Gateway Shipping (player faction)

Gateway Shipping
Origin	Kingdom of Bretonia
Alignment	Corporation
Profile
Date of founding	791 A.S.
Founder(s)	Sir Alisdair Buchanan
Current leader(s)	Richard Coleman
Base of operations	Kensington Shipping Platform
Identification
Primary ID	Gateway Shipping ID
IFF	Gateway
Tag(s)	Gateway)
Primary role
Transportation of goods
Secondary role
Providing security services

History

Gateway Shipping was founded in 791 A.S. by a group of New London investors interested in hauling raw materials across house borders and independent worlds for sale to various, smaller Sirius companies. After Gateway established a contract with the Independent Miners Guild they became noticed by their big competitor, Border World Exports. In 793 A.S. Gateway Shipping bought the Bowex owned base, Kensington Shipping by bypassing Bowex and purchasing the base via the Bretonia government. This was the start of the fierce competition between the two companies. Within a decade and a half, Gateway had concluded contracts with a number of organizations to be their primary shipper, the Independent Miners Guild perhaps the largest and best known among them. By helping out these competing smaller companies Gateway found its place in the market, and became commonly known as the underdog of Bretonia.

Gateway has undergone a number of changes in its short history, not least of which occurred in its leadership. Alisdair Buchanan, a Bretonian businessman, philanthropist, and populist sympathizer, and one of Gateway’s initial investors, came to find deeply rooted corrupt practices by a number of Gateway’s executives and investors following the Nomad War (800-801 A.S.). Gradually, he bought out the other investors until he owned a majority percentage of the firm, at which point he fired the executives in question and restructured the company in line with the values of employee and community development. Rechristened Gateway Interstellar, the young firm moved quickly to expand its trade division into a first-class fleet, eventually entering into markets that had been dominated by its rivals. Although now retired, Sir Alisdair still holds a seat on the Board of Directors as Chair.

Gateway Interstellar operated as a company that deeply valued its employees and its partners, and was actively seeking opportunities to develop its services to both. Gateway Interstellar has not actively supported the war against Kusari for both humanitarian and economic reasons. However, Gateway has always sought the Bretonian people’s best interests, and with Kusari’s incursion into Leeds System, – the Royal Liner Carpathia – had been converted to a refugee ferry to evacuate Planets Leeds and Harris, and other affected locales. Gateway Interstellar was considering proposals for a future expansion from its sole station, Kensington Shipping Platform, to a secondary shipping station in Manchester, plans which are still in effect.

Today, the chapter of Gateway Interstellar has come to an end as CEO Calum McDonald stepped down and assigned Richard Coleman as his replacement. Richard renamed Gateway back to Gateway Shipping as a symbolic gesture of the new start Gateway was going to make. This was the beginning of a complete reorganization that would make achieving higher goals possible for Gateway. Although there has been a lot of changes made within the company the core identity of Gateway still holds strong. Gateway is known as a classic underdog, a small but energetic firm holding its own in a market of large conglomerates, both private and government-subsidized. While relations remain tense with its primary rival, Bretonia’s nationalized Borderworlds Exports, Gateway is recognized as a firm operating squarely within Bretonian identity and interests.

Company goals

General

1. To find ways for further improvements
2. To uphold a high level of professionalism
3. To contribute to the welfare and economic integrity of Bretonia
4. To maintain current business relations
5. To expand into other markets

Internal

1. Ensuring a healthy income for all employees
2. To provide necessary training and equipment
3. To ensure safety for all employees

Diplomacy

Faction	Relationship
ALG Waste Disposal	Allied
Independent Miners Guild	Allied
Planetform	Allied
Bretonia Police Authority	Friendly
Bretonia Armed Forces	Friendly
BMM	Neutral
Border World Exports	Neutral
Everyone else	Neutral
Red Hessians	Unfriendly
Hogosha	Unfriendly
Gaians	Unfriendly
Junkers	Unfriendly
Farmers Alliance	Unfriendly
Bundschuh	Unfriendly
Landwirtrechtbewegung	Unfriendly
Unioners	Unfriendly
Gallic Royal Navy	Unfriendly
Liberty Rogues	Hostile
Xenos	Hostile
Mollys	Hostile
Lane Hackers	Hostile
Outcasts	Hostile
Corsairs	Hostile

Company structure

The company structure of Gateway Shipping is divided into three sections. The first is the Board of Directors (BoD) and the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Gateway Shipping, they make decisions which decides in which direction Gateway will be going. But the core of Gateway Shipping exists out of two sections.

