Question Mandates? Like em, Hate em - How do you feel about them?

[Srina Talon]

Hi there!

We've had quite a few new mandates to offer this year that are pretty fun and wild on paper. But, how do you guys feel about them?

Those currently in use are:

• Dark Empire | Vassal State
• Empire of the Lost |Megacorpopolis Mandate
• Galactic Alliance | Relentless Horde
• Mandalorian Protectors | Hyperlane Trader
• Sith Order | Vassal State
• Tingel Arm Coalition | Beyond the Void

I'm especially curious about how you guys feel about the mandates that provide "passive gains" such as Hyperlane Trader (claim a free hex adjacent to a hyperlane once per month) and Megacorpopolis (where 6 hexes can be purchased a month). Do you think they offer a nice reprieve from the dominion grind and therefore offer more storytelling opportunities because you have to worry less about expansion? Do you think they break the "immersion" so to speak?

Looking for honest opinions, positive and negative are welcome, even suggestions, but trolls can go to the water cooler and chill xD

I should have known better lmao. Trolls I welcome thee!

 

[Definitely Not Tefka]

Violets are red
mandates are lame
if we need a scapegoat
It's Srina to blame.

#BringBackSquareGrid
#BringBackTentacles

 

[Srina Talon]

Center your signature before you come for meeee xD

 

[Teresa Zambrano | Darth Pellax]

#BringBackSquareGrid
#BringBackTentacles

HELLL YEAHHHHH! ONE WORLD PER DOM!!!!

 

[Definitely Not Tefka]

HELLL YEAHHHHH! ONE WORLD PER DOM!!!!

 

[Jonyna Si]

I think, at this point, mandates are the only thing keeping major factions unique. SSDs don't mean much anymore since factory balancing has gone the way of the dinosaur, and since production scale doesn't mean anything for the same reason, it's kinda pointless to put in the effort for an SSD other than bragging rights.

The mandates we have are cool, and I like the more gamey ones that allow smaller minors to have a leg up against larger ones. Passive ones are kinda lame, especially Hyperlane Trader where you can just kinda sit and ignore the rest of the board while growing.

Buying hexes is cool if you wanna move a story along, but it's also kinda a bit of a silly way to allow a faction to avoid consequences if they can just instantly grow in a different direction away from an invasion point. In theory, the right people could do that endlessly.

 

[Fynch]

I guess it just depends on the priority of the faction. I like dominions and having storylines for bringing hexes into your cloud, but I understand the appeal of passive gains as well. They're balanced enough to where I think factions grow at a reasonable rate as to leave room for new factions to jump onto the board. Plus buying hexes gives value to the assistance of UCs and UCs are directly gained through activity. So to that end it's probably comparable to the activity needed for a dominion.

I suppose the biggest issue there is that buying a hex kills an opportunity to write with someone who may have a distinct interest with a given planet. Like, for example, if Corellia was independent and GA wanted to buy that hex rather than dom it, Dracken Pryce would miss out on establishing that first diplomatic contact with the GA. You kinda miss out on that fun story element, which I think is a negative.

But then everything has ups and downs. Mandates at least can give factions each a unique vibe, which can help in the long run of distinguishing who does what and legitimizing your unique position on the board. They mesh well with story stuff I think. That's just my two cents anyways.

 

[Sahan Dragr]

Mandalorian Protectors | Hyperlane Trader

I personally think they're interesting, but I want to point out that MP is no longer Major. I guess someone forgot to make the changes. Or just haven't felt like doing it yet lol.

 

[Srina Talon]

Sahan Dragr

Np - Usually Majors Step down differently and submit a request to go Minor via the Map Update Request thread. I haven't seen that come through but given the circumstances were a bit...messy... I'll check in with the other Staff. Thanks!

 

[Definitely Not Tefka]

I personally think they're interesting, but I want to point out that MP is no longer Major. I guess someone forgot to make the changes. Or just haven't felt like doing it yet lol.

Ur not my real dad

 

[Fynch]

Megacorpopolis Mandate concerns I've just thought of:

First is there seems to be a lack of a rule on if they can buy hexes that are in the middle of being dominioned. If you're in the middle of a dominion, say 20 posts in, what stops another faction from just buying that hex before you submit it? It seems like something that might make dominions near another factions cloud impossible.

