Old Sash-Based Feudal System

- Faramir - 7 January 1998 -

This has been superseded by the NPC-based system.

Guilds are currently identified by sash or cloak color. Continue this as follows…
Double-clicking a sash or cloak displays a message like, "You are marking this sash to show allegiance. Please select the dyes to use," and then, "Now select the dyeing tub." After selecting the tub, a selection window (like you get when creating an item) appears…
The selection window displays all sashes (or cloaks, as appropriate) in the colors of the guilds to which you belong, along with a default-grey sash for creating a new guild. All sashes have appropriate captions.

Selecting the option to create a new guild allows you to choose a guild color and prompts you for the guild name, abbreviation (up to 4 letters), and your title as founder.
As the founder of the guild, you can control guild membership, see below.

After coloring the sash with the selected (or newly created) guild’s colors, the game also marks the sash: "a sash in the colors of The Brotherhood of the Crimson Knights." The marked sash can then be worn or traded to new recruits.
Putting on a marked sash (or cloak) removes the marking on the sash and causes you to join the guild…

You are asked (yes/no dialog) if you wish to display the abbreviation in your paperdoll. If so, your paperdoll is changed to display the guild abbreviation: The Great Lord Faramir (BCK) of Ocllo, Master Archer. If your paperdoll would be too long (definitely possible if you have a long name and are associated with a long-named city, and are GM in a long-named profession), the game informs you and your paperdoll does not display the abbreviation.
You receive a message ("You are now a member of The Brotherhood of the Crimson Knights").
The guild founder is informed, if he is logged on and is not you.
The sash is now an ordinary colored sash, and can be removed without affecting you allegiance (see below for changing your membership status).

Double-clicking a marked sash or cloak brings up a scrolling list (like the existing skill list) of the members of the guild.

An action button (like the "use skill" button) is provided to remove oneself from the guild.
The guild founder can remove anyone. The founder is identified by a title in the paperdoll: The Great Lord Faramir (BCK, SFP President) of Ocllo, Master Archer.
If the guild founder removes himself, he must appoint a new "founder" from the list; selecting "none" disbands the guild (possibly with a yes/no dialog box).
The list would also show the names of enemy guilds (war has been formally declared and accepted).

Hierarchy/Miscellany:

If a guild founder is a member of, or joins, a different guild, all members of his guild are also subjects of the different guild. In order to simplify implementation, the default behavior for members of the founder’s guild is not to display the other guild on their paperdoll. If they wish to display it, they must mark a sash, remove themselves from the guild, and re-join (which will prompt them about the paperdoll display).
Alliances: some additional complexity could allow for two guild leaders to declare an alliance without either leader becoming a subject of the other.
A vendor that is owned by a guild member can be designated guild-owned, allowing all members to access the vendor as the owner.

War!

[Note: it is my firmly held opinion that guild wars would have to be declared mutually; otherwise, all combat would be notoriety-free, since everyone would just declare war on their victim before attacking. This proposal reflects that.]

To declare war, the guild founders exchange marked sashes (or cloaks). Double-clicking the item brings up a yes/no dialog: "You are not a member of Shadows of Britannia. Do you wish to declare war on them?"
If both sides declare war, all members receive notification (assuming they are logged on) and notoriety-free combat is allowed between the two guilds. Optional enhancement: notoriety-free combat allowed only for those wearing the appropriate sash/cloak. (Difficult to track with my proposed implementation, since the "mark" is removed when the sash is worn. This was done to prevent the situation where a looted sash could be worn, allowing someone to illegitimately join the guild.)
A member of both guilds in a guild war can be attacked by either side, and can attack either side, without notoriety penalty.
To end the war, either founder can double-click his own sash, bringing up the list of enemy guilds, and select the appropriate enemy to declare peace.

This page hosted by Get your own Free Home Page