Hello fellow Elite Commanders.
Emergence, a new multi-game sandbox alliance, is now recruiting like-minded players participating in the Elite: Dangerous beta or ArcheAge alpha (see Other Supported Games below). We are looking for PVP/combat centric players that have a wide array of secondary interests in open world sandboxes. Disclaimer: 18+, must use TS3, website coming soon.
Emergence is based on “emergent gameplay,” a game design term that refers to changing conditions based on player actions. The sum of many simple decisions that lead to complex outcomes; groups of players and their individual actions driving the overall game narrative.
Sandbox Ethos- as a group we emphasize the following:
1) Sandboxes allow a wide range of player actions. Each is valid as long as the game rules allow it.
2) Emergence will be focused on providing its members broad objectives and goals only possible to accomplish with a group of players. See first Post Launch Objective below.
3) Sandbox PVP requires a range of PVP styles – Solo, small group, and med-large groups (less emphasis here due to instancing in Elite). As a result we emphasize effective communication during game encounters as a group.
4) Emergence is committed to supporting individual player choice while also working together as a team.
5) Griefing is not allowed, however Emergence maintains a very narrow definition on griefing. Griefing constitutes attacking new player starting areas or continually harassing a single specific person for no in-game benefit. These actions are not allowed because they are toxic to a sandbox community and do not encourage new players to stay and play. Everything else is fair game.
Post Launch Objectives- (where possible during beta for testing):
(Based on currently available information in Design Discussion Archive forums and public developer statements. Highly subject to change based on the final implementation by Frontier.)
1) Emergence will seek to influence the background simulation on behalf of the Empire. Based on final game rules, we will seek to defend and expand Empire space to its fullest using whichever mechanics the game rules require. We will do this through Solo, Small (2-7), and Medium (8-16) flight groups in the areas of Combat, Trade, and Exploration as needed. (Faction subject to change based on initial core group of members and/or game conditions on launch)
As an example, to achieve this objective player activities may include, but are not limited to:
i. Blockading a system (dependent on final implementation of instancing, but should be possible to influence the simulation. Possibly spreading out solo and small teams across as many instances and locations as possible)
ii. Destroying ships without warning (e.g., they are potentially bringing trade goods that could stabilize an enemy faction system)
iii. Bounty Hunting
iv. Trading and protecting trade runs from pirates (e.g., bringing food/medicine to empire systems that are in a negative state for the simulation)
ii. Destroying ships without warning (e.g., they are potentially bringing trade goods that could stabilize an enemy faction system)
iii. Bounty Hunting
iv. Trading and protecting trade runs from pirates (e.g., bringing food/medicine to empire systems that are in a negative state for the simulation)
2) Emergence will encourage the development of highly effective combat pilots in solo to max group sizes through use of information sharing and theory crafting.
3) We will seek to explore the vastness of the Milky Way galaxy and leverage exploration mechanics to the fullest.
4) Ultimately we play games to have fun as a group. No goals or objectives will ever get in the way of this or RL.
Recruitment Process –
Step 1: PM RaynMaykr on the Frontier forums and let me know why you would like to join EMERGENCE.
Step 2: Leave a friendly message in the thread below if you care to.
Step 3: I will follow up with you and set time to speak with you on our TS3.
The Founding of Emergence –
RaynMaykr, Moonlitshadows, and Onlyme395, former EVE pilots and leaders of a 1,200 pilot sovereignty holding alliance for 2+ years, are searching for the next great sandbox adventure. We are looking to meet and game with other players that share the same affinity for sandbox gameplay, the freedom it allows, and the emergent gameplay that ultimately comes. We’re looking for new experiences after spending so much time in EVE. We’re drawn to Elite: Dangerous because of the rich universe and promise the game has shown.
Other Supported Games –
Current Games:
Players are welcome to play both, but it is not required.
Elite: Dangerous
ArcheAge - F2P Sandbox PVP on the open ocean with ships, subs, and gliders, Themepark-style questing and dungeons with some sandbox thrown in, player created factions and battle for control of land and castles. Currently in Alpha phase of a western localization. Released in Korea for 1+years.
Formerly: EVE Online
Side Games/Changing it up:
Civilization 5 / Beyond Earth (on release)
Sins of a Solar Empire
World of Tanks
War Thunder
Minecraft
Starbound
And other similar games
If the interest is there we would like to do competitions/tournaments in games like Sins & Civ so that players between ArcheAge and Elite can get to know each other.
EDIT: My response after 20+ pages or so....
So it’s time for a real response to the wide range of themes, topics, and emotions in this thread now that I’m home from work. I would urge everyone to remember that the whole point of this thread was to find other players that enjoy playing games like we do. Nothing more.
Below is a list of themes that stick out to me through the thread. I will respond to each one.
1) This isn’t EVE!
2) “True Elite is about the individual”
3) Grouping is pointless because “instancing”
4) It’s just a co-op game!
5) You can’t affect the simulation, because …. REASONS!
6) It’s not about controlling space!
7) TRUE sandboxes aren’t about PVP
8) You just want to use blob tactics
9) I DON’T ANSWER TO THE MAN!
