Smuggler Archive
Thread: Underworld Expansion (A.K.A. The Corporate Sector)
Underworld Expansion v1.0
1. Background Info:
A. The Corporate Sector
The engines of commerce expanded the galaxy on many fronts, as enterprising scouts claimed new territories in the name of vast megacorporations. These businesses fed on exploited planets, growing richer and fatter. They would often chafe under the regulations of the Old Republic, and were able to use their bottomless wells of graft to circumvent laws that restricted their profits.
In a bold experiment meant to free the Republic lawmakers and Corporate moneymakers from their differences, a free-enterprise fiefdom of space was carved out bordering the Aparo and Wyl sectors. This became the Corporate Sector, a section of space governed not by the Republic or the Empire that followed, but instead run by big business.
The government of the Corporate Sector is the Corporate Sector Authority (CSA), a private corporation in its own right forged by the industrious Baron Tagge. The CSA was granted a charter by the Empire to control that portion of the galaxy. During the height of Palpatine's draconian rule, the CSA was afforded autonomy due to the huge amounts of profits that it funneled into the New Order's coffers. Within its borders, the CSA was hardly better a ruler than the Empire, though many sought refuge there from the Galactic Civil War.
The CSA has exclusive rights to use the sector's resources as it sees fit. It is not above using slave labor to maximize profits, though such base violations of sentient liberties are done with a modicum of discretion. Entire ecospheres have been ravaged in the hunt for profits, and the CSA callously would move from one world to the next. The lack of internal competition has allowed the CSA to mark up prices on common goods to many times their actual worth. Credits standard and other forms of currency are forbidden: all visitors to the sector must convert their cash to Authority Cash Vouchers or crystalline vertex.
Law and order are maintained in the Corporate Sector by the Security Division. The Security Police of the CSA, or Espos, have fostered a reputation for being hardened bullies. They wear brown uniforms, combat armor, and black battle helmets. They are typically armed with blaster rifles and riot guns.
The Security Division also maintains a picket fleet of outdated vessels to patrol Corporate Sector space. Refitted Victory-class Star Destroyers remain the prime component of the Authority's space patrol, though even older vessels such as Marauder corvettes and Invincible- class Dreadnaughts can be found.
Among the worlds of the Corporate Sector are Ammuud, Bonadan, Roonadan, Etti IV, Kalla, Kail, Kir, Orron III, Duroon, Mytus VII, Gaurick,Rampa, Mall'ordian, Reltooine, Knolstee, Mayro and the Trianii colonies of Fibuli, Ekibo, Pypin and Brochiib.
Source: Star Wars Database
2. The Story and The Plan
A. The Underworld
1. The galactic civil war with the rebellion is beginning to put a strain on the vast resources of the Empire, and they now seek to take control of all valuable properties within their grasp. Galactic tarriffs are placed on all raw materials, components, and other items they deem necessary in their conquest of the rebels. Because of the new customs inspection sites designed to tax the citizens, authorities realise a secondary benefit. The discovery of already illegal items carried by travellers.
a. This portion of the expansion will not be purchased, but implemented gradually through patches building up to a real a legitimate contraband system being implemented in the game. It will begin with a slight overhaul of the travel system where a player will have to walk through a customs gate (a room that is gated similar to buildings with regards to speeders, but will clear a player when he talks to a customs agent) prior to boarding transport or personal ship (players will have access to ticket and ship terminal, but all will board in the same area now), and build to the point where items are taxed based on their level and value (i.e. the volume of the resource stack or a military grade weapon). All taxable items will be assigned a "tier" which determines their level of taxation. Players will have the option to either declare their items and pay the taxes, or attempt to skirt the inspectors which will result in the tax plus a hefty fine. The rate of failure to conceal will be extremely high. Players not able to pay the tax will not be able to travel until they aquire the funds needed.
b. Items discovered during searches that are deemed illegal (whether in game prior to expansion or not) shall incur a heavy fine. Professions other than those given the ability to avoid the fine will have the fine automaticly deducted from their accounts. Players not able to pay the fine will have their items confiscated until they are able to pay it or it sits in impound long enough to no longer be valuable (in other words a two weeks to a month).
