The PRIMARY lingering campaign that provides the backdrop, revolves around the factions separately fighting for influence over 50 or so System Gates.
Players play games and at a minimum log the two factions in the battle and the winner. Further information can be supplied (such as which specific System Gate was being fought over) to full blown battle reports.
Equal points values and any scenario. Idea is to play games without restriction.
Each "game cycle", which I anticipate to be a month at the moment, the results for each battle alters the cumulative amount of influence each faction has on each system (it's all in excel so auto updates); this process means that a faction that has a lot of influence in one system does not risk losing it after a single game cycle.
Also prevents "win spamming" (by nefarious players just logging wins at an impossible rate) as you can win as many battles in a system as you want, the faction with the most wins that game cycle will only adjust the influence by 5 points (at the beginning the variance range of influence is only about 10 points, so the first few game cycles will be rather volatile regarding which factions control which systems).
This process of accruing influence over 50 or so System Gates continues onwards. The faction controlling the most systems gets a boost to their influence each game cycle. Social Media will be utilised for each faction to vote on which Gate System will receive additional influence boosts.
I know that Mr Sawyer has held various votes as to what funky figures to release in what order, so perhaps the more successful factions would get their figures nudged up the release schedule smile emoticon.
Also, a faction who is faring badly would be able to make a comeback as they would devolve into a hard nugget of a handful of systems. From here the other factions would be rather thinly spread so a concerted effort among a selection of Systems would see them increase their System Gate control count.
The SECONDARY (and complimentary to the Primary) campaign would be episodic in nature over a certain length of time. Taking place within a specific Gate System, prescribed scenarios and points values, with points values being increased for successful factions (also increased Army Option choices.
Perhaps "free" characters - not costing any points in the army could also be a reward as the heroes get stuck in).
Some episodes would be for just two antagonists, with other factions helping one faction or another. Other episodes could involve a free-for-all.
Episodes could overlap where factions excluded from one episode would have their own episode. New scenarios (especially fan created ones) would be submitted along with running story lines.
The result of the episode would provide a significant influence boost to the winning faction as part of the primary campaign.
Also, if work is being undertaken for new rules etc, then success in episodes could lead the designers down that path too. So that's the main crux of my thoughts. Results would mainly result in campaign boosts, with on-table boosts a short lived opportunity in episodes. I
t would also serve as a living universe. And if things need to be fudged in the name of the story (and fun) then so be it. But mainly a universe created by the fans, for the fans.
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