f13.net forums - All we know about Community Warfare (so far)

New Command Chair post from Ekman about Community Warfare and "guilds".

>> EDIT: In THIS THREAD there is literally a couple dozens specific answers by Bryan Ekman on the topic. CW is starting to shape up and it sounds quite exciting.

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The information posted below and in the consequent CW posts are subject to change at our sole discretion for any reason. These designs represent the current vision snapshot at this time. Feedback from the community, internal testing and balancing, along with technical discoveries may result variations from the initial design. CW is subject to Bryan getting his daily blueberry muffin.

A note on formatting:

Anything found within [brackets] is considered place holder and may change.

WELCOME TO THE COMMUNITY WARFARE COMMAND CHAIR SERIES!

Founding a Merc Unit

In order for players to found a Merc Unit, they have to meet a number of conditions.
A Merc Unit must be formed by exactly [12] players.
The players must have reached level [10] or higher (~[2] hours of playtime).
Between them, the players must have at least [12] Mercenary Review Board authorizations in their inventories
These are a special item that can be purchased in the store.
MRB authorizations cannot be sold back to the store.
Each authorization costd [18.88 million] C-Bills.
When [12] players who meet these conditions form a group, the group leader is presented with a button he can click to turn the group into a Merc Unit. Each player (including the leader) is then shown a screen in which they choose how many of their Mercenary Review Board authorizations they wish to contribute towards forming the Merc Unit. Even if a player has no authorizations (or chooses not to use them), he must still provide his consent in founding/joining the Merc Unit. Regardless of how the authorizations are contributed, it is made clear that the leader of the group will become the leader of the Merc Unit, and that they will be responsible for promoting any of the other players.

At this point, the leader also enters the name of the new Merc Unit, so that it can be checked against the naming rules when the Unit is created.

Once every player has approved of the contribution of authorizations (and [12] authorizations have been offered), and confirmed their commitment to found/join the new Unit, the group leader chooses to create the Merc Unit.

If the Unit’s name violates the naming rules, the group leader receives a pop up dialog box informing him as such. After he closes the box, he can then try to create the group with a different name. The other players receive no such message, and their contributions and confirmations remain unchanged.

If the Unit’s name does not violate the naming rules:
The Merc Unit is founded.
The contributed authorizations are removed from the players’ inventories.
All players in the group receive a notification that the Merc Unit has been successfully created.
The group leader is automatically made the leader of the Merc Unit.
The other players are automatically given the lowest of the default ranks in the Merc Unit.
The Merc Unit is given a Union class dropship in its inventory.
The group leader is then presented with the Merc Unit details screen to fill out and/or edit.

Merc Unit Names

It is made clear to players that the names given to Merc Units must not only adhere to our terms of service, with regards to profanity and other offensive language, but that there will also be other restrictions. Additionally, any name that makes it through the automatic filters may remain subject to scrutiny and the game’s moderators may force a name change.

A Merc Unit name may NOT:
Contain profanity or other offensive language.
Duplicate the name of an existing Merc Unit.
Duplicate or infringe upon the name of a unit from BattleTech canon.
There exists a banned named list of canon units.
This list is checked whenever a Merc Unit name is created or changed, to prevent duplicate names.
An example of an infringing name would be “Gr4y Death L3gion”.
Players will have a method to be able to report names that they believe violate these rules. If a name is found to violate the any of the rules, the Merc Unit will be forced to change it.

