Goblin Squad Member
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In the course of catching up on my reading here, and developing a mental map of how I believe events will play out over time, I came to the conclusion (and found that at least one other seems to share my concerns) that in the line of work we follow, two things are likely to become obvious.
This is by no means a complete list, just the obvious points that stood out to me.
- As a for-hire entity, we want to keep our options open, as much as possible. Alliances will likely be limited in nature, and the idea of joining into a kingdom, with which you must remain passably friendly with the other members (thus potentially eliminating a fair sized chunk of work, depending on the line of work you follow) is rather unappealing.
- As an independent settlement, without the backing of strong alliances or a kingdom we leave ourselves open to elimination. Both by a potentially offended group of players, and also just as potentially each other, at the behest of offended players.
Here is what I am proposing:
We either form a loose alliance among companies, nothing that would stop us from conducting business on mutual or opposing interests, but rather one that puts emphasis on not working to eliminate each others' home settlements. It would be naive to believe that we are not going to jocky amongst ourselves for influence and prestige in our chosen spheres, but neither does that mean we should pursue the deterioration of our business rivals to extinction or otherwise collapse of home settlement.
We should also work at standing together against those who seek to take down any of our number. It will be far more apparent to any who believe us to be individual and easily singled out weaker targets that, we as mercenary companies, are not to be trifled with when a much larger force than they expected arrives to put down such an attack on our mutual peace of mind.
To an even further extent, we could take things as far as retaliating on the offending company / settlement / kingdom as the need arises. I do not particularly support the notion of wiping out another group's home, but neither do I particularly care to have mine threatened.
Or we can take things a step further and set up our own kingdom or series of kingdoms to blanket the gamut of alignments. The control structure is in place to keep this type of arrangement from being a hinderance to any of us. This I believe would need to be a step taken down the road, if at all. It certainly offers a more cohesive appearance and I believe more substantial benefits, but at a cost of freedom that we may very well not be willing to accept.
I do not propose these options merely to encourage poor choices among our numbers with an inflated sense of security against the repercussions of our actions, but as a means for us to keep an eye out for the preservation of our way of life. It would not do to see an overconfident or ambitious kingdom being to wipe us out one by one, nor to be forced into alliances or kingdoms we do not wish to be a part of. If we feel that one of our numbers has become a liability through their own actions, then we are free to take a vote and cut them loose as needed. We would primarily be offering each other a sense of security that we are not going to be picked off without any assistance, and that we are not going to aid in the destruction of each others' livelihoods.
Thoughts?
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Goblin Squad Member
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Being part of a kingdom is not for everyone.
Instead of forming kingdom for the traders, mercenaries, free lancers, and other similar professions, one would join guilds, companies, and the like, who in term join an association that spans kingdoms.
Also for traders to be effective in transporting goods, and producing goods, they (as a guild or association) would need to establish buildings in various kingdoms (that they don't belong too) to be able to accomplish their business goals.
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Goblin Squad Member
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Might I suggest looking for a sponsor company?
Look for some company that intends to focus in areas you do not, and strive to fill in a void in their own plans. You get a home and help defend it in exchange for the benefits of being part of a larger group, but only loosely so.
And of course there are alliances and there are alliances.
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Goblin Squad Member
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I'd like to point out that I have plans for a company already. I'm referring to the temporary banding together in times of hostility towards other mercenary companies/tradesfolk, or otherwise refusal to assist in the destruction of a company consisting of mercenaries and tradesfolk that may not enjoy the protections offered those willing to fall under the fold of a larger organization.
I do not believe I am wrong in saying that you do not wish to see your home attacked by a larger force with only tenuous alliances to call upon. So I propose we come to each others' aid in crisis only, or otherwise refuse to aid in putting each other into further crisis when [i[homes[/i] are under attack.
It frees us from concern of being picked off at convenience, from having to submit to a larger organization for protection and from having to have binding alliances just to ensure a sense of security.
What DarkOne mentioned about coalitions of guilds is exactly what I was inferring with the title of the thread. We have common interests; we can act to protect them together, or try to pretend the others don't exist.