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View Full Version : Story layout idea: Faction balance.



qwertyu63
2013-10-07, 11:44 AM
This is intended to act as a summary for a complex story map that allows great control over the story path to sit in the players lap, without driving the GM crazy.

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In this story, there are 4 main factions. These four factions vie for control over the city. These factions are:

Pure Light (Good aligned, they call upon angels and seek to make the world a better place)
New Arcana (Chaos aligned, an underground movement seeking to spread magic out to the world at large)
Dark Lords (Evil aligned, a cult of demonbinders who seek to control everything)
Section M (Law aligned, a govement group seeking to keep magic from the masses)

The players will, by choosing the missions they undertake, act as the wild card that tips the balance between these factions.

The story is divided into 3 acts, over which the players will complete missions and gain reputation. The players start with 0 reputation in all 4 factions.

Each faction has an affinity for each of the other 3 factions. All affinities are mutual. Each faction hates the faction that has the opposite alignment. However, the other affinities are more complex. They are either positive or negative as follows:

Pure Light-New Arcana: Positive
New Arcana-Dark Lords: Negative
Dark Lords-Section M: Positive
Section M-Pure Light: Negative
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In Act I, the players can choose to work for any of the 4 main factions. Each faction has two Act I missions. Finishing the first mission is a requirement to start their second mission. These missions represent the faction waging war on the faction of the opposite alignment.

Completing the second mission for a faction advances the story to Act II. The players gain 1 reputation with the faction they completed the mission for, and the faction with the opposite alignment is destroyed.
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In Act II, the players can choose to work for any of the 3 remaining factions. As in Act I, each faction has 2 missions. The two factions the player didn't work for in Act I continue to offer the same missions they did in Act 1. Completing the second mission for one of these two factions advances the story into Act III, with the players gaining 1 reputation with the faction they completed the mission for, and destroying the faction with the opposite alignment.

The faction the players worked for in Act I have new missions on offer. These missions represent the faction growing more powerful and getting ready for further war. Completing the second mission for this faction advances the story into Act III, with the players gaining 1 reputation with the faction they completed the mission for, and the destroying the other faction of their choice.
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In Act III, those reputation scores start to matter. Each remaining faction has 2 missions on offer, but the players will only complete one of them.

The two missions represent a final war between the remaining factions and peace and unification between the remaining factions.

To perform the war mission, you must have a reputation of at least 2 with the faction you are leading to war. To perform the peace mission, you must have a reputation of at least 1 with both remaining factions. Complete either of these missions to end Act III and the story.
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The factions are not the only source of missions in this story. There are extra missions known as Lone Stars missions. The players have a fifth reputation score for these missions. This reputation starts at 0.

In Act I, there is one Lone Stars mission, which represents the players delving under the city and finding the hidden treasure. In addition to the wealth boost of finding the treasure, the players gain 1 Lone Stars reputation. If not completed before the end of Act II, this mission is lost forever as someone else finds the treasure.

In Act II, there are four potential Lone Stars missions, but only one will be on offer. The remains of the faction that was destroyed in Act I are continuing to act, and this mission represents the players silencing them forever. Succedding in this mission nets the players access to the left over resources of the fallen faction (i.e. a wealth bonus) and a gain of 1 Lone Stars reputation.

In Act III, your Lone Stars reputation allows you to alter your reputation with the remaining factions. There are two Act III Lone Stars missons and each of them requires you to have enough Lone Stars reputation.

The first of these missions represents the players sowing peace between the remaining factions. To perform this mission, you must have a reputation of 2 with one of the main 4 factions. In addition, the affinity between the remaining effects the requirements. If the affinity between the two factions is positive, you need to have a Lone Stars reputation of at least 1. If the affinity between the two factions is negative, you need to have a Lone Stars reputation of at least 2. In either case, completing this mission gives you 1 reputation with the remaining faction you don't have 2 reputation with.

The second of these missions represents the players driving towards war between the remaining factions. To perform this mission, you must have a reputation of 1 with two of the main 4 factions. In addition, the affinity between the remaining effects the requirements. If the affinity between the two factions is negative, you need to have a Lone Stars reputation of at least 1. If the affinity between the two factions is positive, you need to have a Lone Stars reputation of at least 2. In either case, completing this mission gives you 1 reputation with the remaining faction of your choice.
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Any comments, questions or critiques about this story layout are welcome. (To preempt questions about the setting, this is set in modern times with magic around.)

erikun
2013-10-07, 06:19 PM
What to the affinities matter at all, if all roads lead either to peace between two factions or war between them? Does it really matter that Section M-Pure Light has a negative affinity if the PCs are forced to make peace between them with two completed missions on each side? Does it matter that Pure Light-New Arcana have a positive relationship when the PCs are in Pure Light and running an eradication misison?

Why are PCs with two completed missions in each group forced to make peace while PCs with four complete missions in one group are forced to exterminate the remaining one? As with the example above, it isn't clear why the angel-summoning Pure Light group, which has been allied with and supported New Arcana up to this point, would suddenly move to wipe out it's allies. What's more, it's an even bigger problem if the PCs refuse to do so. What if they start the mission and deviate to try to form an alliance? What if they refuse the 5th Pure Light mission, instead take four missions with New Arcana and try to force a compromise between the two now-equally-powerful groups?

qwertyu63
2013-10-07, 08:06 PM
What to the affinities matter at all, if all roads lead either to peace between two factions or war between them? Does it really matter that Section M-Pure Light has a negative affinity if the PCs are forced to make peace between them with two completed missions on each side? Does it matter that Pure Light-New Arcana have a positive relationship when the PCs are in Pure Light and running an eradication misison?

The affinities set how easy it is to switch from the path you have set for yourself. It is easier to push the Pure Light-New Arcana final pair from war to peace then to push it from peace to war.


Why are PCs with two completed missions in each group forced to make peace while PCs with four complete missions in one group are forced to exterminate the remaining one? As with the example above, it isn't clear why the angel-summoning Pure Light group, which has been allied with and supported New Arcana up to this point, would suddenly move to wipe out it's allies.

They aren't completely forced to do so. That is the purpose of the Lone Star missions. To allow switching from the track you have cornered yourself into.

The hardest part of bringing peace is you need to be respected on both sides.


What's more, it's an even bigger problem if the PCs refuse to do so. What if they start the mission and deviate to try to form an alliance? What if they refuse the 5th Pure Light mission, instead take four missions with New Arcana and try to force a compromise between the two now-equally-powerful groups?

That said, you can't do this. The 4 New Arcana missions you talk about don't exist in Act III. You could, however, preform a Lone Stars mission to raise your reputation with New Arcana and finish peacefully.

Toy Killer
2013-10-07, 10:36 PM
Lemme just leave this here... (http://angrydm.com/2010/08/schrodinger-chekhov-samus/)