Politician Archive

Hey all, first time posting in this forum so I apologize if this brings up an already thouroughly discussed topic.

I was wondering, to all of you politicians out there... just how fun is being a politician? Anyone ever try RPing that they're a member of a political party?

In real life I love studying politics even though I'm not politically active. I thought it would be fun to have the role of governing a city, balancing the budget maintaining the city, holding gatherings, throwing large parties promoting your "political party". From an RP stance I imagine it would be fun to have political meetings between cities and actually have political rallies with oponents and real RP debating. Does any of this ever happen? From my lurkage on the forum I see a lot of complains about how taxes are broken and how the devs have poorly implemented player cities etc.

In all reality I'm sure this stuff is quite a rare find.. which is sad because SWG has so much potential to be more than a hack n slash level grin MMORPG.

- Eldrin
-Arden

It's a blast being a Mayor but I would call my experience as RP-Light.

Perhaps a few minutes of if at any given time, usually when encountering someone that wants to say hello. People enjoy being able to slip character facts into their conversations. I certainly don’t have time to roleplay intentionally most days.

We do have City Council Meetings but never in the City Hall, never in public or they would go on for 8 hours. Usually we form a group and use group chat. Were not in character during them, no one has the time. Two hours can fly by talking about projects, merchants and funding. I tried to babble on about Tatooine politics once but it’s disrespectful to use up the time of the players that volunteer to help run a city that way.

Once I went to a Roleplaying conference on Naboo. Twelve mayors were invited and nine of us showed up. We talked about establishing websites for our cities that listed the level of roleplay comfort, faction, and event schedules. When I got there a few people where in character but we got down to business and the RP stopped.

I would love to see political party and debates but your factions are Imperial and Rebel. Most of us wanted a third faction and were on Tatooine, so when we get spare time to RP in the cantina, we usually talk about the Hutts.

Every weekend I play in a tabletop RPG. That the only place I see RP, in character conversations constantly. I know other groups have heavy RP goals and probably get to enjoy the experience more than I have.

Being the "Mayor" is fun....for me. I am very happy to build and maintane the online SWG community of Aurora. This community is the only reason I still have accounts in SWG. The rest of the game has long since lost its lustre. I very much enjoy working with the taxes, the placement of buildings in the city, the event coordination, the placement of faction bases and their associated defence, andthe immigration and emmigration issues that happen every day. One of my favorite things to do is to welcome a new guild to Aurora, get them set up and integerated into the city. This is what being mayor is all about. Plugging new people into an established community is great and provides a serious boost to my interest in the game. I love to meet and get to know new folks in the community.

As for RP'ing, very little RP'ing happens on Flurry. Almost none that I have encountered. Only in rare instances in Cantina's, base defenses or community events have I witnessed or participated in deep roleplaying. For ex. I was invited to the largest Imperial city -- home to the largest Imperial guild on the Flurry Server -- for the wedding of their leader. I am a pominent Rebel mayor. Ialways had severalstorm troopers around me at all times. There were other Rebel's in attendance and they too seem to enjoy an escort. It was a fun event and I had a great time. My hat goes off to the PA that set it up. [DC for those of you that play on Flurry]

So RP'ing isnt dead -- just very quiet.

Cheers!

Hadrian Augustus
Mayor and Master Architect of Aurora
Naboo, Flurry Server


Catapultam habeo.
Nisi pecuniam omnem mihi dabis, ad caput tuum saxum immane mittam.

Translation: I have a catapult. Give me all the money, or I will fling an enormous rock at your head.

Thanks for the responses!

I'd like to change my question up a bit:

Just how in depth is politican? I guess what I'm really trying to say is if playing a politican has any "reality" to it. Do you actually feel that you're governing a city? How in depth are the aspects of it (taxation, keeping a militia, maintaining a city)?

I've heard a lot of complaints that it's just a skill point sink... does politican feel like a utility profession? ("Hey, someone's gotta do it" type of thing)

Please note I am in no way trying to put down the politican profession, I'm sure its very enjoyable and hopefully I can try my hand at it some day.

- Eldrin
-Arden

Being a politician is two fold, first your preceived to be the leader, yet if your city is guilded yu are not.. so you end up creating a circlular turnstyle passing off some "militia questions."

That said... does a mayor begin to have more control than a guild leader?

Well, depends on the mayor and thier desire to lead. and how controled you are as the mayor from the guild.

there is another fact that hasn't been brought up on >this< thread and most politicians are alternate accounts and never "play."

I could go to the neighbouring opposing faction city and they would tell you since I am the mayor I am the leader.. cause the city itself is a representation of the inhabitants of the city thus becomming the neemy guild city or opposing faction.

when and where this isn't nessasaryly the truth.. I would as a mayor look for a peacfull solution to work a deal between enemies to enhance buisiness and make my city a thriving metropolis full of dignaty.. but the stark reality is the politician is a skill sink hole.. Sur as the mayor you can have the power to tax your citizens and harm yourcommerce with taxes and award player better buffs, and payouts.. but it's never all of anything... hence broken duel city status, inability to effectivly manage the city as a whole.. basically as a mayor you end up getting free closets to store clothes in and being needed to drop gardens down, and facilities such as shuttle nbank clone garage etc.. "whoopie" once they are doen they're down... does it justify the full skill point allotment? NO. It should be like the force skills, take a pile of exp to earn and little SP.

Politician would be much better if you had better faction control over the city. ban all rebels ban all imperials etc. give us roaming bands of imps or rebels patroling the streets to help us "militia" the way the militia is now any militia can allow people to drop houses anywhere... GIVE US ZONING squares! make it like sim city with zoning rights let us rotate houses on angles and make winding streets, let the game allow us to make roads! why is the place full of weeds!!! let us control and allocate funding to structures to ween individual stuctures outta the city hence expire.

Let the mayors compete for planatary titles that would grant the host city bonuses! and for heaven sakes make the rebel cities un registerable! how can the empire allow rebels to overtly drop housings and declaired factional things withut drawing attention to themselves.

boohoo There are rebel planets thats where the rebels shuld be couped up in major cities..

arrr!!! you could let players have instance housing in major NPC citys and clean up the coutnry side! well I'm sure it's all been said and talked about..

Anyways.. yes, being a mayor is great All the people love it when I do missions with them it give them warm feeling as they pretend they're protecting someone important... when essentially they're protecting the handicaped player playing with less than a full SP deck of abilities.

Erann Mayor of X-TaCity LOK Ahazi.

MeiYuki

Ache Me on! I love stalking my Prey.
IPC ...for life! (valcyn)
'Nova (starsider)