I’d like to take a moment to go over what we think is the biggest change from Season 3 to Season 4 – the switch to Settlements. In prior seasons the player focus has been on the clan. And while the clan or gens name is an important aspect of Gorean society, it is not as important as Home Stone. And while we recognize the challenge of the Home Stone in a Gorean role-play community, the fact that our social structure has been clan based has drawn us too far from the server’s focus which is on Gorean society and culture.

Season Four: Settlements Overview

What is a clan

It is important to understand that the term clan is being used in two different ways. The first is the reference to the Conan Exiles mechanical player grouping function which is called a clan. This is the functionality within the game that allows players to share inventory, a clan channel, have friendly fire, and build together.

The second is the concept of a clan as an insular social group formed around a Gorean family which in most of Gor is the Gens name. The term clan has also been used to refer to the same concept - a small familial group.

The goal this season is to shift the players perspective of their social grouping towards Gorean settlements such as villages, towns and cities with a lesser or secondary acknowledgement of the gens or clan unit in Gorean society.

However, this is going to take some time to reorient everyone’s thinking as we have a lot of players from outside of the Gorean role-play community that have primarily viewed their player groups from the mechanical clan or guild point of view. We are going to take it slow, it will be an iterative process.

Let me explain how the idea will function in Season 4

First, the mechanical clan size will be limited to six. If a group of players needs to expand beyond this, they will be expected to convert from a private clan to a public settlement. This is the mechanical limit and the server rule. But how does this work?

Overseer

At every settlement there will be an NPC Overseer. A player, who does not yet have a registered settlement, or who is in the process of changing their settlement, will be able to speak with the Overseer and join the settlement (clan). This puts them into the mechanical clan and they can interact with other players in the clan channel, see other players on the map, have access to clan resources and in all other ways integrate their role-play into a Gorean settlement acknowledging the settlement under “Home Stone Guesting Tradition".

This is a huge advantage in our onboarding process, as it will get new players immediately into one of the two admin-managed settlements with other players to make connections with. They will see players in their clans chatting, living in the settlement space, and as dots on the map. This should help a lot.

Private Clan

Players may also have a private clan if they wish. Obviously, we’d like to see less clans of one, or two, but both a private clan and settlement are accessible to the player. You are probably tilting your head and going how?

That same Overseer NPC that added you to the settlement you choose will switch you back into your private clan. It can only be done at the overseer, but it should not be a hardship.

In addition:

• The unlock plus PERSONAL chests which can only be opened by the player will be made available to everyone right at the overseer for free - this should solve some concerns about in clan theft.
• However, please remember the event log is public and tracks all access to containers. Mechanical theft of items is not allowed per our rules.
• Tot, the new system, allows you to transfer your thrall to another player or another clan, so you can send them on ahead.

When should you have a private clan?

• For example, if the settlement is so big that the warrior group wants to make sure their top tier gear is kept separate. Set up a clan, put up a warehouse, and up to six people at one time can join it. Get their stuff and go back to their settlement.
• A group of merchants from separate settlements want to work together organizing and selling their inventory.
• A secret hideout is needed for shady or under handed role-play.
• When you have a storyline that requires you to go build something special for it.

When a private clan is unnecessary?

• When you just want to set up a place to talk in game; the ability to make your own channels that function like clan chats is enabled.
• When you want to build your own house; the settlements are intended for you to have personal homes, either one's built for you, or by you. If you want to be close to the settlement center there will need to be some discussion - just like any large clan on any other server.

Public OOC Clans

In addition to settlements and private clans, the NPC Overseer will have a selection of "public clans" for the purposes of playing PvP games, going hunting, playing Kaissa. It will be a fixed list, but since these clans don't need any long term builds, they can be used any time you need a group to work together in a way that needs the low friendly fire setting - or work against each other to avoid the low friendly fire setting.

Our Hopes

It is our hope that this:

• Improves the onboarding experience for everyone, but specifically for slaves and free women who benefit from being immediately involved with others.
• Shifts the focus away from clans but to united settlements working together, building Gorean culture and community.
• Offers more ways for warriors to work with each other by being able to group together in a temporary use clan.
• Less small clans that need to constantly be monitored by the admins.
• Easier to manage clans for OOC game play such as the capture games and dungeon crawls.