' Wrote:The recent threads detailing Factions versus Independents has got me to thinking about some of the issues that surround this mass of debate, discussion and open flames. I have come to some conclusions and I wish to share them with all of you. Now this isn't a place for you to discuss why your not going to respect either side in this debate or what they have done to slight you, if I see any of that I'll be asking for the thread to be cleaned to the last pertinent comment made. So let's keep this clean and healthy.

The biggest issue I see is a breakdown in communications, the Independents are not communicating with the Factions or if they are trying to then the Factions are not returning the compliment, this isn't true of all Independents or all Factions but true enough to be causing consternation among both camps. The lines of commincation should be kept open, if an Independent is asking for permission to do something then why ignore that request, yes or no will answer the question, preferably with reasons if in the negative. If a faction member is asking your new capital ship captain who he is, why not simply respond with a quick RP sentnce saying that you ship has just been commisioned and you've taken command. Communication is key to ending this debate.

Another problem I see is a willingness for both camps to wilfully ignore RP solely because they can. This must stop. The RP of the Factions has been here for some time, it lays down the bare bones of how Discovery works, why aren't the Mollys and Bretonians fighting anymore, because the QCRF and the UoG came to an accord, that's just an example there are many more relationships that exist becasue the official factions caused them to exist. But within that framework laid down by the Factions exists a large void where almost anything is possible, there should be nothing stopping you playing a fanatical Molly who does not believe that the accord between the UoG and QCRF goes far enough, or playing a Liberty Rogue who hunts Xenos more than he does the Liberty Navy. Faction RP shouldn't be ignored, it should be worked with, it's established and mostly accepted as discovery canon. But equally the factions have no right to stamp all over an Independents RP just because they feel like it, or because it doesn't fit their intepretation of how the faction works, above and beyond all else we play in a fictional universe where the lines were never that well detailed, there is room for interpretation with all the factions.

This ties in with the comments about how factions are bigger and more organised, and can thusly stomp on independents if they so choose, the important bit there is choose, we are playing a game, by definition that means we are trying to have fun whilst doing so, if our actions are impeding the fun of another then we are at fault. Whoever we are, Factioned or Independent.

This recent issue is causing a deep schism in Discovery and that could ultimately kill this great community. It's time to bury the hatchet, kill the flames and start working together to bring Discovery back to what it should be, everyone having fun.

' Wrote:I dislike the use of the term "rights" here. Rights are not concepts relevant to private property like Discovery, only contracts.

I will likely be doing something on this in future.. suffice to say, this poll attempts to put things in a box;

Criminals; No trouble, criminals naturally fracture into gangs. I think factions should have some control over capital ships, since they'd be rare and only accessible to large gangs.

Corporations; Ditto, corporations have subsidies, subsets, divisions, incorporations, takeovers.. and, I'd be looser about transports, given most of them are probably average guys working for the company.

Paramilitaries; More ambigious. I can see "Real IRA" situations cropping up, but I think independents should be restricted to fighters or bombers, generally, unless a good roleplay comes up.

Police; It depends;

BPA; No. The name says it all, and I've got confirmation on what it means from Pierre himself.

KSP; I don't know enough about them to comment. Kusari seems likely to have a unified system, so if they are the same as the BPA, also no.

LPI; They REALLY need to change their name, given they are a single squadron according to their own RP. As long as they don't use capital ships, I'm fine with it.

RFP; See KSP. If they are like the BPA, then no.

Military;

QCRF; An eccentric umbrella group seperate from the Admiralty. No restrictions, in my opinion.

KNF; Like the LPI, they need to change their name. Similar to QCRF in lack of restrictions.

SA; They are half of the Navy. They have zero authority over the Northern Liberty Navy. So, go wild (though, sensibly)!

RM; No. Unilaterally named and described military faction? Only exception for me would be RPing as BDM or Rheinheer.

LSF; No. Same reasons as Rheinwehr, but without exceptions. I even got confirmation from David (Kingvaillant) that the LSF is not split like the Navy or Army.

Criminal Militaries; See criminals.

' Wrote:The biggest problem that I've seen is that some independents act as though even a simple request is a gross infringement upon a basic right of their existence.