Abwehran Star Empire's future

If I may insert my perspective here, I think one of the problems with our map is that we don't have many if any NPC factions on it. We should probably have several NPC factions that are in a constant state of turmoil and war around Yamatai. Places that provide a world of adventure. I think that by absorbing them into the larger factions, we loose the spice that they give us. I've mentioned this before, but we should have an 'independents' FM. While they would not have a responsibility for promoting independent RP in the same way the other FMs would. They would have responsibility for the NPC factions and everything not covered by another faction. We could then spin off from the main factions groups like the Phods and other minor races. Putting them on the map so they get seen and hopefully used. Looking at the map, I think we've absorbed too much into our main groups.

What would this mean for the ASE? They become a NPC faction, put into the portfolio of the 'independents' FM, and perhaps given a bigger splash of color on the map. Then they lay dormant but present until someone wants to do something with them.

Regardless, I think they should stay a separate faction.

I am trying not to be too negative here but I will refer you back to my first reply - the site is smaller than it was two years ago in terms of active members and because of this I think that we should be trying to focus on keeping our core factions healthy instead of opening new ones or reviving inactive ones. I am worried about people taking on too many characters and commitments which could lead to burnout and/or plots that suffer from very spotty posting. In other words I'm not sure we should be trying to revive the faction at all and I think we should be consolidating right now instead. I honestly believe that merging them into Yamatai is the best thing for this site as a whole.

That said, there's only one simple thing that Abwehr needs to be alive again - good and active RP. This is simple on the surface but a little harder than it sounds. Any one of us members of SARP could have been running or posting Abwheran RP during these last few years but that hasn't happened. The question is why not? And if the answer is because lack of player interest/availability, what circumstances are changed now or could be changed that's going to give different results? Where are the players going to come from? What is your "game plan?"

Mmm @Soban it is a title I’ve heard among the hall ways so to speak, that is not popular with menbers. The Indy FM should not be in charge of all Indy factions or an Indy FM makes choices that a/he has no right in. It’s rather a thin line when it comes to this. Thought I am kinda in support for the idea that a Indy FM promotes, supports and help Indy factions in general, a face to a faceless part of the community (or many faces, it’s kinda how you look at it). On that note, it’s a different topic and doesn’t add to this. But it is interesting

Now please correct me on this @Wes, I understand your concern in regards of lower active members. But how I currently see it is that Sarp is rebuilding on the events where, sadly, members left last year.On top of that the focus of Our players lay in dealing with covid. So far I’ve seen quite some new members and active plots.

To be fair Abw was not on my radar as I’ve not put my focus on it. I still consider myself fresh and when you look at the site Yamatai, Nep, NDC and Nesh are the tops species that jump out. Maybe the introduction page should reflect all species in some fashion?

I didn't even see this thread start but now that I have arrived, I come with my opinion: I'd prefer them not to get absorbed by Yamatai ever unless something changes in their "small races" and their play. Instead, they should be an NPC faction and be aided by both Nepleslia (who has been trying to help Syaoran already) and Yamatai in a joint effort to preserve more independent/small-time groups in the grand scheme of the site. This is, in my opinion, the healthiest move for the site as well as the faction's future use.

To explain: Raz mentioned something about Kodians not getting play if they weren't Yamatai... but as far as "play", there's been basically 3 Kodians that really got "played". And the only people I know who were interested in Kodians/made a Kodian (myself included) weren't even necessarily doing things that involved Yamatai at all. As far as history has shown, most of those races that "get saved" by Yamatai are background elements that really aren't played or used at all. To emphasize, the only ones who were even trying to pursue Kodian stuff back then weren't even regular Yamataian players/GMs. Apart from this, all interest has been purely in making an occasional NPC a Kodian. This is also the case with Phods (I used them I think more than they had been used in a year when I made them cameo for all of the 1 thread my failed SAINT plot did) and other races mentioned.

I don't want the Abwehran to receive that treatment. If it came to "absorbing" them, at least in Nepleslia they'll get to still be run by their FM as a sub-faction and encouraged for use (see how Lorath have been a better success than any revival since the Elysian movement) rather than be shelved for eternity as NPC fodder used in Yamatai. Hence why I'd rather Syaoran keep them independent but swap them to NPC, as mentioned before. I've been talking with him and plan to push an idea that can let Nepleslians and Abwehrans come together for play, to get it kicking similar to how we kept fishing/poking for the Lorath until there was a plot that blossomed and has been healthily chugging along since.

@Wes - As far as plans, Syaoran and I have been discussing Abwehran cooperation before this whole recent hubbub with their articles and during it. This is also why a few days ago I was poking around about interested people who'd play Abwehrans and have been feeling out colonization-type plot interest again. The reason as to why they haven't been running is also due to the fact years ago the Abwehran were moved out from their plots and there was no GMs to bring them together again. There are a few important-ish NPCs in SARP that are Abwehran for a reason. Losing their original FM put a huge strain on them, which then was compounded by the "not independent" look-alike faction that stole from everyone years ago. Basically, they're a mostly independent-styled faction (sans their military) that got overwhelmed and died with the death of independent-style plots.

