I would like to propose we start using and eventually update the terms used for in-game and out-of-game friends, allies, and enemies. There seems to be confusion over what they are or what is meant when using some of these especially to newer players.
I believe RexXxus has mentioned he is going to re-do the entire alignment system so keep this in mind as well and hopefully this can aid him in selecting new/better/more clear terms for that system?
I believe the terms at present are:
Faction (game mechanic term supported by developers for your “guild”, might say closest friends?)
Alliance (RP term used on this server to represent a specific group in the storyline made up of many “factions”, but not supported mechanically by developers at present)
??? (RP term used to describe a group of “factions” with same ideal or principles for the story, but not a specific assigned RP alignment, this is also not a mechanical term used or supported by developers at present. Currently these are called Alliance, Pirate, Trader, Bounty Hunter, etc.)
Discussion of each term:
Faction is a term that the game developer use which we are pretty much stuck with unless the developer choose to rename it, and it works well enough it seems to fill the “guild” role.
Propose using Alignment to represent “RP factions” i.e. Alliance, Pirate, etc.to avoid confusing with game supported term “faction”.
Alliance is a RP term that fits the Homeworld universe and storyline and I believe can be a little confusing but something explainable and understandable to players once they are aware.
Propose using Coalition? This term needs to be simple and easy to convey meaning. Some games call these Coalitions (EVE ONLINE), other calls them Alliances (too confusing for this server as Alliance is a RP facton/alignment), and yet others call them Clans (maybe a little too primitive for a space game? I believe Coalition was very effective in a game like EVE Online to describe the out-of-game or METAgame organization of players that are not mechanically supported by developers. A coalition can even be a temporary partnership of differing alignments for common grounds or purposes.
Any feedback or discussion is welcome. This is all just my opinion, observation, and based on the confusion I had when joining the server.