Second is that I think invasions might be less effective with the ability to buy six hexes. Say a cloud break occurs. A major faction can just buy a bunch of hexes to undo the ramifications of an invasion OOC. I can also see it being used to overload hexes in one area to keep to block them in. I can see this being very abusable, especially since an invasion is max two hexes. A faction could be stuck in one spot unable to do anything, especially since you could buy six a month. The more I think about it it seems like organic faction activity can't compete with UCs.

 

[Tefka]

Megacorpopolis Mandate concerns I've just thought of:

First is there seems to be a lack of a rule on if they can buy hexes that are in the middle of being dominioned. If you're in the middle of a dominion, say 20 posts in, what stops another faction from just buying that hex before you submit it? It seems like something that might make dominions near another factions cloud impossible.

Second is that I think invasions might be less effective with the ability to buy six hexes. Say a cloud break occurs. A major faction can just buy a bunch of hexes to undo the ramifications of an invasion OOC. I can also see it being used to overload hexes in one area to keep to block them in. I can see this being very abusable, especially since an invasion is max two hexes. A faction could be stuck in one spot unable to do anything, especially since you could buy six a month. The more I think about it it seems like organic faction activity can't compete with UCs.

1. What stops another faction from….
Answer: Admins. Literally Admins. Always Admins. Just because you or any other Major posts an update doesn’t mean we have to honor it. You have experienced this already once, personally, so I feel you are the subject matter expert on how I can use the rules, the Staff Team, and the Map Update Thread to mentally terrorize people who thought they were gaming a rigid system.

2. A major faction can just buy…
Answer: Cool. Give me your ucks. Ucks are not just falling out of the sky.

3. Organic faction activity cannot compete with ucks
Answer: Am I missing something or is there only one Megacorpopolis Major, and the first time they tried to use the ability, it did not work?

Lets say I was a Major Faction creative team and I got worked up in a private chat over it and I’m talking invasion strategy this, writer anxiety that. At what point am I, Tefka, to believe anything you say about organic faction activity when:

1. Organic faction activity has not been allowed to compete with OOC ucks and mandates, due to hypothetical arguments in DMs

And

2. No amount of time has been permitted to observe this organic faction activity.

Like, what I’m basically saying is, not only are you not an expert on organic faction activity, but you are deliberately obstructing it. Everything you have stated so far is a hypothetical while the reality contradicts your concerns in the smallest of timeframes. Were I a betting man, I’d wager your advisors are crazy and should be fired immediately lmao. I dont know how they let you spin up to the point you are asking these questions, but you 100% do not have a guy (or gal) in your corner keeping you grounded, they are doing the opposite, you should sack literally all of them.

So, in short, cool questions, I’m not worried at all about Megacorpo mandate, also whoever is advising you straight up sucks and you should fire them all ASAP.

 

[Valery Noble]

I'm happy with the new mandates and I think they offer different things that also make it interesting to switch up mandates in some cases. Before these new Mandates, I never changed Mandates at all because none were that appealing to me. Vassal state was cool, but just not fitting for my faction.

With the new mandates, we've already changed mandates twice and are planning to change again for a story later down the line. So to me personally, they have been great!

I'm sure it's possible to endlessly tweak and change stuff, but as Tefka pointed out, the admins have a good grip on things to keep it as RP centric as possible and avoid people trying to exploit mechanics in ways we don't want.

 

[Chaos_Cat]

1. What stops another faction from….
Answer: Admins. Literally Admins. Always Admins. Just because you or any other Major posts an update doesn’t mean we have to honor it. You have experienced this already once, personally, so I feel you are the subject matter expert on how I can use the rules, the Staff Team, and the Map Update Thread to mentally terrorize people who thought they were gaming a rigid system.

2. A major faction can just buy…
Answer: Cool. Give me your ucks. Ucks are not just falling out of the sky.

3. Organic faction activity cannot compete with ucks
Answer: Am I missing something or is there only one Megacorpopolis Major, and the first time they tried to use the ability, it did not work?

