Elitism? It's simply amazing how people read but don't understand.
First of all, elitism is imposed by individual players saying "why should I join and lose when I can stay alone and win"
Those statements make those that do join the factions - elite. They have it harder.
But I agree, factions need to promote roleplay. I remember when I invited few indie traders to join the Kishiro convoy. Then we started, and when he realized the route makes 2mil less per hour, he abandoned us to do some runs to Bretonia trough Kusari. Cause that's easier right?
Most of the indies here on the forum are good sort of people.
I'll tell you who cripples the roleplay:
*People that would change their ID to avoid a problem. (Sudden Samura ID ships transporting ore, cause Hogosha doesn't attack them)
*People that change ID according to where's more money to make not where's their rp taken them. (Sudden Hogosha appearances with no respect for Kusari Codex)
*People that take the ID that will have the least piracy problems, and not based on their roleplay (These were Zoners before, most of them)
And I'm sure you can say you've met more than one person for each example of this. I know I have. I can even name them few without looking at any screenshots or something like that. Heck, one guy was selling the ship with flavor text "Samura ID and AFF, you wont get pirated by hogosha carrying ore"
Now what cripples rp? Elitism, or people thinking they're "smarter" than rest of "stupid sheep" that try to roleplay and do it by the rules