When a Merc Unit is forced to change their name:
Their old name is changed to a generic placeholder name
Ie “Unnamed Merc Unit 1234”
Their old name is added to the banned name filter
This can be an automatic or manual process

Merc Unit Details Screen

In this screen, the leader (or any other rank with sufficient privileges) can set and edit a number of details about the Merc Unit. These details include:

Merc Unit name
Only Merc Unit members with sufficient privileges can change this
Costs to change the name
Merc Unit abbreviation/prefix
This is the tag that players can attach to their name
The tag has to be unique
Only Merc Unit members with sufficient privileges can change this
Has no cost to change
Merc Unit description
A paragraph description of the Merc Crop
Only Merc Unit members with sufficient privileges can change this
Has no cost to change
Merc Unit logo/decal
Can choose from several premade decals for free
Only Merc Unit members with sufficient privileges can change this
Merc Unit ranks
This brings up a separate screen (details can be found in the Merc Unit Ranks section)

Merc Unit Ranks

In this screen, Merc Unit members with sufficient privileges can manage the ranks that can be assigned to each member of the Unit. The ranks are displayed, in hierarchy order, in a grid which shows:
The name of the rank.
The hierarchy of the rank (ie [32] being the highest rank and [1] being the lowest).
An entry for each privilege, indicating whether or not the rank is allowed that privilege.
A Merc Unit can have a maximum of [32] ranks. This number needs the potential to be increased, if future design demands it.

Upon its creation, a Merc Unit comes with a default set of ranks/titles, and privileges associated with those ranks. The leader is automatically given the highest rank (owner/leader), while the other players who founded the Unit are given the lowest. The highest/leader rank must always have all privileges and must always be assigned to (at least?) one member of the Merc Unit.

On this page, Merc Unit members with sufficient privileges can:
Create new ranks.
Remove existing ranks.
Rename ranks
Rank names are run through a profanity filter.
If an unacceptable name makes it through the filter the developers may force a name change.
Edit the hierarchy of a rank.
Edit the privileges of a rank.

Privileges

The list of rank privileges consists of:
Accepting new Merc Unit members
Kicking out Merc Unit members
Disbanding the Merc Unit
Managing Merc Unit ranks:
Creating ranks
Removing ranks
Editing rank hierarchy
Editing rank privileges
Editing rank names
Promoting players
Demoting players
Managing Merc Unit structure (companies, lances, etc):
Naming of the units
Setting the commander of the lance/company/etc
Assigning players to lances, lances to companies, etc
Editing Merc Unit information:
Editing the Merc Unit name
Editing the Merc Unit tag
Editing the Merc Unit description
Editing the Merc Unit decal
Communication
Setting the MotD
Setting the officers’ MotD
Viewing the officers’ MotD
Sending messages to the Merc Unit messaging list
Access to the officers’ chat channel
Finances
Setting the Merc Unit tax rate
This list will be expanded with new entries as new features are implemented.

Players with privileges that affect ranks/promotion/demotions/etc can only affect ranks lower than their own.

Managing Merc Unit Membership

In the Merc Unit options there is a screen that lists the membership of the Merc Unit. All players looking at the list are able to see the following:
Player name
Player rank
Player company/lance
Players with sufficient privileges can use this screen to:
Promote players
Demote players
Assign players to companies/lances
Add players to the Unit
Remove players from the Unit
Joining an Established Merc Unit

This is also the screen through which players with sufficient privileges can add new members to the Unit. Once a Merc Unit has already been founded, if a player wishes to join they must contact the Merc Unit through the forums, in-game chat/messaging, or other means.

The Merc Unit member enters the name of the new player and this sends an invitation to that player. When the player accepts the invitation, they are inducted into the Unit at the lowest rank.

A Merc Unit can have a maximum of [500] members. This limit needs the potential to be increased, if future design demands it.

If the membership limit has been reached, any attempt to add a new player to the Unit will fail, and the player attempting to add the new player will be presented with a message informing them that the Unit has reached its membership limit.

Leaving a Merc Unit

A player can leave a Merc Unit at any time, by choosing to become either a Lone Wolf or a Faction Player. When they attempt to do so, they receive a reminder that they will be leaving their Merc Unit. The leader of the Merc Unit cannot leave the Unit in this manner without first passing on the leadership position to another member of the Unit.

