Gauging interest in a mercenary company.

[AgentOrange]

It's been suggested to me, both ICly and OOCly to have Jay establish a mercenary company, so this thread is to put feelers out there on whether or not there'd be much interest. As far as its vision and ethos goes, I would rather that be a collaborative effort. I don't want to run a dictatorship. If we get a few good players who are interested in the idea, let's take steps to get this started. Feedback is welcome.

[Steve]

While it is a good idea and has been done before...how could any MercCo ever really compete with The Flaming Fist?!?

[Glowfire]

There's at least two active mercenary companies, one on the evil side of things which are the Ebon Blades and then one on the good/neutral/small evil side which are the Everwatch Knights. I think the Everwatch don't have a deity requirement of Helm and are quite open with memberships as long as those wanting to join can stay in formation.

Always good imo to know what's out there already and if it doesn't fit what you envision, nothing stops you from making your own but do read your Golden Wheel contract first.

[AgentOrange]

While it is a good idea and has been done before...how could any MercCo ever really compete with The Flaming Fist?!?

The Flaming Fist is not a joinable faction.

[AgentOrange]

There's at least two active mercenary companies, one on the evil side of things which are the Ebon Blades and then one on the good/neutral/small evil side which are the Everwatch Knights. I think the Everwatch don't have a deity requirement of Helm and are quite open with memberships as long as those wanting to join can stay in formation.

Always good imo to know what's out there already and if it doesn't fit what you envision, nothing stops you from making your own but do read your Golden Wheel contract first.

Discord message sent.

As for the Everwatch, they're mostly Euro and that absolutely will not work for me. I'm a prime time ESTer (GMT -5). If I'm wrong about the Everwatch and their availability, please let me know.

[KOPOJIbPAKOB]

There is one thing you have to consider. Mercenaries are often hired to deal with certain people. In other words, you'll be paid to participate in PvP, and I'm afraid by simply mentioning it in this thread I might start a heated discussion. Some people have "I must always win" mentality, some despise PvP in general, some powergame so hard that will make you despise PvP. How would you deal with it? Would you just say no to bounty cotnracts / protection missions (like Ebon Blade once did after all the PvP dramas), would you lead long and exhausting OOC negotiations with people with hit put on them to either recieve strict "no" or finally arrange a staged RP scene of murder/abduction attempt? Would you, perhaps, only do such RP with DM requested npcs? Not telling you what to do/not to do, just things to consider. It's a military organisation, after all.

[Rain]

In the right hands, PVP can however be very enjoyable experiences that can start fun character vs character or faction vs faction rivalries.

My main character is a villain who has been in PVP senerios with almost everyone he's met in the server and the majority of people have really enjoyed the results win or lose. It really just depends on how you carry out the situation and how you as the initiator give those people around you a reason to -fight you, hate you, then want to fight you again- and this can be said for any side evil or good.

I'm just saying a professional PVPer on this server really knows how to bring spice in what he does. And that is to make amazing love / hate relationships with those he finds are unworthy, weak, dangerous, etc.

And of course last but not least.

PUT ON A SHOW!

Edit: Being very respectful to who does and does not enjoy PVP is important too as there are some who yes do not like or who have never been in a situation before and are rusty on the rules. If you know your are stronger then the person mechanically or have more game knowledge it's always good to sort of -play around- if you catch my drift. And to give people a chance to submit their RP outs before and during a fight if they wished to coward and retreat.

[Steve]

The Flaming Fist is not a joinable faction.

True...at least in this era of the Server.

But my point is still valid: any large scale event that requires a mercenary company, well...the Flaming Fist, in canon lore, has you beat in quality and quantity on the Sword Coast.

Mercenaries had an everlasting reputation for unreliability, because they were fighting for gold instead of for a cause, and many believed mercenaries would put their own needs—such as saving their own lives in a battle—over those of their patrons. For those reasons, some people preferred to hire professional adventurers over mercenaries.[2]

However, most of the people who needed a fighting force liked to hire mercenaries for those same reasons. Mercenaries had to be neutral in conflicts or, as said by older mercenaries, be "bloodsworn" to one side, and thus could not dare switch sides during a conflict for fear of damaging their reputation as trustworthy mercenaries. Mercenaries also dared not switch sides because Heralds and priests of Tempus would proclaim their deeds to everyone, so no one would hire them thereafter.

So maybe you really mean to form an Adventuring Company??!!

[AgentOrange]

There is one thing you have to consider. Mercenaries are often hired to deal with certain people. In other words, you'll be paid to participate in PvP, and I'm afraid by simply mentioning it in this thread I might start a heated discussion. Some people have "I must always win" mentality, some despise PvP in general, some powergame so hard that will make you despise PvP. How would you deal with it? Would you just say no to bounty cotnracts / protection missions (like Ebon Blade once did after all the PvP dramas), would you lead long and exhausting OOC negotiations with people with hit put on them to either recieve strict "no" or finally arrange a staged RP scene of murder/abduction attempt? Would you, perhaps, only do such RP with DM requested npcs? Not telling you what to do/not to do, just things to consider. It's a military organisation, after all.

That is something to think about, and whatever is decided would have to be discussed with other members of the faction because we should at least be on the same page about how it's handled.

I abhor PvP because I find it a waste of time and RP opportunity. Of all the colorful and interesting things we can write for a fight scene, why rely on the the tragibad mechanics of a game released twelve years ago? If anyone wants to fight, we're working out a system for dice rolls and writing a violent scene.