[Pirate related] The empire's ugly face.

[Cora]

My fellow players. Something has happened in the Star Army, something extremely reprochable.

The Taisho, Yui Ketsurui, had deemed all other races, aside from her Nekos and to a lesses extent, her Yamataians, not worthy enough to safeguard the lives and well being of the entire empire. Those who are not of the two named races, were discharged with nary a blink of an eye in the process. Now tell me, is this what you want? To be nothing, a non-entity that was brushed aside because of the excuse of efficiency?

I understand that most have probably succumbed to confusion over the reasons behind this. I for one am not going to stand for it.

That's right! I am raising the flag of mutiny and am becomes one of the outlaws, if the empire doesn't want my services, I shall use them myself to ensure that I have a life to live. WHO'S WITH ME?

 

[Doshii Jun]

... So you're asking for current Nep players in SAoY to become pirate players for you? To shore up a plot that has lagged recently?

I just want to understand this.

 

[Wes]

Non-nekos and non-Yamataians can't fly.

 

[Fred]

I think everyone whom has a character playing in the Yamatai Star Empire can acknowledge that what stands in the YSE isn't the perfect paradise it is. The Black Spiral hinted at corruption and unideal conditions being existant throughout the Empire.

I, for one, am most glad to see how things have been turning out to show that Yamatai isn't perfect. It doesn't bother me all that much to see Yamatai's elitist come up as a flaw because, as a player, I pretty much chose my side knowing what I was getting into and knowing that the SARP wasn't just a two-dimensional good-vs-evil sort of conflict. Motivations and interests are prevalent here.

Chris is acting out on them. I have to say I very much approve.

Since Yui's order, support for the Nepleslian plot has increased. Nepleslia has never been shown such strong interest in the time I have been a member here. It's finally no longer the 'ghost town' (sorry for those people whom were previously involved in it, but it was like that from my point of view). If rebel factions, mutineers or pirates can gain some attention from it too, so much the better: they need more visibility too to be able to function well, much like how things turned out for the NSS Alliance.

In turn, Yamatai showing more ugly sides makes the Black spiral become much more of a credible treat beyond the sneaky black sahips and the torture chambers. An enemy is that much more daunting when it has genuinely good cause to act out on something and right now, they feel a lot more of a plausible threat from my relative point of perception.

Relative point of perception is an important mention here because that, based on our cognizance of our environment and our motivations defines what we consider acceptable and not - evil or not. To some, the Mishhuvurthyar look evil while other would just seem them as deluded. To some, the Nepleslians would look crude and uncouth while the Nep themselves might consider them less haughty, hypocritical and less promiscuous. Yamatai might seem as cruel and evil from alien races like the Lorath, but there's also no denying a certain amount of understanding in Yamatai's draconian methods of protecting itself.

So, yes, I don't mind revolutions, mutinies, pirates, nepleslians growing into a power; the more cohesive but different point of views this setting gets, the more richness it will gain.

Wes, don't view this as protest. View this as opportunity. ^_^

 

[Doshii Jun]

I agree with you, Fred. I like the support Nepleslia's getting, pirates or Alliance-based.

But Nepleslia is STILL a relative ghost-town. Plotships make this community what it is, and they will continue to do so because they are coherent groupings. The pirates need one REAL ship to manage. Splintered groups won't work unless they form a fleet or something.

 

[Wes]

I think a lack of targets for pirates is a problem. We need to make piracy easier by making civilian cargo running easier and very profitable. Also, I agree with Fred; he's right on about the good side of the conflicts this order caused; that's why I put the order out.

 

[Fred]

Doshii, if the Yggdrasil works, I don't see why a well thought out pirate ship wouldn't. A Yushi or Bellystabber would have been great (I find another vampire just repetitive).

Right now, we have two standard fleets and three expeditionary fleets plus the zero fleet spread out really thinly to protect a whole lot of stars - at least a good half of what the YSE has. The YSE has unclaimed worlds within it's sphere of influence (especially in the 5th XF's). The assets of the fleets (150 to 300 ships each, roughly) are being ragged by the effort of maintaining it all.

Yamatai being in bad straits, calling for civilian support and opening jobs in that area would be quite possible. While non-yamataian/neko personnel cannot function in the army anymore, they still have civilian ships as being a good mean of keeping into the action and even in a cooperative fashion with the SAoY. Yamatai rewards handsomely its citizens for showing good will and initiative, so, this should work.

