Out of Character/Meta: Before joining a power, I thought to myself, rather than focus on the public propaganda and in-game benefits like special modules, why not see what the actual supporters say?
I set myself two rules:
1) First person I meet from a power who interacts with me (positively or negatively) is taken for the report.
2) No more than one representative per power.
Additional: Any commanders named in this thread have given their permission to be named and mods have given their permission to use names of those who gave permission. Those who did not give permission, or I just failed to ask and couldn’t track down, will be simply referred to by their power’s name. If you want to be named and read this, feel free to let me know, and ill add your name to the post.
Ship Details: An A class Sidewinder fitted with twin mining lasers and an FSD interdictor – because there is nothing funnier than interdicting a big ship in a sidewinder armed with mining lasers and seeing the reaction. It’s even funnier when you agree to let the other person go without killing them (it generated one or two amusing responses).
A BIG thank you to everyone who went along with the roleplay, joined in the fun, including those who are not mentioned in the report or just chatted to me along the way. It was good fun. It made my first extended time in Open in civilized space a highly positive experience and gives me hope for my future time in Open.
No hard feelings to the two commanders who killed me rather than be interviewed. It’s a shame you didn’t want to play along, but it provides some spice for the report.
A special shout out to the supporters of Archon Delaine! To be honest, if there was a power where I expected to get killed while trying to talk to, this was the one. However, my interactions with them were some of the best I had, and they were really willing to chat. I highly doubt I will choose Delaine as my power, but you guys did yourselves credit with your behaviour and if my Commander ever decides to embark on a life of crime, I would be happy to call you brothers-in-arms.
Now, on to the report….
In-character/roleplay part
A GALNET REPORT: A tour of the Powers – why do people join them and why should we?
My handle is Agony Aunt, and before you ask, I’m no lady. It’s a job you see, helping people out with their personal problems, offering advice… or at least it was back no Earth before I left. I’m quite well known in exploration circles, and a familiar face at Universal Cartographics. But having worked for media channels before on Earth, I decided to go on a tour of the powers, asking the supporters what made them tick, what got them interested in turning from the life of a mercenary to become a card carrying member of one of the galactic powers, with the problems and benefits that come with such status.
I hope readers find this report useful, should they find themselves considering which power to join themselves, and for existing supporters of powers… well, you might want to be having words with some of your supporters.
Li Yong-Rui
I started in Lambava, having just delivered a large amount of exploration data to the Surius Corp for their current exploration push. Naturally the first person I got to interview was a supporter of Li Yong-Rui. He was flying in supercruise around the system, and upon spotting him in his Cobra, I proceeded to interdict CMDR <Yong Supporter>… I mean, you have no idea how few people are willing to stop and talk to the press! Naturally this got me a fine, which I must remember to pay soon. And its not the only one… but I digress.
After some coaxing he gave the reason for his support. Money and Tech. Yes dear readers, no surprises here. Sirius Corp are quite clear in their goals, and so are their supporters.
Quote: “We are a corporation, not at nation that needs propaganda.”
Rating: Honest, clear in intentions, willing to talk to a member of the press. 10/10.
A Lavigny-Duval
Still in Lembava, and feeling rather pleased at getting my first reponse, I was interdicted by CMDR <A. Lavigny-Duval Supporter> flying an Imperial Clipper who supports Miss LD. Well, I thought, that saves me a trip, and opened comms. Only to be attacked! I had to eject and call upon the insurance company to pay out for a replacement ship. Well, that just won’t do I thought to myself, so left the station and sought out the commander again. I interdicted him and pulled him out of supercruise, and managed to get off a message about my mission. Unfortunately he did not want to listen, and destroyed my ship again. The insurance company was not going to be pleased about this.
Third time a charm I thought, and this time didn’t interdict, just tried to speak to the commander in supercruise. No responses at all. A shame, and unfortunately, that doesn’t enable me to write anything positive about Lady Duval.
Quote: None. They did not respond to a single comms request.
Rating: Unwilling to talk to the press. Attacking the press. Attacking someone in a Sidewinder who isn’t aligned to a power in a Clipper. Does not reflect well on their power. 0/10.
Archon Delaine
This particular part of the trip filled me with dread. I had heard a lot about Archon and his supporters, and fully expected to be calling up the insurance company once again and having to explain to them what I was doing flying a sidewinder in such hostile territory.
However, my meeting with one of the supports, a CMDR Jet D. Black was a positive experience. While he gave me due warning that I was flying in a dangerous region, he was happy to speak with me and explain his reasons.
In summary, it comes down to being honest about being a criminal. Some people hide behind false faces while committing crimes. Archon’s supports though have no shame about what they do. They know their lifestyles are not looked upon with favour by many, but they do not care. They acknowledge who and what they are, and seem to wear it like a badge of pride.
