IIIlusionist [253384] —
Original article
In the final article of our trilogy regarding the Faction Wars 2.0 Beta, we'll move on from talk of stat monsters, money, and energy in order to focus on what the new system means for the little guys. After reading our previous article, smaller factions might be trembling in their boots, so let's see what lies in store for them when the update comes.
Once the dust settles following the initial release, it is highly probable those factions looking to avoid war will be able to pick off the territories other factions don't want, so as to remain relatively quiet and out of the way. Therefore to a certain extent, some factions will be able to remain peaceful, but there remains a lack of clarity on whether non-warring factions will need to put members on the hills of abandoned or unoccupied territories in order to gain respect.
Can they simply target unwanted areas with the only downfall being that the respect gain is lesser? Should other factions declare war on their land to prevent this? Can the initial occupiers just concede and migrate to another piece of turf? If these events come to pass, some may point out that certain factions will be earning respect for doing absolutely nothing. Would this be consistent with the spirit of the new changes, or is it going to cause a raft of unseen problems?
What is harder to discern is how smaller war-hungry factions may wish to operate under the new rules. To begin with, when all factions start in the outer sections of the city, the little guys are probably going to experience hell as larger factions race towards the centre, testing the war system out and causing some chaos as they do so. Once the big guys have trampled through the outer city and are slobbering over the inner city blocks, these smaller factions may well be able to come out and stretch their legs.
By the looks of things it also seems that fillers will be a thing of the past - or at least, there should be fewer - which is good news for those leaders sick of having to spend hours searching for filler fodder to keep their war base full (I do feel your pain). With a bit of luck and if players are ambitious enough, this could lead to a safer, more stable route for factions to obtain a foothold within the game, allowing them to start in the less hostile outer sectors, before progressing and one day challenging others for a block right in the centre.
One question which has arisen is whether or not there are enough active factions to fill the city map, not just with occupied territory, but with active wars across multiple sectors. While large factions will move to the centre as quickly as they can, small- and medium-sized factions surely won't be content with sitting on the city limits, scraping by with a few hundred respect points per day. No, they too will be aiming to get as close to the centre as they can feasibly maintain.
Based on this speculation, it is therefore possible the city map might evolve into the following:
* Very densely populated super-urban areas (sectors 6 and 7)
* Busy urban areas (sectors 4 and 5)
* Sparsely populated suburban areas (sector 3)
* Empty rural areas (sectors 1 and 2)
In the above scenario, boredom awaits factions that cannot capitalize on moving to the centre sectors. With little competition in the outer sectors and an inability to challenge those in the inner sectors, what will factions do to keep the game interesting? Some may declare war just for the hell of it, meaning that no territory is safe and factions must show a minimum level of activity to keep their heads above water.
As with all changes within Torn, we must wait and see what the full release has in store in order to get a more accurate picture of how warfare will unfold. There are some obvious pros and cons regarding the features seen in the beta thus far, but if all goes to plan it seems factions must perform more thoughtful decision-making in order to succeed - and this is how it should be. Factions must be punished for making poor choices and rewarded for out-thinking the opposition.
In the past faction warring largely involved hospitalizing anything that moves, the update seems to introduce more of a tactical element to proceedings. Members must be used in the most effective way based on their character profile, factions must carefully select territory based on their position on the map versus those of other factions, and both attacks and strategies must be planned meticulously to suit wars against different foes. A one size fits all approach simply won't cut it anymore.
So all being said, hopefully the update many have been waiting for will be everything we hoped it would be, persuading old members to remain and face new challenges, and in turn attracting a new audience of players eager to get stuck in.
Once the dust settles following the initial release, it is highly probable those factions looking to avoid war will be able to pick off the territories other factions don't want, so as to remain relatively quiet and out of the way. Therefore to a certain extent, some factions will be able to remain peaceful, but there remains a lack of clarity on whether non-warring factions will need to put members on the hills of abandoned or unoccupied territories in order to gain respect.
Can they simply target unwanted areas with the only downfall being that the respect gain is lesser? Should other factions declare war on their land to prevent this? Can the initial occupiers just concede and migrate to another piece of turf? If these events come to pass, some may point out that certain factions will be earning respect for doing absolutely nothing. Would this be consistent with the spirit of the new changes, or is it going to cause a raft of unseen problems?
What is harder to discern is how smaller war-hungry factions may wish to operate under the new rules. To begin with, when all factions start in the outer sections of the city, the little guys are probably going to experience hell as larger factions race towards the centre, testing the war system out and causing some chaos as they do so. Once the big guys have trampled through the outer city and are slobbering over the inner city blocks, these smaller factions may well be able to come out and stretch their legs.
By the looks of things it also seems that fillers will be a thing of the past - or at least, there should be fewer - which is good news for those leaders sick of having to spend hours searching for filler fodder to keep their war base full (I do feel your pain). With a bit of luck and if players are ambitious enough, this could lead to a safer, more stable route for factions to obtain a foothold within the game, allowing them to start in the less hostile outer sectors, before progressing and one day challenging others for a block right in the centre.
One question which has arisen is whether or not there are enough active factions to fill the city map, not just with occupied territory, but with active wars across multiple sectors. While large factions will move to the centre as quickly as they can, small- and medium-sized factions surely won't be content with sitting on the city limits, scraping by with a few hundred respect points per day. No, they too will be aiming to get as close to the centre as they can feasibly maintain.
Based on this speculation, it is therefore possible the city map might evolve into the following:
* Very densely populated super-urban areas (sectors 6 and 7)
* Busy urban areas (sectors 4 and 5)
* Sparsely populated suburban areas (sector 3)
* Empty rural areas (sectors 1 and 2)
In the above scenario, boredom awaits factions that cannot capitalize on moving to the centre sectors. With little competition in the outer sectors and an inability to challenge those in the inner sectors, what will factions do to keep the game interesting? Some may declare war just for the hell of it, meaning that no territory is safe and factions must show a minimum level of activity to keep their heads above water.
As with all changes within Torn, we must wait and see what the full release has in store in order to get a more accurate picture of how warfare will unfold. There are some obvious pros and cons regarding the features seen in the beta thus far, but if all goes to plan it seems factions must perform more thoughtful decision-making in order to succeed - and this is how it should be. Factions must be punished for making poor choices and rewarded for out-thinking the opposition.
In the past faction warring largely involved hospitalizing anything that moves, the update seems to introduce more of a tactical element to proceedings. Members must be used in the most effective way based on their character profile, factions must carefully select territory based on their position on the map versus those of other factions, and both attacks and strategies must be planned meticulously to suit wars against different foes. A one size fits all approach simply won't cut it anymore.
So all being said, hopefully the update many have been waiting for will be everything we hoped it would be, persuading old members to remain and face new challenges, and in turn attracting a new audience of players eager to get stuck in.
Original article
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