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[Ken]

Received from a Caldari security agent in Gallente space:

The Drug Bust

We've recently received intelligence that a deal is going down in the [system] between a Caldari buyer and a minor, local branch of the Serpentis drug cartel.  While this is a bit of concern in and of itself, the bigger problem is that we believe the cartel is being paid by elements within the Federation intelligence community; their goal, apparently, is to use this particular drug route as a way to insert intelligence assets into the State.  That is of considerably greater concern to us.

We would like you to fly to the coordinates of this rendezvous, eliminate the Serpentis vessels there, and recover any prisoners that you can find.  We'll turn them over to the Tribunal for further questioning.

Organized Crime in the State

Some critics might argue that the State has a complicated relationship with organized crime. While the various criminal enterprises in the State (including the Guristas) do cut into the bottom line of the megacorporations, these enterprises are also used by said corporations as a means of arm's-length corporate espionage. Or so the pundits say.

Therefore, these cynical observers aver, while corporate security generally tries to keep a firm hand against the criminal syndicates, their upper management simultaneously ensures that the symbiotic relationship between the corporations and the syndicates is preserved, often to the frustration of the security forces and the Navy.

I find this interesting, illuminating of the Big Eight-Guristas-State interrelationships, and perhaps insightful of the sort of dynamic that must exist with Caldari megacorp presence in Federation space.

[Tamur]

This is interesting. The Sarpati family and the Serpentis corporation are known to be "increasingly antagonistic to the Gallente" and to let only criminals of Caldari background to their higher echelons. Apparently, when the price is right, they are willing to forget their faction loyalties and even collaborate with FIO.

[Mithfindel]

This is interesting. The Sarpati family and the Serpentis corporation are known to be "increasingly antagonistic to the Gallente" and to let only criminals of Caldari background to their higher echelons. Apparently, when the price is right, they are willing to forget their faction loyalties and even collaborate with FIO.

This assumes that the mission content writers have even the slightest idea about the connected Prime Fiction. Which, sadly, is something that isn't always demonstrated.

[Alain Colcer]

Mith nailed it really 

[Senn Typhos]

Mith nailed it really 

That.

[Alain Colcer]

It makes me wonder, if CCP would be open to review mission text and descriptions to a "focus group" or RPers.....

Can we propose such a thing?

[Senn Typhos]

We could, but I think it would be unwise.

For one thing, I don't think CCP would want to divert resources to fixing mission text when they have Incarna 1.0 to deal with.

For another, there's absolutely no chance we could come to a consensus on mission texts. So we would have the same result as CCP just ignoring PF while writing the stuff.

[Casiella]

Theoretically the ISD Mercury team should be doing this with their volunteer backstory wiki thing that Abraxas is overseeing.

Theoretically.

[Ken]

ISD Mercury team

Yes, highly theoretical.

[Yoshito Sanders]

This is interesting. The Sarpati family and the Serpentis corporation are known to be "increasingly antagonistic to the Gallente" and to let only criminals of Caldari background to their higher echelons. Apparently, when the price is right, they are willing to forget their faction loyalties and even collaborate with FIO.

This assumes that the mission content writers have even the slightest idea about the connected Prime Fiction. Which, sadly, is something that isn't always demonstrated.

How does this mission violate PF? A branch of the Serpentis, which is a HUGE criminal organization, is working with the FIO. Why is it strange to consider that, hey, maybe a part of the honorless criminals would not toe the "company" line that the Federation is bad? Real life members of organized crime provide information to law enforcement all the time. Some for long periods of time while still participating in criminal activities.

[Merahl]

This is interesting. The Sarpati family and the Serpentis corporation are known to be "increasingly antagonistic to the Gallente" and to let only criminals of Caldari background to their higher echelons. Apparently, when the price is right, they are willing to forget their faction loyalties and even collaborate with FIO.

This assumes that the mission content writers have even the slightest idea about the connected Prime Fiction. Which, sadly, is something that isn't always demonstrated.

How does this mission violate PF? A branch of the Serpentis, which is a HUGE criminal organization, is working with the FIO. Why is it strange to consider that, hey, maybe a part of the honorless criminals would not toe the "company" line that the Federation is bad? Real life members of organized crime provide information to law enforcement all the time. Some for long periods of time while still participating in criminal activities.

It seems to me that any mission contents would be reviewed by Storyline and Content, just like all other text in the game. Something blatantly unconventional likely  would not make it past review.

[Casiella]

Given that the until-recently-most-wanted Whitey Bulger was an informant himself, I don't see why this seems unbelievable, myself.

[Katrina Oniseki]

OR, maybe the mission agent and her/his superiors were misinformed or simply had the wrong idea. Maybe there is no cooperation between Serpentis and FIO.

[Ken]

Very possible.  It's a big cluster. 

imo, the least likely suggestion is that the content of mission text is carefully reviewed for consistency.

[Matariki Rain]

imo, the least likely suggestion is that the content of mission text is carefully reviewed for consistency.

I keep wondering if there's a way to crowdsource the collation and smoothing of PF without making us all part of Mercury.

That does come back to our good will -- a little strained of late -- and their willingness and ability to coordinate volunteers, even if that's the loose coordination of having a noticeboard of "topics we're focusing on" and allowing/encouraging us to drag out the relevant pieces of "world" and have threads where we discuss theories.