Old ASG Write Up - AthenaSecurityGroup/Sandbox.Altis GitHub Wiki

As part of the ASG Sandbox's goal of creating a full spectrum simulation means that the ability to simulate public opinion toward the firm and enable "hearts and minds" aspects of armed conflict is essential to the experience. While simulations can rarely be expected to be complete analogues, simplified analogues will complete the experience just as well. To this end, the sandbox reputation system will work on a sliding spectrum, which measures an area's prevailing opinion of the firm. The scale will measure from one hundred pointed below zero to one hundred points above zero, with zero being the default public opinion. At zero reputation, the firm has no meaningful public opinion and is seen as a neutral entity, regarded by the local populace with intrigue and suspicion. As the firm gains positive attention in an area, the populace will become patrons of the firm, purchasing ASG insurance and protection plans. When the local opinion of ASG is very positive, patrons will volunteer for ASG's auxiliary services and reserve roles to assist ASG in times of need, actively police their own communities, field their own security patrols, and engage threats on their own. If the ASG manages to build negative public opinion in an area, the locals will actively boycott ASG services, request law enforcement to remove ASG personnel, aid ASG enemies, and eventually take up arms themselves against the firm. From positive to negative, at the highest possible levels of public opinion, rated as eighty to one hundred, ASG an area is completely or nearly completely enrolled in ASG services and the ASG reserves are at max capacity. Reserve patrols deter external threats, as well as local crime and mischief. At public opinion rating ranges from sixty to eighty, over half of an area's populace is enrolled in ASG services, and the ASG reserve patrols are small, but fairly common and can successfully deter small aggressions and some crime. At public opinion rating ranges from forty to sixty, roughly half of an area relies on ASG insurance and protection services, and the ASG trained militias serve to assist ASG in the area when necessary. ASG public opinion from twenty to forty will result in a profitable or potentially profitable presence in an area, and a public willingness to allow ASG to operate there, but the reservist enrollment in the area will be minimal and will serve as little more than a living, armed early warning system. If popular opinion rating of ASG in an area ranges between zero and twenty, then the populace is rather indifferent to ASG's presence. ASG personnel are regarded with suspicion, but not hostility. Law enforcement may hassle ASG, but will generally not escalate. ASG will have no armed popular support in areas with less than twenty popular opinion rating. Below zero, ASG can build public anger and outrage. If ASG manages to diminish local relationships to ranges from zero to negative twenty, ASG will be actively boycotted in an area. Finding an "in" to earn their respect will be a difficult task and ASG may be subject to inspections and harassment by local law enforcement. At public opinion ratings from negative twenty to negative forty, in addition to law enforcement harassment, local militias will take up arms against ASG personnel. At levels of public outrage from negative forty to negative sixty and beyond, the local militia will increase in number and resolve, and upgrade their equipment to engage ASG with increasing hostility. ASG personnel will find it nearly impossible to restore a positive relationship in areas with opinions this strongly against them. Public opinion of ASG will mostly, but not entirely by the actions of ASG personnel. Being seen by and interacting positively with civilians will build positive public opinion. Capturing, killing, and wounding enemies in an area will also build public support for ASG. When ASG gains territory, it gains public opinion. When ASG solves a crime, it gains positive public opinion. On the opposite side of the spectrum, if ASG harms civilians or their property, then they will build public outrage. If ASG loses territory, it will lose public support. If ASG allows damage to civilians or their property within ASG protected territory, it will lose public support. If ASG crime to go unchecked in territory with high patronage, then it will lose public support. If ASG personnel are captured, killed, or wounded, then ASG will lose public support.

If ASG avoids areas for long enough, then public opinion will gravitate back to zero. If ASG isn't seen in an area for extended periods of time, then all extreme public sympathies will begin to fade, anger and adoration alike will fade to feelings of neutral suspicion. Additionally, areas under the control of rival factions will, over time, build negative sympathy toward ASG due to faction propaganda.

Damage to civilians and their property will result in damage to ASG's reputation equal to the amount of damage done. ASG will also be charged for the damage done in ASG controlled areas equal to the amount of damage done. ASG's local public opinion will move one point towards zero every twenty four hours that they do not visit an area. If ASG is seen in an area, then they will get five points of positive or negative public opinion every twenty four hours.

Each point on the local public opinion rating scale represents a percentage of the eligible local populace that subscribes to ASG services. For instance, if an area has one thousand potential patrons (heads of household), and ASG's local opinion rating is fifty, then ASG has five hundred due paying subscribers in that area.

Each ASG patron earns ASG about seven US Dollars per day. Each ASG associate costs about two hundred US dollars per day to field. Therefore, ASG must maintain at least thirty patrons per ASG associate fielded to remain profitable. ASG's local public opinion will move one point towards zero every twenty four hours that they do not visit an area. If ASG is seen in an area, then they will get five points of positive or negative public opinion every twenty four hours.

Each ASG patron earns ASG about seven US Dollars per day. Each ASG associate costs about two hundred US dollars per day to field. Therefore, ASG must maintain at least thirty patrons per ASG associate fielded to remain profitable. What is the Sandbox Campaign? A campaign begins when a map is selected and lasts until a campaign objective is accomplished, or the leadership determines it is time to wind down operations and move on to another area of operation (AO). Map selections can be recommended in our Discord, or brought up directly with leadership. The map may be dictated by the campaign in such cases where there is a theme or sequence intended to be followed.

When the campaign begins command staff select a location for deployment into the AO. The expeditionary force will enter the area on foot or by assault boat, and will typically carry all the equipment needed to establish an initial patrol base. Due to the varied nature of our operations ingress into an AO could be uneventful, or contested.

Location of the initial patrol base will be determined by command staff, after which planning for the deployment of the Main Operating Base (MOB) or Tactical Operation Center (TOC) will begin. Operations can be conducted as soon as the company has established a foothold in the AO.

The company begins each campaign with an initial bank of about $500 000. Any equipment or vehicles that must be requisitioned subtract a cost from this pool, as does each player's death, which subtracts a life insurance adjustable for the deceased.

Various actions while within the AO will contribute money to the company bank account, which will enable additional purchases from the Black Market. The company is paid a nominal fee for each force member that is active within the operational area by the party that is contracting our services. This fee is paid on a 24-hour cooldown, and is one of the primary means in which the company generates revenue, so regular attendance is encouraged. What mods are required? No mods are required to play with ASG. We do run server-side mods for AI and other server-only functions.