Quote: “If you like pirating or being a criminal, Archon is your man.”
Rating: Honest, clear in intentions, willing to talk to a member of the press. 10/10.
Pranav Antal
Antal’s HQ was swarming with Archon supporters, so it was no surprise that I had to visit a station to get an interview. Actually several people came forward with their thoughts. However, I as per my intentions to take a single report from each power, focused on <CMDR Antal Supporter>.
The main gist of the discussion was that they believed that through Antal they can gain more technology, which brings betterment of life for all.
Quote: “I think that with better technology comes better living, and with time, peace.”
Rating: Open, enthusiastic, clear in intentions, willing to talk to a member of the press. 10/10.
Zemina Torval
I found a Torval supporter near the HQ. They were well spoken and we had a good chat. CMDR Puzzle Plate explained they liked the idea of victory through finance and that peaceful means of victory were better than violent ones.
Quote: “Victory through finance!”
Rating: Willing to talk to a member of the press. No harassment. Open about their power and their reasons. 10/10.
Denton Patreus
<CMDR Patreus supporter> took some coaxing, and it had been trouble even finding a single supporter to speak with me. But undeterred I pushed forward and got a response. However, it wasn’t really the sort of response I was expecting from someone who has pledged support to a power.
Basically they said it was an alliance of convenience, and that they actually were hoping that Aisling would become the most powerful power in the Empire!
Quote: “I'm more interested in seeing (Aisling) Duval lead the Empire truthfully, hew views regarding war and slaves would be good for the galaxy.”
Rating: While honesty is appreciated, they did a terrible job of promoting their power. 1/10.
Aisling Duval
It was a fairly short trip to Miss Duval’s territory, and it wasn’t hard to find a supporter willing to talk about the princess. CMDR Judon did not offer anything surprising with their opening statement giving their initial reasoning as being “She is pretty”. This seems to be a common response from, as they are sometimes known, “Aislings Angels”. While people point to Antal as brainwashing people into supporting him, Aisling seems to have a hypnotic effect on the libidos of a high percentage of the galactic population.
However, with further digging this reporter discovered a bit of depth underneath the first layer of shallowness. The commander revealed that they supported her because unlike some others, she doesn’t see violence as the route to gaining influence, instead seeking ways of making progress through peaceful means.
Quote: “I’ll kill if I have to, but only if I have to.”
Rating: Initial shallowness gave way to a deeper response. 8/10.
Felcia Winters
With the last few powers remaining it was time to pay the Federation a visit. Unfortunately this wasn’t a great result. <CMDR Felcia Winters supporter> didn’t seem to muster up much excitement for their power. They basically said their reason was a matter of proximity to their home. No mention of ideologies or principles.
Quote: “Had to choose someone.”
Rating: The lack of enthusiasm for their power was not a good advertisement, but at least they were willing to talk a little. 2/10.
Zachary Hudson
Ah, a man of principles is Zachary. A strong leader who speaks his mind. Surely his supporters will provide a good example.
Unfortunately <CMDR Zachary Hudson supporter> didn’t do a good job of representing him.
I interdicted them in their Vulture for a chat. Unfortunately, they took offense to this, and warned my they would shoot if I didn’t let them go. Being unfazed by threats against the press, having faced them before, I informed them they were being recorded for Galnet. However, this didn’t faze them and <CMDR Hudson Supporter> opened fire. I returned the favour with my twin mining lasers, barely scratching his shields. This led them to carry out their threat and they destroyed my ship. Oh dear… that’s at least the 4th ship so far on this trip.
Quote: “<censored> off or I will kill you.”
Rating: Unwilling to talk to the press. Foul language and aggressive behaviour. Opening fire and destroying a ship carrying a member of the press. 1/10.
Edmund Mahon
The final one, and I had very high hopes. I have tactically supported the Alliance on a number of occasions and found their supports to be largely reasonable people. I was pleased to have this opinion confirmed. I met CMDR Mossfoot near the HQ station and they explained their reasons quite well.
The main idea was that the Alliance do not push their ideals on others, and therefore Mahon was basically a good guy to work for. A live and let live attitude. I think many of us can relate to that.
Quote: “ The Alliance seemed like the only sane choice in a galaxy full of buttheads.”
Rating: Open and honest. Gave good reasons. Talked to a member of the press. 10/10.
There you go dear readers, make of it what you want. Of course, due to the limited sample size you cannot take from this report that all of Archon’s supporters are reasonable people, or that all of Lavigny’s supporters are crazed killers. But as they say, first impressions last.
