While I realize that the NPC and faction system is far from done, the factions that are created can be a bit… odd. Like “harmony with nature” factions known for robotics factories, or drugrunners with high adherence to the law. Unless I am mistaken, factions as they are now are just randomly-generated text strings that you occasionally call to with a two-way radio.
Honestly, they deserve to be more than that. If nothing else, fleshing out the ways that factions can exist and interact, even in an academic fashion, would be worthwhile. So, here’s my ideas:
Each NPC or faction would, when generated, includes several values along a sliding scale regarding their beliefs and the strength of their convictions. These would include tolerance of mutants/bionics, aggressiveness, isolationism, lawfulness, importance of aesthetics, drug tolerance, cruelty etc. So stuff like this:
Mutant Tolerance
Level 1: Attacks mutants on sight, no other considerations given
Level 2: Avoids mutants and refuses all interaction, but doesn’t attack until provoked (but don’t get too close, squidman)
Level 3: Doesn’t trust mutants, penalties to all interactions (I’m seeing this as the most common level. Mutation isn’t something everyone is gonna be comfortable with, no way around that. Really beautiful mutations can only alleviate this, not necessarily reverse it, but that is very much open for discussion)
Level 4: Doesn’t care much about mutants, and is willing to mutate if it seems worthwhile. No penalties to interactions.
Level 5: Prefers mutants, believing that the age of Man is at an end and that end should be embraced completely, through mutation. Mutation provides a bonus to interaction (but might have specific likes/dislikes of different phenotypes.)
Alpha mutants might end up a level ahead, or just be not considered mutants at all. Bionic Tolerance would be basically the same, just replace “mutants” with “bionics”.
Some things shouldn’t fall on a sliding scale, though, like faction specialties. NPC generation in faction territory naturally has to be heavily weighted to the faction’s ideology, but there’s always renegades, raiders, bandits, etc.
Thoughts?