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[Captain Artemis]

Introduction and personal thoughts:

I guess everyone can agree that upcoming Community Warfare Phase 3 is very promising. New 4vs4 "Scout Mode" and proper placement of Loyalist players inside their beloved factions, where they can together chose the direction which it is heading sound great.

Of course there is still lack of meaning of holding specific planets, even if they are well explained in the BattleTech universe, of the production sites that they had, and the equipment that were created out there. Things that could be the very foundations of the whole Inner Sphere and Clan economy, giving enormous impact of the gameplay and immersion.

Not to speaking about the possibility for the units, to create their very own base, which they could improve and defend, that could become bastion in the specific Community Warfare front. Leading to the situations, where the previous Battles of Tukayyid that we have pleasure playing on, would look like nothing compering to it. Or even creating the FOB (Forward Operating Base), being a link to the their base and supply lines - literally saying numbers of possibilities.

But that is not what I want to talk about here, I would like to suggest some solutions to the Mercenary Units, which as we see right now have the biggest impact on Community Warfare. Which are the choices and consequences.

The idea:

If you are holding breath right now, I must really disappoint you, because the system that I would like to point out is not something new. It's pretty much based on Karma and Reputation system that work in Fallout 1/2/New Vegas. To avoid abuse of it, this system need to be working either for unit and for the player.

Simply saying, working for someone can make others not so happy about it. So lets imagine that some mercenary unit/player is working for House Steiner. While doing so, unit/player fight well against Clan Wolf. The outcome of this situation can look like this:

*note that this is only an idea, and I am well aware that the numbers and the system need specific calculations, but that is the PGI job,

Clans Reputation:

• Clan Wolf - -50 reputation points (because of fighting against it),
  
• Every other Clan - -5 reputation points,

Inner Sphere Reputation:

• House Steiner - +100 reputation points (because of winning),
  
• House Davion - +5 reputation points (because FedCom),
  
• FRR and Liao - 0 reputation points,
  
• Marik and Kurita - -5 reputation points,

*Why negative reputation for Marik and Kurita? Because they don't like each other, even if there is Clan Invasion, they were fighting for few hundred years,



As some point, the amount of negative reputation will be high enough so that faction would not like you to working for them. Why so? Because you have killed hundreds of their men. They just don't like you, and don't want to pay you.

On the other hand, having high enough reputation will give the player/unit specific reward, the most obvious one is the money. That's what the mercenaries fight for, right? (Correct me if I'm wrong). To not make things so easy, gaining positive reputation can be harder by the time:

• 100 reputation - while we staring the contract,
  
• 75 reputation - while being accepted,
  
• 50 reputation - while being liked,
  
• 25 reputation - while we are beloved by them, because it's harder to prove yourself,

To make things even more harder, if your contract with the House Steiner ended (and you were liked by them), and you chose to work for House Kurita, and you decided to attack House Steiner you will lose reputation points for that faction, giving this outcome:



Clans Reputation:

• Every Clan - 0 reputation (because don't care),

Inner Sphere Reputation:

• House Kurita - +100 reputation points,
  
• House Marik - +5 reputation points,
  
• FRR and Liao - 0 reputation points,
  
• House Davion - -5 reputation points (because FedCom),
  
• House Steiner - -1000 reputation points (because you betrayded them),

As I said before, numbers need to be calibrated, this are only examples of choices and consequences. Reputation points should be based on whole Inner Sphere relations and politics between the factions.



Please comment and share your ideas.

Edited by Captain Artemis, 07 March 2016 - 04:35 AM.