Versus

[Solas]

Would someone like to tell me what happens when one faction and another faction (hypothetically speaking that is) decide to duke it out with a public announcement? (what I mean is that everyone knows for certain that the two factions are warring)

[Armaddict]

Depends.

Is one faction the controllers of the environment?  Or is it two other factions?  

Pretty much, open war doesn't exist in the city.  The militia always seems to win.  In the desert...when they declare war...they kill each other.

I'm not...exactly sure what you're looking for with this question.

[Solas]

To answer my own question, I understand that one of the two will eventually win, usually meaning that alot of key players will be removed from one or both sides. Now, bringing that hypothetical situation into Armageddon, it wouldn't be a very good thing if the faction that loses is a big factor in creating the excitement in the game. So what are players who might try such thing left with? Is there an alternative to waging wars that allows for a minimal loss in people?

Also, would it ever be good to eliminate a large group to allow the development of other possibilities? What about instances like Steinal, (if ever there was a PC population that inhabited the city-state) would desolation and decay be the only thing left?

Alot of questions, not a very great way to keep a thread on tangent, so feel free to make new threads...
...if your remotely interested...

[Marauder Moe]

If you're talking about clans outright fighting and one destroying the other... well, it doesn't happen very often.  The last major political shift in the game was the Tuluk rebellion which was like what... five RL years ago?  Before my time at least.  The (somewhat sad) truth is that the game doesn't change much these days.  The current clans seem eternal.

[Solas]

Umm..sorry Armaddict, I had two different trains of thought, and felt it would be better to split it into two posts.  

Oh, examples of factions would be Tuluk vs. Allanak, (hypothetical from here) Akai Ta Var vs. Soh Lanah Kah, Militia vs. Rinth...Noble House vs. Noble House (not just in political aspects).

[Solas]

The last major political shift in the game was the Tuluk rebellion which was like what... five RL years ago? Before my time at least. The (somewhat sad) truth is that the game doesn't change much these days. The current clans seem eternal.

Which is why I started this thread M.M.  

[Qetesh]

Well, things are always changing and you never know what can happen. Just because there hasn't been a war in a while, doesn't mean that war will never occur again.

Yes, things do change, yes houses to try to destroy each other. In our little volatile world of Zalanthas, people are always trying to scratch and backstab their way up to the top. It's what makes this game so much damn fun.  

If you are asking what happens in these instances where conflict does come to a head, well... that's pretty simple. We get -A LOT- of apps in the que the next day (that's code for a shit load of people die) and someone comes out the victor.  Sometimes a city must be rebuilt, sometimes a house, a camp or an entire population is wiped out and is left in ruins. The game world does get altered.

If you are asking how things get to that point, well.. That takes months and months of players plotting, planning... working on an idea, getting other players involved, consulting the immortals, ect.. It's no easy task to topple a city. You can't just run up to the gates with a piece of rope, a hook and your two best buds to give you a boost. It takes a lot of time, and planning. And some times those plans can go right to the brink and be toppled by just one person. It's not easy, but it's a hellava lota fun.

Hope that helps answer your question, otherwise I really have no idea what you are asking.

[Solas]

We get -A LOT- of apps in the que the next day (that's code for a shit load of people die) and someone comes out the victor. Sometimes a city must be rebuilt, sometimes a house, a camp or an entire population is wiped out and is left in ruins. The game world does get altered.

Oh, thankyou. That was a large part of what I was asking about.  :lol:

One thing though, does the loss in alot of key players affect the game that much?

[Qetesh]

Yes, absolutely.. Often characters that have lived for real life years die in these kinds of events, or HRPT's (highly recommended playing time). But then new and different ones will emerge, plots will change and in some way or form, new plots will be built. Loosing a lot of characters at once is a bit of an upheaval, but so is destroying a city.

However, any time a character is killed, it can have an effect on how plots are handled or if they can even continue. You would be amazed at the profound effect that the death of one Character can have on a plot. That person may be a trusted spy, or a key bargaining chip, an evil magicker that was planning to destroy the Highlord.  You would be amazed at the thick webs of plots that run thought the game at once.

[Bardex]

Also remember, your war isn't going to lose a lot of key players. It'll lose a lot of key characters. There's a big difference. Those players will go on to create other characters and some of them will be key in the next wave of plotlines.

That's what makes Arm so much fun!

[Bogre]

The power in Arm's clans, both imm-supported and player-run, changes drastically. It's an ongoing, eternal power struggle. Now for Great Houses, they aren't going to absolutely wipe out another house like in Drizzt's Underdark. They're going to be competing for status in their respective city. And not all nobles are going to want to outright kill other clan's characters. Putting them at a disadvantage or beating them at some important city contract would be enough. But then you have the plotters, who arrange important people in other clans to become disgraced, misplaced, or defaced. You don't have the entire House guard fighting it out in the street, because the militia would shut it down. You have an assassin poison a lieutenant's cup, you have a thief plant some spice on that noble, etc etc. Great House conflicts are subtle and under the surface.

The clans that are based outside of the city, however, are drastically different. You've got tribes competing, warring, making alliances, and they blood each other out right. You have raiders who might fight off some Kuraci regulars until they get stomped or the leader's right hand man sells the raider group out. And sometimes, big ass stuff will happen, like Tuluk rebelling, or an army fighting a large battle. But think about that, that shouldn't happen very often.

Key players get eliminated all the time, albeit moreso in more dangerous circumstances like an HRPT. But you have to make the distinction that a 'key' player doesn't necessarily mean an long-lived character or one in an important position. It can be the lowest rinth-rat thug, the newest desert elf character, or some hunter in the northlands that drastically affects the course of events.