The aesthetics of the Empire, Alliance and Federation

[Betty Jade]

I often base my decisions on looks rather than statistics, and I have reached a point in the game where I want to pledge myself to one of the allegiances. I've done a bit of research, but I haven't managed to come up with any accurate information regarding this topic.

Do the three factions offer any exclusive ships that aren't available for the rest?
Also, does Anarchy count as a fourth faction, or can I work for both, say, Federation and Anarchy simultaneously without them affecting each other?

I'm focusing on piracy and smuggling, and I fly mostly by myself. Which faction would suit me best? I'm currently leaning toward joining the Federation since their ship(s) seem more rugged and rough than the rest - although I haven't been able to confirm this. Also their ideology seems to be better suited for anarchistic lonewolves.


Thanks,

 

[Zenicetus]

Some ships will be faction-locked, requiring enough rep to purchase them. Right now, the only two are the Federal Dropship and the Imperial Clipper. I think the Clipper needs "Baron" rep status with the Empire, not sure about the Dropship. There will probably be more faction-locked ships coming soon; I hope a few smaller, more affordable ones. I'm not sure the Alliance has much of a shipbuilding tradition in the lore, so it may be mostly Fed and Imperial ships for now.

Personally, I like the curvaceous Imperial aesthetics of the Clipper, but I'm unsure about committing to a faction. I'm another Lone Wolf type, and as long as we only have one character slot, I'll probably not get too deep in bed with any of the factions. Well, unless there is a particular ship I get strongly attached to, and can't get any other way. An Imperial verision of an Asp-class ship would be tempting...

 

[Pistol Star]

Imperial ships are very sleek and glossy, unique from the other factions which use very standardized equipment. Being based in an independent system (green on the star charts) wouldn't be a bad idea for a pirate; some being wealthy enough in their own right to give you decent ships/upgrades.

 

[CATPAIN KIRK]

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Do the three factions offer any exclusive ships that aren't available for the rest?
Also, does Anarchy count as a fourth faction, or can I work for both, say, Federation and Anarchy simultaneously without them affecting each other?

The federal dropship and the imperial clipper require a rank in the respective factions navies - expect more to come. The Alliance doesn't have any unique ships thus far.

I'm focusing on piracy and smuggling, and I fly mostly by myself. Which faction would suit me best? I'm currently leaning toward joining the Federation since their ship(s) seem more rugged and rough than the rest - although I haven't been able to confirm this. Also their ideology seems to be better suited for anarchistic lonewolves.

There are various manufacturers of ships and most are independent corporations from my understanding. The empire stands out as it's ship designs all involve engine nacelles, white and sleek lines.

Anarchy isn't a faction as such because - well - it's anarchy. You could work for the federation whilst being a smuggler - join their navy and do dirty jobs on the side - it's not a crime if you don't get caught .

I wouldn't call their ideology suitable for anarchistic lonewolves - they have very restrictive laws compared to the empire, which relies more on personal honour. I'd call myself a lone wolf - the empire leaves it up to my personal responsibility if I do certain things rather than outright prohibiting them.

By the sound of it, you might want to look into the alliance - but do whatever floats your boat - the games motto is "blast your own trail" after all .

 

[CMDR Brock Samson]

You strike me as Alliance material.

 

[Zenicetus]

There is another aspect of Imperial aesthetics, and that's palette choices. We've only seen the Clipper so far, but would that look good in any other color than white?

Depending on what else arrives on the scene, the angular/blocky ships of the Federation might take better to personalized paint jobs. Not sure how the Empire feels about messing with their royal color schemes.

 

[CATPAIN KIRK]

There is another aspect of Imperial aesthetics, and that's palette choices. We've only seen the Clipper so far, but would that look good in any other color than white?

Of course it's highly subjective, but there is no colour that would look better unless it was black.