Also, when you say "Hello" with a gunboat while there, at the time, was an agreement in place to not harass eachother in their respective mining zones in Omega 7, then yea, naturally we assume you're up to no good. The few times we continue the mining op we had going at the time, we suddenly had the various Copper and whatnot Kruger vigilantes attacking. I remember those times quite well G-force, as well as my attempts to cool things down. Corporate rivalry is good. Out of roleplay hating is not, nor is spouting blind assumptions as truths. A couple of us IMG ended up, like Henderson said, cloning your idea about using pirate alts to target Kruger| members who were doing the same to us. They were untagged Odins, the lot of them. Mine was "Klaus.Stein" - but since those times expired due to inactivity. Given your faction started that behaviour, you're hardly in a position to cry about it being done to you.
As for the IMG| being able to do whatever we want, not exactly true. The fact that we tend to keep a low profile and not start conflict, cooperate with the law whenever it's reasonable to do so while also offering support to the "worker revolution" type of unlawful faction, is why IMG in-lore thrived. Why IMG| is doing well? Simple, regular convoys, regular mining ops, and often enough someone or something to shoot at (indy pirates, Outcasts, Sairs). Folk who want to use the IMG| for warmongering generally find my own faction lead voice telling 'em not to. If they persist, they're booted out. IMG's about mining, ore deliveries and defending mining ops/convoys. Not much else.
Current top cash mining is actually gasmining - GMG in Sigma 19. Next top cash is Beryllium from Cambridge to Dortmund (BMM and IMG do this), followed closely by Aluminium to Stokes and Silver to Harris (Daumann and Kruger have the best means to do those respectively). I was careful to give each mining faction a "top cash on this run" option when the 4.86 initial mining rates were assigned - except IMG, which have a bonus in diversity rather then top profit. (I'm basing this on profit-for-time-spent, and assume there won't be jump trading involved.)
If there are enough players to restart a Kruger faction, then personally I would welcome it, so long as the players within can be respectful to fellow players, in-faction or not. True, they will have to contend with Hessian heavies on occasion, but a few RM alts (or working closely with the RM faction) can balance this out. There's no reason why a few RMBSses can't be docked at either Freistadt or Elbich.
As for who competes with whom: Repex competes with Daumann in shipbuilding, but otherwise is more or less a partner. Repex is a shipper primarily, Daumann, ALG and Kruger are industrial giants. Kruger and ALG are growing closer together in lore, alluding to a possible merger. Kruger competes with Daumann in mining primarily, ALG competes with Daumann in industrial production. IMG competes with both Daumann and Kruger in mining only, and supplies ALG with raw materials. It's a weird little pentacle. I know.
Wide awake in a world that sleeps, enduring thoughts, enduring scenes. The knowledge of what is yet to come.
From a time when all seems lost, from a dead man to a world, without restraint, unafraid and free.
Mostly retired Discovery member. May still visit from time to time.