LFG Interest Check: Underworld Major Faction Run

[Arcadian]

There's never been a better time to take a faction project major, and when we look at the map, we find that there hasn't been a criminal major faction in quite some time. Perhaps May is the month to change that!

What sort of stories would you expect from a criminal faction? Which syndicate(s) would make the best major? Would you be interested in a social thread open to all underworlders to kick things off?

 

[Arcadian]

Looking like we'll be flying the Black Sun banner and adopting regional criminal organizations as we go! This poll is still open, so please continue to vote and/or post your ideas/thoughts/etc.

 

[Hakar Scaleback]

I'll form the head.

 

[Trenn Untas]

Idk what name this faction will be under but I'm down

 

[Kitter Bitters]

I think a general underworld faction would be awesome. It could tell the story of small syndicates waging war for galactic control. Basically anybody who comes in can try and make a syndicate and get people to follow them. This allows freedom for people to feel like they have access to a sub faction, which is always a draw. It also gets people to play with new people because you are constantly recruiting for your syndicate, so that solves the people joining and being ignored problem that some majors have. The map owned territory could just be a general cloud of "underworld" influence but then the faction itself could divide it up, like gangs do with cities. In this way the faction is a bit self contained and can play off itself, not always needing to depend on outside factions, giving it legs of its own. Then the scum could come together to fight the others of the galaxy, which gives it unity and a fun angle against the rest of the galaxy.

 

[Arcadian]

I’m not unwilling to be The Underworld, but I’m familiar with the recurring issue that sort of faction runs into: splintering.

On paper, a big criminal faction who’s made of smaller criminal factions always splinters because folks decide to take a smaller canon organization and strike out on their own. Or, people only RP within the sub-organizations they like anyway and we have weird isolated pockets within the larger community.

If there’s a way to avoid that, I’m all ears. That’s my only gripe about The Underworld as a concept.

 

[Kitter Bitters]

I’m not unwilling to be The Underworld, but I’m familiar with the recurring issue that sort of faction runs into: splintering.

On paper, a big criminal faction who’s made of smaller criminal factions always splinters because folks decide to take a smaller canon organization and strike out on their own. Or, people only RP within the sub-organizations they like anyway and we have weird isolated pockets within the larger community.

If there’s a way to avoid that, I’m all ears. That’s my only gripe about The Underworld as a concept.

I get that and I could see that happening. The current Hutt Cartel is doing a more sandbox allowing everyone there type of thing and so far it seems to work but I'm not sure about major and if that would work.


I think ultimately the best underworld faction would be the one you can devote time and attention to. Ultimately thats what makes a faction flourish is a few dedicated people to devote a lot of work into it. If one of those above ideas really speaks to you I'd go for it.

 

[Urrossk]

I think criminal organizations should be separate factions, not sub-factions. I will throw this character into the mix, whichever way it goes!

 

[The Krykna]

My vote would be for a Hutt Empire. If not the Underworld still needs to have some sort of puppet government.

The inherent flaw of a an underworld major is the reason to be major is to play the map game. Underworld factions should be minor. They don’t need an influence cloud to exist and if a desired planet is under another faction’s influence cloud…that’s why the underground is made up of criminals. It doesn’t matter

 

[Mr. Pig]

The issue with being a minor faction is that outside of a few really dedicated ones, they're not going to draw a lot of new players, or get existing ones on their feet. Having a visible faction filling the niche is good for the game. I think the best bet for that is the Hutts, given who they are in Star Wars, but a general underworld faction is the most dynamic. Not being on the map dissuades folks, as little as being on the map might make IC sense.

So my vote is for a Hutt Empire, or at least something that is clearly affiliated with them.

 

[Ordan Vosk]

A Hutt Empire would make the most sense on a Galactic scale, that said I am game for any Underworld faction that goes major. Now is definitely the right time to do it too. The Faction could take advantage of the galactic population surge, same as the new Mandalorian Empire if there is the interest to make this happen.

 

[Whottoomuzz Chantin]

For an underworld major faction to work, it needs what every major faction needs.

Threads and posts, lots of IC activity.

