Larp thoughts ... Commoners & Noblemen
So I've been thinking about games with 'factions' and 'advantages', especially where such games involve social class.
For example - Maelstrom has colonies and nations as factions, and things such as 'income' and 'men-at-arms' as advantages.
I've been thinking a lot about how these things work within a class system. A nobleman will tend to have income, a soldier men-at-arms, etc. But equally you can have a noblewoman with MAA and no income. However, being noble is more than just having a fancy title and nice kit, in the real-world a position of privilege has real advantages.
So - how about an "Influence" advantage?
The idea would be that your social position would be determined by points spent in Influence. Zero influence gets you zero influence, no matter how rich or how many soldiers are loyal to you - remember Richard Sharpe get rich and rose in the ranks but still was an outsider? Kind of like that. A poor nobleman still has more influence than a rich commoner.
The downtime influence mechanic would work in the following way:
o Gain intelligence. You can discover the activities of a person of lesser influence provided they are within your faction.
o Smooth the path. You can improve the efficiency of downtime actions of characters with lesser influence provided they are within your faction. You just select a character and their path is made smoother because they are in your favor, and they are aware that you have helped them. In-game you have provided their men-at-arms with better shovels or new boots, or remove legislative blocks to building work, or refurbish their lab...
o Interfere in the affairs of others. You can do the opposite of smooth the path.
I'd imagine that it would also give some sort of boost to income.
There could also be a low-born version of this where you use criminal contacts to do the above (though at the risk of exposing yourself).
For example - Maelstrom has colonies and nations as factions, and things such as 'income' and 'men-at-arms' as advantages.
I've been thinking a lot about how these things work within a class system. A nobleman will tend to have income, a soldier men-at-arms, etc. But equally you can have a noblewoman with MAA and no income. However, being noble is more than just having a fancy title and nice kit, in the real-world a position of privilege has real advantages.
So - how about an "Influence" advantage?
The idea would be that your social position would be determined by points spent in Influence. Zero influence gets you zero influence, no matter how rich or how many soldiers are loyal to you - remember Richard Sharpe get rich and rose in the ranks but still was an outsider? Kind of like that. A poor nobleman still has more influence than a rich commoner.
The downtime influence mechanic would work in the following way:
o Gain intelligence. You can discover the activities of a person of lesser influence provided they are within your faction.
o Smooth the path. You can improve the efficiency of downtime actions of characters with lesser influence provided they are within your faction. You just select a character and their path is made smoother because they are in your favor, and they are aware that you have helped them. In-game you have provided their men-at-arms with better shovels or new boots, or remove legislative blocks to building work, or refurbish their lab...
o Interfere in the affairs of others. You can do the opposite of smooth the path.
I'd imagine that it would also give some sort of boost to income.
There could also be a low-born version of this where you use criminal contacts to do the above (though at the risk of exposing yourself).