Im getting slightly off track here but i agree with syao and i agree with soban.

Syao that the Abs should stay indi. And soban that there's someone(s) in charge of indi aspects of the site.

Ive seen it said plenty of times by was than indi is not a faction and having an FM would make it one. But i think the role of a join leadership role over indi doesn't make them a faction at all or a coherent anything but more gives dedicated people to make independent content and be the ones to step up in situations like this because when the only people who can defend indi stuff is the SM and the SM wants to absorb that stuff into his already massive faction then its a lost game.

Also, i think the core factions are healthy. Nepleslia is slowly recovering after our episodes, Yamatai looks like its doing pretty well with all those plots and the couple new ones starting and is as cripplingly massive as ever, Elysia is getting a rework by Arbles, The Poku are back, The Nesh are doing better than last year and the NDC is better off than it was last year.

This isn't really the place for it, but since it was brought up I will answer an opinion on this. The fact that the site is shrinking in terms of player base...is exactly why consolidation is a bad idea. At first it seems good because "We can't handle all these factions." but when you think about it, when setting elements get consolidated, the variety of the audiences you appeal to decreases. Also once things get consolidated, it's hard to open them back up, look at how hard it's been for things like Elysia and the separa'shim to get back on their feet. Some trimming is necessary of course, and it's not good to mindlessly expand, but cutting down on the things present means it's harder to bring in new people.

As for 'plans' if the Abwehrans continue as an NPC faction, the plan is to fix up their articles, and then start working with other factions to get the Abwehrans 'showing up' in threads for that faction, and from there keeping the faction 'visible' and interesting until we're at a point that it can be sustained by the site as well. Being an NPC faction doesn't take a huge toll from the site, and with the sea of Clouds entrance in ASE territory, there is an easy way to draw in interest of factions and make join operations to further explore it.

The goal here isn't to turn the ASE into a big faction right away, the goal is to keep them relevant and interesting so that they can have opportunities in the future, whenever that might be.

So lots of diplomacy and hopefully international relations, both of which I'm all game for. Sadly seems like a kind of RP we've been lacking a bit in the last couple years, at least to an extend of not being simply off screen in occurence.

Syaoran said:

but when you think about it, when setting elements get consolidated, the variety of the audiences you appeal to decreases.

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The problem with that line of reasoning is you can end up with people too spread out. There's definitely an inflection point there where it's attracting enough depth from the breadth.

Does leaving themas an npc faction actually take any effort though, if no one is being required to manage them then i dont see an issue with just leaving it there, the pages stay on the wiki regardless and its actless work to leave them alone rather than change them all to yamatai owned or whatever else

Looks at the giant eyesores of purple, blue, and green on the kikyo sector map. And no matter what people will be spread out if you put a purple flag on it or not.

Leave the Abs be. If people really want to do Ab stuff they should be able to do it without someone else's flag on it.

If they want to make an ab character for yamatai they can without them needing to be annexed.

If they want to make an ab plot in nep, they can without there needing to be a nep flag on it.

The beauty of this setting is that faction borders, like our own, only keep other governments out and dont stop populations from choosing to live or work elsewhere.

Leave the Abs be, Nobody needs bigger borders, And if they want to justify helping the abs then do it without the selfish notion of making already bloated factions even bigger and taking away room for others to do stuff with lower playercounts or not. Wes literally said before that so long as there are two people on the site to RP with each other than the sites not dead and will continue on.

The FM gave their stance and we should all move on from this and honor their wishes and intent as this was a "What do you all think i should do" not a "Who wants free shit" kind of thread.

Spread out in terms of who they're playing with, not geographically. I genuinely do not believe you thought it was that.

Shouldnt matter who they're playing with so long as they are playing.

Only if you want the game to be a bunch of little silos.

As long as people are having fun in those silos, why not?

Is that a recipe for a healthy community?

Yes.

Variety in options makes a healthy community. Telling people what and where they can do stuff, Doesnt. It discourages people from wanting to do what they want to do and forces them into a corner where they lose a lot of motivation and they drop off rather than continue to seek our creating their ideas here.

Charmaylarg Dufrain said:

Variety in options makes a healthy community.

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Not necessarily, no. But sometimes, yes.

Charmaylarg Dufrain said:

Telling people what and where they can do stuff, Doesnt.
Variety in options makes a healthy community.

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There's no equivalency there.

This is pretty off topic from the concept at hand, if you guys wanna debate if variety in a society is a good thing or not maybe make a seperate thread

Aye, im out. Everyones said their piece and the FM of all factions have as well including the caretaker for the abs.

I got to agree, coming from a very toxic community myself and I seriously try to avoid, people being told what and where to do their stuff is seriously demotivating and is a recipe for folks leaving. SARP is no-where near this, but I am blunt in this maybe...if it does happen then i am out as I simply cant go down that rollercoaster again.

On note, the topic starter has given the answer to the question and so the topic has served its purpose. If there is something else to discuss, maybe start a new topic