Smuggler Archive
Thread: Crime Lord Profession Proposal V1.3 10/18/04
Ghoran wrote:
What you could do is that a city is required to set up a syndicate and only one syndicate can be set up per city, This way you have competition for control over the cities which will creat a turf war.
This sounds interesting, and would be a great way to add some GCW to it as well.
Player city A has attacked Player city B, and in return Player city B retaliates.Thiscauses repercussions with the local authorities on the planet (if any) and suddenly, during a raid from city A, a group ofImperials (scaled to the group currently fighting)come over the riseto "break up the situation." That would be real cool from a player standpoint. If there was a way to have the Crime Lord(s) discovered during the melee and have that cause problems with the syndicate(lower % of money from vendors, casino closed down for a period of time, etc.) that would just make "turf wars" more immersive. Just a thought...not completely thought through, but wanted to get it out before I forget. 
Graby
great job but not all the time. Something that might work well enough is to have it so that there is a ranking system. Where you get ranks of criminal syndicate stuff, and visibilty-like points for being in a syndicate and doing illegal things, so that the more illegal stuff you do, the more people realize that your a criminal and should be taken out. So the brand new face in the syndicate member doesn't get wiped everytime he logs in, and the newer syndicates without prominet crime lords aren't known about and hence no one bothers about them. As they do more illegal activity, and as each player does more illegal stuff, it means that your more willing to go PvP. And you'd probably have to get pretty high to get the regular Rebels to want to beat you up, probably a lot less for the Imperials to want to kill you, being that the Imperials are in that whole "reduce freedoms and illegal stuff is bad" mode of thought right now.
Hope that's understandable.
JTGAlpha wrote:
Hey Caylin...did you ever get any dev feedback other than...."Never never never. Sorry."?
One of the Four Horsemen of the Smuggler Apocalypse! 
Ghoran wrote:
What you could do is that a city is required to set up a syndicate and only one syndicate can be set up per city, This way you have competition for control over the cities which will creat a turf war.
This would certainly be very cool, I don't know if they would need to compete in cities though.
In short, I need to find a way for syndicate warfare to benefit the game. Sure I have perks here and abilities, but you will find that GCW factions get perks and storylines as incentives. Would need to find something similar for crime syndicates to adjust.
Sengis wrote:
Absolutely fantastic idea. Having been smuggler frmo the start and having previously mastered politican and founded the largest Imperial Metro on dant. I would merely add that, eprhaps Strongholds, could have a cap like player cities to prevent far too many mini factions. I also think that for the devs to consider this, it would perhaps have to fall within a mini gcw, or rather turf war between say, Jabba and Nym, or Valarian. This wo0uld allow fro the devs to merely rip the code formthe gcw and relabel it so that facitonal bases woud be related to the Crime Lords ala Imp Reb. perhaps then, Crime lord would come form a ranking system within the NON Civil War, but form within the underworld war. Lets face it, thers noit really much of an underworld. Dear lord let us have coruscant as a aplayeable planet, and then we can serioauly start some shady dealings. also why has noone suggested Dealer as a title for the crafting tree? Just a mini point a little off topic. All in all though, You do 'smugglers' a great service caylin.
yah, that's what I was thinking. As planets have city caps, so could planets have syndicate caps. This would encourage upcoming crimelords to gain support in an effort to seize control of the syndicate.
The way I proposed this is exactly as you said, a mini GCW, yet between players. If the Jabba/Nym/Whatever factions were brought in, all the better. Including ranks, FP and more. Being dedicated to crime and the underworld however, is extremely dangerous, which is why I have PVP consequences all over.
In the proposal you will notice that I set it up as a sub-faction. YOu could be Rebel/Imperial/Neutral, and all work for the same syndicate. Your GCW allegiance has no bearing, and can only benefit.
As for the dealer title, ehhh Smugglers are smugglers, dealers are dealers.
KincaideStrangeways wrote:
Wow Very nicely thought out. I havn't had time to study the post but it looks rather solid. I'd love to see your input on my spices idea post. When I get more time i will further scrutinize your setup.
http://forums.station.sony.com/swg/board/message?board.id=smuggler&message.id=96603&jump=true
I've certainly gone through this post. It's alot like many proposals I have seen in the past, including my own. You did a great job and there is some really nice stuff in there.
tomas6451 wrote:
What a great idea and very well thought out. My only problem is a new syndicate starting out is very weak and would be an easy target. Perhaps like guilds have the option to accept war or not and once war is initiated, then have to bribe the other guild to stop. I know there are a lot of people who would like this idea, but not with the constant PVP risk with no chance to be covert. There are those who live for PVP and would enjoy this, but those who are more for the roleplaying aspect and not PVP should not be left out. I just started the Black Sun PA on Kettemoor and this would be a perfect addition to the game.
Strykir
Master Smuggler
Vigo, Black Sun
New syndicates should be weak and easy targets...
I know I have the bribe to stop, where they can set the time...
