3) if so ... what should be done to better things?
( 4) how would a perfect inRP reaction would have looked like in last years events ( which is why we still argue about it ) ) <--- only if you do know the background
1.) This depends on what you mean by screwed up. Have the Zoners strayed from their lore and gotten themselves into a difficult situation? Yes. Did you deviate from the path you original sought as factions? Yes.
2.) The first and most major thing I feel contributed to what the Zoner factions did wrongly was in trying to use lore to justify neutrality, rather than making neutrality through your own actions as players. For example, many references were made to the Corsair-Zoner neutrality. Okay, that's great. Zoners supply Corsairs, Corsairs would have problems without Zoner supply. This is true. Problem is, very few Zoners were actually PLAYING OUT that supply. You pointed to infocards to defend yourself, rather than pointing to evidence of your trade runs and supply dropoffs to their bases. This is where you went wrong. If you want to maintain your neutrality, you have to actually do it through your own actions. Pointing at lore that you aren't playing out yourselves is not good enough.
The second thing is being so combative, militaristic, aggressive, and defiant. Omicroners in particular on this one. You're rude, aggressive, defiant against other factions. It's not a surprise to anyone the kind of reactions you get from other factions. The Omicroners aren't the least liked Zoner faction just because some people decided one day to hate you. Every person sources their own fate. If you're hated, it's because you did something to anger those people. If you're targeted and shot at, there is a reason why people did that action.
Let me use an example. [GC] and Kiretsu. There is a reason the two factions are viewed rather differently by other players and factions. That is because we operate differently, we have extremely different diplomacy. We both source our own reputation. [GC] is known to be very open and welcoming, friendly. Kiretsu are known as hardcases and rude and arrogant. Why? Because we act that way. Just like [GC] acts more friendly and openly.
The Omicroners have earned their reputation through their actions. If they hadn't, they wouldn't have that reputation.
Try to look at everything as feedback. Even if someone is horribly biased, angry, etc. It's still a form of feedback. People call the Omicroners paranoid and conspiracy junkies. Why? Because what you say and do makes us feel that way. People say you're aggressive, rude. Why? Because we feel that way due to how you communicate with us.
Take me for example. A lot of Zoners that don't know me very well personally consider me a Zoner-hater, think I'm out to "get the Zoners", and just want to shoot them and hurt them for OORP reasons. This isn't true at all, far from it. I've always liked the Zoner faction, and that's why I had a Zoner character for so long. I'm viewed this way by a lot of you because of my actions. I disagree with your opinion of me, but I also know that I'm the source of your opinions. The way I used my character created that opinion you hold of me. Could I have done the character in a different way so as not to get that reputation? Probably. Did I not clarify some actions/comments that were misunderstood? Not as well as I thought I had. While I disagree with the opinion some of you hold of me, and don't like that opinion, I also don't hate you just because you have that opinion. All I can do is try to source a change in that opinion through my actions. Complaining on the forums and skype and calling conspiracies against people won't change your opinion. In fact, it'll worsen it.
That is what you've been doing. Instead of trying to convince people otherwise through your actions, you're justifying their opinion of you. And you're ignoring their feedback and not mending your ways.
There is obviously a large contingent of this community who feels you've screwed up rather massively. Could they be wrong? Yes. Could they be right? Yes. Regardless, that is their opinion, and it is feedback you should listen to, regardless of how it is presented to you. We learn better from our failures than our successes.
The biggest problem with humanity is our pride. We don't like to admit we are wrong, to be weak and vulnerable. But the best way to earn someone's trust or to change their opinion of you is to admit that you're wrong when it is possible that you are/were. I think admitting that the Zoners have screwed up would go a long way towards fixing your problems. Admit you made a mistake, find out what you need to do to fix it, and let go of your assumptions of others.
3.) My advice; Contact the Corsairs, apologize, offer them support, supplies, anything you can. Instead of treating them as enemies, make them friends. Apologize to those you have held grudges against, against those you have been rude to. But don't only apologize; Make sure to SHOW a different way of behaving. Don't say you're neutral, be neutral. Don't say you supply factions, do supply them. Reform the Zoners by example. Choose a vision of what you want the Zoners to be, and go out and make it happen. Not by being rude, demanding, controlling, but by being polite, supportive, respectful. I think this is what people want to see from the Zoners, and from the Omicroners especially.
4.) There is no such thing as a perfect RP reaction. You reacted as you felt you should at the time. It didn't work out very well, okay. Remember that and try over. I'm not going to say what the best way to respond would have been, because there is no best. It's over, it's time to move on and focus on the present, not the past.
![[Image: DFinal.png]](http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b328/Luciaden/DFinal.png)