Powerplay Faction: Edmund Mahon Is Mahon Alliance considered as the "good" faction

[kiario]

Since both feds and Imps are kinda evil, Imps admit it and Feds are corrupted. Is Alliance considered the "good guys"?

Or is that only left to some independent factions.

Reason for asking is that I would like to support a "good" faction.
That does not focus on killing missions of civilians and traders,

 

[telperion]

Since both feds and Imps are kinda evil, Imps admit it and Feds are corrupted. Is Alliance considered the "good guys"?

How dare you! The Federation is clearly "the good guys". Home of democracy and rulers of Earth. As for corrupt...... hearsay only. You have no proof. NO PROOF, I SAY!

 

[Zaroca]

In every system you will get missions based on killing people and that people could be pirates, traders, civilians or authority. It only depends on the minor faction that offers you the mission and not of your major faction.

But in the Lore the Alliance seems to be the less bad faction because theoretically seeks the equality between all people, bans the slavery, and respects each system's will. In fact they born from the need of being different to Imp and Fed (and defend themselves from them).

 

[Star-Hunter]

This is the beauty of Elite. "Good" and "Bad" is just a matter of opinion. The galaxy is meant to be realistic, including the governments and factions. So, ultimately its up to the individual to to make the choices.
Every one has a "Moral compass". So it is up to you to decide if something is good or bad.

Therefore the correct question is: What do you think?

 

[Matzov]

This is the beauty of Elite. "Good" and "Bad" is just a matter of opinion. The galaxy is meant to be realistic, including the governments and factions. So, ultimately its up to the individual to to make the choices.
Every one has a "Moral compass". So it is up to you to decide if something is good or bad.

Therefore the correct question is: What do you think?

I would agree with that. All the factions appear to have their moral flaws if you look hard enough. And ultimately, the players decide the direction.
Just as an FYI - The Li-Yong Rui players on the reddit are trying hard to ensure Sirius remains neutral to all other factions. www.reddit.com/r/EliteSirius/

I would suggest you take a brief tour of the reddits to catch the mood of each faction before deciding (you can link to the all from the link above).

 

[kiario]

In every system you will get missions based on killing people and that people could be pirates, traders, civilians or authority. It only depends on the minor faction that offers you the mission and not of your major faction.

But in the Lore the Alliance seems to be the less bad faction because theoretically seeks the equality between all people, bans the slavery, and respects each system's will. In fact they born from the need of being different to Imp and Fed (and defend themselves from them).

Ok, thanks for the insight. But are there any minor factions that dont give these killing missions of civ, police ets..? And that can be considered "good guys"?

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

Ok, thanks for the insight. But are there any minor factions that dont give these killing missions of civ, police ets..? And that can be considered "good guys"?

No.
Every minor-faction is the same. The missions are the same. Only the names change. Maybe someday we will get missions based on major faction, government type and other aspects of the minor-factions giving the missions.
Until that day - everybody is evil.

 

[dayrth]

I believe we are the good guys and that is why I support the Alliance. Come and have a look round www.arc-hq.com.

 

[Saool]

I don't think you can look at it in terms of good or bad.

I see the Alliance as good. It is a much more informal power. Effectively still being a series of independent systems that have agreed to stick up for one another and fight for one another if a big power starts throwing it's weight around. From that point of view it is good.

However the Alliance, unlike the Federation or Empire does not tell anyone how to live there lives or what laws you have to follow. So you may have a liberal democratic system next door to a military dictatorship next door to a religious cult, next door to a anarchy next door to a corporate trade union. You might look at a system and say, that is no way to do things, a system that might look like North Korea, however, the Alliance does not care. As long as they come to fight for other Alliance systems, other Alliance systems will go to fight for them. No one tells anyone else how to run there systems. That is up to the people.

From that point of view, if you are used to hierarchical political systems with a overarching rules and law system (Fed/Imp) in may not seem so good.

 

[Saool]

However you also said Mahon.

Mahon and the Alliance are of course two different things. 'Mahon space' is in fact far larger than 'Alliance space'. The majority of systems in 'Mahon space' are in fact Federation systems with a federal rule of law. They have just agreed to enter into the trade pacts of Mahon.

And whilst Mahon is the current Alliance Prime Minister he is also corporate. He represents one aspect of the Alliance. It annoys me that some Imperial powers have three or four compatible government types and the Alliance has only Corporate. Surly the Alliance is comparable with every government type? That's the whole point isn't it? (Empire bias). However the counter argument is this is Mahon (Gordon Brown); a corporate politician interested in trade, as opposed to the Alliance which as I outlined above, does not give a monkey's what you get up to in your own turf. Perhaps in some far flung fantasy future where FDEV give a toss about the Alliance, we will see other Alliance figureheads with a totally different spin, who might look like any of the other powers politically; from Pirate lord to Technocrat.

Is Mahon good? Well I don't think he is bad.

 

[Witcherman]

No.
Every minor-faction is the same. The missions are the same. Only the names change. Maybe someday we will get missions based on major faction, government type and other aspects of the minor-factions giving the missions.
Until that day - everybody is evil.

Yeah, what this guy said.

Unfortunately, right now the game system is "cookie-cutter" it's all the same but with different names.

Basically, it's what you make of it. If you think the Alliance are the good guys, then they are. If you think they are the bad guys, then they are.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

No.
Every minor-faction is the same. The missions are the same. Only the names change. Maybe someday we will get missions based on major faction, government type and other aspects of the minor-factions giving the missions.
Until that day - everybody is evil.

^^ This indeed

Apart from Unfettered/Freeman Factions doing increased Piracy with relaxed Commoditiy rules and Democracies prefering an Election over Civil War - no differences remain outside of Empire Factions having Imperial Slaves in their trade portofolio.
Thus, whatever faction or government you support... You're essentially working for : {String}
100% replacable, generic and arbitrary, no matter where you go.

