I want to promote gangs



  • Yes, the title is clickbait. But it's also not completely inaccurate.

    One thing that has always interested me in gaming, especially MMOs, is the idea of a guild. Guild systems are almost always built around expansion - you want to make yours the biggest one, and if it isn't, you should join a bigger one.

    It interests me, because that isn't how I like to play games at all. I like small teams, who may aspire to something great, but work as a good team.

    The problem, of course, is that you need to keep everyone interested, and you need to keep the incentive for joining a more powerful guild low, while not restricting it too much.

    So, eventually I want to make a game that incorporates this in some way, which promotes starting your own small team above joining a large one, but gives advantages to both. I don't know what kind of game, or when I'll care enough to start, but I'm interested in what people think about this kind of thing.

    tl;dr: I like Air Gear.



  • @Magus said:

    tl;dr: I like Air Gear.

    Rejected: too anime.

    BTW, I'm going to praise Elder Scrolls Online for somewhat fixing this problem, so brace yourself.

    In ESO, you can be a member of multiple guilds (think up to 5) simultaneously. So you can still be a member of the biggest guilds to get access to the best guild bonuses, most crafting, etc. But you can also stay in the little guild of your buddies and not feel like you're "falling behind".



  • It may be me, but I think "gang" gives the wrong message. I see what you are describing in this context as "clans", and you are looking for something like a team clan, or clan team. Something, as you say, that consists of a small group where everybody contributes significantly (as in a team) and if the group gets bigger that contributions becomes less. So you start getting "just members" - like a Clan.



  • He's talking about a game with the social features on a "squad" or "platoon" level, not a "division" or "army" level. If you know your military terminology.



  • @blakeyrat said:

    Rejected: too anime.

    Figures. It's basically just here because the people who recognize it will get a better idea of what I mean; anyone else should still get the idea without, though.

    @blakeyrat said:

    In ESO, you can be a member of multiple guilds (think up to 5) simultaneously. So you can still be a member of the biggest guilds to get access to the best guild bonuses, most crafting, etc. But you can also stay in the little guild of your buddies and not feel like you're "falling behind".

    That's actually a rather cool feature. It probably isn't quite what I'd be going for, but I like the idea. You could get some cool interactions out of it.

    @loose said:

    It may be me, but I think "gang" gives the wrong message. I see what you are describing in this context as "clans", and you are looking for something like a team clan, or clan team. Something, as you say, that consists of a small group where everybody contributes significantly (as in a team) and if the group gets bigger that contributions becomes less. So you start getting "just members" - like a Clan.

    The idea of a clan is not altogether dissimilar to what I'm talking about, but I envision a game where controlling a certain amount of territory comes in, so 'gang' is an apt descriptor.

    I don't know how to better describe it. Air Gear is mostly about teams competing for power and such, where typically a larger team can hold more area and has better upkeep, but smaller teams can still compete. It's all complicated, and not even straight in my own mind.



  • I think I said that but without the military stuff. Mainly because it cannot be military, cos the military is all about numbers.. But thanks for the info about the game. Not that I had that consciously in mind when I typed the post.

    Of course, the "team" can be ex-military like the A-Team, which would explain their skills and knowledge. That given, you could have a "Hi-Tec", who's technique is in gadgets etc rather than military force. The possibilities are endless......

    /me thinking of having a team of Angels, and calling them......which is ironic because, in truth, I would not have to rename them



  • Good analogy 😄 although the ESO multi-guilding mechanic, while interesting in its original context, is only viable in a PvE/themepark game -- I personally would see that as a can of worms waiting to be opened as soon as you introduce world PvP into the picture due to the nasty opsec hazards it poses.

    @Magus said:

    The idea of a clan is not altogether dissimilar to what I'm talking about, but I envision a game where controlling a certain amount of territory comes in, so 'gang' is an apt descriptor.

    The main issue is that large groups can break up into many smaller groups coordinated through out-of-game means in order to take advantage of small-group optimization advantages conferred by the game while still taking advantage of what scale provides, in terms of not only numbers, but timezone coverage and advanced resources (such as IT -- even a modestly sized organization like the EVE alliance I am in can still field significant IT advantages over say, a 10 or 20 player corporation that has to turn to a "turn-key" provider for voice comms, doesn't have the ability to run custom intel tools, etal).

    Your best bet is to make it so that territory holding ability is based on activity as opposed to sheer size, while restricting long-range power projection; this allows small players to "nibble at the edges" of larger groups without being smashed instantly by large response forces. I'd also keep a close eye on the way sovereignty in EVE is going, considering you're working in a similar mechanic-space.



  • So, I thought I'd come up with a hypothetical game design (Though one I'd happily make!):

    We'll make it a monster game, vaguely pokemonish, on Hololens. It could just as easily use pure digital space, but using reality seems like fun, since if kids play it, they generally have at least a bit of Absolute Sovereign Space (In the game's terms. Wow, let's not acronym that one!), meaning their home. Anywhere else they play the game, they can conquer.

    If you hang out in an area you own, you can buff up it's defenses, and extract some kind of element to strengthen your creatures. You'd need some reason for a group to center on some location and fortify it a lot, and you'd need reasons to spread out (more elements?).

    I'd get sued by so many parents...


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