I will preface this by saying, yes, I know FDev said in the original applications that changes cannot be made. However, I want to say before making my suggestion that in the Background Simulation, meant to simulate a living galaxy of factions that rise and fall we have seen many change. From multiple factions defecting from the Federation, to the history of systems and factions joining the Alliance, and even factions changing name for narratives.
What I suggest is simple, give the opportunity for those who have had factions put in the game use the same email they used to apply for membership to fill out a form that tells what the faction currently is, what changes they are looking for (Can be name, power, government and/or description if applicable), the reason (and it has to be a valid one) and anything else FDev may need. These applications can be approved or declined based on what info is given and if approved the faction changes could take effect next weekly tick. Why do I ask for this? Many small player factions lay abandoned, and some realize too late they do not really align with the government or even power. Some, such as mine, has history behind the change. In fact, I want to explain my own squadron's reason we want our small faction to have a change below to give an example of why some may seek this alteration process:
MetaVem Brotherhood, an Independent Corporate faction originating from the Bandjigali system, was approved on May 22nd of 2020. Our application was hasty and we had dreams of building a small empire of freelancers, traders, mercenaries, etc. Here is where the story begins, as November of that year someone took interest in Independent Bandjigali Labour, a non-player Federation faction that lay untouched for a long time (in fact when we were put in, one of the Corporate Independent factions sat at the top) and pushed them up to us. What was originally thought to be an easy war that I would handle alone while everyone else (mostly Americans celebrating Thanksgiving holidays with family) took a break. Alarms were raised as we lost a couple days and even with over twenty of us fighting back we lost every day and began to experience a downward spiral down to 1% in our own system, having lost everything. Fast forward many months later with me pulling a Flint and looking for our own Circus Bugs to save us, I was approached by Novarek of the Teran Colonial Forces. He offered to bring our struggle up to the (player) Alioth Council, which comprised of many Alliance squadrons that all agreed to intervene on our behalf. We rose back up and had a civil war to retake our home, losing a couple days but ultimately on July 17th, 3307 we won and from then on MetaVem knows July 17th as Bandjigali Liberation day. Since then, I have befriended many in the Alliance, I have taken part in politics and diplomacy, I have been playing a part in the relations between Elite Kaine and the Mahon Powerplay groups, and I even had my life saved by some Alliance CMDRs in my darkest hour such as TheProp, Hans v. Martell, and many others. MetaVem has signed a defense pact with System Alliance Sentinels, I have held a position of leadership within the Alliance Rapid-reaction Corps, and I held a seat on the Alioth Council for a bit. We even got the Alioth Council players to recognize MetaVem as an Alliance group. We are not satisfied with just this, however. We want to make this official after everything the Alliance has done for us and everything we have been through together.
The Alliance are our heroes, my heroes. They are our brothers and sisters, and I am proud to declare MetaVem a member of their playerbase and have been trying through multiple channels for some time to get our faction changed from IndyCorp MetaVem Brotherhood to Alliance Confederacy or Cooperative MetaVem Union. I just want to also suggest a system that would give others who may have their own stories a chance to make a change. If FDev can change factions, stations, and even systems at will....why not let players who already have factions present be able to make a change? I ask FDev really consider this. With the fourth year since our Liberation Day being less than two weeks away, I am fighting and pushing for this in hopes we can see our faction turn green some day. I am sure others here have their own stories and reasons to support this.
What I suggest is simple, give the opportunity for those who have had factions put in the game use the same email they used to apply for membership to fill out a form that tells what the faction currently is, what changes they are looking for (Can be name, power, government and/or description if applicable), the reason (and it has to be a valid one) and anything else FDev may need. These applications can be approved or declined based on what info is given and if approved the faction changes could take effect next weekly tick. Why do I ask for this? Many small player factions lay abandoned, and some realize too late they do not really align with the government or even power. Some, such as mine, has history behind the change. In fact, I want to explain my own squadron's reason we want our small faction to have a change below to give an example of why some may seek this alteration process:
MetaVem Brotherhood, an Independent Corporate faction originating from the Bandjigali system, was approved on May 22nd of 2020. Our application was hasty and we had dreams of building a small empire of freelancers, traders, mercenaries, etc. Here is where the story begins, as November of that year someone took interest in Independent Bandjigali Labour, a non-player Federation faction that lay untouched for a long time (in fact when we were put in, one of the Corporate Independent factions sat at the top) and pushed them up to us. What was originally thought to be an easy war that I would handle alone while everyone else (mostly Americans celebrating Thanksgiving holidays with family) took a break. Alarms were raised as we lost a couple days and even with over twenty of us fighting back we lost every day and began to experience a downward spiral down to 1% in our own system, having lost everything. Fast forward many months later with me pulling a Flint and looking for our own Circus Bugs to save us, I was approached by Novarek of the Teran Colonial Forces. He offered to bring our struggle up to the (player) Alioth Council, which comprised of many Alliance squadrons that all agreed to intervene on our behalf. We rose back up and had a civil war to retake our home, losing a couple days but ultimately on July 17th, 3307 we won and from then on MetaVem knows July 17th as Bandjigali Liberation day. Since then, I have befriended many in the Alliance, I have taken part in politics and diplomacy, I have been playing a part in the relations between Elite Kaine and the Mahon Powerplay groups, and I even had my life saved by some Alliance CMDRs in my darkest hour such as TheProp, Hans v. Martell, and many others. MetaVem has signed a defense pact with System Alliance Sentinels, I have held a position of leadership within the Alliance Rapid-reaction Corps, and I held a seat on the Alioth Council for a bit. We even got the Alioth Council players to recognize MetaVem as an Alliance group. We are not satisfied with just this, however. We want to make this official after everything the Alliance has done for us and everything we have been through together.
The Alliance are our heroes, my heroes. They are our brothers and sisters, and I am proud to declare MetaVem a member of their playerbase and have been trying through multiple channels for some time to get our faction changed from IndyCorp MetaVem Brotherhood to Alliance Confederacy or Cooperative MetaVem Union. I just want to also suggest a system that would give others who may have their own stories a chance to make a change. If FDev can change factions, stations, and even systems at will....why not let players who already have factions present be able to make a change? I ask FDev really consider this. With the fourth year since our Liberation Day being less than two weeks away, I am fighting and pushing for this in hopes we can see our faction turn green some day. I am sure others here have their own stories and reasons to support this.