10) We’ll all just ignore you…. Touche!
11) Guilds are the DEVIL!
12) Community Warfare
1) This isn’t EVE! – Yes we know that. We don’t want this to be EVE. EVE is a game that has two sides really. A good side that has given me some of the most engaging co-operative gameplay ever.
And.....the flip side is you have a universe dominated by blobs, controlled by very few people (literally no more than 12 people dictate what happens on a macro-level), a world filled with paranoia and crazy security from spies, and a game that takes multiple days of preparation and work for one day of fun (with a few exceptions)
We do not want the bad stuff at all, but we do want the good stuff. And we’ll do this through interacting with what promises to be a fantastic background sim and seeing what other people we come across…. friend or foe… because that’s a big piece of what a sandbox means to us.
2) “True Elite is about the individual” – We hear this a lot from people on the Elite forums. FD has gone through great lengths to give players enough options on how to play, I would imagine fellow forumites would realize all of those play styles are part of DBOBE’s vision, otherwise the options wouldn't be there. If we weren't supposed to participate in multi-player it wouldn’t be there. And if we weren't supposed to be able to PVP in a variety of ways this post wouldn’t have been made either: http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showpos...&postcount=138
3) PVP is pointless because “instancing” – I don’t believe a significant number of the forum membership understand how instancing will work (based on DDA posts). Each player has a bubble around them that constitutes an instance. As players encounter eachother out in space, if the bubbles overlap then you get grouped. And the biggest mistake of them all is related to the ignore list. The ignore list only applies if a session is full and people in the queue aren’t on the ignore list. There’s also a piece of the algorithim based on how many people in the instance have the person ignored. While I’m not a fan of the ignore list… it’s not going to be a get out of PVP free card. It’s all subject to final implementation, but it’s clear there will be creative ways to organize pilots to do cool stuff.
4) It’s just a co-op game! – Please refer to the dev post in #2
5) You can’t affect the simulation because…. REASONS! – Watch this ED Dev Diary #2…. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uKD1ap5hsI#t=325. Players will form groups to participate in these... it is inevitable. Emergence is essentially about working together to figure out as a team where an opportunity may be and working together to influence the outcome… just as DBOBE describes. In other material it has been described that there will be ways to trigger events in the simulation through pirating, combat, etc..
6) Elite’s not about controlling space! – Of course it’s not. For Emergence it’s essentially about role-playing as a group of Empire loyalists and participating in their conflicts. The guys we’re forming Emergence with controlled multiple constellations in EVE for over 2 years. And it’s a lot of freaking work. Multiple times I remember being out of town for work and having to hook up with my TS3 server through my phone and participate in organizational meetings to help guide our fledgling space empire (imagine being at war with a group of Russians time zone people when you're American and they're trying to attack a Titan that is building that took many people 3+ months to build). We DO NOT want to do that again. We want more immediate, visceral fun, but with a group of like-minded people that can share and laugh at each other while we venture around the Milky Way and occasionally clash with similar groups from other factions.
7) TRUE sandboxes aren’t about PVP – Well true sandboxes are about a wide range of activities. PVP & PVE Combat are just what interests us the most. But that doesn’t mean other things aren’t valid. All I can say here is… “To each their own”
8) You just want to use blob tactics – Well no…. Instances in Elite will be capped…. So they won’t be effective. Might we go 16 v. 16 against people I hope so. But elite clearly is about emphasizing single and small groups of 2-3 pilots.
9) I DON’T ANSWER TO THE MAN! – If myself or the guys we're starting this with ever act like "the man" to people we would seriously not even be doing this. Having people join your guild/clan/alliance is a privilege and they shouldn't be treated as underlings or anything like that.
10) We’ll all just ignore you…. Touche! - http://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=6300 I’m really hoping people don’t abuse this feature to give them a pseudo-private group. Not much to say other than I hope feedback on testing of the group proposal is given a top priority… I’m sure it will be.
11) Guilds are the DEVIL! – Guilds are not the devil. Some guilds are terrible though. If you left guilds you didn’t like…. you wouldn’t be in terrible guilds. Simple. Now in Elite there’s going to be people forming groups any which way to Sunday because of how rich the multiplayer modes are promising to be. Maybe not now... but they will come. They may make a post like us on the forums. They may just casually invite players they meet in game. Or they may do both… which we will certainly do. Early backers on the forums are clearly not for guilds, which is fine. Just expect more people to call for guilds as we approach launch and after launch. The broader MMO market enjoys them and they don’t have to ruin DBOBE’s vision.
12) Community Warfare – This claim, somewhere in the thread, was made essentially accusing pro-guild forum members of committing community warfare on the rest of the forum…. or something like that. Not sure how a benign recruitment post was warfare. I can only come to the conclusion that early backers know the game demographic is going to change as more people jump in, play and end up here on the forums. Perhaps they are feeling like their back is against the corner. Based on the many tangents taken by people who had an issue with the OP, I can only think lots of emotions were involved. If we don’t want this community to turn toxic people HAVE to realize demographics are going to change as the player base grows. Which will lead to a whole range of opinions and ideas.
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