Planetary Incursions

[Shockpoint]

Hey everyone
So if you were part of the ATK regiment, You might have been present for the short but sweet few hours I got to send you to Endor. Basically, I planned to be there all day and make it an all day thing, but complications arose and I could only do it for ~3 hours. If you were present during the time I was there (Commander Ganch) I really would like feedback on how it went. No 1-10 scale or anything, just pure feedback. Did you like it? 
I also wrote some notes on the plane today for research if I want to do more. If I wasn't present, I can't speak for anything that happened while I was away, and I was so sad I couldn't do this all day like I planned.
 

Planetary Incursion
A Planetary Incursion is a Half-All day occurance in which 2+ Battalions (Usually a Regiment) Are deployed by multiple Gamemasters, and from that point forward, they are staged on said 
Planet. This involves building a dupe of adequate size (While still being prop conservative) to station the battalions for the duration of the day. This can be best utilized On Endor,
However Geonosis, Umbara, (and potentially Tython?) are all possible options, however will require more props/maintainance. Geonosis could also involve the CIS faction, seeing both groups
directly square off against eachother. This gives battalions a very good vacuum in which to RP, and gives it a deployment type atmosphere. There can be an underlying story throughout, 
accompanied by several side missions (Such as sending all of the battalion's active ARF troopers on a joint Reconaissance Op.) Throughout my trial run of this experiment, I saw many many
things that were positive and negative. I will now list them below.

Pros
-People were A LOT more willing to RP. It was honestly breathtaking. I saw people manning exit gates, delegating medical assignments within MEDBAY, and moving crates without my direction.
-Above point brought out the best in people. I would walk around base and almost everyone had a job, running about trying to man their assigned tasks, with some people creating checkpoints,
scouting, and meeting with eachother. Everyone acted with purpose, nobody walked around idle, and everyone wanted to explore this new take of a very familiar environment.
-It was the first time the Attack Regiment has acted as a conglomerate, rather than seperate units. Battalion mattered far less, and everyone held within their battalions, but it felt like
they were a part of something bigger, and everyone acted as such.
-Planetary Incursions are absolutely new, and a majority of the server still probably has never participated in one. This is something we can absolutely run with, and can be a fallback to
a lack of event server. 
-Regiments within battalions can be taken to do multiple different tasks to gather information, supply outpost, and progress story. (Pilot and crew bringing supplies to base with LAAT, ARC
Initiating a small attack, ARF reconning an area, medics and engineers running around the base with tasks, and subunits moving in accordance to need.)

Cons
-Those who are creating this must be EXTREMELY PROP CONSERVATIVE. As we are on main server, we cannot spawn 500 entities on one planet for 3 battalions, and prevent everyone else on the
server from having fun. The base I constructed was similar to a peacock. It appeared quite large in stature, however it was simply Besh with two upper staging areas on the cliffs, a 
command center, and a gate. This must always be how it is constructed, as it looks large and menacing, giving the players a power fantasy and feeling like its their huge outpost, but areas
in it are very much open, giving players space to build things and RP. It can be a little over prop limit, as it isn't a tryout dupe for 6+ people, its an all day entertainment for 2+
battalions, and provides much more of an experience.
-Requires full attention by atleast 1 GM for the duration of the day. This means he should grab gamemasters throughout the day to assist him within the PI. If all the leadership bounces,
there is much less direction, and can lead to anarchy.
-PI's need to be formatted so that they provide a regiment with an awesome task, but not stripping the rest of the server of their fun. PI operations should happen throughout its duration,
however if these occur during encounters/events on Anaxes base, it can lead to performance issues, potentially causing both to be unplayable until one ends.

There is much more I can write about this, but I am looking to make this a permanant addition to the Gamemaster Program and have them be somewhat of a weekly occurance. 

Thanks,
Shockpoint

Edited April 12, 2021 by Shockpoint

[Not_REEE]

Honnestly really fun but i don't want to repeat it.

[Black]

It was a very good Idea however i have noticed that people who weren't apart of RC/ARC/ARF didn't get that much to do. Some of us were sitting there for 3 hours straight watching others be sent out for mission while all they got to do is Mortar RP for 3 hours with something to hit twice.

 

If u would include more Game Masters that could help you run a big event like this so multiple missions would be happening at once for different people I think it would be way more fun and enjoyable

[Shockpoint]

57 minutes ago, Black said:

It was a very good Idea however i have noticed that people who weren't apart of RC/ARC/ARF didn't get that much to do. Some of us were sitting there for 3 hours straight watching others be sent out for mission while all they got to do is Mortar RP for 3 hours with something to hit twice.

 

If u would include more Game Masters that could help you run a big event like this so multiple missions would be happening at once for different people I think it would be way more fun and enjoyable

I planned on this, and it was just a damn shame that I couldnt do all that I wanted to, as I had a lot in my back pocket for everyone and I was just cut short.

