I think large ultra-unified factions don’t fit Starsector very well. That said, there still needs to be at least some Sector-wide unity among large factions. To accomplish this, I suggest factions be divided into a hierarchy of sub-factions within each faction.
Hierarchy:At the basic level, each sub-faction has one of four levels in the hierarchy of its faction. A higher sub-faction takes over the sub-faction directly below it where its capital is.
Local – At the lowest level are the local sub-factions. These sub-factions only control one market each. Sub-markets can be controlled by other sub-factions.
System – The next level up is the star system. This sub-faction is usually created from the best Local sub-faction in its system. It retains control of its market and gives the market the System Capital condition, which gives a bonus to the market’s Stability.
Region – The third level is the region. Similar to System sub-factions, a Region sub-faction, once created, takes over the best system its faction controls in its region and creates a Region Capital, which replaces the System Capital and provides a greater Stability bonus. The selected system’s System sub-faction reverts to a Local sub-faction and retains direct control of the capital market. When a Region sub-faction is created or recreated, it copies the opinions of the Sector sub-faction. Like markets and star systems, regions are predefined.
Sector – The highest level of each faction is one Sector-wide and ever-present “sub-faction”. The Sector sub-faction usually takes over the best region in the faction, dissolving the Region sub-faction, and gives the capital market the Faction Capital condition, replacing the Region Capital. When a Region sub-faction is taken over by a Sector sub-faction, then one of the Local sub-factions becomes a System sub-faction.
*Some factions have preferred capitals and will choose that market over all others.
Each sub-faction can maintain a number of ships based on the trade volume of the markets under it. Specifically the tariffs on that trade volume. Numbers probably need to be adjusted for balance, but a good starting spot is 30% of each market’s tariffs are taken by System sub-factions, 20% by Region sub-factions, and 10% by Sector sub-factions. This leaves each Local sub-faction with 40% of its market’s tariffs to field its own ships and fleets. These percentages might be different for different factions.
Due to conquest, individual markets will pass between factions. A faction needs two Local level sub-factions in a system to form a System sub-faction, and a faction needs two System sub-factions in a region to form a Region sub-faction. If there is no System/Region sub-faction over a Local/System sub-faction, then the next higher sub-faction takes the System/Region level’s functions. The examples below should help this make sense.
I’ll use the Sindrian Diktat faction for these examples and pretend each market produces 1,000 in tariffs. The Sindrian Diktat has three markets in one system in one region. Since there are three markets in one system, a System sub-faction is created from one Local sub-faction, in this case Sindria since that is the Sindrian Diktat’s preferred capital market. Since there is only one system in the one region, no Region sub-faction is created. Since there is no Region sub-faction, the Sector sub-faction takes over the system, changing the System sub-faction back to a Local sub-faction. The Sector sub-faction gets 10% + 20% + 30% = 60% of the total tariffs, for a total of 1,800 trade volume, and, as always, each Local sub-faction gets 40% of its market’s tariffs, for 400 each.
If the Sindrian Diktat only controlled one market, then there would only be the Sector sub-faction and it would get 100% of the trade volume of that market for 1,000 in tariffs.
If the Sindrian Diktat controlled three markets each in two systems in two regions, then there would be five Local sub-factions, one System sub-faction, and the ever-present Sector sub-faction. The Sector sub-faction would have 2,700 in tariffs and the System sub-faction would have 900.
If five of the markets in the above example were in one system and one in the other, assuming the one wasn’t Sindria, then there would be six Local sub-factions and the Sector sub-faction, since there has to be two markets to form a System sub-faction. If the one was Sindria then the Sector sub-faction would control it directly and the other system would have a System sub-faction and four Local sub-factions. The Sector sub-faction would have 3,600 or 2,500 in tariffs, respectively, and in the second case the System sub-faction would have 1,500.
Opinions:Each sub-faction (and character) has its own opinion of all other sub-factions (and characters), including those of other factions. This means one sub-faction could be fighting another sub-faction, but the rest of the faction isn’t. The average of all sub-factions’ opinions (weighted by level) is the faction’s opinion on something. All sub-factions gradually default back to the faction’s opinion; the faction’s opinion gradually defaults back to neutral. The opinions of sub-factions directly above and below a sub-faction also have an effect on its opinions.
Traits:Factions have Traits that determine how they interact with this system. Traits could also be used to define other things about a faction.
Centralized – this faction is dominated by a central sub-faction that rules all other sub-factions. Default (Hegemony, Diktat, Tri-Tach, Church of Ludd)
Decentralized – this faction does not have functional Region or Sector sub-factions. System sub-factions can arise if certain conditions are met. (Independents, Pirates, Luddic Path)
Individualized – this faction can form Region and even Sector sub-factions if a character can convince enough of this faction’s characters and sub-factions to unite under him or her. Modifies Decentralized. (Pirates, Luddic Path)
League – this faction is not quite decentralized, but the Region and Sector sub-factions are highly restricted in what they can do since power is in the hands of the Local and System sub-factions. (Persean League)
Martial – the military of this faction dominates or takes the place of the civilian government and makes all the Sector-relevant decisions. Default (Hegemony, Diktat, Tri-Tach, Pirates, Luddic Path)
Civil – rare in the Sector, the dominant part of this faction is civilian. Military sub-markets are controlled by separate Local military sub-factions. These military sub-factions’ opinions are dependent on the opinions of sub-factions above them and the faction as a whole. (Church of Ludd [Knights of Ludd])
Varied – this faction has a variety of governments. Some martial, some civil. (Persean League, Independents)
UI:Keeping up with all those sub-factions and the reputation they have with each other is a large burden on the faction Intel screen. Thankfully, most of the UI elements needed to make it work are already in-game.
