Politics: what we know so far

stayontarget

All credit goes to jkwengert for compiling this list with a few friends over at tera-online.com.

Link to orginal post: http://www.tera-online.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7693

Updates:



September 15, 2010 (More questions answered.)

September 9, 2010 (Guild size added)



There have been a lot of questions on the forums about TERA's political system and quite a few interviews in which they've been asked (but never really answered). I've tried to compile all of the Q&As thus far. I'll keep this updated with community questions so we can better track what we really know.



NOTE: It seems that PVP and Battlegrounds will feature heavily in the political system. As such, this thread will probably cross into PVP discussion often, though this isn't a "PVP specific" thread. Please keep this topic focused on politics and ways in which you can participate in politics.



What's missing for you? What questions haven't been asked (or just aren't in the list)?





WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT POLITICS



HOW WILL POLITICS WORK IN TERA?



1. Political clout can be gained by defeating enemies.

2. Valkyon Points can be earned, in part, by PVP.

3. Guilds active in PVP will be politically active.

4. The political system is a way in which players can interact.

5. There are a number of ways in which players can be elected into office: lobby the community, combat, and wealth.

6. Once in office, players can affect the economy, player interactions, and guild rivalries.

7. Battleground rewards will play a role in politics.

8. The history of each server will be affected by server politics.

9. You can overthrow current elected officials.

10. Guild housing will tie in somewhat to politics.

11. Politics has a direct impact on everything bought/sold, including via the Auction House.

12. Politics will not include castle seiges.

13. Valkyon Points can be used to raise the level of your guild, get guild buffs, and to buy potions from Valkyon stores.

14. Valkyon Points can be obtained from some quests and from battlegrounds.

15. Lordships (Vanarchs) and Kingships can be earned through PVP and/or elections.

16. Kingships can change taxes and spawn rates in their area.

17. Additions can be made to a city through the taxes ("expand the city, build some new stuff").

18. To become a King, you must first be a Vanarch and you are chosen via election.

19. You become a Vanarch via PVP or through election.

20. Your character needs to be level 30 or higher in order to be elected into a position.

21. Guild size currently set to 300 members.



OFFICIAL COMMENTS

 

Quote:

http://translate.google.com/translat...5%2Fseite-4%2F Arborea is divided into several regions. The players or guilds have the opportunity to take the three capitals of Velika, Allemantheia and Kaiator lying settlements, which will be a player - for example, the guild leader - for Vanarch, a kind of mayor. The players or guilds have the opportunity to take the three capitals of Velika, Allemantheia and Kaiator lying settlements, which will be a player - for example, the guild leader - for Vanarch, a kind of mayor. The procedure can also go to equip violence by a Vanarch is elected by the players of. The procedure can then go to equip violence by a Vanarch is elected by the players of. This position has already been the first step towards the crown, as the leader of a settlement can run for the position of the King (Exarch) and must choose the colonel. This position has already been the first step towards the crown, as the leader of a settlement can run for the position of the King (Exarch) and must choose the colonel. by the way electors are characters from 30th stage by the way electors are characters from 30th stage A king rules over one of the three major cities in TERA - therefore there will be three kings. A king rules over one of the three major cities in TERA - therefore there will be three kings. A term lasts about two weeks, but the period has not set specific and may change. A term lasts about two weeks, but the period has not set specific and may change. The King shall determine the tax on the capital and may even spawn mobs rate of accommodation in the catchment area. The King shall deterministic mine the tax on the capital and may even spawn mobs rate of accommodation in the catchment area. And what a king does with the tax revenue earned by the money? And what a king does with the tax revenue earned by the money? The coal can waste it for herself, but stuck in beautification of the city. The coal can waste it for herself, but stuck in beautification of the city. He can also decide to give away money to his subjects or to donate his guild. He can then decide to give away money to his subjects or to donate his guild. And guilds apparently always need money - what exactly was not mentioned, but would be conceivable, for example, for the maintenance of the guild house. And guilds apparently always need money - what exactly was not mentioned, but would be conceivable, for example, for the maintenance of the guild house. Speaking of guild houses: these prestige properties are located in the capitals. Speaking of guild houses: these prestige properties are located in the capitals. Of course the criticism is already in the room, encouraging that the political system and democratic electoral processes mainly large guilds would. Of course the criticism is already in the room, encouraging that the political system and democratic electoral processes mainly large guilds would. Here, the initiative is required of the players. Here, the initiative is required of the players. It is free to small guilds, for example, join forces and operate in the background policy (deny short course). It is free to small guilds, for example, join forces and operate in the background policy (deny short course). So far, one can speculate about the end of the system only. So far, one can speculate about the end of the system only. How does the political system actually proved, you will probably see the earliest in a large-scale beta phase. How does the political system actually proved, you will probably see the earliest in a large-scale beta phase.

