You'd have to be really crazy awesome to get the keepers to let you in, so if you're looking for a starting faction nomads *probably* isn't your best bet. Go with LPI, they're nice, do events, and eat lots of donuts. And don't look down on Justice-type weapons, it's pretty hard to get hits in sometimes.
Wow, 7 posts and no one even said "Go discover it on your own". Heh, I will then!
There is no need for a database of any kind. Why? Because it's a spoiler, you should be taking your time going out there in the game and discovering things on your own.
I never have got the point of picking a faction because it's got the 'best' guns/ships/equip/whatever.
You should read the backstories and rumours about the factions and then pick one that you like the sound of.
At the minute your not sounding anything like an RPer at all.
My suggestion would be go britonian, they need the manpower at the moment, and anyone who slags them off cos their ships look strange or says the britonian weps are useless needs to go take a look at said weapons infocards.