[Piff]

I would say it’s a good concept, but would need more planning prior cause for a while we kinda just got bored to the point that we started playing soccer and ignored what started to happen afterward until it affected us

[Slak]

I think it was great, it was a lot of fun being a RC within this event. However I think that it could've been a more active environment to where more people were being entertained. It really dwindled the numbers a bit imo, but overall was pretty fun.

[Hanz]

I was there at the end with no GMs and I still had fun. One small Bug attack was the only thing I did and I had a blast. I would recommend having multiple GMs to do this throughout each day so if an emergency happens or one just wants to get off, they can and have other people still there

[Mavelle]

16 minutes ago, Slak said:

I think it was great, it was a lot of fun being a RC within this event. However I think that it could've been a more active environment to where more people were being entertained. It really dwindled the numbers a bit imo, but overall was pretty fun.

I agree with Slak. It was kind of hard to get involved with the mission-oriented RP unless you REALLY tried to. I mean, granted, most time is like that on the server. However, more in the immediate surrounding environment (such as a vehicle repair station, forward watchtowers away from the base for ARF/ARC with needs to resupply and such) could improve the experience for some folks who had a bit of trouble getting engaged. 

 

I would like to say, Planetary Incursions have excellent potential and promote RP in a way that I've almost never seen from other events.

It's a two-edged sword.

In order for it to be really good, you've got to have a lot of people that are interested in RPing a lot. 

And you're not always going to have those people.

 

Overall, kudos for the excellent idea, and I would really like to see it happen more and get more and more polished. 

(BTW I would nut if I got to help in the future)

OH OH and I don't know who was doing it, but the Day/Night cycle?

 

That shit was fucking fire.

Edited April 12, 2021 by Mavelle

[Alec]

Its a great idea, but poorly executed, we had nothing to do after the first few hours and it ended up being just standing around

[Paladin_]

It was fun, but my only problem is don't do an all day event cause it means we get no time to relax. I know we were allowed to leave to go host Trainings and tryouts but still it's nice to at least go to other places that isn't a small outpost

[Daytona211]

This is good feedback, we will certainly use this when planning future long form passive RP events of this type. 

[Marvel]

We need more RP orientated events. If I shoot one more droid/bug I might start foaming from the mouth.

Also for those saying you got nothing to do keep in mind there was stuff planned for the rest of you it just got cut short. 

I also hope that this will trickle down the chain and eventually High Command and Naval are promoting base like RP in the main base. 

Edited April 12, 2021 by Marvel

[Mavelle]

3 minutes ago, Marvel said:

We need more RP orientated events. If I shoot one more droid/bug I might start foaming from the mouth.

Also for those saying you got nothing to do keep in mind there was stuff planned for the rest of you it just got cut short. 

I also hope that this will trickle down the chain and eventually High Command and Naval are promoting base like RP in the main base. 

I also think that sometimes people don't realize that they also can start stuff! We've been running some trainings and such in the battalion to promote that, and it works! If it doesn't seem like there's anything to do, you can make something. (That's why I engineer RP)

[Daytona211]

9 minutes ago, Marvel said:

We need more RP orientated events. If I shoot one more droid/bug I might start foaming from the mouth.

Also for those saying you got nothing to do keep in mind there was stuff planned for the rest of you it just got cut short. 

I also hope that this will trickle down the chain and eventually High Command and Naval are promoting base like RP in the main base. 

I would love to move towards this. Battalion Commanders taking there men and occupying a base of a certain period of time (like the rishi moon base episode of TCW), letting a gamemaster know and they can basically keep the crew entertained with little random encounters. 

It makes the server more fun playing since there is always something happening and not just down time sitting around.

[Cox]

I thought it was cool we enjoyed it with all the things there was to do but after a while it was boring and just us standing there while everyone else just went back and eventually it was like 2 501st 6 104th and 3 212th and a lot went back because there was nothing 

[Deathtiger]

I like the idea but I believe it needs more testing. It was fun when a ton hit but got boring just as fast. For the first 10 minutes nothing happened then ARC and ARF did something. After that they came back then 104th was deployed to do NEG which was fun. At the end it was just bugs that appear out of the blue and started attacking. Overall it was entertaining at time but could have been better if it was talk about more.

[Donut]

I like this idea but a lot of us sat there for like 8 hours straight before something happened, and when something did happen we just shot bugs for 15min. As much as i pretty much did nothing for like 10hours it was a good idea and i'm down to be there for another one. Just next time, get some more GMs to help you so there's people not waiting 8 hours straight and you can pump out things to do more often. Also you could've deployed all regiments instead of just attack, I dont think it would be that much of a cluster fuck if you did deploy all regiments. The event felt like a field day and I like that idea a lot, also the dupe was cool and i liked the day/night cycle.

Edited April 12, 2021 by Donut

[Shockpoint]

I want to reiterate things that occured.
So essentially, I had a shit ton planned for this, like CIS landing and us fighting them, with ARCs doing small scale raids before a big assault. But, again, I couldn't. After about hour 3, I had to leave, and all of my plans were lost. I didn't plan on having to, as my spring break was supposed to end today, but It abruptly ended yesterday and nobody could take the mantle. To everyone saying it was fun in the beginning, but got boring because there was nothing, that is because I just, wasn't there. Should I have been there, there would have been much more of a story and something for everyone to do.

