Cities And Housing Archive

Imperialist Party:
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The Imperialist Party is (presently) one man’s dedication to enhancing the current player city system, [and, of course, to have impressive enough credentials to get elected--VOTE FOR ME!]. While it is understood that the list of bugs to be fixed is long and growing, its also understood that unless we as the SWG Community--Politicans and City-dwellers alike--

1. identify problems, and
2. offer reasonable solutions,

that nothing will EVER be done.

The Imperialist Party sees itself as a unifying force for SWG gamer critique, giving steadfast solutions instead of just presenting problems. While many issues are of concern to members of the SWG Community, the Imperialist Party will focus on a platform emphasizing concerns of those seeking Stability, Peace, and Order for their citizens.

In the coming weeks, the Imperialist Party will elaborate on its 15 point tri-plank platform, offering ideas and taking suggestions on ways to help enhance the SWG Player City experience. This is done in the hopes that the collective voice of those supporting these ideas may be heard, and that they have something to say.


Imperialist Party Platform:
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The Imperialist Party seeks changes to the present system for player cities. It presents the following desired changes for a model of what future player cities could look like.



I) Stability: The Imperialist Party advocates a streamlined city system to allow for an enhanced city experience.
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-----1. Eminent Domain - mayor can MOVE (not destroy) homes of non-voters (in 3 elections/9 wks) to just outside the city. After 3 weeks of not voting, a citizen will be given an automatic notice by the city warning them that they are in danger of being moved via imminent domain. The notice would tell the person that only by voting in the next 7 days can this be avoided. After this, the citizen is flagged. The flag can subsequently be removed by voting [assuming the citizen has not yet been moved], even after the 4 week period. | Note that since non-citizens cannot vote, they are ALWAYS going to be subject to movement unless they become citizens.

-----2. Prefab Cities - the ability of Architects to craft and mayors to buy city deeds that would:
----------a) flatten out the land (just as player/NPC camps and buildings do), and
----------b) have designated boxes (zoning) for the placement of buildings, decorations, etc.

-----3. Refine zoning rights as follows:
----------a) allow a player to place a building only in a designated spot (to prevent obstructionism), and
----------b) allow a player to lay only a certain type/size of building (to maintain city decor).

-----4. City Factional Affiliation - the ability of a mayor to formerly align a city with a given faction. This:
----------a) allows non-combat types to get involved in the GCW by contributing "holding" points, and
----------b) would allow faction "perks" like:
--------------------i. faction mission terminals in addition to normal terminals,
--------------------ii. bonus FP from missions,
--------------------iii. reduced faction point prices for citizens when buying faction equipment, and
--------------------iv. have the "patron" faction provide some of the cost for running the city

-----5. Mayoral Political affiliations - that grant a mayor bonuses, like:
----------a) plusses in Politician skill of the mayor,
----------b) grant unique "winning" items to those that vote that mayor in (ala Bestine) [no cost to mayor], and
----------c) reduction in the cost of the specialization that the political movement advocates. [Example: Pro-Republicans are worried about jobs, so the "Improved Job Market" cost would be reduced].

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II) Peace: The Imperialist Party advocates Peace, true peace, to promote unity and smooth operations within a city.
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-----1. Reinstate the Militia - the militia ARE A MUCKING JOKE. Reinstate their attack powers as against NON-CITIZENS.

-----2. City Policing Services - allow cities to purchase the services of "police"--NPCs of varying toughness to patrol.

-----3. Defensive Structures - Cities NEED defensive structures. Too many cities have become war zones. To correct this:
----------a) allow city-only building of "bomb shelter" or "bunker" that IGNORES TEF's and disallows combat inside it,
----------b) allow walls ALONG THE BORDER OF the city to ensure attacks come only from 1 or a cardinal direction (N,S,E,W), and
----------c) allow City towers and/or turrets from which ONLY CITY MILITIA may fire from AND NOT be force-exited if disabled.

-----4. Limit access to city services by standardizing them - services should be standardized to make exclusion easier:
----------a) a "Training Hall" City improvement. This would be LARGE, and be the only place to lay trainers.
----------b) a "Mall": city can mandate (or just allow) vendors in city limits be laid here. Stalls designated for CITIZENS.
----------c) an "Employment Center" city improvement. This would be the only place to lay ANY mission terminals.
***ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE ADDED TO THOSE SUBJECT TO THE /CITYBAN EXCLUSION.***

-----5. "Walled in" Specialization: This would place a wall around the outer perimeter of the city and add gates ala Galactic Battlegrounds. The gates allow non-banned individuals in. While attackers COULD shoot the gates down, this would make them vulnerable to the militia. | ***Note that while there are many ways in which these could be exploited, the Imperialist Party believes they can be implemented in a way that would prevent these concerns from being made manifest. In ANY CASE, these:
----------1. would apply against NON-CITIZENS ONLY. This cannot be emphasized enough, and
----------2. Would NOT effect the core of the game in that if one city was "unfriendly", people can and *DO* EASILY go elsewhere.