Logistics department

Background

When Gateway Shipping was founded back in 791 A.S. there were only a few trading ships, and together they formed a trading department. Their primary focus was to transport raw materials for small independent mining companies, specially for the Independent Miners Guild. As time passed, and Gateway started to expand into the market, the size of the trading fleet increased as well. In 801 A.S. the trading department was given a complete overhaul when sir Buchanan took over the company and renamed it to Gateway Interstellar. They set a complete new standard for transportation in the sector, giving Gateway an unique edge. Even when Buchanan retired and Calum McDonald took over as CEO the company kept developing itself to reach for higher achievements. In 819 A.S. McDonald stepped down as CEO after having done a tremendous job and assigned Richard Coleman as his replacement, a complete reorganization of Gateway followed. Interstellar had done a great job in increasing the level of professionalism when it came to transporting goods for their clients, but Coleman had bigger plans in mind. In order to improve the quality of Gateway’s services the Trading Department was changed into a Logistics Department, offering more services to its clients. Aside from transporting goods it was also made possible to use services like: Warehousing, material handling and inventory services. Although this new department is very young its standards are high, and their will to strive for even greater quality remains present.

Positions

Logistics Manager (Maximum: 1)

The logistics manager is the head of the Logistics Department in Gateway Shipping. This person is hand-picked by the Chief Executive Officer and leads the department. He/she is charged with many responsibilities, to ensure that the department lives up to its’ standards.

Logistics Coordinator (Maximum: 2)

A supporting position within the Logistics Department. The Logistics Coordinators are hand picked by the Logistics Manager and are given limited powers to ensure a smooth process within the department. There’s only two spots available, making it a challenge to not just be promoted to the rank of Coordinator, but also to maintain this rank. In order to be promoted to this rank you need to excel at all the important factors: Managing skills, communication skills, activity and professionalism. When promoted to this rank a sum of $5.000.000,- will be transferred as a bonus. When a Captain outclasses one of the current Logistics Coordinators their ranks will be swapped, to encourage motivation to become better and a friendly competition within the department.

Captain (Maximum: Unlimited)

The backbone of the department, Captains are in charge of their own ship, which is part of the Gateway trading fleet. They represent most of Gateway Shipping, and carry a large responsibility with them. Although they have completed their traineeship it is strongly encouraged to keep working on their skills. When a Captain excels in his/her job he/she can be promoted to the rank of Logistics Coordinator. The group of Captains is a group of professionals, and teamwork runs high in this group.

Trainee (Maximum: Unlimited)

New to Gateway Shipping, these men and women are trainees. Being put in charge of a “Gull” Civilian Transport, they have to go through a training course in order to become a Captain of their very own trading ship. In their training course they have to complete three challenges, and complete a quiz afterwards. If they succeed in completing all tests, and meet with all the requirements, the trainee will be promoted to the rank of Captain, and will officially take his/her place in the Gateway trading fleet.

Ships

Gull
Transport

Albatross
Transport

Heron
Transport

Crane
Transport

Stork
Transport

Primary duty

Transportation of goods

Ever since Gateway Shipping started the primary focus was on the shipping of goods for clients. In time the trading fleet increased in size as Gateway gained more clients, and Gateway had to adjust their strategy multiple times to maximize the quality of transportation. Today there are multiple methods of transporting goods. A Captain of a trade ship can take on a large arange of orders from all sorts of companies. These are usually planned in such a way that it can be made into a route. Some orders can be completed by one trading ship, but some orders are too big and require multiple trading ships in order to achieve the requirement of goods. This is called a convoy.