Worlds rich with ore and other resources need to be settled and exploited to run the war machine. Supplies have to be brought to building installations, shipyards and other assets have to be built to shore up the flagging fleets, supplies have to be ferried from one place to another - there's a lot to do and the warships are needed to fight and are already pretty busy fighting off the mishhu. Pirates, really, are the least of their concerns because they can't afford to worry about them.

If you ask me, this is plenty of opportunity to see privateers shine, give a realistic outlet for the people possibly displaced by Yui's order and provide more insight in Yamatai's war effort too.

 

[Doshii Jun]

That's what I'm saying, though. You need another plotship of sorts. Having pirates bound about won't solve anything.

And more easily attacked civilian targets make sense. But the how is important, and who will generally lead them as well. Single players with single ships? A single plotship with a GM creating enemies?

ICly I like this! I really do! But OOCly, what's the plan to actually make it happen? Chris shouts out for all the Neps to jump ship and join pirates; perhaps we make civilian ships instead, as those Neps aren't being sent home necessarily. Either way, there's no plan.

What's the plan? Who's going to be running it, if anyone? What's the set-up going to be like? How will we allocate OOC resources to pimp it?

The Alliance sprung up after a long OOC tech war, right? It got publicity, players came in liking the feel of the vessel and the Nepleslian way, and they didn't want to be a Neko. The Yggdrasill got that kind of publicity too, in a way, thanks to MM007's diligent efforts and his programming lists.

A pirate/civilian vessel needs that too. We're still short on GMs, as well, and we are still existing with a plotship (Yugumo) slowly coming back but not getting much publicity.

 

[Fred]

Well, this thread is certainly a good start into triggering more interest. We know there are people interested, but it doesn't change what a plotship needs to function:

Time, Quality and Commitment.


Time is the amount of effort put into the conception and the initiatives made to make the said ship function.

Quality is the caliber of the players and the competency of the Game Master administering that project.

Commitment is presence and interest; the willingness to invest effort in it.


Provided those three requirements are upheld and that the project has some vision and drive, there's no reason why it wouldn't work.

 

[Wes]

Well, if we allow people to gain resources easiest by hauling ore and supplies, then people who want those resources are going to do that. For money, we'll need to shore up the economy: more stuff to buy and more need to buy it.

 

[Fian]

I think a lack of targets for pirates is a problem. We need to make piracy easier by making civilian cargo running easier and very profitable. Also, I agree with Fred; he's right on about the good side of the conflicts this order caused; that's why I put the order out.

When I get those Nep transports finished, you'll get your NPC targets.

 

[OsakanOne]

we'll need to shore up the economy: more stuff to buy and more need to buy it.

At this stage, we would need to consider various industries (Primary, Secondary, Tertiary), the movement of resources, balancing issues and deciding what gets converted into what to define value of goods which may even lead to standardized components at the primary spectrum of the industry.

Would we need a real industry which considers all of these factors or would we merely be emulating one to satisfy the players and need to consider a much smaller amount of work?

 

[Cora]

I'm not just asking Neps. All of the standing races (Current Geshrin players too) that have been excluded from the Army are welcome to become brigands.

I'm fully behind commiting the time, and effort, but, as I've stated many times before, I need help. I can't do this on my own becuase I lack the experience in being a GM. That's the primary reason my first attempt failed.

I'm getting some help right now, from MM007, but I'll need more. (Maybe Wes, or Fred to help me on retooling my Pirate character, and streamlining a nice Plot outline, since I lacked that in my first go.)

[Also, Wes, can you re-add me to the GM group.]

 

[Tom]

I've found out that, instead of asking for help, you need to just make stuff happen yourself. As has been said several times already, we're short GMs.

A little spitshine, as well as some luck (and the circumstances in Yamatai) really helped me out.

 

[Doshii Jun]

Chris, if there's anything I can do, just shout at me.

Though I think Tom's right, unfortunately -- the Pirates are kind of a non-existant 3rd wheel at the moment.

A banner (Erik?) might help you out a little.

 

[Wes]

Let's keep in mind that the order only affected those in the Star Army, and that the vast, vast majority of Star Army soldiers are Nekovalkyrja or Yamataians already (although there were definately some reluctant NH-17 nekos).

 

[Concerto]

And now it's starting to make more sense for my character to be listed as a pirate (though he STILL doesn't have a ship I'm working on that too).

Never doubt me.