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III) Order: The Imperialist Party advocates Order and the prosperity that comes from an ordered city life.
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-----1. Incentives for City involvement: some wish to use the nerf bat to combat city "emptiness"; the Party suggests:
----------a) Lowered maintenance costs [NOT INCREASED MAINTENANCE FOR NON-CITY BUILDINGS--that is unfair and stupid],
----------b) City-only buildings for individuals: like storage units, advanced crafting factories and/or recyclers, and
----------c) new player-city specific services -- like shuttle-taxing to waypoints on a planet instead of other cities.
----------d) Improvemenmts like Cantinas and Medical Centers need to show when they have an entertainer or Doctor in them on more than just the planetary map (see #6).

-----2. "Commercial" District City Services - a "Mall" improvement (see: II, 4., c), lowered vendor maintenance.

-----3. city bonuses to experience gain depending on the size/life of your city and your voting.

-----4. Special "city requirement" BONUS [not gimping existing] craft-ables--i.e. "May be crafted only in a rank X city".

-----5. Buff bonuses - i.e. 30+ mins or +400 to stat buffs; Shorter Image Designer wait times depending on city size.

-----6. Tourism Board: Information on a city should be available at Starports, Shuttleports, and from the Planetary map. [While this information *IS* technically available in scattered places, (such as the planetary map for Cantinas and Medical Centers) this is neither easily accessible nor under the mayor's control.] Whenever a city is registered on the map, the mayor should have the OPTION PER PEICE OF INFORMATION of giving information on the city, including:
----------a) size,
----------b) improvements,
----------c) affiliation (see above),
----------d) the presence of an entertainer in a Cantina (this would need to be real-time),
----------e) the presence of a Doctor in a Medical Center (this would need to be real-time),
----------f) trainers, and
----------g) mall(s)/vendors.

A post outlining how the plans in part III would be accompalished can be found HERE, in Imperialist Paper #1.

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If you notice, many of these mechanics have a lot of overlap, and all of them work together. The Imperialist Party understands that this would take some work and programming. However almost all of the platform involves things that are either in-game now in some other mechanic, or were there and were removed.

To accomplish this platform in terms of programming, the Imperialist Party suggests a special team be deployed as described in Gordon Walton's article here and post here.

The Imperialist Party recognizes that this would take some time, and feedback. The Imperialist Party is willing to supply both so long as these matters are addressed.


SUPPORT THE IMPERIALIST PARTY:
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To support this new vision for cities, please:
1. Provide feedback, and
2. Add a link to this document in your signature

Message Edited by VirindiStalker on 02-12-2005 12:31 PM

Message Edited by VirindiStalker on 02-18-2005 07:41 AM

/sign

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VirindiStalker wrote:
-----1. Eminent Domain - mayor can MOVE (not destroy) homes of non-voters (in 3 elections/9 wks) to just outside the city.

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EXCELLENT IDEAS! Very very good and well prepared. Only thing is I think that one should be changed just slightly, because its not right to pack up someones house cause they don't vote and haul it outside the city. If (1) is so you can move houses of players that quit the game, I'd do it another way..something like...

• Eminent Domain-Mayors can move houses of citizens outside city limits, who have abandoned the city under conditions:




• An email notification is sent out telling the player the mayor wishes to move his house. I think the player still has overrule factor over mayors. Sorry mayors..No corrupt officials moving players around


• Conditions to move it:




• The player has not accessed the house for 4+ weeks and


• The player has not put new maintence in the house for 6+ weeks
  

Those are just ideas I'm throwing on the table. I also think CSRs should be more willing to help move houses, say if the house still has a few weeks left and the player is abusing the city system...a CSR can overrule my outline and kick em out ASAP.

/sign for your ideas

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teh_n00b123 wrote: An email notification is sent out telling the player the mayor wishes to move his house. I think the player still has overrule factor over mayors. Sorry mayors..No corrupt officials moving players around

Conditions to move it:

• The player has not accessed the house for 4+ weeks and
• The player has not put new maintence in the house for 6+ weeks

  ---

The "override" idea I thought was put in place with voting. By voting, you reset the timer and keep the "corrupt mayors" from moving you. And I *STILL* kinda think voting should be the basis for removing a citizen. I think no voting for 3 weeks should flag you as being subject to imminent domain. At that point, either you left your account, or you just don't care. It's those 2 types of people that block city development and ruin things for everyone.

But like I said, if someone DOES care enough to vote, but disagrees, YES, that person SHOULD be protected--and would be under my plan. Some people have had the idea of STRIPPING CITIZENSHIP after not voting and THEN being allowed to move, and I disagree. That hurts citizens and cities. This way, only the no-goodnick absentee citizens WHO GET IN THE WAY get moved, not any/everyone.

But you are 100% right that there should be an email giving some sort of notice--preferably no more than 1 week's notice [that's a month with the 3 weeks]. I hadn't even thought of that. Some slimeball mayor WOULD let the time run and not give any notice that they had to vote to prevent it. I mean, even an ABSTAIN vote would reset the timer, but if the mayor doesn't say anything... Gah, that's horrible to even think about.

I'm going to update with this:

After 3 weeks of not voting, a citizen will be given an automatic notice by the city warning them that they are in danger of being moved via imminent domain. The notice would tell the person that only by voting in the next 7 days can this be avoided.

Thanks for the input. Keep this coming all!