild message page, where guild leaders can post announcements, guidelines etc. Normal guild members can view this, but not edit it.
• Guild Positions - see more below.
• Guild Banner/Symbol editor - a symbol the guild uses to identify stuff that is editable in game by Guild Leaders.
• Ability to add guild symbol to equipment (eg: on armor or weapons).
• Ability to create specialized guild equipment, especially if the guild completes special quests or tasks.
• Access to Guild Quests.
• Ability to participate in Guild Events.

 

Guild Positions

When someone creates a guild they have the ability to setup a very customizable set of positions within the guild in order to manage the guild.  The roles for each, except the guild owner are all completely customizable (has access to everything).  Each role is editable with these (or similar features):

 

 

 

 

 

Here's an example of how a guild owner might setup a guild with various different positions

• Owner - Creator of the guild, has full admin access over the guild and can change and edit this list as they see fit, removing positions entirely or changing the access allowed for each.  This role cannot be revoked, unless the Owner leaves the guild (he must name a successor before doing so).  If the Owner is inactive for more than 30 days, his successor is given full owner access - this can be reverted if the owner logs back in.  If no successor was chosen or named, then a random guild member from the next highest permissions level will be selected.  Required contribution setting is disabled for owners.
• Daughter-Heir - can edit guild positions, is a leader, can recruit new members, can edit guild symbol, can kick members, can kick leaders, can use guild funds, can request guild funds, can advertise guild, can edit guild news, has a required contribution of 1000 credits per week.  Is the guild's successor in the event the owner leaves.
• Recruiter - Can advertise the guild (send recruitment invitations, which would need to be approved before the invitee can be recruited), is a trainer, and has a contribution of 100 credits per week.
• Master - Can recruit new members, advertise, is a leader, can kick members, is a trainer and can request guild funds.  Has a contribution of 500 credits per week.
• Apprentice - Can request guild funds, and has a contribution of 100 credits per week.
• Padawan - Has a contribution of 100 credits per month.

Members in the guild can then be assigned a position and as guild leaders determine can move up or down in the guild.  There will probably be several additional permissions that can be customized, the above is not by any means a thorough list.  Due to this level of customization guilds can have several different hierarchies or even make everyone equal in the guild (a socialist guild?).  The Required Contribution is optional for each role, but if enabled, will require that member to meet the contribution quota in order to remain a member of the guild.  Those who fail to meet that quota will be autokicked from the guild (possibly other consequences could occur, such as being being assigned a "peasant" role with no permissions).  In order to create a guild, a player must visit a guild registration office (there is at least one on each planet), pay a registration fee (will be something large like 500,000 credits), and be the required minimum level (mostly to prevent newbies from creating guilds they aren't ready to run and force players to have some experience with the game before creating their own guild).  We might also require a guild 'quest' one has to complete first before being trusted enough by the guild office to be ready to start your own guild.  Guilds also have a shared "Guild Fund" and those authorized to use Guild Funds can spend it on things, members might also make requests to use guild funds on something, which would then have to be approved by someone who has guild fund access.  Those who contribute funds to the guild send money to this Guild Fund when they contribute.  Guild Leaders can also make a ladder board for gaining new name/positions based on how much someone has contributed to the Guild Fund (eg: 1 million credits earns VIP tag). 

 

Guild leaders can send an alert notification to members of their guild any time, and whenever the guild news board is edited, the editor can choose to also send a notification out.  Guilds do not share experience or items like party's (see below) except during special guild events, though they are welcome to share items through trade etc.  Guild members can leave the guild at any time for any reason.  Guild owners and named successors, must choose a replacement before they can leave the guild.  If the guild owns appropriate technology, guild members are able to broadcast/receive their in-game position and other information to/from other members of their guild.

 

 

Party

A party is an informal group of players temporarily banding together for mutual benefit.  Any player can create a party at any time.  They can then invite up to 4 other players to join their party.  If party members are in close proximity to each other they will gain shared experience (the party's average level will be used to calculate this).  The party leader can send invites anytime, but also can accept/decline requests to join the party (other players can make requests to Party Leaders to join a party anytime).  They can also make a setting to auto accept requests or auto reject them.  The Party Leader also sets up rules with drops when starting the party, there are a couple of options available:

• (default) Player's who do at least 80% of the damage to a target or deal the killing blow if no one contributes at least 80% damage are rewarded first picks for loot for 1 minute, after the initial minute party members may then also collect loot for one minute before the loot becomes free for all for any player.
• Only the Party Leader may pick up loot for the first minute, then party members, then all players.
• A random member of the party is selected for first pick with each new loot chest acquired, after one minute other party members, then all players.
• First come first serve, whoever picks up the loot first gets it, access for non party members is granted after one minute.

Parties share voip and a chat channel.  The Party Leader can kick anyone out of their party, and party members can leave at any time.  All members of a party share the same notoriety points rounded up (if someone kills another player while part of a party, the whole party will gain notoriety points as if they had each done it).  Depending on the settings the Party Leader has arranged, killing or harming a member of your own party will not count as a crime or gain notoriety points, though if friendly fire reporting is enabled for the party such activity will continue to gain notoriety points as normal.  Party's can also optionally associate themselves with a guild or faction.  If party members own appropriate technology, they are able to broadcast and receive in-game positions, map data and other information to/from other members of their party.  Party's are disbanded if the Party Leader logs out or discontinues the party.  The Party Leader can also transfer the leadership role of the party to one of the other party members at any time.

 

Friends

Each player has a friend list, they can make friend requests to other players which if mutually approved will allow them to private message (often referred to as a whisper or PM) each other.  Guild members and party members can always PM each other while still in the same group.  If friends own appropriate technology, they are able to broadcast/receive in game positions, map data, and other information to/from with other friends.  As part of the friend menu a banlist also exists enabling you to mute or block communication from specific players to prevent abuse.  Players on your banlist take precedence over any other communication, and even if they are in your party, guild, and on your friend list will be unable to communicate with you in any way until you remove them from the banlist.