IDEEN FÜR RYZOM

Rikukatis: First, from what I had heard, Aniro did not have a larger player base than Arispotle, in fact, it seems to have been smaller than the anglophone community, though much larger than the german speaking one. The idea to create a playable marauder faction had been in discussion for a long time - before the creation, there had been the opportunity to become marauder by title and self-description for years, by obtaining negative fame everywhere (-25 if I recall correctly).

I still see a lot of interest in the marauder faction. The main reason that it has become a death trap for Ryzom participation is, in my eyes, the very high obstacle to get back to normal after having been a marauder. And I think there should be worked on with some priority.

When marauders are demanding a roleplay compliant teleportation opportunity to Almati, this is legitimate as well. But I fail to see a really high priority. In fact, marauders are living in the new territories as outlaws and insurgents, and have to hide and to pretend where they do not appear in overwhelming numbers - decoy is a normal basic skill of every warrior or soldier in hostile environments.

So where is the point in lying to some priest? Honestly, I as a ranger applicant, not believing in either of the two religions, am also forced to lie at the temple teleporters when they ask me whether I am ready to fight the enemies of their gods. Even worse, as a loyal and fairly patriotic inhabitant of the Burning Desert, I feel much compelled to the principles of my homeland, the four pillars, and truth is one of them, so brazenly lying into the face of a cleric is more a conflict for me than for a marauder. Also as a ranger, I am hold to maintain friendly relations to the cults, and deceiving their priestess or priest is surely clashing with that. I would very much favor to have a hidden ranger path from the surface to our headquarters, and fail to see that it is of much lesser priority than the teleporter of the marauders.

There are other demands and complaints I do not, or at least not fully agree to. For example, creating occupation masters in the camp in HS is a questionable thing, much more as the desire does not stop at the point of having more comfortable access to occupations than in the hostile environment of the nations' capitals.

There is a proverb in the german language saying: if you offer your little finger to the devil, he will grab your whole arm. When asking for occupations, there is the next, bigger wish behind it, the demand to obtain marauder faction points.

I do not agree to that wish. The marauders are no nation, thus they are excluded from nation points. Being in uprising a gainst the nations, this is consequential, there is no social security card for guerillas, nowhere, at least not before their victory and state creation. Granted, there are Kami and Kara faction points (I have some), they are fairly useless until now, and were earned only once during the temple outpost event. They have been widely superseded by PvP points until now.

We should discuss in detail whether or not organizations like marauders, rangers, and future trytonists should have their own faction points. I am not convinced that it is reasonable. As to the access to sap crystals, generic materials, and other stuff, I would rather prefer a more generous granting of PvP points, also for fights at OPs, in Umbra and Nexus, arenas, duels, and against homins of the same alignment, maybe at a lesser reward, but encourageing PvP activities everywhere.

Well beyond the points mentioned above, easier exit, roleplay compliant teleporter, occupation access, and faction points, what else is missing for the marauders?

Lacuna, while the point you make is interesting, I do not fully agree. One may argue that marauders may be considered a nation. I see, though, rivaling nomadic clans in much of inner conflict as well, temporarily accepting the strongest and most cruel of them as a warlord. Still, there is no ingame infrastructure issueing social security cards from the ancient lands to marauder homins of the new territories, who are largely apostates, dissenters, rebels, and partially even criminals from the existing nations in the new lands, not expeditionary soldiers of a nation in the ancient territories.

I miss the recognition of the marauders as a nation anywhere in the game. One may argue that the presence of Akilia during the meeting in Almati in the wake of the second swarming was kind of a de facto recognition. Even that is arguable, and the path from de facto to de jure (with nation points) may be long if not infinite, it may remain in the state of a frozen conflict forever.

Until now, the marauders fall short of being a recognizable national entity. This is even more true as long as they are openly striving for the destruction of all existing nations and the forceful suppression of any of the existing cults. There is no way to establish marauder envoys, even less than to establish kitin diplomats.

Edit: To add that one: During all discussions of the status of the clans of the marauders as an entity, I never perceived them to be regarded a nation, rather kind of a faction, "tierce faction" or third faction, not fifth nation. So demanding the powers (and limitation of powers) of a faction such as resurrection, teleportation etc., and the privileges of a nation (occupations, nation points) at the same time seems to be an example of grabbing the whole arm.