Quote:

http://www.destructoid.com/gc-10-han...a-181997.phtml I asked them what the endgame will be like. It’s going to be high level instances like you are used to, but another aspect that is unique to Tera will play a large part as well. Tera will have a political system where they allow the community to elect people like guild leaders to positions of power within the world of Tera. The elected "officials" will have abilities like setting tax rates and some other unannounced things. This also adds a social aspect and allows those players who want to increase their ePenis by being elected and staying in power to do so. It sounded like an interesting system to keep the community engaged, something that is very important to the Tera developers. Maybe they should become a part of the Destructoid family if they like community that much, don’t you think? A last aspect about the elected officials political system I should talk about is that they end up in one of two major groups. Since there aren’t really any factions like Alliance or Horde in Tera -- because the story is about different races teaming up against a common enemy that threatens the world they inhabit -- it’s likely that a lot of PvP will focus around rivalry between these two groups.

Quote:

http://www.terafans.com/topic/4464-p...d-at-gamescom/ Lordship (Vanarchs) 1. The world of TERA is broken up into regions. Each region in the game will be able to elect a Lord. 2. To elect a lord, citizens will be able to vote. Right now, a citizen is simply a player located within the region where the election is happening. 3. Lords will also be able to be elected via PvP. 4. No word on what a Lord's job is. Kingship 1. Each city in TERA will be able to elect a King. There are currently three cities. 2. Lords can apply for Kingship and be elected. 3. Currently, Kings cannot be chosen via PvP. 4. In-game, Kings are selected from those who have become Vanarchs. 5. Kings have control over taxes and they will be able to choose the balance of how monsters spawn in the world. For example, if the King chooses to have less monsters spawn in the lower level areas of the world, more will have to spawn in the higher level areas. This means that the King will have to be very in touch with the community. 6. There will be periodic re-elections. 7. Additions can be made to a city through the taxes ("expand the city, build some new stuff").

Quote:

http://www.mmorpg.com/gamelist.cfm/g...re/4410/page/2 MMORPG.com: High fantasy is a well-tread path for MMOs. What do you consider to be the prime features that will first attract newcomers and veterans alike to TERA? Brian Knox: TERA allows communities to create their own alliances and adversaries. We let them decide the fate of their actions and allowing for a much more sandbox-style experience when it comes to server history, politics, and community. This social engagement will be sticky for the veterans, and we believe word will spread to newcomers that TERA is worth the price of admission.

Quote:

http://www.worldoftera.com/forums/showthread.php?191 Q: How much freedom is given to the players with the political system? Are there any limitations that players will encounter? A: I suppose the level of freedom will in some part depend on who gets elected. Some leaders might be benevolent, while others might become outright tyrants. Some who start with the best of intentions will probably end up tyrants. In other words, it’s going to be a bit like real politics. Q: How much of an affect will the political system have on the Economy, PVE and PVP of a server? A: A lot, not a lot, and a medium amount, in that order. PvP will influence the political system more than the other way around. Think Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, but on a much larger and more common scale.

