Module I: GCW Basics - groundwork
Module II: Connecting Bases - new perks for PvP bases and special abilities of rebellion and empire
Module III: The Crown of War - Factional dungeon bases
Module VI: Officers and Assassins (page 2) - killing high ranked NPCs to gain advantages 

---updated 2/11/05---

Introduction

I have written a system for both sides and want to present it completely. It is not possible to keep an eye on balancing when both factions are viewed separately. So this is the full package.

It introduces a new sneak gameplay, factional guilds and makes both rebellion and empire feel right. Rebel bases are hidden and they can be relocated or evacuated, while heavy AT-AT approaching at the horizon. There is plenty of detail so please read the full bullet point list.

Details

• Both factions should differ from each other, but no exclusive playstyle, but rather a motivator to behave in a certain way.
  
  
• Cities are controlled more or less by imperials. Empire uses the dreaded floating fortress vehicle to maintain New Order. Its PvE content, it defends cities but at the same time its a new target for rebel PvEers (combatants).
  
  
• Both faction players are subject to Kill-On-Sight (KOS) as Special Forces, but with a slightly different ruleset as combatants.
• Rebels should not per se be subject to KOS, but they have to work for remaining hidden (as combatants). If they accumulate to much negative reputation (whatever measurement), they will be killed on sight until they work to lower their negative reputation again.
• Imperials start as kill-on-sight. But they can take duties to negate the KOS effect for a set period of time (combatant only), but as with rebels, too much negative reputation will negate the effect (they are no longer able to work as an imperial agent).
• Content to work to remove the KOS effect (default, rebel combatant / imperial agent duties, imperial combatant). For example well guarded terminals to slice unseen! Killing persons »who know«.
•  New military zones of both sides will cause KOS to all invaders.
• Civilians will be warned before shooting. They have to leave the zone immeadiatly.
•  Enemy Special Forces are considered invaders. KOS.
•  Combatants work with the KOS rules above and will be treated as civilians.
  
  
• Faction uniforms
•  Rebels have uniforms, but it seems it is not as strict as the empire. No additional rules.
•  Imperial uniforms and armor is not working properly unless not dressed completely. Stormtrooper armor would only be 70% (top of my mind) effective, when not dressed completely.
• Players in proper stormtrooper (scout, asssault) armor get a group bonus, when group leader wears imperial uniform. The bonus stacks with squad leader bonus and it is not as strong as the SL bonuses. Alternativley, the group leader could equip an armor should pad to gain the bonus.
  o Rebels get the same as morality bonus. It will be removed for 5 minutes when they attack other than factional enemies. 
  
  
• Faction bases / HQs
•  Imperial bases are large and visible (much larger than now!) demonstration of power and heavy guarded with troops and walkers (AT-AT finally). They are attackable within the vuln. time.
•  Rebel faction bases are more hidden and sometimes underground or otherwise disguised as something else.  They are only attackable when vulnerable. Unfortunately Star Wars Galaxies lacks of hand made content and civilian factories, large mine structures and refineries and stuff like that (something like the structure on hoth).
• Rebel bases have two additional modes, relocation and evacuation. Relocation works outside of hot times, but will take a few hours to deconstruct the base. Evacuation works in hot times only (under attack). The base will be destroyed eventually, but the owner is able to purchase a new base at decreased cost, when evacuation was successful (survived a timer).
•  Rebel bases can be attacked with the normal rules, but there additional rules when the is »discovered« (see below)
•  Imperial bases are able to call reinforcements for additional faction point costs. They will land outside at certain positions with drop ships.
  
  
• Imperials are able to use AT-AT walkers to attack »discovered« bases. To discover a base, they need to do certain missions or other content in certain timeframes.
• Imperial select the rebel base on a new map in an own base. It shows »discovered« bases. They need to select a target and then they are able to call the walker right outside, but inside the base limits.
• The walker only attacks this given base and targets in the area around.
• The AT-AT defends itself.
• It can be stopped by rebels on its way, but it will be rather difficult.
  