Lets say I was a Major Faction creative team and I got worked up in a private chat over it and I’m talking invasion strategy this, writer anxiety that. At what point am I, Tefka, to believe anything you say about organic faction activity when:

1. Organic faction activity has not been allowed to compete with OOC ucks and mandates, due to hypothetical arguments in DMs

And

2. No amount of time has been permitted to observe this organic faction activity.

Like, what I’m basically saying is, not only are you not an expert on organic faction activity, but you are deliberately obstructing it. Everything you have stated so far is a hypothetical while the reality contradicts your concerns in the smallest of timeframes. Were I a betting man, I’d wager your advisors are crazy and should be fired immediately lmao. I dont know how they let you spin up to the point you are asking these questions, but you 100% do not have a guy (or gal) in your corner keeping you grounded, they are doing the opposite, you should sack literally all of them.

So, in short, cool questions, I’m not worried at all about Megacorpo mandate, also whoever is advising you straight up sucks and you should fire them all ASAP.

Thanks

 

[Tefka]

Thanks

Lmao awkward, I’m guessing you’re on that team.

Look, its my firm belief that people who complain about anxiety in regards to Invasions shouldn’t be anywhere near a leadership position in any Major Faction. It’s not that serious, and if you make it that serious, you simply gotta go. Those people are deliberately making something that should be fun into something that is very not fun.

I feel like there’s a handful of you who, if not responsible, are protecting those people’s feelings due to sympathy and prolonging the inevitable. And if ur accomplicing, you also dont belong in the leadership of a Major Faction, ESPECIALLY in regards to pvp interactions with other factions.

It’s awkward, its rough, but I imagine a lot of what I’m saying will land with people who are in or have been in those positions.

 

[Chaos_Cat]

Lmao awkward, I’m guessing you’re on that team.

Look, its my firm belief that people who complain about anxiety in regards to Invasions shouldn’t be anywhere near a leadership position in any Major Faction. It’s not that serious, and if you make it that serious, you simply gotta go. Those people are deliberately making something that should be fun into something that is very not fun.

I feel like there’s a handful of you who, if not responsible, are protecting those people’s feelings due to sympathy and prolonging the inevitable. And if ur accomplicing, you also dont belong in the leadership of a Major Faction, ESPECIALLY in regards to pvp interactions with other factions.

It’s awkward, its rough, but I imagine a lot of what I’m saying will land with people who are in or have been in those positions.

I appreciate your perspective

 

[Sahan Dragr]

Ur not my real dad

I wouldn't even wanna be your fake dad lol.

 

[WelshPsych]

I can see mandates being important for factions and the way that rp can influence the clouds on the map, as well as creating new opportunities in terms of invasion potential, skirmishes and general pvp interaction.

However, I can also see the argument that mandates probably do not play much affect in the majority of the rp threads (this is speculation on my part on what I just glance at when seeing public and private threads, I am willing to be wrong here if I am.) So from that viewpoint, I could see that them being removed wouldn't impact a lot of the way most threads are run.

But I could also be massively off the mark on this.

 

[Valery Noble]

I can see mandates being important for factions and the way that rp can influence the clouds on the map, as well as creating new opportunities in terms of invasion potential, skirmishes and general pvp interaction.

However, I can also see the argument that mandates probably do not play much affect in the majority of the rp threads (this is speculation on my part on what I just glance at when seeing public and private threads, I am willing to be wrong here if I am.) So from that viewpoint, I could see that them being removed wouldn't impact a lot of the way most threads are run.

But I could also be massively off the mark on this.

Both SO and DE use Vassal state, which sparked secondary clouds that were established with tons of RP and have a constant impact on their stories. SO took the the ancient Sith worlds and the entire Caldera Crisis story arc is because of that mandate. DE used it to cause the entire conflict in the core by throwing their cloud into ours, so all the battles there and the stories we've been doing wouldn't have really been the same without the Vassal State mandate.

For the upcoming invasion, the only reason that SO and GA have borders connected is because of a new mandate from this year. Without it, we'd have taken much longer to reach each other, and we would be months away from even thinking about invasions.

So I'd say they contribute a lot and have had a lot of impact, especially Vassal State.

 

[WelshPsych]

Valery Noble

I did state they do have an impact on invasion opportunities and MF to MF engagement. And the Vassal State mandate does create a lot of RP opportunities.

However, that is faction based threads. Plenty of threads on the site are completely unaffected by mandates was my point. So for a majority of writers on this site, it isn't a massive concern what mandate is available and isn't.

That is all I was thinking.