So pick your favorite and support them.
But what kind of a difference will this make? None.
It's absolutely irrelevant.

It really boils down to making up your own RolePlay, because only in your own mind you'll be able to create those missing differences.

For the time being... That unfettered Faction sitting in Archon Delaine's HQ System basically acts almost exactly like the Pilots Federation in the Founders world (who supposedly represent the law).
Both will happily offer Missions to terrorize Civilans/Traders or kill Authority even from their own Faction in the next-door System and shower you with Credits and Reputation for doing their bidding.
So will both the Federation and Empire Navy for any rank progression.

That's the sad condition of the core game as we speak and no improvement is in sight.
At least in my Opinion, likely the largest and most critical oversight/bug in the entire Game.

 

[Zephyriel]

There is no good faction in ED, they're all twisted fanatics corrupted by greed and power.

 

[-Pv-]

Something to think about considering the Alliance. While the background AI concerning factions and Powers can be mostly identified as far as loyalties, moralities, etc, within the game UI,
consider the human element behind the Alliance. On the Reddit pages supporting Mahon, the Xbox and PC users there and on their dedicated Teamspeak chat promote peaceful cooperation and
negotiation with our human power neighbors. He have non-combat treaties with nearly all of them. We do not undermine by shooting human players or camp our ships at their stations like Code.
Rather, we adhere to a rather disciplined Fortification protocol through transporting trade agreements. While I cannot speak for the AI, I have high regard for the principles guiding the strengthening human effort behind the Alliance.
That the other power human representatives openly communicate and cooperate with us to various extents would be an indication as humans, we can behave reasonably with each other.
The current Alliance and Mahon lore is not in opposition to our human efforts.

-Pv-

 

[Privata]

The alliance is about human rights and equality , even if that will lead to some issues.
Join us , it is the only way

 

[Saool]

The alliance is about human rights and equality , even if that will lead to some issues.
Join us , it is the only way

If I am being honest, I have to disagree. 'Historically' and according to the overall description of the alliance it is a group of independent systems who have agreed to stick up for one another against external forces that threaten that independence... and nothing more.

There are democratic systems, communist systems, dictatorship systems, corporate systems. I genuinaly don't think things like human rights and equality has anything to do with it. Each system lives by there own rules and laws and they will differ dramatically from system to system. The whole point is the Alliance, as an overarching body, stays out of the politics and lets each system determine it's own course. The only real stipulation is that if a system comes under attack, all other systems, regardless of laws or government types, defends that system. Even it is is a despot dictatorship with no human rights at all.

EDIT: in short, to me, being in the Alliance is a bit like saying "I fundamentally disagree with your point of view, your plans, your government etc... but I will fight to my last breath to defend your right to have them."

 

[InMemoriamSirocco]

In the lore of Frontier: First Encounters, where the Alliance first featured, it was portrayed as the most humanistic of factions.

While the Empire heavily relies on slave labour to keep up its industry, and the Federation exploits minimum wage workers (which is essentially the same thing, only that slaves get treated more fairly in the Empire since it reflects poorly on their owner's prestige and image if they aren't), working conditions in the Alliance were far superior, and while Empire and Federation both frequently relied on brute force to solve conflicts, the Alliance always went the diplomatic way.

 

[Roybe]

How dare you! The Federation is clearly "the good guys". Home of democracy and rulers of Earth. As for corrupt...... hearsay only. You have no proof. NO PROOF, I SAY!

Here's your proof!

Spoiler

https://flic.kr/p/xMvEyF

 

[Elementical]

From the Galnet article on 2nd July. Edmund Mahon's speech, one of the few pieces about the Alliance since ED was launched last December.
https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5593b9d49657bab1445913c1

“The Alliance of Independent Systems is built upon a single defining principle and that is one of freedom. The freedoms we enjoy range from our personal freedoms as inscribed in the Bill of Human Rights to the freedom of societies and even planets within the Alliance.

“But we should not accept this grace blindly or assume that its existence continues by mere chance. The birth of the Alliance came from removing the burden of the Federation and the Empire who for centuries fought each other for our resources and we were caught helpless in the middle.

“Both of those organisations proudly describe their origins as being freedom from the tyranny of others. And yet now they are the tyranny and it is our duty to oppose them, while also ensuring that we don’t become them.”

There was also a little bit of insight into the Alliance's ideology on 27th March. Unfortunately FD never followed up on the story and it seems to be abandoned.
https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/18e8e2955be61d504ad4f5e3b3edc32c7dfbe439
(Note: There was also an Alliance Terraforming Initiative on 3rd March. If the exploration and terraforming plots are combined it could have alot of potential for something unique and non-combat oriented for the Alliance)

Another piece of info, the introduction of Edmund Mahon on 11th March. At the time Lugh was controlled by the Federation.
https://community.elitedangerous.com/galnet/uid/5b1b39824259c8b598bc46b271181efea1d29c4d

The overall theme of the Alliance is independence, freedom and protection from external threats. If you read Mahon's ethos on the powerplay screen his focus is on trade and trade protectionism.
Hull reinforcement and cargo racks are 20% cheaper in control systems, this reinforces the trade ethos.

Feel free to interpret the benefits to agricultural goods and equipment as you like but it raises an interesting question....
If you combine the Retribution laser and a canister of grain, do you get a canister of "Freedom Bread"?

 

[DNA-Decay]

The Alliance is not a "good" faction.

Merely the "best" faction.

Plus:

Eddie McDoughnut makes awesome footlong subs.



Freedom Bread and Purer Water.