when i wrote about one of the tradeships receiving a namechange in the message dump. - the answer was ... at the very least - unexpectantly harsh. - now, in RP, i am aware of the harsh military tone of the faction - so there was not really a surprise...
but - - - it still was a surprise when it comes down to what the faction actually wants and how it deals with opportunities. the coalition is what we might call .... the USSR after the war. - something like a cold war collapsed - and the remains of the looser still alive and at least thinking to be kicking. ( knowing that the looser was actually the alliance, but depending on the long or the short intro sequence, the victory over the alliance was only dust, cause they got blown up - or maybe not )
so - imo - the coalition from my point of view is a faction that is much more than most other faction, dependent on what the common people think of them. - they are the normal peoples, the workers army - against an arrogant and oppressive leadership of the alliance.
for that, i can understand a resolute and rude tone against any military demand from the alliance or alliance influenced party ( like a house cooperation ) - but i had not expected such a reply to the zoners, who are known to have turned from the alliance and settled away from them.
what better friend can a coalition have? - traders that dislike the arrogance and decadency of the core that are filthy rich cause they have their own ideas of moral and trade anything that doesn t get them into trouble. - furthermore a faction that achieved to stay alive and managed to gain a status of neutrality through political expertise.
so, when i first asked for passage through the coalition guard system offering even compensations. - the answer was reasonable and appropriate. - not really welcome and hearty - but just like expected, expect for the part that the coalition officially denied the need for supplies as they were offered for the chance to take the little short cut.
the answer from the second request though - that only informed about the name change was so rude, that i had decided that no trader zoner char would continue the trade through the system, putting the system down to the first stage of punishment - which is ... not activly offering trade with the faction anymore.
thats the point that i was in ooc a little disappointed. i would have thought that such a faction needs the support ( not alliance, but support ) of at least such traders like the zoners that are known to dislike the very core of what the alliance stands for - pure capitalism, monpolism, decadence ( doesn t mean zoners don t like capitalism or money - they don t like it cause they cannot build a monopoly in the core of course - but even so )
of course, i know that there have been especially zoner traders that used o-52 as a shortcut without permission - or that there had been incidents with the zoners. - but what good is going the official way to write up requests, initiate the basic diplomatic measures to ensure trade when there is hardly a reasonable reply.
furthermore, sticking to the requests of the faction to the letter had no effect whatsoever in terms of a friendlier tone - in fact the tone got more rude.
so the critizism is not the tone or so. - thats an RP issue, but critizism is that i don t see a point in the RP there. if the coalition wants to be what they are supposed to be - an equivalent to russia or the USSR in terms of alliance = USA and allies vs. coalition = USSR and allies - i would expect a different RP or clearer forms of RP.
for a zoner, a possible "friend" - as far as that term can go for a neighbouring faction - the tone was more rude than even rheinland or liberty together - when a zoner appears in an adv. train full to the rim with artifacts.
however - the ingame RP was OK. - harsh, but patient enough. but when a zoner feels like a liberty trader - something is not really right.
mind, that was just based on the one contact lately that was sticking out. - but other than that, there wasn t any incident to furhter evaluate the faction from my side.
edit: it is often mistaken that a military regime or an oppressive dictatorship must be rude. - i do not think that is the case. rudeness where it can apply them though. when there is more to gain though - such regimes are hardly rude. even the USSR in the cold war was very kind to any "would be/might be" friend, especially rich ones. they would never apply a rude tone there and would never show impatience. - of course the tone between the USSR and USA wasnt rude either. - it was political rethoric, which was sophisticated and much more subtle ( at least most of the times ) real rudeness doesn t happen much in political terms. - even in war, opposing parties often uphold a certain politeness, even if it is only for show. - subtlety is harder to manage though - and in a game like freelancer almost impossible.
edit2: maybe its just perception ( well, sure it is ) - but the point is really.... - the zoners and coalition would be more friendly ingame than the zoners and the corsairs for example. - the coalition is more reliable than a bunch of outlaws - or so it should be. - ingame though, the corsairs are treating the zoners friendlier ( as long as the zoners abide to their laws - and assist the corsairs with goods ) - the tone is never getting harsh, cause both sides are winning.
so the critizism might be drawn from those facts that maybe the relationship between zoners and corsairs is somteims a bit too friendly, while it was too rude with the coalition. - meeting in the middle of both would be more appropriate, i guess.
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