Try looking at it like this: You are RPing with a controlling faction. Your enemy isn't Cordor, but who runs it, or who runs it for the king in the case of Cordor. With effort you could see them assassinated, thrown out of power, morally defeated, chaos sewn, and with supervision and a lot of work put into it, temporary or short-term lingering damage even applied to the city itself.Kizat wrote:I understand what the DM's mean about the starter city being essential and all the work going into it, but I do have to ask.
What is the point in RP'ing with Cordor in that light?
Right before the RP begins, right before the first plot is thought up or the first plan goes into motion you know what the outcome will be. Cordor triumphs, someone may or may not end up being executed, a rival settlement may or may not be blown to smithereens.
Interacting with Cordor in any way bar reverently seems to be a bad idea (tm), because it will always win. It's like turning to the last page of a thriller, after reading it there's not a fat lot of point reading the rest.
I get that people like the good triumphing over evil narrative etc and that Cordor has been held by evil PC's several times, but I do like a bit of ambiguity in what direction a story might go.
With Cordor, and to a lesser extent Aundor there's no point, because the outcome is known from the start. I don't see what the appeal is in making an RP in which Cordor links in light of that. I don't mind losing or winning, but it would be nice to have the possibility of an outcome rather than having a specific one guaranteed regardless of PC actions in a story telling environment.
We are not saying change is not possible, damage is not possible, but both of these things come with great risk that you may change, and your group may be damaged.
Essentially, change your goal from being against a settlement, which is a lot more improbable for success, to against a ruling faction, which is a lot more probable in success.