@Orion I can’t find anything concrete about the history, but I did find this about our prior attempt to remove NAPs entirely:
https://imperialconflict.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=203479
I think your concern is reasonable, and is something we’ve had to consider before. There’s always a balance between structure and freedom, and while NAP breaking does suck when it happens to you, there are some benefits for the game as a whole:
-
it allows players to more strongly consider how they conduct their negotiations, adding more diplomatic strategy to the game
-
it allows players to role play as “the bad guy” which I think is something from the older IC that we currently lack.
-
it makes for a stronger social experience
Still, I think this can be improved. We have an idea about NAP warning + break shaming that may speak to your concerns.
Thanks for the feedback.