I have been running a shard since early 2017, and am looking for a bit of advice on implementing a faction system.

By way of context, my vision was, and is, to have an open-world shard based on the feel of Ultimas VI and V, or at least my interpretation. It launched to a bit of fanfare, but the excitement quickly died due to bugs and my not really knowing what I was doing. I played UO for a year and half back in 1997-1998, and would not consider myself an accomplished player. For me it was more about the atmosphere of the game, that it was multiplayer, and that it was set in the Ultima universe. I am likewise not an accomplished coder, though I have managed to hack together something that works, with considerable help from members of the freeshard community. A few players stuck around and helped me work out the major bugs, iron out the kinks, and give me a better idea of providing a sense of progression. The shard is in a pretty good place now, as far as stability and atmosphere, though it still needs a bit of testing in certain areas.

Some time ago, a few of the players who stuck around suggested I add a player managed town system. First a little background on some of the changes I have made...

I implemented a class system based on the professions of the original Ultima series. This is the area that requires the most testing.

I disabled the original housing system, and instead use Knives' Townhouse script. I removed the items from existing houses, and replaced them with statics. I also added quite a few new houses. Players can join one of the various towns and can then purchase a house in that town. They can renounce their citizenship in the town, but must first sell back the house. I have also added talking Ultima lore-related NPCs to various towns.

I disabled the guild system and replaced it with a system of existing guilds, as was originally planned for UO. Each guild has a guild hall located in a particular town and guild membership brings with it certain advantages, including slightly faster skill gain for certain skills. Part of my goal was to remove powerful guilds in favor of a more egalitarian system with no player as leader and no leadership hierarchy.

There are no overt quests of the “talk to such and such NPC” variety. There are a few less obvious “quests,” though they are somewhat hard to find. I likewise do not want to be ever updating the shard and adding elements, or running large scale quests and the like, though I do plan to release the occasional expansion by way of new maps. I know they have become something of a staple, but quests and gm-run events shatter my sense of immersion. I likewise do not want this to play as an single player game in any sense. I prefer underlying, self-perpetuating systems that allow the shard to sort of run automatically, and other systems that facilitate the players creating the “content” through their interactions with one another and the world.

This brings me to the player managed town system. This will work with the existing towns, and will be the primary source of end game “content” and progression. Towns begin as unmanaged. Players can join these towns and own a house in them. Citizens of the town can hold an election, with the winner becoming the mayor, and the town then becoming player managed. We have cobbled together a pretty solid framework for this, with various benefits and requirements for maintaining the town (else it revert to unmanaged). It took me a while to warm up to the idea, but I can (mostly) see the benefits of such a system. Before I begin trying to code this (*sigh*), there is one area that needs some work, namely the implementation of a faction system.

The player managed town idea includes a system whereby towns could raid one another and steal various resources and the town artifact (something like the sigil of UO). The snag here is that I am trying to find a way to implement this without going against my overall vision for the shard, or the underlying lore. I very much want the main towns- the eight virtue towns, Cove, Vesper, and Serpent's Hold- to be under the control of Lord British and to capture the general feeling of the Ultima series.

My original plan was to have two opposing factions. I have added four “evil” towns; Buc's Den, Haven, Nujel'm, and Sanctuary. This presents another issue by way of there not being nearly as much housing for the “evil” faction as the good.

So far, I can see two possibilities (though am open to entertaining others):

1. Allow all towns to forge alliances or go to war with all other towns. This is obviously the easiest route. The problem of course, is that it goes against my vision, and the reason I started making this shard in the first place. It also causes issues with the lore-based NPCs, for example, Lord British would certainly not sit around in his castle while the towns war with one another (and the same for the other NPCs). There is also the matter of NPC dialog not changing depending on the situation.

2. Use the two faction system, and add more housing to the “evil” towns so that they are closer in number to the “good.” Allow all members of a faction to participate in town raids, but only allow citizens of the towns attacking and defending to steal items or reap rewards. I much prefer this option, though it presents an issue in itself due to limited areas for houses, but I think I can figure something out. This is part of the reason I am asking, as I am currently doing some map editing with the goal of releasing a new client.

I was hoping to perhaps get an outside perspective and feedback and benefit from the vast experience of the ServUO community. Thanks in advance for any input.
 
