People tend to ignore the reality in O74 at the moment.
I have been reading the rage-chats and what leaders plotted in the faction leader channel and though that O74 would be really, really bad. I bought a Corvo, and went there yesterday.
You know what? There was not much to complain about.
all ZA bases are "neutral"
neutral means "they only shoot when shot at"
they were dockable for a Zoner IDed, unregistered indie like me
the enemies that blockade the base could hug it without punishment
To sum it up: at the current status, there is no reason to complain about anything from the pov of the attacking parties.
Oh, ye. Actually there is something to complain, from an irp Zoner pov, though.
The guns do not protect O74 against the Nomad threat now. And that is what they should do. And that is why Zoners (also the official ones in O74) should be against a destruction (and my O74 char is)! From my understanding, the O74 Zoner would welcome the protective power (purely irply!). It is a mighty fortress to keep the aliens out. Now Order and AI and random pirate faction (?) try to dismantle the protective wall, place laws there and no-fly zones, and shoot at Zoners like bawses if they get the idea they could be "supporting ZA! Destroy!". Hm, could actually only be a Zoner who does not like foreigners to strip all people living in O74 of the protection. And the Zoner officials in O74 meekly nod to the foreign bullying.
So, let me clarify: I am no fan of what the ZA did and I'll not say that their rp or actions are great. I'll see when I have been in O74 for a little longer, but the ZA I talked to yesterday spoke very good English, were capable at what they were doing and had a good grasp of the situation as well as Freelancer.
So if people try to portray the ZA as a group of half-illiterate lolwuts, I at least met and talked to two of them yesterday who were neither half-illiterate nor lolwuts.
I also want to clarify that my chars will likely end defending these installations, but not because I love ZA. They will shoot AI and Order and Pirates and whatever there is because in my opinion a Zoner would not allow foreigners to destroy the only thing that is between their homes and the Nomads.
Irply, what AI and Order are doing atm looks and feels like a power grab for O74 influence, backed or at least tolerated by a relatively weak Zoner O74 group who is afraid of losing power to another independent Zoner group.
Zoners decided to leave the houses and live with nomads next door in the completely hostile edges of the known universe because they did not like to be rule by others, pushed around, etc. Now other outward influences try to destroy the installations that keep Nomad raids out (I know it, I led a few of the nomad indie raids. The platforms are devastating for snub raids). That's not only the same bullying that made Zoners leave, but also an actual security risk that these attackers are willingly putting on every Zoner living in O74.
So much for the explanation of my motives. Can't allow people to go like: "He's supporting ZA! No rp any more! Ignore and shoot him!"
So... there was notthing to complain about ZA yesterday when I was there.
There was, however about their sworn enemies.
I jump in, Zoner-IFF [AI] cruiser sitting at a ZA base, afk-guarding it. I bet in order to raise the shield for incoming transports, but I'll have to try it out first on a transport. Zoner IFF, so that in case the base is Zoner-IFFed (and not neutral until shot at as now) he can be there, even though he is a clear hostile. Hm... a rule comes to my mind that has something to do with repsheets.
Anyway, after seeing the siege-tactics for less than 30 minutes, I know why ZA set the bases to "fully hostile unless registered" in the past. I think, I would have done the same again yesterday bc of the AI cruisers exploiting the settings against the owner. It is the only way atm to deal with these "base idling transport interceptors". Looking at other bases... Malaclypse Freeport was also set to "fully hostile" bc a few trolls took advantage of the normal setting. They never got that much pressure for it. And I dare say many base owners would react that way.
Anyway, the strategy to end the drama is relatively easy and I have tried to communicate it often. I'll suggest it irply, though.
And until then, I hope someone returns the rp in O74, bc at the moment, the "war, no rp" statement is true for more than one side, it seems on a first impression.
Now go (rage! He is assisting ZA! Ignore & shoot!)
Can't allow people to go like: "He's supporting ZA! No rp any more! Ignore and shoot him!" 