I now finish writing this report up and will submit to Galnet for their approval. I think I shall now have a few drinks for the night and consider all I have learned, before making my own decision.
I set myself two rules:
1) First person I meet from a power who interacts with me (positively or negatively) is taken for the report.
2) No more than one representative per power.
Additional: Any commanders named in this thread have given their permission to be named and mods have given their permission to use names of those who gave permission. Those who did not give permission, or I just failed to ask and couldn’t track down, will be simply referred to by their power’s name. If you want to be named and read this, feel free to let me know, and ill add your name to the post.
Ship Details: An A class Sidewinder fitted with twin mining lasers and an FSD interdictor – because there is nothing funnier than interdicting a big ship in a sidewinder armed with mining lasers and seeing the reaction. It’s even funnier when you agree to let the other person go without killing them (it generated one or two amusing responses).
A BIG thank you to everyone who went along with the roleplay, joined in the fun, including those who are not mentioned in the report or just chatted to me along the way. It was good fun. It made my first extended time in Open in civilized space a highly positive experience and gives me hope for my future time in Open.
No hard feelings to the two commanders who killed me rather than be interviewed. It’s a shame you didn’t want to play along, but it provides some spice for the report.
A special shout out to the supporters of Archon Delaine! To be honest, if there was a power where I expected to get killed while trying to talk to, this was the one. However, my interactions with them were some of the best I had, and they were really willing to chat. I highly doubt I will choose Delaine as my power, but you guys did yourselves credit with your behaviour and if my Commander ever decides to embark on a life of crime, I would be happy to call you brothers-in-arms.
Now, on to the report….
In-character/roleplay part
A GALNET REPORT: A tour of the Powers – why do people join them and why should we?
My handle is Agony Aunt, and before you ask, I’m no lady. It’s a job you see, helping people out with their personal problems, offering advice… or at least it was back no Earth before I left. I’m quite well known in exploration circles, and a familiar face at Universal Cartographics. But having worked for media channels before on Earth, I decided to go on a tour of the powers, asking the supporters what made them tick, what got them interested in turning from the life of a mercenary to become a card carrying member of one of the galactic powers, with the problems and benefits that come with such status.
I hope readers find this report useful, should they find themselves considering which power to join themselves, and for existing supporters of powers… well, you might want to be having words with some of your supporters.
Li Yong-Rui
I started in Lambava, having just delivered a large amount of exploration data to the Surius Corp for their current exploration push. Naturally the first person I got to interview was a supporter of Li Yong-Rui. He was flying in supercruise around the system, and upon spotting him in his Cobra, I proceeded to interdict CMDR <Yong Supporter>… I mean, you have no idea how few people are willing to stop and talk to the press! Naturally this got me a fine, which I must remember to pay soon. And its not the only one… but I digress.
After some coaxing he gave the reason for his support. Money and Tech. Yes dear readers, no surprises here. Sirius Corp are quite clear in their goals, and so are their supporters.
Quote: “We are a corporation, not at nation that needs propaganda.”
Rating: Honest, clear in intentions, willing to talk to a member of the press. 10/10.
A Lavigny-Duval
Still in Lembava, and feeling rather pleased at getting my first reponse, I was interdicted by CMDR <A. Lavigny-Duval Supporter> flying an Imperial Clipper who supports Miss LD. Well, I thought, that saves me a trip, and opened comms. Only to be attacked! I had to eject and call upon the insurance company to pay out for a replacement ship. Well, that just won’t do I thought to myself, so left the station and sought out the commander again. I interdicted him and pulled him out of supercruise, and managed to get off a message about my mission. Unfortunately he did not want to listen, and destroyed my ship again. The insurance company was not going to be pleased about this.
Third time a charm I thought, and this time didn’t interdict, just tried to speak to the commander in supercruise. No responses at all. A shame, and unfortunately, that doesn’t enable me to write anything positive about Lady Duval.
Quote: None. They did not respond to a single comms request.
Rating: Unwilling to talk to the press. Attacking the press. Attacking someone in a Sidewinder who isn’t aligned to a power in a Clipper. Does not reflect well on their power. 0/10.
Archon Delaine
This particular part of the trip filled me with dread. I had heard a lot about Archon and his supporters, and fully expected to be calling up the insurance company once again and having to explain to them what I was doing flying a sidewinder in such hostile territory.
However, my meeting with one of the supports, a CMDR Jet D. Black was a positive experience. While he gave me due warning that I was flying in a dangerous region, he was happy to speak with me and explain his reasons.
In summary, it comes down to being honest about being a criminal. Some people hide behind false faces while committing crimes. Archon’s supports though have no shame about what they do. They know their lifestyles are not looked upon with favour by many, but they do not care. They acknowledge who and what they are, and seem to wear it like a badge of pride.
