Potential Story Arcs

[Just Matt Now]

Trying to brainstorm, Cassa and I believe that the Cartel needs goals and something to move towards. I believe that we should try to expand our territory, namely towards Mandalorian space, considering the Retrades former ties. Though not in an aggressive way. We could try to unite the clans, there is also the thought of Yuri being the Mandalor, again Cassa.

Clan Renelo seems to be the most active, and strongest clan. But I am not sure what the best way to unite them would be.

Thoughts?

 

[Cassanova]

"Join us, or we'll turn Mandalorian space into an asteroid field."

That usually works.

 

[Wit]

Uniting the clans is one way to go, or pitting them all against each other in another civil war. Let them weaken each other and then we support one clan to swoop in and restore order.

 

[Gaja]

Well I talked to both Cassa and Sreeya about the faction in general and goals that we could set for it. Because keep in mind the Hutts, if they're going to support anyone in the war, it's probably not going to be the Sith, or the Jedi really. Which leaves the rebels, and that just ain't happening until the Rebel gain some IC reputation to actually meet with Vero.

So until then Cassa suggested these two options: Corporate sector or Mando space. Sree on the other hand thought that Mando space isn't such a good idea, and suggeste Bespin, the source of tibanna gas and other planets that would give the Cartel economic dominance in those systems. They are also way down South, in the middle of Indie territory so there's no Imps to really blocks our move.

Thoughts?

 

[Cassanova]

With my "Blockade" arc currently happening, i'll be bang-smack inbetween you guys and Bespin. And once the IK are onboard (bringin Rebel holdings further west to naboo), we'll be entirely in your way for you guys to take Bespin.

 

[Just Matt Now]

What about if we just started expanding our borders for now?

 

[Brandon Rhea]

The thing to remember about the Hutts is that they’re not a faction built around territorial expansion or conquest. That’s not what a Cartel is. Sure they’ll expand their borders sometimes, but only if they think it’s economically necessary (plus, you'll just be RPing with a bunch of NPCs, which is lame). Their core goal is to expand their economic influence and dominance, and to make sure the galaxy is a place where they can do business. If you put yourself in that mindset, then the natural enemy of that is the Sith. The Hutts and the Alliance may not have been friends, but they weren’t fighting each other. The Alliance left them alone. Whereas with the Sith, the Hutt Lords would know that the Sith are not going to stop their expansion at the Hutt borders. The Hutts would want to use the advantage that the Bacta Crisis gives them to start leveraging influence throughout the galaxy.

That leads you to the Rebels being a natural ally, particularly beginning with the Civilian Resistance - and because this is a cartel, not an empire, so the Hutts should have no interest in ruling the galaxy (they rule the dark places where the legitimate rulers can't have influence, i.e. the underworld). Gaja, you mentioned that the Rebels are not yet ready to be an ally. I agree and disagree. The Hutt Lords would not sign a treaty with them right now or anything, or even pay lip service to the idea of being friends. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t get the ball rolling. Remember, this timeline is supposed to be driven by story now. Just because the Hutts aren’t going to ally with the Rebels right now doesn’t mean you can’t get that story arc rolling. It doesn’t mean that the Rebels can’t start building influence with the Hutts.

If helping to defeat the Sith is the faction’s long-term goal, then allying with the Rebels is its medium-term goal. It’s something you all can work on as a story arc over the next few months, as the Rebels build up their influence and start to prove that they can take on the Sith. It’ll take awhile to accomplish those objectives, as it should, but that doesn’t mean you can’t have short-term objectives underneath that umbrella.

Now, Bespin was suggested. Cass said that the blockade is right smack in the middle of getting to Bespin. Gary’s post, and I could be reading this wrong, seems to then indicate that going to Bespin is off the table because of the blockade. I see it as quite the opposite. The blockade offers the Rebels and the Hutts an opportunity to start interacting with one another. Maybe the Hutts and the Rebels negotiate a deal to let the Hutts pass. Maybe something else happens. I don’t know, there are a lot of options you could explore there. Either way, don’t treat the blockade as a roadblock to getting to Bespin. Treat it as one of the early parts of the Hutt/Rebel story arc. Especially since, if the blockade is successful, then the Hutts will start to see the Rebels as having potential. See how that's now a big step on the way to the two factions being allies?