  
• In the last years, a small revolution took place in First Person Shooters, the gameplay changed from Rambo-Style to hide and sneak. We we need this in MMORPGs as well now. SWG could profit immensly from it and its best suited…
• NPC AI will be upgraded. They now can »see« and »hear«. There are each three levels of sound (S) and visibilty (V)
•  Running is loud (S-3)
• Walking makes lesser noise (S-2)
• Crawling makes almost no noise (S-1)
• Not moving (S-0)
• Standing avatars are very visible (V-3)
• Kneeling avatars are less visible (V-2)
• Proning avatars are almost not visible (V-1)
• NPC AI is normal, cautious or alterted.
• Normal AI detects V-1 and S-1 for sure
• Cautious AI detects V-2 and S-2 for sure
• Alterted AI detects all characters
• The above will be modified by range. Each 32m decreases the detection level by one. Other factors like night would influence the detection level as well. NPCs would be cautious but at the same time the effect of range would be increase.
  o Implement a vision field if possible, so players could stay hidden behind NPCs backs (if they are silent enough). 
• Add a first-strike move that grants no XP, but insta-kills surprised NPCs in normal or cautious mode (not possible, when they are alerted). It is mandatory that the NPCs failed to detect the player to first-strike them. It might be only possible inside military zones.
• Add the ability to use uniforms and armor of first-striked enemies as a disguise.
• It adds a huge bonus to the detection system, but you are no longer able to first-strike.
• You start this mode via radial on the corpse of first-striked enemies.
• It immeadiatly overwrites your current clothing / armor equipped, so you are in disguise immeadiatly.
• It will switch to your clothing settings you had before, when you leave the military zone (or when you are discovered).
• The entire sneak and first-strike gameplay only works for combatants (PvE Gameplay, see KOS rules above)
  
  
• Introdution of faction guilds. They will provide the only naturally hierarchical systems and higher ranks.
• Faction guilds contain only factional aligned players of one side. Loosing faction affiliation will start a countdown, at the end, the player will be auto removed from the guild.
• You need to have the double of faction points (400) to join a faction guild than joining the faction. You will be warned, if you are fewer than 400.
• Guilds are able to freely promote their members to any military rank they choose, but it will not grant the bonuses from bought ranks. If a player leaves the guild, rank switches to the previous bought faction rank.
• To gain the same bonus as bought faction ranks, the player needs to purchase them as any other player (but as long the player is in the guild, the guild given rank will be active).
• Guild leaders are able to climb above colonel.
• Guild officers are able to climb above colonel but not as high as the guild leader. (it’s a detail which ranks exactly, so I leave it this vague)
• Factional guilds are able to form alliances. The leader of an guild alliance is able to have a higher rank than guild leaders.
• Example of this system: 
• Rank
• Guild officer = rank +1 
• Guild leader = rank +2
• Alliance leader = rank +3
• Faction guilds have slightly customized faction uniforms like colored shoulderpads or color stripes or smaller modifications like clothing parts (use clone troopers as an inspiration for customized stormtrooper uniforms, rebels would be more easy to find something).

Message Edited by BadMisterFrosty on 02-09-2005 05:07 PM

Message Edited by BadMisterFrosty on 02-10-2005 06:02 PM

•  Attacking an imperial base will warn all players on the admin list
•  Imperial bases auto call reinforcements after some time. They arrive in waves and it will be more and more impossible to stand against it.
• Disabling relay stations disables warning mail to players and reinforcement calls for a set period of time.
• A relay station is one of the two free PvE bases imperials get when purchasing a PvP base. Each relay station must be connected to one PvP base.  
• Relay stations must be placed outside of certain radius to other bases.
• Relay stations must be disabled silently; alerting the troops will alert troops in other bases as well, so they are able to call for reinforcements although the relay station was disabled. This is to avoid zerging and rather promote the playstyle of a strike team disabling the relay station first and just in time before a larger base raid.
• Destroying (other than disabling) a relay station will enable mail and reinforcements for a set period of time, so you should not do it before base raids in order to not alert the empire.

• Rebels are able to relocate their bases or evacuate when under attack.
• Evacuation is only available, when the base was connected to a rebel cell PvE base
• Imperials are able to “discover” rebel PvP bases by stealing the data from rebel cell bases (PvE). 
• Rebel Cell Bases are one of the two free extra bases when purchasing a PvP base.
• A placed Rebel cell auto connects to one PvP base. Rebels are able to change this connection in order to get the evacuation perk for their own base.
• Destroying the PvE base (other than stealing data) will enable the evacuation perk of the connected PvP base for a set period of time.
• Imperials are able to use AT-AT walker on “discovered” bases, see the rules above.
• “Discover” state wears off after a set period of time.

If you like the ideas above, feel free to contribute something to it. It would be glad if we could work together and carve something out, rather than starting new all over again and again. If you do not like details, feel free to add something or change them. It’s a brainstorm thread

Message Edited by BadMisterFrosty on 02-07-2005 11:39 AM

Message Edited by BadMisterFrosty on 02-09-2005 05:00 PM

• Imperial Uniforms and armor works not properly unless not dressed completly.
• Players in proper Armor gets a group bonus, when group leader wears imperial officer uniform.