Quote: “If you like pirating or being a criminal, Archon is your man.”
Rating: Honest, clear in intentions, willing to talk to a member of the press. 10/10.
Pranav Antal
Antal’s HQ was swarming with Archon supporters, so it was no surprise that I had to visit a station to get an interview. Actually several people came forward with their thoughts. However, I as per my intentions to take a single report from each power, focused on <CMDR Antal Supporter>.
The main gist of the discussion was that they believed that through Antal they can gain more technology, which brings betterment of life for all.
Quote: “I think that with better technology comes better living, and with time, peace.”
Rating: Open, enthusiastic, clear in intentions, willing to talk to a member of the press. 10/10.
Zemina Torval
I found a Torval supporter near the HQ. They were well spoken and we had a good chat. CMDR Puzzle Plate explained they liked the idea of victory through finance and that peaceful means of victory were better than violent ones.
Quote: “Victory through finance!”
Rating: Willing to talk to a member of the press. No harassment. Open about their power and their reasons. 10/10.
Denton Patreus
<CMDR Patreus supporter> took some coaxing, and it had been trouble even finding a single supporter to speak with me. But undeterred I pushed forward and got a response. However, it wasn’t really the sort of response I was expecting from someone who has pledged support to a power.
Basically they said it was an alliance of convenience, and that they actually were hoping that Aisling would become the most powerful power in the Empire!
Quote: “I'm more interested in seeing (Aisling) Duval lead the Empire truthfully, hew views regarding war and slaves would be good for the galaxy.”
Rating: While honesty is appreciated, they did a terrible job of promoting their power. 1/10.
Aisling Duval
It was a fairly short trip to Miss Duval’s territory, and it wasn’t hard to find a supporter willing to talk about the princess. CMDR Judon did not offer anything surprising with their opening statement giving their initial reasoning as being “She is pretty”. This seems to be a common response from, as they are sometimes known, “Aislings Angels”. While people point to Antal as brainwashing people into supporting him, Aisling seems to have a hypnotic effect on the libidos of a high percentage of the galactic population.
However, with further digging this reporter discovered a bit of depth underneath the first layer of shallowness. The commander revealed that they supported her because unlike some others, she doesn’t see violence as the route to gaining influence, instead seeking ways of making progress through peaceful means.
Quote: “I’ll kill if I have to, but only if I have to.”
Rating: Initial shallowness gave way to a deeper response. 8/10.
Felcia Winters
With the last few powers remaining it was time to pay the Federation a visit. Unfortunately this wasn’t a great result. <CMDR Felcia Winters supporter> didn’t seem to muster up much excitement for their power. They basically said their reason was a matter of proximity to their home. No mention of ideologies or principles.
Quote: “Had to choose someone.”
Rating: The lack of enthusiasm for their power was not a good advertisement, but at least they were willing to talk a little. 2/10.
Zachary Hudson
Ah, a man of principles is Zachary. A strong leader who speaks his mind. Surely his supporters will provide a good example.
Unfortunately <CMDR Zachary Hudson supporter> didn’t do a good job of representing him.
I interdicted them in their Vulture for a chat. Unfortunately, they took offense to this, and warned my they would shoot if I didn’t let them go. Being unfazed by threats against the press, having faced them before, I informed them they were being recorded for Galnet. However, this didn’t faze them and <CMDR Hudson Supporter> opened fire. I returned the favour with my twin mining lasers, barely scratching his shields. This led them to carry out their threat and they destroyed my ship. Oh dear… that’s at least the 4th ship so far on this trip.
Quote: “<censored> off or I will kill you.”
Rating: Unwilling to talk to the press. Foul language and aggressive behaviour. Opening fire and destroying a ship carrying a member of the press. 1/10.
Edmund Mahon
The final one, and I had very high hopes. I have tactically supported the Alliance on a number of occasions and found their supports to be largely reasonable people. I was pleased to have this opinion confirmed. I met CMDR Mossfoot near the HQ station and they explained their reasons quite well.
The main idea was that the Alliance do not push their ideals on others, and therefore Mahon was basically a good guy to work for. A live and let live attitude. I think many of us can relate to that.
Quote: “ The Alliance seemed like the only sane choice in a galaxy full of buttheads.”
Rating: Open and honest. Gave good reasons. Talked to a member of the press. 10/10.
There you go dear readers, make of it what you want. Of course, due to the limited sample size you cannot take from this report that all of Archon’s supporters are reasonable people, or that all of Lavigny’s supporters are crazed killers. But as they say, first impressions last.
I now finish writing this report up and will submit to Galnet for their approval. I think I shall now have a few drinks for the night and consider all I have learned, before making my own decision.
Last edited:
