I would like to keep some of the things the same and just bring them back using existing systems. These changes could be done easily if somebody just put it all together the right way. For me the problem with this is, you take away something.
I agree with Lady Storm but I think that's only the first step. I'll try to break it down in the way that I see it but your idea is correct only I think it should be the guild system that is changed rather than the facet. So, to me, it's 2 pieces of programming, the toggle switch and 2 rule sets adding to guilds that carry through to Factions, so that both rule sets would be the same and I would not remove Factions, I would build on it.
So, basically a guy starts playing the game or a fearsome woman warrior. After about a week they build up there skills. This is why you need Trammel rule set. Now, if you go to Fel, you are still vulnerable to attack. This is good because you still have the scary place but the toggle switch should be in place for Trammel.
So, now you don't have to go somewhere to PvP. You don't have to put yourself into danger to PvP. You can be anywhere and PvP anyone, any time because you have PvP on. So, if someone else has PvP on, you can fight.
But, in Fel your vulnerable to PvP. See, so there's that difference. The way I would do it is, you turn on the switch, it stays on for x amount of time and then goes off again on its' own. If you're in Fel and you have PvP off, it does not matter.
Ok, so that takes care of the normal player or the basic system. Now, guilds are messed up because when you join them they basically put PvP on. Why would you want to be in Trammel in a guild that makes it Fel? So, this is the problem, I think, the main reason UO was never able to compete with WoW.
So, in the guild system, I would create 2 rule sets. 1 PvP on, the other PvP off. It's as simple as that. So, now if you join 1 guild that has PvP off, you never have to worry about being Pk'ed. If you join PvP on, then you're going into a guild whose focus is PvP and War. So, now you basically have a crafting guild and a warring guild. That's the basics. So, what I would do is add alittle bit to the guild system. For example: You could simply just lock it out like I said above or you could allow the guild masters and guilds to implement their own rules.
For example: In the guild menu there could be a Justice System that would penalize certain actions where if certain rules were not followed, you could actually be removed from the guild. For other actions, you could be fined, jailed if there was a guild jail that you could set up in a guild house. So, of course, later the system could be expanded on.
But I would have some type of Chaos Order so that you could build a story line, you could eliminate stealing. That would be the main reason. So, you could have Thief in the guild, you could have a PK in the guild but they would not be able to steal or attack any other member of the guild, where as in the Chaos guild, you would be allowed to do those things.
So, now we've covered the ability to steal and kill any where. Again, I feel that's a very easy way to fix it because as far as i'm concerned a murderer in a guild does not turn red. So, basically we have murderers already in the guilds but the system allows it. So, they don't get counts for it. In a Chaos guild, this could be something that is not only counted but praised. It could be the way they pick their leader. For example: If this was expanded on and not just a simple yes or no, you could set that into the rules. So, the leader of the guild would be the one who is the most powerful.
But any how, then we move into Factions. This system I would do the same. They might even want to add in Neutral so that some guilds could allow for both, meaning the toggle switch for PvP on would not matter, only PvP off. So, now it's getting alittle confusing but your main goal in Factions would be to give the player an awesome look. You know, awesome things. Like I can imagine an Evil Warrior and then I can imagine a Pure Chivalry Knight. Then I can see the Factions system supplying this wear and it having these awesome abilities that work well in team fighting. So, then the Faction Leader can set up a main goal, so that all of these guilds that are connected can focus on that goal. So, the rule set really has nothing to do with it as far as Factions but I think, the ability to turn off PvP as far as your own Factioneers attacking you, is important.
But basically, Factions again, need to stay a seperate system in Fel because an Order guild that has PvP off would need to maintain that status in Trammel. So, if you had a Smith an opposing Factioneer couldn't kill it but if the Smith went to Fel, anyone could kill him. That's the balance.
So, factions need to expand because of their landmass is small and I don't like their set up as far as a war game because you would think the bases would be within running distance of each other or enemy territories would be closer to each other but at the same time, there should be alot more spawns for the Factions to do. So, that they can have epic PvM battles as well as capturing their base, you would want to be able to eliminate their spawn. So, I can see why people would want more territory or more land because there really is no content besides going and looking for other people.