c. All players will now get a counter. The counter accumulates points with each item that is not declared but found by customs officials or each time an illegal item is found. The counter will degrade over time, but once a player's counter reaches a certain level, they will have a bounty placed upon them. Player bounties will first be attempted by a high level NPC. If the high level NPC fails in this task, the player will have his bounty place on the bounty hunter terminals.
d. Player starships will now be intercepted and scanned for contraband in a method similar to the Imperial Crackdown, with failures for illegal items recieving fines. A player will be notified by the scanning patrol, and will be notified to power down for scan. Multiplayer ships will recieve a boarding party. If a player refuses to consent to the scan, he will have approximately 30 seconds to destroy the patrol before they are able to release a communication to their superiors telling of the players lack of cooperation. If a player is unsuccessful, and the communication gets out, they will recieve points towards their counter as mentioned above.
e. Customs officials will be made up of planetary authorities. RSF for Naboo and Rori, Corsec for Corellia and Talus, and the Hutts for Tattoine.
B. The Corporate Sector and Other Portions of the Expansion
1. The Corporate Sector will be the main portion of the expansion, and only players who purchase the expansion will have access to it. The Corporate Sector Authority will rule in a manner equivalent to the Empire in the rest of the game. Furthermore, the system outlined above will be instituted in the CS as well, with taxes being significantly higher, but without the fines on illegal items.
a. The CS will consist of two planets added to the game. I believe they should be relatively urban, and players will not be able to place structures, but rent them. All players will recieve a CS bank deposit box for storage of items that are unique to CS and cannot be transported to the rest of the galaxy due to CS and Imperial law.
b. Players will not be able to place structures, but can rent apartments, harvesters, and factories run by companies in the CS. Any structure rented will count against the players lot total, however that total will be increased to 12.
2. The timeline will be moved forward and an open PvP planet will be implemented. The planet Hoth will consist of 2 bases, one Rebel and one Imperial, as well as randomly spawned faction mobs.
a. By travelling to the planet, the player is consenting to PvP and will be required to choose a side if they do not already belong to a faction
b. Players will be able to purchase one faction item, with faction points, from their base while they are on the planet. Factions items will consist of AT-ATs, AT-STs, speeders, bases, turrets, and various other military type equipment.
c. Armor currently in game will not be able to stand up to the harshness of the Hoth environment and will not be useable there. Cold weather faction armor can be purchased as mentioned above.
3. High level missions will be available through NPCs. These missions should have a high payout as well as a high risk of failure. Furthermore, the missions will not spawn when the player reaches the designated area if he is a member of a group larger than 5 and will not be able to complete his mission if he does not do the majority of the damage/work.
a. Combat missions will be similar to existing destroy mission, but the mobs will be extremely high level, and the missions will reflect an illegal or unsavory task.
b. Crafter missions will be complex, requiring the player to utilize multiple crafting professions, as well as require resources that may not be available during the current spawn. The item(s) being created will be illegal or looked up on as un favorable in the eyes of the Empire.
C. The Professions
1. Smuggler. Since the implentation of an underworld will not be present until an expansion, it stands to reason that the Underworld tree of Smuggler will need an overhaul at this point. Spices will recieve an overhaul to better reflect their illegality and increase their impact in the game. NPC delivery/smuggling missions will be available to all Smugglers. Players who wish to avoid taxes and fines when travelling may either travel with a Smuggler, or can use NPCs to contract player Smugglers.
a. Spices above Spices II will no longer be crafted, but refined. Smugglers will be able to aquire spices through missions and will recieve a new schematic, Spice Refining Kit. A new structure will be craftable by architects, Spice Refinery, which will refine crates of spice. Any player may use the new tool and/or structure, but only Smugglers will be able to do spice missions. Furthermore, Smugglers will be able to skim extremely high level spice from shipments they are Smuggling.
