Soldiers usually only add onto that problem. 1) How do you know? 2) When at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I think this is why there are no farmers. Because soldiers can do the job just as well, evidently.
Then -do- it. Why are you just talking about it if you love it? Suggest it, or are you afraid you won't get any support for it? Are you worried no one would care? Do you realize that the majority of people only care about combat and bar RP on this server? That's what I've realized. I despise combat RP, yet you see me suggesting a militaristic faction instead of a peaceful one. Why? Because I don't want my character forgotten about or killed within the first week. Oh, I never said they would do the job well. Crops die, but that doesn't mean you let yourself starve. And I find it hard to believe that soldiers add onto that problem when they're typically quite peaceful until forced into a gunfight. You don't seek out combat if you're trying to survive in a harsh environment anyhow. As for how I know farmers would be slaughtered, well, half the server is made up of badasses who hang around in bars, drinking whiskey and gossiping, the other half is just a bunch of evil anarchists and Florans that want everything dead. I don't think a peaceful farmer would have a chance. And about trying again, that person played that farmer character quite a lot. They gave up after what I'd say was about a month or two because no one bought the crops, because every colony has a magical, endless source of food.
Military serve civilians not the other way around lmao When will Antares realise this lol Probably never
You're right. But where are the civilians? I wouldn't consider the badass mercs to be civilians, because they can clearly handle themselves. The anarchists and the Florans want death and destruction and don't give a damn about order. So again, I'll ask: Where are the civilians? At this point, military can only serve themselves because there is no one else that even desires protection. Let me make it clear that, when I say the mercs can handle themselves, I mean they live in their ships, so they're clearly not citizens of any government and no military are obligated to waste manpower or ammunition protecting people that seek out conflict.
1) "Soldiers are typically quite peaceful until forced into a gunfight." "Half the server is made up of badasses" I think these contradict each other a little. Usually I've found that the title of soldier and badass are the same thing. 2) "Peaceful farmer" That's a stereotype. 3)"they're typically quite peaceful until forced into a gunfight. You don't seek out combat if you're trying to survive in a harsh environment anyhow" That's how I'd picture a farmer, or most workers on the frontier in general. Soldiers not so much. 4)"because every colony has a magical, endless source of food." If there's no actual large food production source, then there's not much choice. When there is one, you can begin to work around that a little bit. You just need patience.
1. They contradict each other when no soldiers currently exist on this server? It's all mercenaries and assassins and whatever else. The old USAF characters were made into badasses I suppose, but they're gone now. And these soldiers will be done right. No bragging about their training, their goal is to live peacefully because, believe it or not, soldiers aren't killing machines. They're just civilians that picked up a rifle and vowed to serve their government. 2. It's clearly not a stereotype which is why I included the adjective "peaceful". Referring to them as just farmers and assuming they're peaceful is a stereotype. 3. Read point 1 4. Waiting a month or two isn't patience. This character actually sought out colonies and asked if they were interested in their crops, none were interested.
*Shuffles through thread* As a concept idea, it's still in early stages, but it doesn't look terrible, in fact, it's fairly simplistic (seems to me it's still in work), with enough grounds to create something interesting. PM me in case you're interested to share more details and if you need help to flesh it out and work on details.
They should just be civilians, then. Soldier sounds more and more like an honorific rather than an occupation, the way you've described it.
Honestly, civilians that picked up rifles are actually just called a militia. But either way I support this and would probably participate.
Oh, they'll act as civilians for the most part. They don't truly have any authority in Antares. But they're going to defend themselves against hostiles, they've still been trained as soldiers and will function as a unit like soldiers would, and they would see themselves as soldiers.