 

[Fred]

I think Chris needs to avoid having a freeform plot like the Yggdrasil and actually make things happen. The elemtns outlined above are really just to lend him plausibility: Chris needs to gather a firm, interested player base and lead them into doing something instead of just waiting for something good to happen.

I heartily recommend having a cause or a direction beyond 'plundering the next cargo freighter' to avoid slating the pirate plotship for only one thing. That doesn't mean you should be a Captain Harlock or anything like that; what I mean is that if you have a long term, concrete goal to go after, it will give direction, cohesiveness and longevity to your plot. It all depends on how strong your premise is.

I'll give an example. We haven't learned much about the Lorath, so, I'll pick something up from them.

<center>* * *</center>

Following the devastation of their homeworld and Queen Harrike's support of Yamatai - to the displeasure of many of her subjects - some Lorath soldier decided to take things into his own hands and reap revenge on the people whom robbed them of their skies. Gathering supporters, he took control of one of the few Zahl cruisers the Lorath had hastily built and took off with it to go and do his own things.

That Lorath commander would pretty much intend to strike back at Yamatai and somehow hurt them for revenge (Yamatai is well established, while the Mishhu are unknowns: thus, the YSE is easier to strike at). He'd probably be seen as a sort of hero by some of his people, even despite his actions going against the treaty because there's a lot of underlying resentment in the air right now.

There are a great many things that said Lorath privateer could aim for beyond the scope of just raiding cargo ships - which would probably just be a means to keep fighting more than anything else.

• Find and secure a secret hideout for his small following.
• Gain supporters, possibly making contact with either Nepleslia, Elysia or the rogue QIS. (new crewmembers, perhaps not lorath as the Lorath privateer gains understanding of the amount of discontent in some parts of Yamatai).
• Gather more resources and materials to expand operations.
• Covertly support the interests of the Lorath.
• Secure and try to implement whatever technology would turn up in their plunder. Resources back with the main lorath people could be greatly helped by that too, though advances would be hard to justify - the pirate ship would have to look unrelated to the lorath people not to draw too much ire from the Yamataians.
• When favorably supplied and with decent assets, try to engage and destroy SAoY and SMX vessels in well orchestrated operations with odds in the pirates favor - preferably to secure worthwhile objectives... thanksfully, odds are that some regions are softened up by their respective opponent of the side the pirate ship (& possible assembled taskforce)
• Possible late advancement for that plot could be to actually become able to seize control of a star system owned by either the Mishhu or Yamatai and be able to secure it for their own use. This would be showing up as a very visible threat, but would also count as a big victory for the said pirate plot.
• try to deal with the reversals and harsh situations which will come up here and then: the goals are ambitious and daring and could lead to much risk at one point or another.

<center>* * *</center>

You certainly don't have to follow this, but I think it's the sort of epic feeling you should go after.

 

[Toshiro]

Chris and I were brainstorming along those lines yesterday, and I had a few similar suggestions for him. Whether or not the ideas are shared is up to him, but there are a few out there. If you guys want to contribute and brainstorm, it is greatly appriciated.

One of the ideas I can share is the possibility of a diverse crew of different species and races, which only the Yggdrasill shares the potential for (and MAYBE the Alliance), now that Yui's order has been made.

This can be used to make day-to-day ship life quite interesting in itself, with widely varying ideas, codes of honor (or lack thereof), etcetera.

As for civilian ships, the piracy aspect of the SAIG will have a lot more civilian ships than otherwise, and even some of the YSE ships will actually be commisioned civilian vessels. More cargo barges and freighters would be quite interesting, though, and a good thing to implement.

 

[Rine]

From my experience, pirates need three things to be viable in an rp:

-Free trade/docking zones that they can dock at, get repairs in, and trade their ill-gotten goods off to others. This is already in the rp right now with Halna, and there are ample empty stars in the universe that could work as well.

-Ample targets, civilian trade and shipping that allows them easy targets to hunt down. This has already been discussed in this thread.

-Lax Military presence: This is the biggest problem in the RP that I notice. The way it seems to me, and the main reason I gave up on the pirates the first time, is that the pirates would work fine, till the military gave a bare notice of them, then they would be obliterated, and probably the entire moon of Halna sent into a blackhole. With this kinda overwhelming threat, it's kinda hard to see why any sane person would go into pirating, or consorting with pirates. If things have changed in this regard since I last tried to do pirates, my apologies.