concerning factions and their influence

[Hidamari]

but it would also make the server even less accessible - less newbie friendly.

Freedom doesn't necessarily means better. Direct or indirect pointing out people to join factions for whatever reason could actually help the newcomers a lot more than letting them fly in a space they simply don't understand.
Its the factions what are/should help out those people to understand the server roleplay and gameplay, and especially make them stay here.

Very much this, I try to recruit new players and if they do join they learn at about 500 times the normal speed at which they would have if left to roam unwittingly.

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