Usefullness of trading factions. Or uselessness rather...

[Knjaz]

I'm confused as to what your complaint is now? That trading factions don't offer anything over being an indy trader? If so you are quite wrong. Trading factions are role play devices. You are right, if you are trading just for the credits to feed another character and you have no interest in trader role play, there is zero point in joining a trading faction. However, if you are interesting in trader role play then trading factions are for you. As a bonus you get to make a neat stack of credits too.

What would you suggest as a way to make them more useful in your opinion without screwing over indy traders? I mean, who says a faction trader deserves more than a indy trader?

Well, I personally do not trade and, therefore, I have no complaints about it. It was an answer to the "Trading faction inactivity / people unwilling to join". And to the thread topic too.

And as you may seen, I didn't propose to screw indy traders, did I?

1) I'm suggesting official trading faction member may be getting 120% of the profit, and indie 100%, NOT 80% for indie and 100% for official.

Edit:
P.S. And well... there's always another option to solve it - <strike>rebalance trading and trade routes.</strike> Meh, actually I'm not sure if rebalancing trade will solve official trading factions recruitment problems, since there's just no difference, except for RP part. At least, not that much difference to make people join and have the O.F. restrictions imposed on them.