Quote:

http://www.tera-online.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7644 Valkyon points are part of the political system, and yes they are associated with PvP as well. Political clout can be gained by defeating enemies—especially very skilled ones—or enemies with clout of their own.

Quote:

http://www.tentonhammer.com/node/84942/page/2 Within TERA, you have the basic bonuses of a guild such as forging a separate identity and being able to chat amongst guild members. In addition to that, there are unique ways in which guilds can participate in the world of TERA, and when we’re able to talk about the political system, you’ll understand. Guilds would be one channel to participate in the political system. Guilds are awesome for the social aspects as well as PvP instances, dungeons, and end game content.

Quote:

http://www.tera-online.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5507 Within TERA, you have the basic bonuses of a guild such as forging a separate identity and being able to chat amongst guild members. In addition to that, there are unique ways in which guilds can participate in the world of TERA, and when we’re able to talk about the political system, you’ll understand. Guilds would be one channel to participate in the political system. Guilds are awesome for the social aspects as well as PvP instances, dungeons, and end game content. We have a few features that will make TERA different from other MMOGs. One of these is the political system. The political system is a never before seen feature where players can interact with each other to control the flow of the economy, control the flow of the game, and build out on the community, not to just hang out, but to have a purpose. Yes; there’s always prestige, of course, and we’ll have achievements. Also, guilds that dominate the PvP scene will find themselves in very strong political positions. Additionally, rewards for Battleground PvP will play a role in the Federation’s political system! In addition, players will be able to influence the history of each server by participating in the in-game political system. The political system will shape each server's community in a new and unique way.

Quote:

http://www.tera-online.com/news/news...eq=256&cpage=1 With the political system will it be possible to have a coup de etat? Can we revolt against unfair rulers?” “Yes and encouraged. Politics will be just that, politics.” Guild members will be elected to office by combat, wealth and popularity. They will have access to buffs, tax rates and "protection".

Quote:

http://www.tera-online.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1311 *Valkyon medal system -Cooperations of guild members -Buffs applied to an entire guild

Quote:

http://teraonline.info.pl/node/148 However, I can share that it will be heavily dependent on guilds and groups, so PvP players will probably find something very much to their liking in the system.

Quote:

http://www.terafans.com/topic/3459-f...w-transcribed/ We're working on implementing guild housing for launch. It's the basis of having a place to congregate as a guild. That'll tie in somewhat to the political system. Q. Players directly impact the economy? A. There's a traditional broker house in the game. The political system has a direct impact on everything bought/sold. The political system has players being elected to office.

Quote:

http://www.terafans.com/topic/3558-t...w-transcribed/

"Once elected in this office, players can control lots of different things, from economy to

interactions between players and rivalries between guilds – among others."



tG: Okay, will there be a chance of castle seiges in the end?

B: Right now, it's not currently on our slate

 

WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW ABOUT THE POLITICAL SYSTEM



1. Is there a karma system for PVP and does that affect your political progression? (E.g. killing lowbies lowers your political clout.)

2. How do you earn Valykon points and do they work like Aion's Abyss Points? (from devthehero)

3. How many Valkyon points are needed to achieve a rank/position in politics?

4. What OwPVP Griefing Countermeasures will be in place, if any? (from Somnicide)

5. Valykon Points had better be pretty complicated or it will be boring. (from rocdog)

6. Is "political clout" something people are willing to spend MANY hours camping for? (from devthehero)

7. Will different Battlegrounds offer different amounts of political clout to be earned?

8. How will the clout from Battlegrounds differ from clout earned via OwPVP?

9. Given "wealth" is listed as a way you can earn election, how much wealth is needed? 1 million gold? 10 million?

10. What kind of discount are you earning from the Auction House for being in office?

11. Can players decree that X guild is now hostiled towards Y guild?

12. How exactly do you overthrow an elected official? Kill them a certain number of times?

13. Since there are no seiges, why will players be motivated to participate in Battlegrounds? (from Stath)

14. What are the rankings/positions of the political system, how do they fit together into a coherent hierarchy? (from Hephaestos)

- Vanarchs (Lords) and Exarchs (Kings) are the elected/earned positions.

