The Rise of Legends

[Fatty]

Deregulation isn't the answer. If you can find a work/reward/recognition cycle for NFUs that works just as well as Padawan/Apprentice/Master, you can popularize NFUs and make FUs less important by comparison. I've made a LOT of tech to boost NFUs, so have a lot of other people, and all the tech in the world won't make people all that much more interested in playing an NFU. It's about the psychology of effort and reward. There is no systematized sense of achievement for playing an NFU of whatever stripe. And while some like the Adept/Elite three-tier ranks that the other place had -- and that might be cool and effective here -- most people over there still played FUs.

Inspired by Jon in Jay's thread, an idea has popped into my head that I would like to share, and possibly offer up as a solution to a perceived slight on the NFU's of this glorious board.

As we all know, and as outlined in the quote above, our board has always had a three tiered system for force users, and no restrictions on what you can be as an NFU. Three tiers were created in order to balance, and control the power trends that force users typically have. We've created a working game design where you start at the bottom, work your way up little by little, and are then officially recognized as something substantial in the universe.

NFU's, are notoriously lacking in this recognition. Sure they can have lots of friends in lots of places, with a bit of a reputation under their belt, but there is nothing substantial, nothing that immediately indicates that this person isn't just slum joe mook any force user can off on a whimsy. Of course, that's an exaggeration, but the point is, NFU's don't have something to recognize the absolutely extraordinary. There is no direct equivalency between a long standing NFU with a reputation and a Force Master, other than what they say by word of text. The above quote, indicates that it's because NFU's don't have any incentive like the FU's do... so this suggestion, is to provide incentive.

Now, I'm not trying to suggest that this problem can be solved by handing them over a simple rank tag and saying "congrats, you're now on equal terms with every Jedi/Sith Master on the board, go nuts", because that would be stupid.

Instead, I would like to propose something I have dubbed "Legends". These are the extraordinary NFU's of the galaxy that have earned such a substantial reputation to be granted galactic recognition as someone who is ahead of the curve of their time. These are NFU's who are nominated by their faction, and voted on democratically by whatever governing body that major faction decides to use in order to decide who shall become a Legend in their territory. Upon becoming a Legend, these NFU's names should become instantly recognizable to any character that interacts with the faction they have been nominated in, and shall go down in the annals of Chaos history as prominent figures of the galaxy.

For NFU's not affiliated with any faction, they might be requested by multiple factions that have interacted with them in some way, to become a Legend in those territories... maybe even, if all factions agree, a Legend to the entire galaxy.

Spoiler: A comparison between the current system and the Legend system

Current System:

FU - Acolyte -> Growth -> Knight -> Growth -> Master
NFU - [Insert Rank Here] -> Growth -> [Insert Rank Here]

Perks of a Master - Access to wide variety of force techniques, and is officially recognized as being substantially more powerful than lower ranked FU's in terms of raw power potential
Perks of a [Insert Rank Here] - ?

Legend System:

FU - Acolyte -> Growth -> Knight -> Growth -> Master
NFU - [Insert Rank Here] -> Growth -> [Insert Rank Here] (Optional) -> Substantial Growth -> Legendary [Insert Rank Here]

Perks of a Master - Access to wide variety of force techniques, and is officially recognized as being substantially more powerful than lower ranked FU's in terms of raw power potential
Perks of a Legend - Officially recognized as an outstanding and extraordinary individual that may be instantly known by the galaxy over for their specific set of skills or reputation, thus allowing them to reasonably conceivably perform better than non-Legendary characters in those same set of skills (note: not a trumps all card)

It could probably use some refining, but I hope what I've said makes sense enough for people to realize what I envision, more or less.

What are your thoughts?

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

*Shakes head rapidly*

No trainees, no adepts, no elites.

If you are recognised enough by everyone, you don’t NEED a fancy title, people know!

The reason why there are Force User rankings and not NFU ones is there is a fundamental difference.

Force Users grow in power as they advance ranks. The Grand Master of the Jedi is pretty much the most powerful of their kind around.

The same is not true of a Chancellor or Admiral. Sure, they have experience, but my Chancellor barely knew how to fire a blaster, my Admiral had not fought in melee for 20 years.

NFUs do not need rankings because it creates a weird two-tier structure for them with their OOC rank (since no one would call them a ‘Legend’ IC), and their IC rank of say ‘Sergeant’. Why bother have both, especially when the OOC one has no impact on the story, except as an ego boost?

No, no, a thousand times no. Anyone who’s been to the craftshop knows that that way lies madness.

 

[Fatty]

The Legendary status, if it wasn't made clear, was intended for people as NFU's who have dedicated to a certain skill.

Hacking for instance.

A Legendary Hacker would be notoriously better and renowned than someone else who is a hacker and not Legendary.

But whatever, I actually conceded all of this. It was an idea in my head I needed to get rid off, and it's obviously a fizzle in immediate retrospect.

 

[Valiens Nantaris]

[member="Fatty"]
It's fine, but it's a writer's skill and their reputation which makes them a legend, not a title. It only encourages elitism and squabbling.

