Ellie Mors
I'd like to first thank you for your responses, and adding your perspective. I found it useful. I also think you're onto something with your analysis about distant conflict, but I unfortunately don't have much to add to it right now.
Enlil
I appreciate your long form comment about the worthiness of continuing the discussion despite Tefka's present stance on the idea that's being posited. I believe it is worthwhile because we don't need someone's permission to discuss the merits of any idea and how it would hypothetically operate. You are welcome to stop discussing it if you don't feel it has any merit, but I will continue to discuss it with those who want to continue to discuss it for our own sake. I don't carry the discussion forward because I think it will change anything, I even opened up the entire post acknowledging the fact I was already presently aware it wasn't likely to sway site staff to make changes or additions. I still brought up the discussion anyway, because I think the idea has merits, and wanted it to be discussed or even workshopped. If it caught staff's attention, like it did, all the better; I was able to gleam a great deal of insight into the creative process that created the Mandates I disagree with. The long of the short of it is I had an idea, inspired by a series of events unrelated to me or my interests, and put the idea out to the public to be argue for or against. If in the future this is reviewed again and put into practice, great! However, this was never a real expectation.
I absolutely acknowledge that big cloud breaks are definitely part of the game, and acknowledge the difficulty and effort that went into creating the circumstances to allow them, and I don't think my suggestion works against this idea. On the contrary, I think it has just as much utility in allowing them to happen as it does as potentially preventing them. Take for example a faction that is infamous for its ability to dom enough to shore up its weaknesses despite taking losses by using Grasp the Void or Rampant Frontier. If you wanted to curtail their growth to the standard three doms per month, you could take Insurrection Campaign before planning a cloud breaking invasion, or coordinated with another faction to time their invasions such that one of you nullifies while the other initiates the cloud-breaking invasion as soon as their mandate is removed (assuming victory), it would have a similar if not identical effect.
It's all about how the mandates are used, and when they are used. I just want to make sure no strategy isn't without an equal recourse. This suggestion is my idea for an equalizer.
I think my thoughts on relentless, cloud breaks, and capital changes echo earlier sentiments. I don't think, in your example of the NIO/TSE/GA situation, this would really be an answer tbh - relentless does have one, even if it's not one people want to embrace - but I do like the merit it has for interacting with other mandates, or situations similar to this going forward, despite my initial discontent. I think with tweaking, it could be a solid idea, and adds another layer of strategy to the map game. My suggestions would be one or more of the following, if you were to re-propose this at a later date:
- Remove the mandate for 30 days, not 60- With how stagnated things can get on the map, I think 60 is too long for this.
- Remove the defenders current mandate should they lose, but allow them to pick a different one - in your example of Darkwire and fortress worlds, it would make sense that stripped of that advantage, they could choose another, perhaps even intended to strike back against those that attacked them - thus possibly spurring the map game.
- Add a weakness. I'm not a fan of pointless weaknesses, but for the potential this has in regards to change the entire course of a factions plans, I like the idea of adding a risk. Something like "Should the attacker lose, their mandate is removed and a new one may not be selected for X days", or something along those lines, sounds a little better to me.
Cassus Akovin
just two cents from a nerd who likes map mechanics
I can't thank you enough for your contribution. Genuinely love it.
To address your first concern, the reason why I "chose" 60 instead of a shorter time frame was due to the fact that changing mandates typically have a 60 day cool down. So it was less about me coming up with an arbitrary amount of time I thought was reasonable, and more so trying to keep as closely to the currently established precedent. I was also trying to get rid of any ambiguity, as if I simply phrased it "remove their mandate", a faction that has had the same mandate for a long period of time might argue that they could just reapply it after the invasion is concluded since they hadn't changed their mandate in X amount of time. It would also create less potential confusion for when they are allowed to alter their mandate again in accordance with the other Mandate rules. So when the invasion concludes, a factions Mandate becomes overridden to Neutral and can't change their mandate again based on the date that it was last changed.
On your second point, I really like this idea! It becomes a kind of risk-reward scenario, if you don't like an enemies Mandate and want it removed, what are the odds they choose something to replace it that might be directly harmful to your future invasion plans?
On your last point, I largely agree with you. I don't like the divergence from the basic design philosophy of the rest of the site myself, but following in this seasons set of Mandates I opted not to bother coming up with one until one was suggested. I'm not sure your suggestion is exactly conducive to its use, especially if the prior suggestion was taken into account. It could potentially be a catch-22, you change an enemy Mandates, they swap it with something you didn't expect that's worse, or you lose and are out of a Mandate. If it's one or the other, I think it could be a solid weakness.
For example it could read almost exactly the same, except your suggestions taken into account:
Insurrection Campaign
"Insurrection is an art, and like all arts has its own laws." -Leon Trotsky
Strength: When this faction invades, in lieu of taking hexes it can choose to remove the defending factions mandate, and prevent it from being chosen again for 60 days upon victory.
Weakness: The defending faction may choose a new Mandate if they lose.
Or:
Insurrection Campaign
"Insurrection is an art, and like all arts has its own laws." -Leon Trotsky
Strength: When this faction invades, in lieu of taking hexes it can choose to remove the defending factions mandate, and prevent it from choosing a new one for 60 days upon victory.
Weakness: If this faction loses, they lose this mandate and are prevented from choosing a new one for 60 days.
I'm open to other ideas though!
AMCO
Personally, I think your idea is pretty cool. Mandates should be exceptional, changing the base set of rules for their own set. Like the various mandates that change the number of doms that are allowed, how they are submitted, changes to the way a specific factions invasions work etc.. So a Mandate that allows a rebellion on a Capital planet is
very interesting to me. At the same time, it shouldn't be taken lightly, and should be coupled with a concrete weakness, that isn't just implied.
However, going along that route, is there a way you could see incorporating that idea into my proposed Mandate? It would certainly fit the theme of Insurrection, even if it doesn't exactly jive with my original intention.
Bo Nadea
though I agree with you, don't be deluded into thinking it hasn't happened before. Sometimes, unfortunately, that just seems to be the way of things. I don't agree with it personally, but there isn't much that can be done, or really aught to be done, to change that behavior. You opt in, you may not like the future consequences and accept the risk they may come to pass.
Like I said, I don't agree with it, but I don't think anything should be done about it.
Though I am curious what your perspective on this proposed Mandate would be?