I have no idea if this can help you someway. But this is how it did work pre-factions. It might give you an idea or two? This information was collected with T2A in mind. There were no factions in this era, it was added to the UOR expansion.

-Grim

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Order vs Chaos was a system used before the Faction was introduced in UOR.

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Old newsgroup post explaining in details how it worked pre Aug 1998:

[***Please Explain the Order and Chaos Shield***]

(1)
Sorry for the stupidity, but if someone could explain the shield system
I would be most appreciative. Not a newbie but probably should be

(2)
You must have Great Lord title to get a Chaos or Order shield. Then you go to
lord british's or lord blackthorn's castle(blackthorn = chaos, british = order)
and get one. Only you can use your shield. If anyone else attempts to take it
or use it explodes. The 2 shields provide 7 or so armor value I believe and
an order guard can fight a chaos guard in town without guards killing them.
The only problem is that people don't like to play their roles so you end up
having great lords with chaos shields( making them a guard of chaos) attacking
dreadlords.....go figure. I always thought a guard of chaos wouldn't kill
followers of chaos. Heh...

(3)
>You must have Great Lord title to get a Chaos or Order shield. Then you go to
>lord british's or lord blackthorn's castle(blackthorn = chaos, british = order)
>and get one.

Actually, you must be at the TOP of notoriety in GL, +127, not just
+120. then you say"virtue guard" to a guard with the shield of your
choice, then say "yea" when they ask if you want to join.

>The only problem is that people don't like to play their roles so you end up
>having great lords with chaos shields( making them a guard of chaos) attacking
>dreadlords.....go figure. I always thought a guard of chaos wouldn't kill
>followers of chaos. Heh...

and moron PK boy here doesn't realize that Chaos Shield wearers are
followers of Lord Blackthorn, who is most honorable, but believes in
more free choice than Lord Blackthorn.

In reality, it was a way to allow the more powerful characters to get a
little PvP experience without having to become scumbag PKers, preying
on newbies and powerful characters alike.

(4)
> You must have Great Lord title to get a Chaos or Order sheild. Then you go to
> lord british's or lord blackthorn's castle(blackthorn = chaos, british = order)
> and get one. Only you can use your shield. If anyone else attempts to take it
> or use it it exploads. The 2 shields provide 7 or so armour value i believe and
> an order guard can fight a chaos guard in town without guards killing them.
> The only problem is that people dont like to play their roles so you end up
> having great lords with chaos shields( making them a guard of chaos) attacking
> dreadlords.....go figure. I always thought a guard of chaos wouldnt kill
> followers of chaos. Heh...

Chaos does not equal evil. That is why one must be a Great Lord/Lady to
get not only an Order shield but also a Chaos Shield. Read Sherry the
Mouse's book on the subject :)

(5)
> always thought a guard of chaos wouldn't kill followers of chaos. Heh...

So you're a follower of Chaos then? I suppose that means you follow
Compassion, the virtue aligned the most with Chaos? I suppose that
also means your character believes in the ideas Blackthorn expresses
in "On the Diversity of Our Land", which basically speaks against
random killing and general brutality against all sentient beings.

Is that you?

If so I'm sorry that the Chaos Guards went after you, because they are
not supposed to be NPKs.

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Seams like the old pre-T2A system required the player to hold the shield and not just join the system:

[***Virtue Guards Implementation A Mockey***]

(1)
Okay, so my VG character, Anna McCloud, is in town, her Order shield
in her bank account, so she could shop without being attacked every
ten seconds.
She's by the bank when she notices another Order Guard (who is trying
to bank,) about to be attacked by a Chaos Guard named "Gospadin
Peroda."

Anna McCloud: Be warned Lord Raswell!
Anna McCloud: You are about to be attacked!
Raswell Jr: sorry
Raswell Jr: Im very


[Anna notices he can't move, decides to get her shield to help]

Anna McCloud: bank
Raswell Jr: heavy


[But before she can, Raswell leaves using magic]

Raswell Jr: Kal Ort Por
Gospadin Peroda: you're very gone
Gospadin Peroda: heh
Anna McCloud: Why you could not wait?
Anna McCloud: That was not virtuous!
Anna McCloud: You could have at least waited until he was done
banking!
Gospadin Peroda: Fuck virtue, I just do it to pk people
Anna McCloud: You are no Great Lord!
Gospadin Peroda: Anna
Anna McCloud: You dishonor Lord Blackthorn!
Gospadin Peroda: you're the one who posted to the CoB, right?
Gospadin Peroda: Kal In Ex
You are now Anna McCloud, Master Warrior


[The next two lines are system messages, too]

Anna McCloud: Thou hast made a mockery of the virtues!
You are dead.