Convoy

A convoy is a group of trading ships traveling together for mutual support and protection. When Gateway receives an order that requires more than one trading ship to complete a convoy will be put together. Convoys of Gateway Shipping are highly structured and organized, but most of all: Safe. In most cases there are security ships flying along the convoy to ensure its safety. When a convoy is grouped there is one person assigned as convoy leader, this is usually the highest ranking of the logistics department, but in case all attending people are of the same rank this can be discussed. The convoy leader is responsible for all attending trading vessels. He/she will make sure that everyone attending the convoy is aware of where the convoy is heading, and which goods have to be delivered or picked up. The convoy leader also makes sure that the chatter is maintained, so that important messages won’t be lost.

Special contracts

Aside from the routes Gateway offers there may also be a couple of special contracts running with various of organizations. These contracts usually have far more detail put into them than the basic delivery orders. Some contracts are temporarily, some are permanent. Gateway Shipping pays a lot of attention and effort into these contracts, so it may occur that only a selected group of trading ships are allowed access to a contract. Some contracts may require more goods than one trading ship can carry, in this case a convoy will be formed in order to achieve the requirement.

Payments

Last but not least, there’s a payment system all personnel of the logistics department have to be familiar with. Gateway Shipping strives for a healthy income for all its employees, so having a working payment system is critical. When a Captain decides to take on an order or a special contract on his/her own Gateway Shipping shall not demand additional fees from said person. This comes with great responsibility as the trading ship will be unprotected, a responsibility which may pay off. However it is strongly encouraged to seek for more captains to fly with, and to hire security personnel if possible. When there’s two or more ships working together the extra fee system of Gateway Shipping is activated. When there’s only trading ships working together, but no security personnel is attending there will only be a company fee. The company fee consists of 5% of total profit, per ship. Company fee is send directly to Gateway Shipping and is used for the well-being, creditworthiness and growth of the company. This fee is to cover for all the expenses Gateway Shipping makes. When accepting the security services of the security division another fee is activated. Each escort costs minimal 10% of total profit, per ship. This fee is to ensure the salary of the security guards, and for the well-being of the security division. When there are more traders than escorts the total amount of fee paid shall be split even among the escorts. However, when the number of escorts become higher than the number of traders the percentage of escort fee rises for the trader in order to achieve the minimal escort fee of 10%, more security means more fees.

Secondary duties

Market Research

In order to allow further development it is essential that Gateway keeps a close eye on the market, and to keep looking for new clients. To make this viable Gateway Shipping has got a few duties that most employees of the logistics department can access.

Route planning

To maximize productivity of the logistics department planning effective routes is critical. Every employee of the department may take their shot at planning a new route, or altering an existing one. Once they’ve made a sketch of the new or renewed route they will present this to the Logistics Manager who will decide whether or not this new route will be implemented into the list of existing routes.

Leads

This is another secondary duty that all employees of Gateway Shipping can attend to. In order to assist with the development of Gateway Shipping there is a leads system implemented. This system allows employees to hand in tips of possible new customers to the logistics manager, who will review all leads. Employees who have turned in a lead will always get feedback from the logistics manager about whether or not the lead was useful or not. All the employee has to fill in is their name, the name of the customer and a small description about why this customer could be a new client for Gateway Shipping.

Customer analysis

It is important to have a clear knowledge about the customers of Gateway Shipping, and also about possible customers (Leads). For this there is the customer analysis, a system of the logistics department that allows for a thorough research in (possible) customers of Gateway Shipping. All information about the (possible) customers can be stored into a database, to give a clear overview of who the customer is, who they do business with and what their history in general contains. All employees can turn in their sketch with the logistics manager, who will then review and add the information into the database. With the obtained knowledge Gateway Shipping can adjust their strategy according to their customers more precise.

Order processing

Order processing is a key element within the logistics department, it describes the flow of goods within the logistic system of Gateway Shipping and allows for a clear overview of the current status.

Contracts

Contracts with customers is a prime focus of the logistics department, after a lead has been filed, and the customer analysis has been completed the arrangement with the customer can be finalized. But existing contracts are also a prime focus in order processing, these contracts have to be constantly reviewed to make sure everything is up to date. Contracts concern only the logistics manager and the chief executive officer, employees can always give hints when they see something in a contract that may not be correct.