b. The Underworld tree will recieve a slight overhaul. Underworld I, Language Comprehension: This will allow Smugglers to be the only ones who understand languages spoken by certain species during low level delivery missions and later on in high level . Underworld II, Contacts: Smugglers will recieve faction discount, and will now have access to PfE Smuggler mission NPCs. Underworld III, Cargo Concealment: Smugglers will now be able to craft attachments to packs. These attachments are secret compartments able to hold a limited number items (5), and will increase a Smugglers chance of success during customs inspection (attachment is only equipable by a Smuggler). Underworld IV, Advanced Contacts: Smugglers can now purchase faction points, and will reciev access to PfP Smuggler mission NPCs. Master Smuggler: Smugglers will get the ability Fast Talk, which will lower their fines and taxes when failing customs inspections. Smugglers will also get the ability to craft attachments for their ships which will hold a larger amount of items (20) and will increase their chances of success during customs inspections and in space scan patrols.
c. Smuggling. Smugglers will recieve delivery missions until the aquire Underworld II, at which point they will be able to get non player smuggling mission. Smugglers will be able to skim some of their shipment, or even keep it if they choose to. At Underworld IV, Smugglers will be able to get contracts for player smuggling missions. All players will be able to speak to an NPC to offer a contract for a Smuggler.The items they wish to be smuggled will be stored and the mission will be created. At no time will a Smuggler be able to steal or even access a player's items being smuggled, but will carry a "sealed container" as the cargo. If after 2 weeks a Smuggler does not accept the player's contract, or a Smuggler does accept the contract, but fails in the delivery, the goods will be delivered by an NPC Smuggler. Player's will pay a fee to have their items smuggled that is of value but less than the sum they would pay if taxed and/or fined by customs. Any Smuggler who fails to deliver their cargo from a player mission or high level NPC mission or is caught skimming off NPC missions will recieve points towards their counter mentioned above.
2. Crime Lord. A hybrid profession based upon Caylin's Proposal .
3. Bounty Hunters will have more player bounties to hunt. Player bounties can now be aquired through NPCs instead of mission terminals
4. Architects will recieve a new schematic for Spice Refinery. Architects will be able to purchase Hoth installation schematics and craft them for use by other players
5. Bio Engineers will be able to purchase schematics for biomed attachments in the CS at master level. These items will be a sort of powerup for the player, increasing certain skills over a period of time. These items will degrade and the player who recieves the attachment will sacrifice points from their HAM pool which will not be recoverable until the item is removed. Bio engineers will have to ability to repower the attachment, but Image Designers will have the ability to attach the item to the player.
6. Image Designers will gain the ability to attach biomed items mentioned above to players at master level.
7. Politicians will gain the ability to place Smuggler mission NPCs at master level.
8. Armorsmiths will be able to purchase cold weather armor schematics and craft them for use by other players.
Message Edited by SmugglinZane on 01-28-2005 11:44 AM
Message Edited by SmugglinZane on 01-28-2005 11:48 AM
fishbrains wrote:
such an expantion would be beautiful but is not in the cards for a long time
Yeah, I know. I just don't see a publish going in ever that would be expansive enough to truly implement an in depth underworld. I think by putting it together in an expansion would be more appealing to them. To do that, you'd have to have something worth paying for, hence a new PvP world and a totally new society to explore. I had another idea about possibly having all CS equipment looted not being legal in the Empire controlled space, but crafters could do a real RE to get a schematic that would conform to Empire standards. It would create even more content for professions. My real goal is to include as much for as many as possible while giving a good bit of stuff for the ones who need it most.
The funny thing is that I think an expansion like this would take less time than JTL since you're not starting from zero. Granted you'd have to make some pretty big changes to the platform, but you really are starting out with an existing platform instead of creating from scratch which is what I think they did with JTL. If they devoted the right resources and made a full court press, I think we could see it within 6 months. When last we heard, GM and the others were still working on JTL and whatever bugs it still had. Well I don't see nearly as many bugs being thrown out about it, and they are hiring new people to work on bugs, so I'll still hold out hope that they can roll those guys over into it... as long as the Smuggler/smuggler guy is left out of course.