Issue with playing civilians is as such: - More and more powerful rebel groups than the middle east - People cannot be on full-time to play soldiers - As such, playing a nonviolent character will inevitably lead to some sort of attack - People playing civilians get killed, get frustrated, make a character who can defend themselves - Grizzled merc count goes up by one
Make a separate thread for the whole civilian-to-soldier ratio imbalance instead of commandeering this one. About this potential faction, if they build their own buildings, acquire their own resources, farming, etc., I dont think they would be classified as a 'military faction'. To be completely autonomous like this requires diverse capabilities and specialized workers. For mining, technicians and engineers. For building their own buildings, technicians and engineers. For farming, farmers. For hunting/raising livestock, ranchers and hunters. The only place a soldier would find here would be maybe hunting, and realistically, raising livestock works better to feed a faction than hunting. What even would the goal of this faction be? I want to be optimistic with thee kinds of things, and I want to believe you when you say this will be different, , but from what I see it seems like this would be another group of guys with guns.
I don't disagree, many of these tasks would require a more diverse group of people to be done properly. However, I never said much of this would be done well by these soldiers, they'd be performing these tasks simply to the best of their ability. Until they would be able to find people that could perform these tasks more successfully, anyway. As I've already said, the reason for why they would be classified as military is because that's how they would operate, that's how they've been trained. They aren't associated with any government that exists within Antares because no governments currently exist within Antares that I've seen and to claim one popped up out of nowhere is cheap, and just isn't what I want. As for the goal of the faction IC, I don't know what to tell you. I can't think of any -real- goals for anyone within Antares; it's a frontier, what can anyone hope to accomplish here? Uniting the galaxy (the old USCM's goal) isn't possible considering so many groups have so many different agendas, especially for a group made up of, at most, ten people. To destroy their enemies is also something a larger organization would aim for; the annihilation of their enemies is way out of this group's league, especially considering they have yet to make any enemies (they do not yet exist as a group). The only acceptable goal I can think of for such a faction is survival, because that's the only thing they can really hope to accomplish in Antares. If you have a suggestion for it, however, I'm listening.
Here's a suggestion: abandon this awful idea. Yes, it is an awful idea. Because it's just another group of idiots with guns who use a weak justification to exist and have no rhyme or reason to exist.
Here are some goals that I have thought of with one and a half minutes of brain usage. Eliminate poverty Protect people from outside influence like Outcasts and stuff Advance technology Advance *insert race here* interest in the sector (hylotl supremacyyyyyy) Mine planets and make money Its not hard to think of goals for factions. Just look at Antares, evaluate what it needs and what would make it better, and give it a shot.
Angre himself suggested their own survival as an initial goal, which could lead to another ones if the group manages to be safe regarding that front. Goals can come and go, as long they make sense ICly and there's track of them. Never limit a afaction to the intial set of objectives, that's close-minded.
The way I see it, objectives and goals are a bit different. Goals are broad in scope and represent the driving force or purpose of a group. "Spread our influence, and become wealthy and stuff from our mining profits" is a goal. There isn't a set bound, there's always another place to go, or thing to do. You never 'finish' getting rich or increasing your output. Objectives have a set limit. They can be completed. "Take over planet X and mine the hell out of it" is an objective. Once the planet is taken over and mines established, you're done. They are influenced by and are outgrowths of goals. Survival is a decent goal for now I suppose, especially if its a small group to start out. Why are these people together though? Is the only common denominator between them their desire to survive? Do they share beliefs? All I'm saying is this is going to need more depth, and if that comes later that's fine, as long as it does indeed come.
Goals and objectives are just synonyms, but absolutely agreed on limit/broad. That's, at least partially, the purpose of a thread such as this one. I think it's acceptable and fair keep building the depth as a faction thrives, it's just another form to build a solid story. Start it simple, further and complicate it later. What happens to those factions with grand goals in mind, which may be appealing, but hit a wall either with lack of members or losing interest? Personally, I find funnier and as interesting as other ways to create a faction starting small, and think on grand dreams later, after it works out. And if the faction wants to be kept alive, it will arrive to keep the interest. Both spectrums are perfectly valid.
