' Wrote:Nooblet,

There are only two IDs in the game that are not faction IDs, and both of them are prepatory IDs. First, the civilian. This ID is basically a flashing light that says, "I'm a noob, don't shoot!" It's only purpose is to allow the player to prepare for joining one of the factions. Second, the recruit. This ID tells the other players, "Yes, I know my equipment and diplomatics don't mach my tag, I'm fixing that as fast as I can." It's only purpose is to allow established players to change thier faction.

The "generic" IDs are still faction IDs. First, lets look at the definition of faction. A faction is a group of people who express a shared belief or opinion different from people who are not part of that group. When you fly with the Mercenary ID, you are associating yourself with all other mercenaries. You are a group of pilots who:

Can trade and escort Traders
Can fulfill lawful and unlawful bounty contracts
Cannot pirate, but can provide security services for pirates who are pirating if paid to do so. Mercenaries can only fire on traders or smugglers in self-defense or if the trader or smuggler fires on or is bountied by the mercenary's employer
Cannot demand contraband unless specified in employer's bounty
Cannot use any transports with more than 3,800 cargo
Can only fly Fighters, Freighters, Transports, and Gunboats.

These limitations, though looser than many, tell you about the beliefs of the faction. Mercenaries, as a whole, don't care who paid for the hit. Mercenaries disdain pirating, but they have no compunction about protecting pirates. Mercenaries aren't lawmen, so they don't care if somebody else is carrying contraband. I could go on, but I'm sure everybody gets the picture. A generic faction is still a faction, with it's own specific characteristics.

Now lets talk about the rules. If you find a player violating role play, you can snap a screen shot and send it to the Administration. First, the administrators are busy people. They have plenty to do, and that means that there is going to be, either a considerable time lag, or they will have to take time off from other important tasks. Second, there are hundreds of us, and only a handful of them. Keeping track of repeat offenders is going to be difficult enough because of sheer numbers, let alone name changes. In the mean time the violator is still busy violating and disrupting the play of the players who are following the rules. In the offical factions, this kind of problem is often resolved in a day, sometimes even a matter of hours. With Independants I have seen the process drawn out to a week and the average is a few days. A lot of damage is done in that time that could be prevented.

As for the power official factions have over independants, the leaders can give independants minor orders. If the independant declines the order, the faction leaders may role play thier unhappiness, and a court-martial. If the independant still declines the order the leaders of the official faction can order the independants death. If the Independant continues to decline the order then they can request that the Independant be changed to hostile with thier faction. The only one of these that puts any real pressure on the Independant is changing it to hostile, and once again we have the process to go through while he/she continues violating.

You ask what kind of situations the official factions can't handle with thier current power. They cannot deal with players who don't care if they anger the factions. The punishments, excepting the last, are so light as to be rediculous. So, those who are breaking cannon, and know it, do so with the full knowledge and acceptance of what the consequences are. If this happens, then the consequences are not astringent enough.

The traders who dock nine or ten times on restricted bases because they can make three times as much as at the accepted bases. The pirates who pirate a dozen traders in restricted areas because there is more traffic there. The player that spends most of thier time in restricted space. These players are violating thier roles and know that, generally speaking, they are only going to get told to stop. A few hours, a day maybe, and they are back at it again. This is the kind of thing the factions can't handle, because they don't have the power to put a real stop to it. This is the kind of widespread ooc violations that official factions can efficiently police amongst thier own players, because of thier power to levy stricter rules and punishments, but cannot among independant players.

' Wrote:Nooblet,

I gave you the definition of faction and yet you still persist denying it. Nowhere in the definition of the word is there anything that says that a faction has to have a leader. It is amazing how you ignore what you don't want to be true. Corsairs and Outcasts aren't in the same faction, because they have differing ideals. Just because they agree on some things doesn't make them one and the same. It's the differences that define them. Sharing ideals that are different from others ideals is the very definition of a faction. Look it up.

Yes, it is actually a rule, if a faction leader gives you an order and you are and independant of that faction, you do have to carry out the order.

RIGHT 2) Official factions have authority over players of the same NPC affiliation, as long as RP justification is provided. This authority applies in forums and in-game, and applies to player faction diplomacy, and strategic and tactical direction. However, exercise of that authority, on the forums and in game, is restricted to official faction members with the rank of the official faction leader and one rank below him/her. The authority may be exercised through the use of in-game in-RP orders, which, if not obeyed, can result in in-game in-RP consequences (arrest, court martial, and even "lethal" force in extreme circumstances). Official Factions cannot, under any cicrumstances, require another player to follow non-canon RP if that player doesn't want to.

The fact that independants disregard the rules just illustrates my points. The majority of the Independants are not following the rules of thier factions, let alone the rest of the game. The factions cannot be expected to follow the rules if the Independants do not have to. And they certainly can't be said to have the power to stop violators if an established player like yourself doesn't even know the rules he is breaking.

Also, I have never once stated that offenders should be banned. In fact, my suggestions have all been in game elements. I want to give the factions the ability to enforce the rules they are supposed to be able to now. I want Independants limited because it is far to easy for the system to be abused as it stands. I want rewards for official factions to encourage participation, role play, and fair play.

And finally, I illustrate my points with civil language, providing the proof of my statements, and ask that those disobeying the rules be punished for thier violations. And despite this, you call me a six year old. I am going to lower my standards for just a few moments, now. I am going to point out your flaws.

1: You deny the facts of the matter. [Definitions of words and clearly stated rules.]
2: You fail to provide proof of your arguements.
3: You fail to do research on the matter.
4: You take quotes out of context, ignoring what you do not want to aknowledge.

Quote:1 : a party or group (as within a government) that is often contentious or self-seeking : clique
2 : party spirit especially when marked by dissension

' Wrote:Definition #1 implies there is some sort of organization or group striving for some sort of goal. Definition #2 is entirely political. Both of these imply leadership and structure. What is structured about a Mercenary working for himself trying to make a buck? Also, what is the official faction that can dictate to independent mercenaries/freelancers/generic pirates what to do as you clearly want?

' Wrote:As it stands now no official faction represents their entire faction as a whole (this is how indies exist), so each official faction is a faction of the larger faction. If I lost you, sorry. Use a dictionary and figure it out for yourself.