15. Will the EU version of the game (published by Frogster) offer differences in political mechanics compared with the Korean and US versions? (from Senshi)

- They've said there will be no core game changes between the different versions.

16. Will a small guild have the same opportunities as a large guild to impact server politics?

- Guild leaders do not gain special political rights/authority, despite guild size.

17. In what way will you be able to demonstrate your official position (e.g. special cape/cloak, title above your head)?

18. Can political position be accomplished exclusively through just one avenue or will it require ranking in multiple avenues? (from Hephaestos)

19. How are the Devs going to keep the goldfarmers/sellers/buyers from gaining political power through wealth? (from Hephaestos and rocdog)

20. Are elected offices per player server/account or character-specific (e.g. you are a "Governor" on your Priest, but then move to an alt. Will the community still recognize you as a "Governor" when you're on your alt?)?

21. At what level can you begin participating in the political system? (from PerfectLife)

- You must be level 30+ in order to earn a position. There was no "lowest level" mentioned in terms of being able to vote in an official.

22. Can you lose [Valkyon] points if you die? Is there a way to lose your clout? (from Senshi)

23. Can you use Valkyon Points to buy PvP armor or is it just a ranking system? (from Senshi)

24. Will there be different governments for each race? Or is it based on guilds? (from Calethan)

- The government positions are per capitol, not per race.

25. Will wealth balance with the other ways to earn clout? Money is tradeable and should be balanced. (from WARDJP)

26. Will NPCs refuse to sell to or buy from you based on your clout (e.g. like an "alignment system")? (from tailzdafox and Akami)

27. Under the assumption that a governor wants to increase taxes by 200% could we have a black market reputation that you could gain trust with via quests, pvp etc. which would negate taxes and/or have a limited inventory? (from Akami)

28. Will guilds be able to ally themselves, so that they can share in the political power of a dominant guild or if multiple guilds could band together to combat the in-power group? (from Raitei)

- There is no official alliance declaration system, though "options" for generating war are being discussed.

29. Will PVP efforts to kill a declared enemy be available anywhere, including cities, or will NPCs intervene and make the effort not worthwhile? (from Lethys)

30. Will the history of each server be kept someplace accessible by players (e.g. a Lorekeeper in the capital cities you can speak with to see a list of all the "Mayors" of TERA in the past)?

31. Will the political system give control of the major cities? I agree with the capital cities being safe-zones. So long as they are controlled by the "in-power group". (from Leonyx)

32. Will guilds have any advantages such as gaining specific, elitist and advantageous location to build their guild house depending on their political influence? (from Aledark)

33. Are there set windows during which officials can be overthrown (e.g. Aion fortress raids) or are those officials constantly threatened? There's concern about a "daytime" guild getting overthrown at night and vice versa. (from Mio88)

34. How often can political power shift and elected officials be ousted? Daily? Once a week? (from Mio88)

- The current target is for Kings to hold their position for roughly two weeks.

35. Will there be voting booths? (from Zeppelin)

36. How many elected officials will there be allowed at one time? (from Elyia_4713846)

37. Will only the leaders of the top guilds hold these spots? (from Elyia_4713846)

- Guild leaders do not gain special political rights/authority, despite guild size.

38. Will there be a separate political system for each race that will tie into the lore of that race? (from StayonTarget)

- Politics are per capitol city, so race will not impact elections.

39. Will there only be one political system that covers all races? (from StayonTarget)

- Politics are per capitol city, so race will not impact elections.

40. Does "TERA allows communities to create their own alliances and adversaries" mean the ability to actually create guild alliances and declare war on people or does it just refer to roleplaying such guild relationships? (from Emposter)

- There is no official alliance declaration system, though "options" for generating war are being discussed.

Lorgarn

Great compilation of questions and information on the political system.

 

Thanks.

Mikeha

Thanks for the info!