I don't think the map as advertising for the faction will draw will be nearly enough attention or activity required to maintain Major Faction Status. The threads needed keep a major faction running healthy and that develop are better advertising than any amount of hexes. Stories that get our writers excited to write underworld characters, and stories that other factions would be interested in collaborating with, with the OOC coordination to match. Yes, that means most of the time we'd probably be playing rent-a-villain, but at least going into it with that mentality sets expectations.

The issue with underworld factions just by virtue of the characters is the individualism that comes with the aesthetic. Drumming up shared goals and interweaving stories requires a lot of mutual buy-in, and the idea of catching "everybody not a Jedi, Sith, Mando, or imperial" in one big faction sounds nice on paper, but the playing the map game for the sake of it seems to be a fast track to burnout without the reward writing underworld stories.

TLDR if we can't make it work as a minor first, we're doomed if we shoot for major.

My proposed solution: something involving UWC. The unifying factor of most underworld types is greed, we have a system that generates 'wealth' via activity, I think making use of it would fit thematically and could serve as a unifying focus to keep different types of criminals writing together.

Also, if we want to run a Hutt empire, we need more Hutt characters to come out of retirement, all's I'm sayin

 

[Dakhm The Hutt]

I can also throw Dakhm into the mix as well.

 

[Whottoomuzz Chantin]

ICly I can justify Whottoomuzz going on a warpath with a sort of anti-human crusade with his spouse currently held prisoner and daughter taken in as a Jedi — though that doesn't fix the OOC minor/major faction issues

Could just have him snap and take on every underworld thug that wants credits to be part of the Galaxy's largest crash out

It was a running OOC joke for a while if Xoff Chantin died Whotto would start the first Hutt crusade

 

[Dakhm The Hutt]

Whottoomuzz Chantin could sumo wrestle in a pool of lube.

 

[Hakar Scaleback]

I understand the sentiment that criminal factions don't work on the map, although personally I've never agreed with it. Enough bad luck and its easy for a community to get demoralized and perpetuate that kind of mindset. To me it doesn't seem that different from running a rebel major faction, of which there have been successful examples in the past.

Not every group plants a flag on their capital world in character or defines their borders based on what they can defend with star destroyers. It does make things more challenging for the creative team, but it also provides more unique opportunities in the form of corrupt local officials instead of the usual bureaucrats or unconventional invasions.

It does make sense to build up as a minor faction first, but given the May event has dramatically reduced the investment needed there's not much to lose imo by rolling the dice on a little map hype.

 

[Mr. Pig]

I feel like we would have this conversation in character

 

[Whottoomuzz Chantin]

It does make things more challenging for the creative team

Creative team burnout is where this lives or dies; If it's worth doing its worth doing right, more starting hexes for a monthly event isn't worth rushing the ground work.

I feel like we would have this conversation in character

We absolutely should. I'll make a Hutt Cartel thread inviting other Syndicates to discuss an alliance, or something akin to it.

 

[Dr. Xris]

I understand the sentiment that criminal factions don't work on the map, although personally I've never agreed with it. Enough bad luck and its easy for a community to get demoralized and perpetuate that kind of mindset. To me it doesn't seem that different from running a rebel major faction, of which there have been successful examples in the past.

Criminal Factions can work and might work better now with all the mandates that are available. Like Eternal Fleet for example. In the past SWRP did not have mandates like now and criminal major factions flourished for their times. Black sun, The Red Ravens, Hutt Cartels etcs. Im confident that if enough dedicated crime writers got together and just enjoyed the rp, that a Criminal underworld faction would succeed.

I already expressed interest with my other character Trenn Untas , but i'll repeat myself cuz im a sucker for star wars criminal rp. Id be 100% down for this

 

[Whottoomuzz Chantin]

I feel like we would have this conversation in character

IC thread is up.

Public - The Council of Credits | Underworld Summit

The holoprojector flickered to life in the dens of thieves, spice parlors, gunrunner vaults, and shadow offices across the Outer Rim. A single sigil glowed gold on a field of black: the crest of the Chantin Kajidic—once thought idle, now undeniably awake. Then came the voice. Deep. Coiling...

www.starwarsrp.net

Ultimately it'll all boil down to if we can put our money where our mouth is and actually RP our underworld characters instead of only talking about RP. If the growth sacrifices IC narrative for OOC metagaming, I don't want it.