Note on The Order policies

[Drake]

5. But what if say Kusari and Bretonia decided not to fight anymore? A perfectly valid treaty was brought to pass after months of deliberation and stellar RP. Would that mean 4.85 would contain an entire ceasefire? I doubt it.

Well, the Mollys were considered for lawful status, before it was agreed upon by everyone that it was best if the RP'd treaty fell through.

[Reverend Del]

Regarding the first point 3 if you spot one PM me the link, unofficial factions got to recruit the hard way, in game. Promotes activity.

Point 5 is not guaranteed. I think I mentioned that. In fact i'd go so far as to say it's not likely, but it can happen as Drake suggested.

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Saint Del is considered a holy healer of diseases of children, but also as a protector of cattle.

[Niezck]

That's not really aiding official factions, that's just repressing unofficial factions. Which, really, is a little harsh. And also forces upon them the attitude of just playing in game, since if they go on the forums then they're being told they should go back in game.

[Nevearo]

-THE- question has been one that has been debated in my own faction. We came to the conclusion 500 million is much better spent on other activities. An official recruitment topic isn't needed, since recruits will find you In-game or PM you if they are really that interested in joining

The reason we are continuing to continue to request official faction at all is as a way to get a "Special RP" as a collective group. We want our "Space Gypsy" style of play. Some IDs allow it, but we will not have a good RP basis without a Capital ship as a "Base".
In the end, it is very likely we will be out 500 million, be badly burned, and decide never to become official, since there is no benefit if you take away the ability to have a "Special RP" status as a faction and have no desire for a home system.

Sure, 500 million is pocket change... to people who power trade. Maybe with 4.85, RP trade will become valuable enough that it might someday become pocket change to me. Either way, it equals out to 100 hours of gameplay at my rate. With 10 people playing 8 hours a day, it is more than a day to get it. Now factor in the fact it IS trade, and your likely to only get maybe 3 hours a day out of each person. That is assuming all your members have time. I generally have difficulty putting in more than 8 hours a WEEK in freelancer. Consider the cost to setup a new trader being about an hour worth of trading at all, and any fighter character worth about three hours of trading, if not more, and you get an enormous timesink for setting up a clan before it is even approved.
500 Million is a major investment for anyone who actually cares about RP. The value for it is only in the fact that your base RP is accepted even if it has a little deviation. If you restrict the deviation, then only the ability to buy a system remains of value.
Is that really of any value though? I don't know. I know that my group isn't interested in a home system though.

[Drake]

That is another potential benefit of official factions: They have the opportunity to get a Special RP Request OK'd for the entire group, rather than for individual characters. That's a big deal if you're playing something even remotely non-standard.

Also, something I've noticed in my time here: People tend to take official factions more seriously.

[Igiss]

Reasons to become official? Aknowledged power to represent the NPC faction in role-playing. Aknowledged right to own a system. I'm just mentioning the main reasons. You can't say that being official is useless. If any faction here wants to be devoid of its official status... well, with a good system I bet that another group will arise very soon to take its place.

System modders have much more freedom if they are creating systems for factions. Creating other systems is allowable only in specific pre-arranged cases.

[Malaclypse 666]

Stuff is being discussed again, please standby for another clarification. I'm also certain you'll be told to wait for another one after that as somebody else will have something else to take issue with. Can we not have a little patience please?

Notes to self:

Put out milk and cookies for Igiss Claus and his Elves. They must be exhausted by now!

Review "Bafflin' Pentabarf". De Law be de Law.

Put extra presents in Drake's stocking for the nice TAZ plug.

Hang mistletoe at Coronado and Tau 29 jumpholes.

Now, everyone wait for the nice men to exit the chimney before opening your presents.

Noel,
Mal

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[Unseelie]

Aknowledged power to represent the NPC faction in role-playing.

See, thats a huge blanket term, and recently, its been under a lot of fire. What, exactly, does this aknowlegement give them? The right to dictate what is cannon? not anymore, and perhaps it never was there. The right to act out of cannon? Everyone has that right. The right to force changes...nope...

I'm not saying thats not an attractive offer. I'm just not sure what the fine print is. And thats what I'm interested in, the fine print. What, exactly, can a Faction do, that an Unofficial Faction or a lone indie cannot, in regards to their

Aknowledged power to represent the NPC faction in role-playing.

?

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[Magoo!]

Consider your views as it is on unofficial factions.

You see somebody flying by with a tag you've never heard of, you're inquisitive. You ask them, more often than not you'll get, "Teh [MLPH] are the Master Lord Prime Hackers!" or something equally rediculous. And in-game, they don't know the pecking order or much else beyond server rules. Sure, sometimes you get people who introduce themselves to the forums, but usually its some weird guy you've never seen who goes about his business in Group Chat and not much else.

Think now, on the LN or the BAF or RM. You see them and know that they are official. That they are primier RPers. That they are senior members of this community and are note-worthy characters by their own processes of trial and error.

That is the benefit of becoming official.

[Nevearo]

...

Think now, on the LN or the BAF or RM. You see them and know that they are official. That they are primier RPers. That they are senior members of this community and are note-worthy characters by their own processes of trial and error.

That is the benefit of becoming official.

Actually that's the benefit of time and visibility. Anyone can be in that situation, including unrecognized factions. It just takes staying out of Group chat and visiting the forums. I'm curious to know exactly how the "Acknowledged power to represent the NPC faction in role-playing" works, since the system-owning end of officialdom doesn't appeal to my group, and we are planning to RP exiles.

Our attraction is "Special RP status", but when we get turned down and are out 500 million, what then? What encouragement are we to have to try again? What does "Acknowledged power to represent the NPC faction in role-playing" really mean that is different from being non-official?