(]c[) Zoners Trading Consortium

[werner]

Lastly, given the naming scheme and all, is the Zoners Trading Consortium, Ltd. registered in some particular House, or perhaps all of them? The name is implying government regulation to me.

[font=Palatino Linotype]*uncertain* Well, according to my knowledge, the company was registered on Gran Canaria, in the Court Register which is located there... at least so I have been informed by our Legal Department... Please let me talk to our lawyers, we will clarify this.

Ship use wise, isn't there going to be a Zoner transport restriction? So wouldn't you need Zoner Guard to use the Whale? Alternately, is that just for the time being with different future plans? You may also want to be more specific with the equipment usage - while GMG/Order ships may fit ally-wise, if you're going to be trading through certain places it could produce a problem. For instance, Order ships or weapons in Liberty seems like a potential for problems.

[font=Palatino Linotype]As to the traders, we have taken the assumption that the joining pilots have to gain the reputation of the Zoner Guards in order become the Consortium members. And to become a trading pilot (with a second character), one should have to be already a member of the security department.

As to the equipment - suggestions noted. We will take it into account while proposing some more specific equipment standards.

Agreed, zoners are not factional by nature but free and independant spirits who left the core systems to get away from factionalism and hierarchies, they are the least likely to band together into a group with formal command and control structures.

[font=Palatino Linotype]This approach I tried to justify in my answer to a similar question at the end of my previous post. I hope you find the arguments reasonable.

The military side bothers me as well, my zoner trader has spent a long time building up a working relationship with various pirate groups on my trade route, the last thing I want is a bunch of fighters storming in to "clear a path" setting my diplomacy back to square one and putting me on the top of the OPG's Kill on Sight list.

[font=Palatino Linotype]A very good point sir. In fact, working out positive relationships with all the factions presents for us the highest priority. However our company is relatively young, we already managed to perform a humanitarian run to one of the planets inhabited by the unlawful faction (planning next ones). We managed to form positive relations with several unlawful factions, rooted in the Omegas as in Taus.

We have not started a single fight with anyone, although we have been pirated several times. We did perform two vindication missions. Both of them were finalized successfully, in a diplomatic way, without a single shot.

Force and the bounty putting instrumentary we treat as an ultimate solution, which we allow us to use only in extreme circumstances. Furthermore, such undertakings will be always analysed from the point of view of the Zoners as a whole. We feel responsible for the entire community and we are aware that we may influence it's overall image.

It says in your proposal that the military wing must have zoner guard tag and be neutral to every faction including all guard factions, I thought this was next to impossible to achieve and anyway why would it be necessary for the guards to enter systems that the traders couldn't?

[font=Palatino Linotype]Indeet it is very hard to achieve, however we require it quite strictly from our recruits. There are two reasons: the first reason is to filter out impatient, hot blooded pilots, who may present some risk of the roleplay decrease or provoking conflicts under our brand. We assume that having achieved that level of reputation, you praise your character very high and act more reasonably.

Second reason is more of a symbolic nature. Neutrality is for us not just another catchy slogan or a way to non-problematic trading. We really believe in the possibility of peaceful coexistence of all the nations thorough Sirius, and we would like to send some signal to the wide public: if we say we are neutral, you can rely on our word, since we are ready to do very much to achieve and keep the neutral relations with everyone.

The proposal looks very good, but I can't help thinking this is the type of proposal that should be for some house corp, not the Zoners. Why is it that 2 out of 3 official and unofficial trading factions are Zoner? Do you really want to be neutral to everyone so much? Come on this would be a great proposal for a Universal faction, or a Dauman or Kishiro. The reason I ask is there does not seem to much difference between this faction proposal and any other proposal for any trading faction, there doesn't seem to be anything that singles you all out as Zoners. Look at some of the other Zoner factions out there, they all have a bit of weirdness to them, probably because they spend so much time on the outskirts of the sector, outside of the houses. What is weird about you all? You seem way to Corporate to be a Zoner faction.

[font=Palatino Linotype]Well sir, I don't even dare to deny it. Yes, we are corporate and mercantile to the bone. It may happen that in our corporate design we may be similar to some other factions. Well, it's hard to avoid in such crowded system.

But as I tried to justify it in my previous answers: even the Zoners are subjects to the universal economy laws which sometimes force us to shape our commercial undertakings in some standardized, efficiency-driven form. Maybe it's the global economy whom we could blame?

Furthermore, in my opinion there is no real conflict between the mercantile mentality and between sharing the values of independence, freedom and tolerance. Yes, we are very devoted to keep neutral and peaceful relations with everyone who gives us a chance to it - this is the main justification for our very high reputation requirements.

Yet furthermore, as said before, we don't expect to be treated as typical Zoner representatives, since we are aware of the fact that most of our brothers are rather not extremely bound to hierarchy and structure. But again - we, as a couple of businesmen, felt like organizing ourselves in a more organized body. I hope there is a place for people like us in this most tolerant faction of Sirius.

I agree with three points already raised here:

1. Vindication policies are not the way Zoners have ever operated

2. A full integrated military lead by an "Admiralty" is not the way trading factions operate (escort wing yes, but not an active military with an Admiralty Board)

3. Your faction proposal would be far better suited if you were affiliated with a House Corporation, e.g. Universal, rather than the already over-used and abused Zoners.

That said, the proposal is by and large sensible and well written; I just feel that if the above points were addressed (or at least satisfactorily explained) then it would be an altogether much more solid looking proposal.

Just renaming your "Admirals" to "Security Wing Commanders" and changing some of the wording would make a big difference in my eyes.

[font=Palatino Linotype]To answer according to your points:
1. As said before, it shall be treated as an ultimate solution, we hope not to be forced to do this. Sofar two vindication missions were completed successfully without giving a single shot. And we don't want to change this statistics.

2. Yes, most probably this will be a subject to some changes during the nearest board meeting, thank you for emphasizing.

3. Values shared by the Zoners are not just empty words for us. We really implement them in our everyday activity, not just talk about them. We begin with ourselves, putting strict requirements as to our reputation; we do not engage in any military undertakings unless forced to or asked by our allies; we never bring/smuggle goods which are not welcome by any local faction; we do humanitarian runs. And we treat all the people of Sirius as equal.

The house systems with their military conflicts, taging people as lawful or not, are not the right place for people like us. And this cannot be changed only by the fact that we strive for the maximized profit in a most efficient, corporate manner.