Alterations to Player Factions on Case-by-Case Basis?

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.
 
To play devil's advocate. You released the faction into the world but much like colonies it's not yours. Some player factions have grown huge and been adopted by many players. Changing them fundamentally has consequences beyond just what you want to do with them and they'd need to setup a process to handle that. The current system is fair and reliable. If you were the only one affected by your change it wouldn't matter but you're not really. Your faction likely doesn't impact so many people having just a small cluster but the rules do need to handle the huge ones too.

The issue is a bit more complicated than just you made it you'd like to update it. I'd support it if they were worked into the game as CGs or things like that but even that is hard as CGs can be stacked heavily against certain results. I don't think they should just be allowing a small number of people to just flip switches and alter the factions we all deal with. There is a solution but it'd be more work and I'm not sure that'd happen before whatever replacement they were thinking of finally makes it to the light.
 
Well, this is probably one for support. We could discuss this one as players, but aside from a few opinions on the subject which would hold no weight with whatever FDev wanted to do here there's not really much that you're going to get done with a post on this forum.

If it was me though and it was a case like this where it obvious this wasn't on a whim and you wouldn't be changing your mind next week, I'd have no problem with it. It's worth asking.
 
To play the devil's counter advocate :devilish:
We humans are irrational beings, and as such we tend to develop strong ties with "our" faction. Looking after their faction's welfare is endgame content for many seasoned players (ask me how I know).

Giving us players more say over our faction's fate would very much strengthen these ties, and end of the day, the motivation to keep playing.
I can't see a single reason why FDev should not allow such changes when the majority of a faction's players agree - we are not speaking of a single guy's desire here.
 
Well, this is probably one for support. We could discuss this one as players, but aside from a few opinions on the subject which would hold no weight with whatever FDev wanted to do here there's not really much that you're going to get done with a post on this forum.

If it was me though and it was a case like this where it obvious this wasn't on a whim and you wouldn't be changing your mind next week, I'd have no problem with it. It's worth asking.
Support actually told me to talk here about it lol
 
To play devil's advocate. You released the faction into the world but much like colonies it's not yours. Some player factions have grown huge and been adopted by many players. Changing them fundamentally has consequences beyond just what you want to do with them and they'd need to setup a process to handle that. The current system is fair and reliable. If you were the only one affected by your change it wouldn't matter but you're not really. Your faction likely doesn't impact so many people having just a small cluster but the rules do need to handle the huge ones too.

The issue is a bit more complicated than just you made it you'd like to update it. I'd support it if they were worked into the game as CGs or things like that but even that is hard as CGs can be stacked heavily against certain results. I don't think they should just be allowing a small number of people to just flip switches and alter the factions we all deal with. There is a solution but it'd be more work and I'm not sure that'd happen before whatever replacement they were thinking of finally makes it to the light.
MetaVem has largely been untouched save for my people and our allies helping us when the split between console and pc left our faction entirely abandoned until I came to PC last year. MetaVem has been a group since before we even stepped foot into Elite and I feel we should have a say in a faction that until a few months ago was left alone enough that we were only present in our home system for years. I do get your points, but I will still push for this to be considered. MetaVem Brotherhood has been through a lot on the games we played, but Elite is where we have had one hell of a story and I want our struggle as well as the kindness of the Alliance to be symbolized since after all indies join the Alliance often. By your logic as well of people adopting factions, what if someone adopted the factions FDev changed for narrative? MetaVem Brotherhood is a name from irl, a group of like minded people who have become my brothers and sisters and before we even joined Elite in 2018 we were a family in 2016. This is my clan, my family, and in a way the Brotherhood is my home and we have had our loyalty to the Alliance earned.
 
Support actually told me to talk here about it lol
Really? We actually have power to make the decisions here? Ok then I grant this suggestion acceptable. Changes should be made forthwith.

If a developer could please have this sorted by Monday evening, that would be lovely.

Seriously though, I'd see this as basically just the same as fixing a typo when you've seen something not work out because it doesn't align with the local area. Theory and practice are always two different things.
 
Support actually told me to talk here about it lol
I'm afraid this is the equivalent of a saying we have here, which would translate to "tell it to the parking meter".
Basically means of course, "leave me/us alone with that nonsense". Which is rather deplorable. Still I think worth discussing between us players. Perhaps, who knows, the FDevs really look in here from time to time.
 
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