So be warned - even if you don't have the shield on you, but just have
in your bank account - Incognito can STILL work on you.

I could get into a rant about how upset I am, but actually, I'm just
more resigned than anything, the fact that this could happen doesn't
even surprise me.

I don't know what I'll do now. I called the meeting for the 22nd, I'm
not sure I'll show up. It'll likely go on without me at least in some
form if it does I hope it's a success. But for now, I'm not thrilled
with UO, to say the least, and (incidentally) not thrilled with
players like "Gospadin Peroda" who roleplay so badly.... :-(

(2)
No, the way it goes is if you are wearing the shield then the spell is
unable to harm you. However, if you have the shield in your backpack and
apparently in your deposit box it can still cause you to get killed.

(3)
>No, the way it goes is if you are wearing the shield then the spell is
>unable to harm you. However, if you have the shield in your backpack and
>apparently in your deposit box it can still cause you to get killed.
I know that's the "way it goes" - now. But that's not the way it was
*intended.*

As it is now, getting the shield at all is just too dangerous. If you
wear it, PKer "Great Lords" can and will attack you without warning,
though at least that's part of the intent. But if you have it in your
backpack or bank account, you can be killed with complete ease.

I knew about the backpack bug, I did not know about the bank account
bug.

I wouldn't have been so annoyed if Anna had had the shield equipped
and had been attacked normally. But she was killed by a BeAvIs type
using bug exploitation - and even though OSI is *supposed* to punish
people like "Gospadin Peroda" when they do this, I know there's no
chance of that ever happening.... :-(

(4)
> I thought you cant cast incognito on Virtue guards anymore. Hmmmm I
> think I read it on the latest patch Infos at owo.com. You're right this
> guy shouldn't have any shield.
>
> OSI please stop those good notoriety Pkers. I think this problem is
> not new to you.
>
> Jorgus (pacific)
>
> I wasn't aware that as a virtue guard you can kill in town.
Here is how the incognito bug works now.

If you have the shield in your backpack or in your bank deposit box, it
will work.
If you have the shield EQUIPED, it will not work.

I know the UOvualt URL has moved, but people should really make
an effort to visit UO information sites to keep themselves updated......

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Here is a description on an updated version released in T2A:

[***A new free-for-all warfare method exists: order and chaos guilds.***]
- Order and Virtue guards as they currently exist go away.
- Guildmasters can now declare their guild to be either order or chaos if they meet the requirements.
- You must be at the third tier of Fame (the level just below Lord) and not be a murderer, in order to join an order or chaos guild.
- Any members who do not meet the requirements when a guild becomes an order or chaos guild will be kicked out of the guild automatically.
- If you are a member of an order or chaos guild, and become a murderer, or lose enough fame to fall below the requirements (by dying or by atrophy), you’ll be removed from the guild.
- All members of order and chaos guilds will be forced to display their guild abbreviation at all times. In addition, their abbreviation will automatically be followed by “(Order)” or “(Chaos)”.
- If you are a member of an order or chaos guild and do not have the special shield, you can simply say “order shield” or “chaos shield” to one of the guards of Lord British or Lord Blackthorn (you must ask the appropriate guard for the appropriate shield, of course).
- The shields will no longer disappear immediately. They are also no longer required to be worn.
- For highlighting purposes, all members of guilds of the opposing alignment will appear orange and can be freely attacked. All members of guilds of the same alignment will appear green, and can also be freely attacked.

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Here are an update changes explained:

First, notice that the term "Virtue Guard" is no longer used. Since they never really had anything to do with the Virtues, they are now only referred to as Chaos/Order Guards.