Starting to work with the Rebels is your best bet. Trying to work with a bunch of Fando indie factions is pretty much your worst bet. There's a reason they're not a main faction anymore.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Great! This gives me a very good insight on what we should be gearing towards. So having Bespin as a possibility, maybe we should wait to see if the Rebels are successful or not. Because if they arent then there is little point in cutting a deal with them. If they are, I'm sure they would be interested in something bacta related.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

You shouldn’t wait to kick the arc off, because you don’t have to start with cutting a deal or anything. There doesn’t have to be any interaction between the two factions’ leadership, but there can start being interaction between members. For example, maybe a small Hutt team tries to cut through the blockade, assuming that the Rebels would be no match for them - only to find out that the Rebels aren’t as terrible as they thought they were. That right there is a paradigm shift in some of the Hutt forces, one that can start trickling up over the course of many more threads in this arc.

If you’re concerned about people thinking the faction isn’t doing anything or has no direction, even while you know you’re building up to an alliance with the Rebels, then be totally transparent about it. Write a post, or a newsletter, explaining what these initial missions are and what they’re building up to. That way, everyone knows and everyone can be involved.

 

[Just Matt Now]

We're probably moving in the wrong direction, [thread=52185]here.[/thread] Unless we capture the target and make friends with the rebel characters on the opposing side.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Can you summarize that thread for me?

Also, if you haven't seen the edit in my last post, be sure to check it out.

 

[Just Matt Now]

If you’re concerned about people thinking the faction isn’t doing anything or has no direction, even while you know you’re building up to an alliance with the Rebels, then be totally transparent about it. Write a post, or a newsletter, explaining what these initial missions are and what they’re building up to. That way, everyone knows and everyone can be involved.

Alright, that is definitely something we will do. I was thinking for ideas to include in the next newsletter anyway.

Also a summary of that mission:

The Rebellion leadership team is looking for one or two NPCer's (you can probably use your PC's if you want, actually) to act as a response/defense team who are in pursuit of a a character who has been found out to have been spying on the Hutt Cartel. This character that you will pursue has managed to get off a signal requesting help from their cohorts, and you are to expect resistance.

In the interest of transparency and fairness, there will be no death, and no capture in this thread, just adding to a fun environment filled with gun battles and forest-filled chasing!

Your characters should be of the gun/mercenary/tracker archtype, and should be a loyal member to the Hutt Cartel, unafraid to pursue trespassers to discover the truth.

From what I understand, this is a way to reintroduce the IK's into the Rebels. Cassa can expand if need be, but the target is a member of the Imperial Knights.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Why do you feel that that's headed in the wrong direction?

 

[Gaja]

Damn had to sleep and the thread doubled. Anyhow because I have to go to work in like 15 minutes I'll make this short and expand on it later if needed. Lavi's thread doesn't hurt us. It's expected that there will be small clashes between organizations every now and then, especially on the scale we RP on [it's the freakin' galaxy not a town of 1000 people ;)].

Anyhow thanks for the input Bac because after everyone contributed I think we have a solution. Allying the Cartel with the Rebels has always been my plan, as Cassa and I talked about, but I messed up in the regard that I should start laying the ground work for it now. So in the coming days I'll sit down with my fellas [Wit, Cassa and Gary] and see what's going on and what we could do RP wise to establish contact and start building a foundation for later on.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Why do you feel that that's headed in the wrong direction?

The way the thread was made out to sound like was that we would be competing against the Rebels, though I understand now.

Ad let me know what you're thinking Gaja, since your not on as much, I can try to come up with some things. Give me whatever work while I'm here and able and willing :)

 

[Just Matt Now]

Sorry for the double post.

I was thinking since Thyferra is at the end of the Rimma Trade Route, the Hutts can fight for control of it, or at least most of it. I was thinking from Triton to Thyferra. Map Since the top is where the Bogan are located, and after Thyerra it dips into Imperial space, to control the majority of it still works in our favor if we need access to Thyferra, also adds for protection of the planet.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Why would you fight for control of it? You already have easy access to the southern part of it, since the Sith aren't going further south than Thyferra and no other faction is down there, and taking on the Sith in the northern part totally flies in the face of the fact that you've stopped their expansion. If you go after them, they will go after you, and you've gotten rid of your non-aggression advantage.

 

[Just Matt Now]

Well I was mainly concerned with protection of Thyferra. It's bordering on Sith space and with Cartel territory being farther away I figured that it would help them keep others from potentially seizing it. I mean so close to the border, you can see that there is a point for concern. If the Sith truly wanted to go for it then there wouldnt be much to stop them, not as quickly anyway with Hutt space being where it is.

 

[Brandon Rhea]

If the Sith went for it, then the Hutt forces on the planet would destroy the bacta. That's the deal with the Bacta Crisis. It's why the Sith don't approach. That combined with what the Manaan Alliance is doing has completely ended Sith expansion. If the Sith go for it, you destroy the bacta, and they're totally screwed.

 

[Just Matt Now]

:CDumb

Got it, didnt think of that. Thanks.

Will brainstorm some more ideas. I'll try and think them through fully though ;)