Removing Players from the Unit

Aside from players leaving voluntarily, players with sufficient privileges can forcibly remove other players from the Unit. This is done through the management screen. The player’s name is entered, or chosen from a list, and, after a confirmation, they are removed from the Unit.

The player who was removed will receive a message telling them such. They will then be required to choose the Lone Wolf or Faction Player path.

Assigning Ranks

Players with sufficient privileges can promote and demote other players.

Organizing Companies and Lances

Merc Unit leaders are able to organize the members of their Unit into an arrangement of lances, companies, etc. Each formation consists of the following:
Lance - 4 Players.
Company - 3 Lances (12 Players).
Battalion - 3 Companies (36 Players).
Regiment - 3 Battalions (108 Players)
Players view the unit organization in the form of a. graphical, organizational hierarchy tree/chart. Each unit has the following properties, which can be changed by players with sufficient privileges:

Lance
Name.
The four players that comprise the lance.
Which of the four players is the lance commander.
Company
Name.
The three lances that comprise the company.
Which of the three lances is the command lance.
The lance commander of the command lance is automatically the company commander.
Battalion
Name.
The three companies that comprise the battalion.
Which company is the command company.
The company commander of the command company is automatically the battalion commander.
Regiment
Name.
The three battalions that comprise the regiment.
Which battalion is the command battalion.
The battalion commander of the command battalion is automatically the regiment commander.

Disbanding a Merc Unit

The leader of a Merc Unit can disband it if they so choose. When it is disbanded, every member of the Unit receives a message informing them that it has been disbanded, and they must now choose either the Lone Wolf or Faction Player path.

If a Merc Unit has only one remaining member, and that member attempts to leave the Unit, it will automatically disband the Unit. When the player attempts to leave, they will receive a warning.

When a Merc Unit is disbanded, for auditing reasons it is not removed from the database. It retains its history, currency, assets, status, etc. A disbanded Merc Unit is inactive and inaccessible to players, but it should be capable of being restored to its previous active status if a legitimate ticket comes through to CSRs. While a Merc Unit is disbanded, its name is changed (ie a “_disbanded” suffix is added to it) so that it does not prevent its former name from being used by a new Merc Unit.

Merc Unit Finances

Every Merc Unit has its own C-Bill and MC accounts. All funds held by a Merc Unit can never make their way back to any individual player. They may only ever be used for items and expenses that are tied to the Unit itself.

Collecting Contributions

The Merc Unit can collect funds through two methods: donations, taxes, and revenues.

Donations
Any player of the Merc Unit can donate funds directly from their C-Bill balance to the Merc Unit.
Taxes
Leaders of the Merc Unit can set a tax rate on its members.
The tax is a percentage of each player’s C-Bill earnings when they play in a match.
These funds are automatically taken during the end of round procedures.
On the end of round screen, the player can see the amount of money going to the Merc Unit.
Planetary Revenue
More details forthcoming.

Merc Unit Communication

The players within a Merc Unit require a means of communicating with each other within the game. In addition to standard chat and messaging, Merc Unit members will have access to additional communication options.

Message of the Day
Players with sufficient privileges can set a Message of the Day (MotD).
This message is displayed on the main/landing page of the Merc Unit section in the front end.
This message is visible to all members of the Merc Unit.
Officers’ Message of the Day
Players with sufficient privileges can set the Officers’ Message of the Day (MotD).
This message is displayed on the main/landing page of the Merc Unit section in the front end.
This message is only visible to members of the Merc Unit whose rank includes the privilege of viewing it.
Merc Unit Chat Channels
Merc Unit members have access to a chat channel that is exclusive to their Merc Unit.
Merc Unit members whose ranks have the sufficient privileges have access to an officers’ chat channel that is exclusive to their Merc Unit.
Messaging List
Players with sufficient privileges can use the in game messaging system to send messages to the entire Merc Unit membership.
These messages only go out to the Merc Unit members who are currently online.