New Player: First Impression of Discovery and it's learning curve.

[LaWey]

1) Tags shows only player's factions. They all only represent some bunch of more wide existing inlore NPC-faction. Nobody not bother to know all tags, because everyone can make it, it can be joke, or will disappear after some days. That thing just for fast identification between themselves mostly. If you encounter man with unknown for you tag, just treat him as IFF transponder say, and make your own opinion about player's faction, or just straight ask who they are if situation allow that.

For example, when i play Coalition character, most of mercenaries/shipping/freelancer companies tags means nothing for me, i can dont know who they are and even not bother myself by it. How they react, and what IFF they have, that more important.

Player list important thing, but only for finding encounter. That defenitely not "necessary tool" for RP.
Another example - when i play for Ageira character, i dont much bother to look in player list, because it can ruin fun from suprising encounter of pirate ambush. That list mostly used for counterlog player (to represent reaction on entering in guarded system for example) or for hunt players (as bounty hunters/mercenaries) or just for finding somebody when you boring (in gallia for example)

If you are really interesting in some faction, for example you like their RP, or you have nice encounters with them, or they most encountered faction in some zone, so you just want know more about them, there always list of unofficial factions(but not all can be listed, because they just dont give request for list), and entire forum section for official ones.

And most of them, who still not entire dead, want more players. Many of them will be glad to play with new faces

2) For challenge there still exist concept from vanilla game - missions in stations bar. You can grade challenge by choosing mission of needed level or by required objective (relog/redock for get another set of missions in station bar)

it could be done in groups, it allow make moneys, its allow up reputation with some NPC factions, in other words - that still very important part of gameplay. That indeed what you can grind. If you feel that small for you, okay there some guarded zones with spawn of very dangerous NPC (and no less dangerous counterlogging players)

Also, take all from zero point still a thing. You can fly as freelancer, knowing about world around you, make missions on NPC-faction bases and bribe for obtaining reputation, and after this buy indie ID of interesting you faction. That still a thing even not for new players.

That restart needed mostly not for new players, but for that who need more and more characters. Also you cant play every character as former freelancer. For example, it would be strange if you somehow as human freelancer inRP evolute in nomad Morph Or if every character would be freelancer from planet Eire. That just..common thing for RP games, choose start for specify your character.

4) Official factions already have their own shining ship/mining bonuses/some sweety rules and some another things. But more important - their action have weight and mostly direct impact on discovery lore. That in really even more drive factions become officials than ships or other stuff - become a part of creator of Sirius storyline, not just pawn in story arks (at least try it ye).

5) Forums baed yeah. Need to addict to this. Topics have tendention be with not easy for search names, and this crap with 3-4 letters search which make unable seek faction by tags (its possible, but through another way, like player activity tracker, for seeking full characters names or full faction name on faction activity tracker). I can only advise learn search and addict to it.