[For Faction Admins] Easy Way to do Invasion Negotiations

[Soeht]

Yes, another suggestion from me. It ain't gonna end.

This one is specifically for Faction Admins or anyone in a capacity to be thrown into Invasion term negotiations. I hope these negotiations are less frustrating now than in the past, but I know the opportunity still exists for things to go crazy. I just remember negotiating Invasion terms was the most frustrating thing about being a Major Faction Admin.

This suggestion is about changing the site's approach to negotiating an Invasion's terms. The site approach has usually been for both the Attacker and Defender to mutually agree upon everything: the setting, the rules, location of fights, etc.

I actually don't like this. This wastes time. Lots of it.

Here's how I envision a hassle-free, quick Invasion terms discussion:

• The Attacking Faction's Admins (Attacker) sends a PM to the Defending Faction's Admins (Defender) saying which planet (or Hex) they're invading and the anticipated start date.
  Self explanatory. This highlights the inherent advantage that Attackers would be able to pick where and when to start an Invasion.

[*]The Attackers then ask the Defenders if they have any defenses not posted on the site in a public forum.

• This does two things: it puts the burden on the Attackers to discover any defenses built up on the planet(s) in previous threads (giving Defenders an advantage) and it allows for Defenders to define what defenses are on planets they've largely ignored or have kept in a Google-doc or backroom forum.
• I'm suggesting this because I believe the Attacker should have no part in deciding what's on the Defender's planets pre-Invasion.

[*]The Attackers then ask if there's anything atypical with the planets compared to Wookieepedia articles and Codex submissions.

• Another possible advantage for the Defenders in that it gives them the opportunity to make it clear to the Attackers that things on the planet may not be the same as if in Star Wars Lore. An example would be: the planet has a canon government, but the planet's government on Chaos is very different for one reason or another. Either that, or a thread on Chaos caused dramatic changes to the planet (like Mandalore's core being unstable).
• Again, I'm suggesting this because I believe the Attackers don't have a say on what's going on with the Defender's planets pre-Invasion.

[*]THEN, both the Attacker and Defender can sit down and mutually agree on extra things

• These extra things could be stuff such as: is this Invasion happening at the same time as another thread? Does either Faction want to have fleeting? etc. Really, they're just extra because the three previous points have handled the most important thing for Invasions: the setting.
• Best way to handle this part: 1) Someone makes a suggested restriction. 2) If the other side doesn't accept it, just drop it. If a restriction is so important that you think it's required in Invasions, best make a Suggestion thread and push to make it an official rule for the site.

And then that's it. Negotiations are over.

You might be asking: What about objectives or the locations for ground battles?

The Attackers will decide this on their own.

I believe it's the Attacker's job to build a story that supports them taking over the planet(s). Therefore, they would be the ones that would take the Defender's defenses and planetary governments into account and figuring out how their Faction would best defeat that.

An example might be this: The Defenders described an impenetrable fortress on one planet. The Attackers could flip things around: they decide to just blockade the planet with a large navy and see if they can force the Defenders to sortie.

The responses to a Defender's defenses are only limited by the Attacker's imaginations and their ability to act on it. It actually gives Defenders a huge advantage to restrict how an Attacker may respond to their defenses - as the Attackers still have that burden of victory.

So to summarize, the negotiations would be:

• Attacker tells Defender the Invasion's planet/hex and start date.
• Defenders tell the Attackers about any defenses not documented in public on SWRP Chaos, as well as any significant differences on the planet from canon.
• Both Factions then see if they want any extra rules. If a disagreement on an extra rule occurs, it just isn't used at all. Negotiations over.
• Then when the Invasion starts, the Attackers, on their own, would decide how they respond to the Defender's defenses.

Very painless. Allows for both Attackers and Defenders to fully utilize the advantages that they should have. And it just turns Invasion negotiations into more of a Q/A session than divorce hearing.

 

[Darth Assimilus]

I think the idea is great. 10/10. Its really simple and i love it. [member="Soeht"]

Idk how well others will follow it though. People get REAL passionate about their hobbies and past times. Know what i mean?

 

[Soeht]

People get REAL passionate about their hobbies and past times. Know what i mean?

I don't. I just feel dead inside. /wrists

 

[Dredge]

I don't. I just feel dead inside. /wrists

 

[Ardgal Raxis]

I love this idea. To the core.

 

[Cyrus Tregessar]

There's a group of us very particular sort of nerds who do a lot of talk about making wars on this board seem more warlike, and the only real conclusion of all that discussion is that it would be extremely hard to implement.

Except you just laid it out simple as goddamn pie.

Defender lays out setting, situation, and defenses. Burden is on the attacker to develop a coherent plan to take them out. Right off the bat things are more strategic without otherwise limiting where and how people can write. It also plays right into the idea behind how invasions are judged, with an emphasis on teamwork and crafting a coherent story. Hell even though people might say that it gives the defenders an advantage it doesn't really, because the attackers still get to conjure up whatever they'd like to break through those defenses, not to mention being able to pick when and where they attack. Just like how this sort of thing works in real life. Well I suppose there's actually stealth in Star Wars but hey, can always RP that sort of thing, and it's just the sort of thing that ignoring will act as a black mark when it comes to judgement.

This is so damn brilliant I don't even have anything to add.