Thats very nice ideas to achieve authentic star wars feeling ingame.

• Connection between HQ-PvP-Base and Relay-PvE-Base, disabling relay stations prevents warning mails to listed players of the HQ-PvP-Base and NPC reinforcemt calls
• Relocation and Evacuation Mode for Rebel Bases
• Escort of the AT-AT to the rebel HQ-Base, the walker only attacks the primary target (the rebel hq-base and the defense turrets).  En Route the AT-AT defends itself, but he can stopped by rebel players on its way.

Thats the ultimate Battle of Hoth scenario for Star Wars Galaxies. Wooooooooooow.

(so great that i am writing a post in the official forum, imagine )

Message Edited by Suba11 on 02-08-2005 11:16 AM

I guess it still need some tweaking

Imperial Raid vs Rebel Base

Rebel Base is NOT connected with a rebel cell PvE base.

Empire.............Rebellion
No Perk............No perk
No Perk............No perk
-----------------------------
balanced

Rebel Base IS connected with a rebel cell PvE base.

Empire.............Rebellion
No Perks...........Evacuation
No Perks...........Relocation
-----------------------------
advantage rebellion

Imperial Raid with successful PVE Base infiltration

Empire.............Rebellion
At-AT..............Evacuation
No Perk............Relocation
-----------------------------
balanced, notes below

Rebel Raid vs Imperial Base

Imperial Base is NOT connected with a Relay Station.

Rebellion..........Empire
No Perk............No perk
No Perk............No perk
-----------------------------
totally balanced

Rebel Base IS connected with a rebel cell PvE base.

Rebellion..........Empire
No Perks...........Reinforcments
No Perks...........Warning Mail
-----------------------------
advantage empire

Rebel Raid with successful PVE Base infiltration

Rebellion..........Empire
No Perk............No Perk
No Perk............No Perk
-----------------------------
balanced

As we see, PVP bases with connection to a PVE Base gain advantage over bases with no PvE connction. The bottom line of this advantage is  a countdown in with a raid must be successful, otherwise the attackers lose. The attackers need to take down the base before the time runs out, otherwise their raid wasn't successful. But this shows asymetrical. While a rebel base eventually gets destroyed, they just place another one at low (or no) cost, so empire didn't won anything on the great scale. If the rebels are too slow, they will be overwhelmed by imperial forces, so the base remains. Same effect, they did'nt win anything on the great scale.

The critical element is the AT-AT walker against a rebel base, it needs to be balanced in a way that the best side wins (since it considered balanced). The rebels need to delay the AT-AT trek and prepare their defense long enough to survive their evacuation timer.

For further balancing, an AT-AT could consume for example 100 FPs / 10 minutes, so it adds distances to the war. Attacking a rebel base far away would cost more, since you need to walk with the walker all way to the base. Another flaw is the possibilty of more AT-ATs attacking one single rebel base (should it be possible?). Rebels are not able to dublicate advantages of a successful PvE base infiltration, so it needs to be look at it. I think there are still some uncalculated depts in it, if you find something (or solutions), please feel tree to post it.

I do not consider this "mine", I really want to make something for US all, so YOU should add your ideas and solutions to the system to make something robust and cool out of it. Its for us all finally.

I have some more modules in mind, I will post them later. Feel free to add yours too.

Ok. Developers like bulltetpoint lists...

• A pair of bases, one imperial one rebel are fighting for one (not necessary the same) bonus. Its only active on one base for that side.
• To attack the base and "steal" the bonus (or switch the "lever"), the side must currently win on the planetary level (own the most regular bases).
• Only few bases, not too much of them but rather cool designed to keep it straightforward.

• Reduces the pet FP costs
• reduction of travel time, more travel routes
• any PvP stat bonus
• ...

not same bonus (but again its only active for one side)

• decrease of walker costs / decrease of rebel perk cost
• pvp attack bonus imperial / pvp defense bonus rebel
• ...

It depends on the theme of the dungeon base. It could be a walker hangar facility on imperial side vs a special medical laboratory on rebel side (with different bonus, but only one of the two is active). Or its each a medical laboratory and the story is, that they need an unique item to create the ultra vaccine but either the rebel lab or the imperial lab has it (while players raid to steal it). Another idea is that players can mine a special ressource only at the active base. For example, make it so that there are two new ressources, one which comes through the imperial side and a different at rebel side and motivate the crafters to pick a side, this new ressouces would be better than another standard ressource so the crafters have a valid interest that their side wins (involvement anybody)...

Message Edited by BadMisterFrosty on 02-09-2005 04:58 PM