Several questions regarding a new faction idea

[Mere_Mortal]

Greetings all,

I've got a few necessary questions and, please excuse my self-centered nature here in not searching for the appropriate answers, but I honestly don't have the time on this public network to be able to find all relevant information that may reside on the forums. No point in reiterating anything already said, links would be great if informative pages are already available. Thanks for understanding.

Well, first of all...I've been offline for some time now, I don't even know if my accounts are still live, this in fact leads to my first question for I cannot determine it without getting FL online...

• Are accounts deleted after a certain period of inactivity? I'm looking at about 3 months now.
  

Regardless of the answer to the above, I feel I need a new approach to the server so a fresh start would be appropriate in a sense, but that would entail the loss of about a three-quarter's of a billion in assets. But hey, such is life and life goes on. Anyway, my idea is to spearhead an unofficial faction, I say unofficial because I am not in the position to create an official faction, but even an unofficial one will of course take time and this is but the beginning of my research into establishing its feasability. So, to the relevasnt questions...

• Are there any costs or other requirements relating to unofficial factions (not including anything covered by the server rules, particularly regarding role-play)?
  
• Are there any official or unofficial factions relating to Interspace Commerce (not including [IND])?
  
• Is [IND] essentially a rogue branch of IC? After all, smuggling is not really an acceptable method of profiteering so far as a lawful company would be concerned.
  
• If not, is [IND] an authorative body of IC, or actually or similar to a franchise?
  
• What is the diplomatic position of Bonn Station in New Berlin and also of IC operatives within Rheinland? Given the dire situation between Liberty & Rheinland, it must be a nervous if not worse.
  

Now, as I said...if this is ever to happen, I have a lot of background planning and direct performance to achieve in order to overcome the initial hurdles, never will I deny the monumentous scale of the challenges that would like ahead of myself and the proposed group. The actual details of the group, including heirarchy, regulations, diplomacy, funding and so forth have already seen drafting and I already have some documents saved from several relevant pinned topics that should assist me in furthering my notes. Some of the details will even be confidential due to role-play reasons.

What I ultimately want to achieve here is the creation of a stable and active part of Interspace Commerce. Despite its presence in each of the main houses (not including Gallia of course), there are no real IC players, except those that use the ID in difference to the generic trader option but have no real concern for its stations or practices. With all due respect intended towards to [IND], especially given that, so far as I believe, some or most of its members are in fact Admin, I have personally witnessed them smuggling and docking with unlawful bases. I know that they are legally permitted to do so under server rules, but anybody using a generic IC ID would not be allowed to do this and, as such, I don't believe that [IND] can actually represent the true face of IC in any way, shape or form. Other than [IND], there really are not, at least in my experience, any dedicated IC players. This is unfortunate since IC is in a prime position to act as a go-between for its allied companies and, in some cases, including LN and LPI, possibly even extending to the Bretonian forces, but with the ultimate aim of neutrality between each house, as opposed to promoting one's cause over another, whether by word or by action (of course, IC's main concern is Liberty, but that should be practiced with as much respect as possible for other houses, including Rheinland). IC is also in a good position to provide some form of security to traders, by contract of course, whether by means of escort allied or independent traders within IC's zones of interest or by insuring their cargo, in part or in full (although insurance is actually a sensitive matter due to the potential for abuse by clients, abuse that may not even constitute as cheating, although a very specific, new rule could assist this. Basically, I'm talking about fake piracy for the purpose of duping the insurer). I would also propose that IC can act as a form of default (in other words, non-contracted, or of course a contract can apply) security for its allies (but probably not including police/navy, unless explicitly requested) but only within either the zones of interest or possibly only the systems in which IC has a station. This would of course be subject to PvP regulations and any company policies regarding such will always have due consideration for the rules, all members would be expected to oblige. Any PvP involving IC should be the subject of restraint since the company is not of military-mind, it is a commercial entity, but with that said the security of its own and of its allies' profits matter greatly in a world ridden with criminals.

Without going right into the nitty-gritty details, there isn't really much more I can add or ask at this time, but I will certainly note that if it were to ever happen, it would only be so once I have established a permanent internet connection at home, hopefully that'll happen before the summer so that, by the time 4.85 has began to take good shape, I might be in a good position to put all my preparation into practice after some good honest trading has build up the necessary funds required (to be honest, that's looking like the figure needed for an official faction, like a half-billion).

Much of this cannot be established by my own ideas, input from others, particularly the experienced members of the community and also potential or existing members of the project, will be essential. But that will only be necessary if I can indeed establish the foundations that would make for realistic future targets.

If anybody has anything they would like to add, please feel free to do so.

Thanks for your consideration of this matter,

M_M