 

2 hours ago, Mavelle said:

 

It's a two-edged sword.

In order for it to be really good, you've got to have a lot of people that are interested in RPing a lot. 

 

I grabbed all of attack, three battalions with around 30+ people. I am in 501st, and ive been in 212th and 104th. This is the most roleplay that I have seen on synergy since 2017. When I was there, there was not a single person sitting around or staring at a wall. Everyone was contributing. Firing a mortar, medics ACTUALLY IN THE MEDBAY, people opening and closing gates, using the commlink swep when I talked to them, like I actually cannot express how sad I was I couldn't continue. For those of you who were there for this,  this wasn't me grabbing 5 guys and taking them to a planet with all of them being an elite unit. This was me grabbing 30 people at random, and pushing them into an environment to roleplay. And to my honest surpise, those 3 hours I had made it one of the most fun days on synergy since I came back. If this tells anyone anything, Roleplay on synergy IS NOT DEAD. This is proof of it! Everyone there was capable of roleplaying! Fucking privates were saluting and operating sign in desks! I didn't even delegate that! 

I plan on doing this again in future, and if I can be there the entire time, you will have one of the best roleplay experiences you have ever had on synergy.

[Luther]

I liked the general idea a lot, perhaps all day long might be pushing it a bit, I think a few hours max would of been great, but overall I like the RP provided and all the mini encounters provided for us to do. Next time personally I would bring in more GMs before the start and have them plan things to do while the other GMs are already doing things so you have encounters/events setup for the whole day.

[Hanz]

@ShockpointI know you said you didn't want to do this on Event server and take a whole day claimed, but doing this on Event Server with you and a few other high quality Game Masters would be the best event of all time

[Mavelle]

43 minutes ago, FatherHanz said:

@ShockpointI know you said you didn't want to do this on Event server and take a whole day claimed, but doing this on Event Server with you and a few other high quality Game Masters would be the best event of all time

That's actually a good point. People could come in and out and it could be on a much larger scale/build because of less prop-count restrictions

 

I highly recommend developing something like that, come to think of it

[Jovanovic]

as someone both in and out of an attack battalion, I think it was overall a bad thing. The performance was noticeably very much so poorer, even off base, endor was taken for the entire day, and like one event was held for the entire day which wasn't an endor event/encounter. For the sake of the regiments not deployed, I don't think it's a good idea to continue with this sort of thing. 

[Deku]

So just giving my input here, I think this was a really fun and unique idea that synergy hasn’t seen and it could genuinely work out well... if it was executed as such. This is no shade towards shockpoint or any other GMs helping, just some “no bullshit criticism.” *Also keep in mind these are just my opinion* 

1. This type of event would work 10x better on event server, now I can see how hard it might be to find a whole day just to claim event server, but if done this could’ve been miles better then what it was, the GMs helping could’ve had way more creative freedom and the ability to do way more without worrying about lagging the entire server, and just have the space to do some amazing events/encounters.

2. If another day long “deployment” will be happening like this again, it’s important to have a clear schedule if you do plan on doing this, or at least have a group of GMs (along with yourself) that have the ability to commit a day to this project/idea, or just having multiple different GMs “sub-in” to get their event quotas done as well, while also giving a different style of event every time because it’s a bunch of different GMs. I think it’s most important for you, Shockpoint, to have a clear schedule if you do decide to do this again. Passing off this huge project onto someone (me) that isn’t staff, GM, or have any powers outside of Roleplay was a poor decision. Having to make multiple tickets and not a single SA+ answering any of them for a event, was tiring and mind numbingly painful. There’s only so much passiveRP we can do until everyone is just standing there playing soccer, dodgeball, or just straight up AFK. TLDR: If you’re going to do this again, make sure YOU and you’re other GM TEAM have a clear enough schedule to commit the TIME to the idea that you came up with.

3. Promote the fact that the battalions can also create their own entertainment. I saw rarely anyone hosting an actual battalion training and only a couple people hosting battalion tryouts, besides a “planet-wide FFA SIM” or a dodgeball/soccer game. Make sure to convene with the BCMDs/Battalion HC’s to promote entertainment within their own battalion for the rest of the regiment to also benefit off of.

4. Continue to utilize the specializations of the battalions, and the regiments within them. There was a number of times that battalions were actually doing what they are suppose to (Wow, Crazy!) and that’s great! With every negative, there’s always a positive and there was definitely a lot of things done right. The dupe was super fucking cool, the idea was unique and special, and the utilization of all the regiments, sub units, and battalions were good. 
 

all in all, it was fun during the little events that we had, it is a really good idea if you have enough time, and the proper team around you to do it. It seems as though this wasn’t really planned/executed well, but I still had fun during those moments of chaos/attacks. Don’t throw out the idea, it’s a good one. Just focus on the execution.