Should official factions have more power?

[reavengitair]

Yes.

Why? Faction creators paid 500million credits. I don't think this should go to nothing.

Official factions should have power to restrict some ships, and make "tiny influences" on how the NPC faction should turn out in future discovery versions.

[Benjamin]

I voted 'yes'. For official factions representing NPC factions, they should 'be' that NPC faction. While stuff like denying docking rights would be cool in theory, I basically see it as impossible to not abuse. But policing their own indies (read: indie battleships who just sit around being no good to anyone) up to and including the extent of restricting ships (gunboats and above I suppose), being able to engage in lasting diplomacy with other factions whilst representing their entire (NPC) faction, stuff like that would be excellent.
As for official factions that don't represent NPC factions, or several factions representing one NPC faction, I get ambivalent. I guess for the ones with no real presence, it doesn't really matter either way. For latter, the Corsair Council of Elders thing seems pretty well-grounded, and that could be granted these powers. I have no idea what goes on in Outcast land, but those are the only two factions represented by more than one official faction to my knowledge. Could just grandfather those guys in and then not have more official factions for factions that already have official factions, I guess. While it fits to some extent for Corsairs and Outcasts, it doesn't really fit for anyone else (zoners too I guess, but they have a council or some such already?), and it definitely doesn't help the situation of giving them more power.

The other side of this benefit should be a lot closer 'monitoring' of official factions - if they are representing the entire NPC faction on the server, they should require the mandate of the whole community to do so. Criticisms shouldn't be brushed aside on account of 'we have done loads of RP for this for years!' or other such non-arguments, nor on the basis of the person criticising them being new, unpopular, or just kind of a moron.

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Join Cryer Pharmaceuticals

[Baltar]

Well ... guess I'm the lonely NO vote ... or at least the 1st NO vote.

The only way I would change my vote to YES is if the official faction leadership operated with a bit of restraint and maturity. Merc bans and such are annoying as all get out. Don't care how in role play you think it is ... it totally disrupts everyone else from having fun on the server. If these faction leaders wanna do role play bans ... then they need to be specific. Ban a specific faction (official or unofficial) ... ban individual mercs that misbehave and such. But generic bans on an entire ID pisses me off to no end.

Official factions with too much power tend to dominate everything ... we don't need some lone immature dictator ruining everyone else's fun just so they can have a power trip.

[hack]

Voted yes.

(Space held until I wake up and can logically explain why)

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Formerly known as LPI Police Chief Hull O'Brien.
Creator of Sgt. V. Price, 207th Precinct out of Chula Vista Station

[n00bl3t]

Shockingly, I do not mind the factions having more power, as long as it is used responsibly, and is monitored.

Some solid groundwork needs to be established before a push is made this way, in terms of server rules.

For instance, in no way, shape or form should monetary deposits influence who gets to fly what ship. Forum RP must also not be made compulsory. Things like this, should be sorted out so that these newfound powers are not abused. (Which, they easily can be.)

Furthermore, there should be a way to over-rule a faction decision. An appeal to Admins or a council of some sort which decides what factions can and cannot do, on a case by case basis.

(No more than seven of course Dusty.:P)

Edit: Have abstained from voting, until I see a proposed groundwork with protocols for factions to operate under.

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Anything I say is not intended as offensive, and to try and deliberately misinterpret it as such would be an attempt at trolling via misrepresentation.

It's not a conspiracy, it's localised bias. They're not intelligent enough to form a conspiracy.

[reavengitair]

Just a question, would you say any of the current official factions abuse power?

[VincentFerrex]

I'm very much for the constant and diligent monitoring of the official faction in question.

If a somewhat large group of players are to be roleplaying the NPC faction, naturally, they should stick and hold to what's canon to the NPC faction, and the Admins are here to guide them. However, changes in the RP of the faction can gradually change, with watchful eyes of the Administrating team, to make sure that it doesn't get out of hand, and doesn't go against what is vanilla in Freelancer.

However, it would mean more work for the Admins. How about several more Admins just charged with the task of keeping an eye on the official factions? Or, even make another administrative group for that.

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[Cyberanson]

We have, however, collected a bevy of lessons thus far which nicely demonstrate the destructive tendencies of either moving too closely towards factions maintaining an iron grip to the detriment of the region, such as Rhienland of old, or to when factions can do absolutely nothing save look on in frustration, such as the Rheinland of today.

we don't need some lone immature dictator ruining everyone else's fun just so they can have a power trip.

I'd like to combine these two posts, as it shows exactly the problem, in my opinion. Let's take the situation in Rheinland: we have the Gottkanzler as the lone dictator and the Rheinland Military enforcing the law with high brutality. If this isn't what you want to see, then join the Red Hessians, the Volksfront, or fight the military as a lone terrorist with one of those IDs. Nobody will stop you from doing so... and that's the point!

A faction occupies a certain territory, enforces the local laws. You can follow these laws or fight them. If you don't choose one of these possibilities, then stay the heck out. There is a lot of space out there, which you can discover.

I'm totally for this system, as it stands for the essence of 'Free'-lancer.

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[jimmy Patterson]

im mixxed on this not voteing but if factions have more power mabye make an indie councle or liasion so say my lil group im in with nath(the[1st]) can do there thing yet stipll possably inluence polocy serverside

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kudos tommeh for sig

[n00bl3t]

Just a question, would you say any of the current official factions abuse power?

If the notice about factions not dictating role-play was not up I could pretty much guarantee some factions would take draconian steps against pvp-orientated players without an "official" tag, thereby harming independents as a whole.

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Anything I say is not intended as offensive, and to try and deliberately misinterpret it as such would be an attempt at trolling via misrepresentation.

It's not a conspiracy, it's localised bias. They're not intelligent enough to form a conspiracy.