 

[Orick T'ane]

If you are recognised enough by everyone, you don’t NEED a fancy title, people know!

I love this

 

[Shiro]

[member="Orick T'ane"]

I second that, gave me a good laugh.

 

[Zenitha Chuma]

The Legendary status, if it wasn't made clear, was intended for people as NFU's who have dedicated to a certain skill.

Hacking for instance.

A Legendary Hacker would be notoriously better and renowned than someone else who is a hacker and not Legendary.

But whatever, I actually conceded all of this. It was an idea in my head I needed to get rid off, and it's obviously a fizzle in immediate retrospect.

I think it'd be a good idea if we were more skill/stats based. As it is, even the "stats" of a Force User are basically irrelevant in the larger scheme of things. Development and writing is what matters, and a Force User can (and should) be called out on skills they haven't devoted development to just as much as a NFU should be called out on skills/stats/weapons they have no claim to. In the end, an RPJ could render anything void in deciding the outcome of a FUxNFU fight if they saw fit to do so.

I'd rather approach a NFUxFU fight, or any real PVP fight, by communicating with the player OOCly instead. It should be perfectly fine to discuss characters and talk about their skills in a candid and objective manner, and for a player to realize that their character might be outmatched. Perhaps that's the NFU, and perhaps that's the FU. There were plenty of NFUs in canon that could take on a FU and live to talk about it, if not outright crush the FU. I don't see the Master tag as an automatic "I win" title any more than a "Legend" title could be. Even a Jedi/Sith Master can be outmatched, even they can be injured, even they can be killed.

I'd much rather de-emphasize the importance of the Force User tiers (I recognize the need for them, but we should place less priority on their gleaming prowess and more on the writer themselves) than introduce some equivalency for NFUs.

 

[Jorus Merrill]

Just noticed this thread - and that it started with a quote from me. Later in that same thread, I got forcibly reminded of why tiers for NFUs are a terrible idea. I don't stand by the supposition that tiers might work well here, and please note the context: even on the primary example of a stable NFU-tier-using board, that structure didn't produce the right results. That's what I meant by 'most people there still played FUs.'

I do, however, stand by the bulk of that quote. I think an alternative work/reward/recognition structure is worth looking into. I love that NFUs can get respect primarily through their actions (and that's how most FUs get respect too), but my quote was in the context of finding new ways to incentivize NFU RP.

 

[Fatty]

[member="Jorus Merrill"] That's what I was having the intention of doing, but I failed monumentally. I wasn't attempting to obscure your intentions, I think my just got lost somewhere along the way.

I regretted suggesting this suggestion almost immediately.

 

[Boethiah]

I don't really have much to offer that hasn't been said but let me just say this from experience...

The community I came from previously had not three, not four, not five but seven ranks! Of course all except 3 were neither specific to magic users and non magic users (this was a fantasy board.)

Where does the issue lie? In order to be someone you had to be at least rank 3 which was called hero, and interestingly enough the top rank you could achieve through character growth was called Legend. The rank was essentially a badge worn by only the 'exclusive' and 'best roleplayers' in the community. Anyone below that was treated as a second-hand roleplayer, and if you wanted to get there as a new player you had to effectively suck up to those already at the rank because in order to achieve it you required endorsements. Kind of like a vote.

I feel like OOC ranks are unnecessary but in the case of FUs it works, IC ranks don't need recognition on an OOC level. If your character deserves that rank they'll have the recognition needed based on their roleplay, not because of a vote.

Otherwise I agree with the motive behind your idea, there definitely should be incentives and rewards and recognition. I wish I had more to give on that part but I don't.

 

[Fatty]

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] Well the thing is, when I drafted this up (regrettably) I was hoping the rank to be interpreted as actually an IC one, where the people put into the position, was actually and legitimately considered a legend in the galaxy, not just an OOC I'm a special NFU snowflake.

 

[Lysle of the Hydian Way]

[member="Anja Aj'Rou"] | [member="Fatty"]

Expanding on what Anja has said, as we're both from the same board.
That rank system was a total failure. I was instantly granted Legend. Why? Because they had a system where a group of individuals judged others RP and if they thought them good enough they would rank them up, I was among them. I was lazy in my job because I didn't like the system, but the admins liked the lore writing I did for their site so I did as they wished.

The problem came when people started messaging me constantly to be ranked up. "I'm a good RP'er c'mon you know me," and they started pulling the cards that we were friends, and while I never granted a rank to a friend, it definitely added a level of elitism to the site to those who would. Those who had friends who could rank people up would themselves be ranked up. Those who didn't were left behind in the dust. This does happen already on the site with FU's, but hey, there isn't much we can do to stop it. But it's unnecessary for NFU's, if you earn a reputation you've earned it. You didn't skip any hoops, and you didn't pull any cards.

If people recognize my character for who he is, then I have earned my reputation, and not through any rank title or requirements. Ultimately on the discussion of talents for NFU and their skill level, that is up to the player themselves to manage.