When the faction screen is first opened, it displays the Sector sub-factions in the list like it does the factions now. This list will need to be scrollable if it isn’t already. At the top, though, is a directory exactly like in the Codex that says “Top” or whatever. Clicking once on one of the sub-factions brings up its Intel window, exactly like it does factions now. Click a second time, though, and the list on the left changes to the Region sub-factions of that faction. The directory at the top changes to something like “Top > Regions”. Clicking on one of the sub-factions opens its Intel screen, and clicking on it a second time changes the list to its System sub-factions. The directory at the top changes to “Top > Regions > Systems”. And so on.
This would also be a good place to integrate NPCs’ Intel screens. I’m sure all NPCs will be attached to one faction or another, and it is simple enough make the leap to associating them with a specific sub-faction in a faction. To that end, under the list of Region/System/Local sub-factions could be a little divider labeled “Characters” with a list of NPCs who are a member of that Sector/Region/System sub-faction. For Local sub-factions it’s as you may expect: click on the Local sub-faction a second time and the list on the left changes to show the characters in that sub-faction, there are just no sub-factions. Click on a character to open their Intel screen, of course.
With organization solved, the next big issue is how the rest of the information is displayed. For the most part the rest of the screen doesn’t change.
At the top it still says “The {faction}”, but a comma is added and then it specifies the sub-faction. Examples could include: “The Hegemony, High Command” for the Sector sub-faction and “The Hegemony, Jangala” for the Jangala Local faction. NPCs could use the same format: “The Hegemony, {Character}” or “The Hegemony, {Sub-Faction}, {Character}”. There’s a lot of screen space there, even on 1024×768, so it can be as long as wanted.
The box below only has a couple changes. Next to “Attitude: Neutral 0/100”, the sub-faction or character’s opinion of you, would be your personal sub-faction’s opinion of that sub-faction or character (fleets and stations in your sub-faction that you don’t play as use this), or, if that wasn’t needed, the faction as a whole’s opinion or the next sub-faction up’s opinion of you (the faction as a whole’s opinion would then be shown on the Sector sub-faction’s screen). Or it could be expanded to two lines and show all four. Also, the existing text blurb would change to say something like “{sub-faction} officials” instead of “{faction} officials”.
Illegal commodities, the faction description, and the flag stay the same format, but allow sub-factions to have different contents (although many might not).
Known Allies/Enemies would keep its format, but not show allied sub-factions within the faction ever or enemies outside the faction if the next sub-faction up shares those enemies. Will need to be scrollable if it isn’t already.
The biggest change is a new “Opinions” or what-have-you button somewhere on the screen that allows you to find out what the sub-faction or character you’re looking at thinks of other sub-factions and characters and vice-versa. When clicked, a window, like the Codex when you click on the question mark for a ship in the Fleet screen, appears with a version of the faction Intel screen. Everything is identical except the relations are between the sub-faction or character you opened the window from and the sub-faction or character you’re looking at. The Opinions button would still be in this version, but instead of opening another window it would refresh the existing one with the new sub-faction or character.
Various notes and sub-suggestions:Obviously, I’m assuming players and factions will be able to conquer markets.
A consistent number of hierarchy levels across the board is needed for factions to understand how to deal with conquered planets and stations.
Centralized factions can count friendly, decentralized Local sub-factions’ markets and systems for forming System/Region sub-factions. For example, in Corvus the Hegemony might be able to count Asharu.
Fleets only identify which sub-faction they are a part of if they really like you, or if you’ve hacked one of their faction’s Comm Relays. You can always see or figure out what faction they are part of (e.g. Pirates, Hegemony, etc.). Lore-wise they have a secret code mixed in with their standard faction transponder that they either tell you about or you figure out by listening in on their sensitive info. They should change it periodically, so, if you get on that sub-faction’s bad side or if you stole the info from a Comm Relay, you can tell them apart for a few days or weeks, but then they change their codes.
The leaders of sub-factions could be meet-able NPCs.
The player should be allowed to join a faction, and might even be able to rise through the ranks. Theoretically he or she could even become the leader of the faction, with potentially hundreds of ships at his or her command, but if that is possible it should be nigh impossible to actually achieve.
On the Individualized Trait: gotta have them pirate lords and fanatical messiahs.
The Varied Trait needs a better name.
Since any player that joins a faction will inevitably betray it
, why not allow all sub-factions the option to split off and form a new faction or join an existing one? That’s how the Sindrian Diktat formed. An Independent sub-faction might become powerful enough to be considered a new faction unto itself. Maybe a pirate lord becomes so influential he or she’s able to found a distinct, lasting faction, like the Marauders or Black Widows in Project Ironclads. Perhaps an existing faction implodes, leaving mainly Independent and Pirate sub-factions.
Factions use different terms to describe the same level sub-factions. For example, the Hegemony might call its Region sub-factions the “{Name} Military District”; megacorporations like Tri-Tachyon might call them “{Name} Division” (of the Corporation). A pirate lord might call his or her sub-faction “Pirate Lord {Name}’s Domain of {Name}” or something like that. The naming conventions should be very flexible.
Alternative name for regions: subsectors. Thanks to Histidine and his story Crossfire for that one!
Edit: Forum interpreted [ Name ] as a tag and ate half of the last paragraph. I'll use curly braces instead.
