Just one little thing LoneTiger, there is a big difference between tag and ID.
Tag refers to the NPC affiliation next to a players name. Often named the IFF system. This refers to "who" the character is (with).
The ID tells other players what the character is.
So a mercenary with an Outcast tag would be: a mercenary who has a strong friendship/business relationship with the Outcasts.
Keep those in mind, ships and weapons are quite similar to the tag. While an outcast may eventually acquire a Spatial, fellow outcasts probably would not trust him. He is using an enemy ship, so there's the issue of pride there. Many factions use their own ships as they believe they are supremely crafted and designed.