Minor Faction Size Limits

[Valiens Nantaris]

As we know from the rules, minor factions can have unique, PC captained ships up to 1000m, and individuals may have unique ships up to 400m in length.

My proposal is something which I had actually assumed for over a year (dangers of assumptions); that minor factions have no restrictions on ships under 400 metres, and that ships from 401-1000m can only be unique, PC captained vessels.

To me this makes much more sense. As it is now, what possible reason is there for a minor faction to have anything less than a heavy cruiser each for their members? If they can have those uniquely, they should be able to have frigates and below more easily.

Let’s not forget that yes, minor factions don’t own planets like majors, but the rules allow them to own heavy cruisers. So why not allow them to have some frigates and corvettes too? We’re soon going to allow companies to have this, and they don’t own planets either, remember.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

By that rule, me and two of my buddies can make a minor and roll up somewhere with a hundred frigates. 'No restriction' won't cut the mustard. With wording like 'within reasonable bounds', I'd back this amendment.

The flipside is, it's not required for 400m ships to be PC-captained. If I'm in a minor faction and I show up with my 1000m ship and three 400m ships that I own, that's a valid reading of the current rules, not just common practice.

 

[Sarge Potteiger]

Yeah, if it ain't broke don't fix it.

Especially considering minor factions encompass such things as 'families.'

>Because everyone in the family gets a heavy cruiser on their 16th birthday along with unlimited frigates

I say just keep it as is because if you have to add 'within reasonable bounds' you'd need a ton of examples like 'if your minor faction is a company, you could have 12' or 'if your minor faction is Space Burger King, you get nothing'

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Sarge Potteiger"] [member="Ashin Varanin"]

Well…how about allowing a unique, PC captained ship from 400-1000m to have up to 3 escorts under 400m? (Or whatever number we deem fair)

That’s a bit of both worlds I think.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

I edited just now to clarify my thoughts.

The flipside is, it's not required for 400m ships to be PC-captained. If I'm in a minor faction and I show up with my 1000m ship and three 400m ships that I own, that's a valid reading of the current rules, not just common practice.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]
I thought so as well, but a close reading provides no link beyond inference.

• An individual character may not create a ship greater than 400 meters in length. Such ships must be owned by a Faction (Major or Minor), and may be captained by the character, but in case of leaving will not go with them without exceptional circumstances. Station designs will be on a case by case basis, but do not expect them to be more than a handful of kilometres.
• Minor factions are permitted unique, PC-captained ships up to a length of 1,000 meters. New Major factions are allowed mass-produced ships up to 1,000 meters in length.

Note that it only says that minor factions are permitted unique ships up to 1000m...it doesn't say they can have more 400m ones. It says the only ships they can have from 0-1000m are unique PC captained ones.

Thus why I proposed a change of some form.

 

[Darth Kentarch]

This whole thing runs on the assumption that there is something that major faction has that minor doesnt that prevents the faction from owning starships. Other than that blob on the sphere of influence map. Cause after all, SDs were massive ships which one alone was worth more than several developed planets with advanced economies, which bankrupted and stripped entire planets of their capital and other resources.

We are coming to a critical point on this site about ships, their sizes, and what it actually takes to run and maintain them. And how those costs and consequences appear in the role play. So when you ask us why can't minor factions have frigate sized ships, I ask how the heck does anyone have a seeming infinite number ships that spawn during invasion start and appear anywhere in the galaxy.

 

[Ashin Varanin]

[member="Valeria Aetani"]

An individual character may not create a ship greater than 400 meters in length.

I have no problem with clarification, but if we're talking close reading, under our current ruleset there is no boundary on the characters belonging to minor factions showing up with multiple 400m ships. At that point, whether those multiple 400m ships are owned by the minor faction or the characters within the minor faction is largely academic (not always, but largely, especially in fleeting). In other words, common practice is an acceptable interpretation of our rules as written.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Ashin Varanin"]
As I said, I would agree except I was told otherwise by an FJ a couple of months ago.

Can I suggest we insert a clarification to make it obvious rather than inferred, please?