Perhaps there could be a syndicate war fund. Powerful syndicates could pronounce war easily, but they have to fund it. Larger syndicates have larger costs involved, so perhaps the fund works in %'s related to their influence, instead of a fixed credit amount. This would mean it would cost that syndicate a great deal to maintain a war for any length of time, it would not likelybe on indefinatly.
Life in a syndicate should not be easy, to be a true crime lord should require money, determination and alot of connections...
If this is launched as a PVP oriented feature and profession, there are no issues with consent. If you want to be one, you knowingly consent. There will be no crime lords who have been sitting at mastery for a year, without risk, finding themselves suddenly forced into PVP.
This is entirely new material and is easily hooked with PVP. You sign your name/make your mark to join the syndicate, you are signing up for PVP. Just as found with the GCW, so members have no problems.
Skilling up as a Crime Lord is an issue, but one I don't want to make easy. As politicians need cities, so should Crime Lords need syndicates.
This is just politician infighting from hell...
SicariusD wrote:
WoW, this will almost singlehandedly make me play this game till I die from it. Just one small dig tho, the RP'ers I know will kerplode if you try and force yetmore PvP on them, cant we make it consetual. And I like the Idea of Joining say the Hutt or Black Sun faction (or the numerous othersie: Swooper or Valarian), and have one Crime Lord of that particular faction per planet allowing you to limit numbers of Crime Lordsand to hook up with your faction onother planets, or go on to take over the Universe planet by planet(insert maniacal laugh here)
Fantastic idea for sub content in a game with so much possibilities
Again WoW
As I mentioned above, it's a new profession where players have to work to join... completely consensual for those not crime lords. Crime Lords can be released as a PVP profession. There will be no precedent to destroy or remake as they are doing here. Being a smuggler is one thing, while not having a pvp consequence.
I think I myself would 'kerplode' if CRIME LORDS did not have a pvp consequence.
tomas6451 wrote:
The Black Sun had Vigo's on each planet or system that would answer directly to Prince Xizor. No reason why there wouldnt be multiple crime lords with the same faction on each servor.
Strykir
Master Smuggler
Vigo, Black Sun
This might could very wellbe the solution to PVP requirement for the crime lord... they could progress as a major domo themselves for the Huttsto accrue syndicate XP... without forming one with PVP consequences.I like this alot. Progression however should not be easy and take just as long as a PVP risking smuggler.
Damn, I am having fun with this...
New crime lord... hates pvp... but he wants to say he is a crime lord... for whatever reason.
He decides to work for the Black Sun criminal faction, which can always use more people. The Crime Lord then has to make management decisions and take missions related to running the syndicate, for the upper management of Black Sun. They gain syndicate experience through that...
Very fun stuff here...
NarCranor wrote:
My only suggestion would be with the body guards. Instead of having a limit to how many bodyguards that can be out at one time limited to 1, perhaps have how many you can pull out determined by skill box or influence. This way, you could have a ton of bodyguards out at once to look more impressive. Perhaps have a few formation choices that make sense (circling you, flanking you, etc) Now, to balance that out so combat twinkers dont pick up the class, just make it so that you cant command them to attack. Make them soley a protective measure. If someone attacks you, then they attack that person. Maybe remove the ablity to attack anyone while you have a bodyguard out, so that people dont just take one attack against someone to initiate combat and then let their bodyguards do all the work. Having a single bodyguard just seems rather ineffectual. Otherwise doing it creature level wise, where you can only have CL 60 out at any given time might be better. :shrugs:
Pets are flexible... but for this proposal... I think I want to keep it at one elite bodyguard... Xyzor had his... that android chick... Jabba hired Fett... there is lots of evidence for one bodyguard with enhanced abilities.
As I've mentioned before, I like creature handlers having the more unique ability of multiple pets out of higher difficulty.
having the pets only react to the situation, would often lead to my death honestly. It would just make things pretty awkward I think.
Owen-Lars wrote:
Only thing i would 'personally' change is to not force people into pvp if they dont want to.
What i mean by that is when you join a syndicate, you are not ALWAYS declared unless you wish to do so. You can wish to be a covert member if you want however the penalties are you dont get all the factional rewards you might get as an overt (vehicle etc).
Also on the Declaring War area. I would love this feature to be consensual. What i mean by that is you can only go to war with another syndicate if both parties agree. If you are at war with another syndicate you will be attackable at ALL times by that opposing syndicate. Even if you are covert, if you are at war with another syndicate you can attack them and they can attack you at all times.
The war feature would be something i would presonally like to try at a later stage of my criminal career
Amazing ideasthough, im still reading
Everything sounds perfect apart from the forced pvp im not all for.
I'm not going to waver from the perspective that if you form a syndicate, you face PVP consequences. It's an active decision that requires participation and skill from the player to do successfully and keep their subordinates happy.
What is the point of war if it is consensual? BAH! Just have the upkeep cost for maintaining the aggressive stance in a syndicate war monstrous.
If players don't want to be fighting, they should press their leader to make an effort for peace... or set up his removal so someone else can.
I don't want to honey coat this profession, it needs to remain hostile and unforgiving for those who fail.
I'd hate to see a covert option in this honestly.
Thanks for the input everyone!