What are the requirements for being a Chaos or Order Guard?
- You must belong to a guild. If you're not in a guild, you'll have to purchase a Guildstone and declare yourself as a single person guild.
- You cannot be a murderer.
- How do I become a Chaos or Order Guard?
- Under a new guildmaster option, a guildmaster can declare his guild to be either a Chaos or Order Guild assuming the guildmaster meets the requirements for being a Chaos or Order Guard.
- Any members who do not meet the new guild requirements when a guild is converted over will be removed from the guild.
- If you are a member of a Chaos or Order guild, and you become a murderer or lose fame below the requirement (by dying, or by atrophy), you'll be removed from the guild.
- All members of Chaos and Order guilds are forced to display their guild abbreviation. In addition to this, members will have (Chaos) or (Order) after their guild abbreviation.
- If you are a member of a Chaos or Order guild, and you don't have a shield, simply say "chaos shield" to one of Lord Blackthorne's guards or "order shield" to one of Lord British's guards.
- All guild members of the opposite alignment will appear orange, and members can be freely attacked.
- All guild members of the same alignment will appear green, and members can be freely attacked.
- What special rules does the shield have in the new system?
- The shields are no longer required to be worn. (But they are nice shields)
- Shields will not disappear right away anymore. However, they are valueless, so they can't be sold. If anyone tries to equip a Chaos or Order shield who isn't a member of the appropriate guild type, the shield will destroy itself.
- Shields don't ever kill anyone anymore.
- You can no longer cast spells with the shield equipped.

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-Grim
 
Thank you, Grimoric! A very interesting read. I remember the Chaos and Order guards and shields from back in the day, but did not really explore the particulars much. Some of this may be useful indeed.

After posting this, one of my players offered a nice solution. We are going to increase the "evil" towns to match the number of "good" towns, and likewise make sure that the number of houses match. He also came up with a nice way to tie into the lore and theme of the shard. I am going to modify a few existing towns/dungeons and make use of some unused areas, including the Lost Lands, to create/modify some towns. This makes more sense than trying to cram a bunch of housing into four towns so they can compete with eleven towns. Part of it was probably me being lazy, and not wanting to do more map work...:). Or maybe I was not seeing the proverbial forest for the millions of trees on my to do list. I suppose my biggest question, and the part I was stuck on, was whether or not to allow towns to declare other towns allies/enemies, without it affecting the general vision and lore of the shard. Ultimately, I just do not think that his route will work, and that a two faction system, with equal towns fixed to either side is the way to go to preserve that vision, but also accommodate the player managed town system, which will provide most of the end game "content."

As far as actual mechanics of the faction system, it will be pretty simple. There will be two factions, one for each set of towns. Citizens of a town can become part of the militia, which will allow them to freely attack citizens of opposing towns (probably highlight green). The karma/reputation system will apply to non-militia members of both sides. I am not sure whether we will reserve this only for player managed towns, or also allow it prior to being player managed, probably the latter. Player managed towns will also be able to conduct raids against opposing towns.

Members of all player managed towns will be able to participate. I am not sure if only militia members will be able to steal/retrieve the artifact and other resources, or if citizens of all player managed towns can participate. I am leaning toward the latter, and having all marked green for the duration of the raid. We will need to decide this.

I have actually done away with Chaos and Order, and used the original lore for Blackthorn, with his being banished just after Ultima V. The shard takes place at this time, but diverges a bit after that. I have used a simple version of the Order Shield for knights of the Order of the Silver Serpent, and the Chaos shield for a group of knights of an order based on the corrupted Virtues of Blackthorn's Oppression from Ultima V. It is not as involved as the Chaos/Order faction system you posted. I make take some inspiration from that and spice it up a bit.

Thanks again for the information!
 
Dont want to sound negative but are you really going to build a new client from scratch? thats going to take you AGES, plus constant bug fixes.

I would avoid that since the UO community is smaller each day. If you dont like the classic client go for Orion/Crossuo they play smooth
 
The idea is about writing a new faction like system with other roles than implemented in UO, it doesn't require a new client. Well, some changes to the map files might be needed to make some type of base in each city/dungeons for the factions if I understand it correctly.
 
Indeed, it is really only a mater of scripting the player managed town system (which, considering my coding ability, will probably be akin to rewriting the client in terms of difficulty...:), making some map edits, and making a few tweaks here and there to a few scripts.
 
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