Choose-Your-Own Invasion
I've seen a couple of ideas on the blog space about Invasions, so here's what I got to say.Invasions have slowly degraded into a dreaded event, with their complete and utter over-saturation on the board. Ordinarily, this would not be a bad thing, this is Star Wars after all and no one would be interested in coming here if we didn't raze a few world here or there.
The problem, obviously, isn't in the stories that we are producing. The current environment where the One Sith remains as this major scourge on the galaxy is rather gripping, really! It has major openings for the light to peek through and rebel, just like in the original movies, but with our own twists and turns.
The problem, perhaps-not-as-obviously, isn't the "necessity" of limiting power gaming and ensuring fairness for all of those involved.
Speaking from experience (though limited) I loathe Invasions whenever I'm involved with the planning in any capacity. I enjoy the simplicity of just joining a thread with one or two goals in mind (whether or not they appear as objectives to the invasion as a whole), and interacting with so many people at once. Whenever I had to make an invasion with someone, it felt awful because it ran directly counter to what I've come to expect from Chaos.
These limiting rules and regulations, the bureaucracy of Invasions these days is simply atrocious. We've mechanized a system that used to be organic and rich, and sure, it might have ironed out a few glaring flaws in the old way of doing things... but it seems to have created so many more problems than it has solved!
The problem is in the discouragement, the lack of positive reinforcement, and the current inability of Invasions to entertain the way that they are meant to. This site is founded on the simple principle that we enjoy and have fun writing as different characters in an interesting setting, namely, the Star Wars one.
So let's write Star Wars stories in an interesting setting with our characters, rather than play star wars games in regulated environment with our players.
- The Responsibility of a FA shall be to propose targets for invasion, and informing their members of their intent to some capacity. Likewise, they shall inform them of proposed targets to defend.
- The Responsibility of the FA's interacting with each other, shall be to distinguish one Universal Goal with the invasion. This is a purely OOC goal, that may or may not influence how writers choose to tell their adventure in the midst of combat.
- The Responsibility and Privilege of the Writer involved in these giant sandbox tales, shall be to tell a specific story. This can be done by creating individualized goals they may or may not be influenced by the Universal Goal of the invasion. If those goals tell a convincing story about a battle or general interaction in the invasion that sets the tone of the battle in favor of one victor or the other, they shall be counted as among the "Canon" of that Invasion. If those goals fail to tell a story, or fail to set it in favor of one side, it will not count for or against either side involved.
- The Privilege of the FA's shall be to choose the best stories, and include them in the Invasion's "Canon", a series of defining events that set the tone for victory/defeat/draw and accomplish the Universal Goal for either or both sides.
To give an example of what I mean, let's pretend that we have a 4v4 invasion of the planet Lothal. Our participant names shall be Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Chewie, and Admiral Akbar representing the The Rebels, and The Emperor, Darth Vader, Boba Fett, and Admiral Tarkin representing The Empire. The FA of the Rebels and Empire come together and say that the Goal of the invasion shall be to have a Bittersweet Story for the "Canon".
Admiral Akbar and Tarkin decide on a fleeting duel, and each make their own personal goals for this interaction (not related to victory). Akbar decides his goal is to make a big sacrifice, and Tarkin's goal is to have a critical failure at some point in the engagement. They have a solid story where Tarkin's fleet arrives, they trade shots and when it looks like Tarkin is about to achieve victory, Akbar makes an incredible sacrifice of himself, which causes a critical failure on Tarkin's part. FA's Include it in the canon, after the writers submit it to them.
Luke Skywalker and The Emperor decide to face off in a duel, and each make their own personal goals for this interaction (not related to victory). Luke decides his goal is to momentarily give in to rage, while the Emperor's goal is merely to make the character Luke to suffer. These are both acceptable! Personal goals do not have to relate to the Universal Goal. FA's include it in the canon, after the writers submit it to them.
Han Solo and Chewie face off with Darth Vader and Boba Fett in a ground battle, with NPC's being controlled in some sort of combat scenario, and each make their own personal goals for this interaction (not related to victory). Han and Chewie decide they want to tell a hit and run story, where they are against the odds. Vader and Boba Fett just want to steamroll the other writers with a ridiculous amount of troops and artillery, etc.. This event is not included in the Canon after being submitted, because the FA's felt that DV and BF weren't telling a story at all and just trying to win, and didn't include and Han and Chewie's story from the main narrative only because it doesn't include that bittersweet ending they wanted.
The FA's Convene, and they create a Canon:
Admiral Akbar and Tarkin decide on a fleeting duel, and each make their own personal goals for this interaction (not related to victory). Akbar decides his goal is to make a big sacrifice, and Tarkin's goal is to have a critical failure at some point in the engagement. They have a solid story where Tarkin's fleet arrives, they trade shots and when it looks like Tarkin is about to achieve victory, Akbar makes an incredible sacrifice of himself, which causes a critical failure on Tarkin's part. FA's Include it in the canon, after the writers submit it to them.
Luke Skywalker and The Emperor decide to face off in a duel, and each make their own personal goals for this interaction (not related to victory). Luke decides his goal is to momentarily give in to rage, while the Emperor's goal is merely to make the character Luke to suffer. These are both acceptable! Personal goals do not have to relate to the Universal Goal. FA's include it in the canon, after the writers submit it to them.
Han Solo and Chewie face off with Darth Vader and Boba Fett in a ground battle, with NPC's being controlled in some sort of combat scenario, and each make their own personal goals for this interaction (not related to victory). Han and Chewie decide they want to tell a hit and run story, where they are against the odds. Vader and Boba Fett just want to steamroll the other writers with a ridiculous amount of troops and artillery, etc.. This event is not included in the Canon after being submitted, because the FA's felt that DV and BF weren't telling a story at all and just trying to win, and didn't include and Han and Chewie's story from the main narrative only because it doesn't include that bittersweet ending they wanted.
The FA's Convene, and they create a Canon:
It is a period of grave danger on Lothal, the REBEL ALLIANCE having mobilized its forces to protect the defenseless peoples, THE EMPIRE drops out of hyperspace with Grand Moff Tarkin's Fleet. Carrying The Emperor himself, the Imperial Star Destroyers engage Admiral Akbar's Rebel Fleet with overwhelming fire power. Meanwhile, The Emperor looks for an ancient Sith Artifact located on Lothal's Moon... and Luke Skywalker appears just in time to confront him face to face. On the brink of defeat, it appears that Admiral Akbar has no other voice but to abandon Lothal to fight another day, but he comes around to the nobler choice and sacrifices his own ship to destroy the EMPIRE's Flagship. Jettisoned into space in the nick of time, the Imperial Fleet is left without the Moff's guidance, while the Emperor is away on Lothal's moon. A grand duel likened to the forces of nature open upon within the chasm of Lothal's moon, which contains the artifact, and The Emperor clearly overwhelms Skywalker. However, when coming into contact with the Artifact, the Jedi Master is induced into an unquenchable rage, which brings him to par with the Emperor's power. But it is not enough, and the pain caused by interacting with the artifact allows the Emperor to manipulate his defeat... albeit at the cost of the artifact itself being destroyed.
The Rebellion is defeated on Lothal, but the Emperor is displeased, and it will take the Empire some time to recover from their grievous loses.