Contract monitoring

Beside reviewing the contract itself it is of great importance that the contract status is being monitored. Logistic coordinators and the logistic manager are in charge of monitoring the process of a contract. It is important to know if certain criteria are met in a contract, and to be aware on delivery statuses. Gateway Shipping values its customers and the contracts it has got, monitoring the contract statuses is critical for success.

Inventory management

Last but not least there is inventory management. There are a lot of goods flowing through the logistics department, and it is important to know how many goods we have stored. Inventory management is the responsibility of the logistic coordinators and the logistic manager. There will be a history as well as a current status of goods currently stored in the holds of Gateway Shipping.

Security Division

Background

When Gateway was founded the primary focus was the shipping of raw materials for small customers, there was no security division back then. Gateway Shipping was relying on the security of the lawful forces in the area, and for the border worlds Gateway would hire mercenaries or freelancers to protect their ships. But as Gateway Shipping started to expand it became clear that they could no longer rely on the protection of the local authorities alone, and hiring more freelancers would become too expensive. With the level of criminal activity on the rise more Gateway transports were the victim of piracy. Gateway began to browse through their options in order to increase the security. From this the security division was created. The division started out small, with only a few employees. Only high risk targets were protected at first. But when time passed the size of the security division had grown, and the level of professionalism did too. The security division’s main focus remains the safety of all Gateway personnel and property. What made the security division different from a mercenary group was the fact that the security division was able to anticipate their strategies with the knowledge they had about Gateway, something Mercenaries cannot due to the amount of different clients they work for. And the security division was able to provide excellent security in space as well as on land. Around 801 A.S. the security division was disbanded as Alisdair Buchanan took over most of the company and founded Gateway Interstellar. Mister Buchanan had his own way to provide security for his employees, same went for Calum McDonald who eventually relieved Buchanan as CEO of Gateway Interstellar. In 819 A.S. Calum McDonald stepped down as CEO of Gateway Interstellar and assigned Richard Coleman as his replacement. Coleman decided to reorganize Gateway and renamed the company back to Gateway Shipping. In this reorganization the Security Division was brought back to life, and is now back in charge of all security related matters concerning Gateway Shipping.

Positions

Head of Security (Maximum: 1)

The head of security is the highest rank to be obtained in the security division of Gateway Shipping. This person is hand-picked by the company CEO and leads the division. He/She is in charge of all security related matters concerning Gateway Shipping.

Senior security guard (Maximum: 2)

The elite of the security division. The seniors are the most experienced and skilled employees the security division got. They set an example for the rest of the division by showing excellence in all the important factors: Skill in combat, communication skill, activity and professionalism. Although they carry no right to command, the seniors are expected to support their fellow security guards by assisting in their training and to aid in their motivation. Senior security guards can be granted temporarily commanding powers by the Head of Security in order to complete a special assignment. There are only two spots for this rank, making it a challenge to not just become a senior security guard, but to also maintain this rank. Being promoted to the rank of senior security guard grants you a bonus of $5.000.000,- credits. Demotion usually occurs when another security guard strongly outclasses the senior in the factors mentioned earlier, this is to encourage a friendly competition within the security division.

Security guard (Maximum: Unlimited)

The majority of the security division force, these men and women represent the security division. Although they carry no right to command it is encouraged to help their fellow security guards in any training they might need. The security division is a team of professionals, and teamwork runs strong among these security guards.

Recruit (Maximum: Unlimited)

New to the security division, recruits are in their training phase. They have to complete a course before they can be promoted to security guard, and be completely accepted into the division. At the end of the course the recruit will be given a test to see if they are ready for promotion.

Ships and Technology

Starblazer
Light Fighter

Falcon
Heavy Fighter

Eagle
Very Heavy Fighter

Roc
Bomber

As of today the security division of Gateway Shipping uses civilian weapon systems only.

Primary duty

Escort

This is the primary duty of the security division. Ensuring that Gateway transports make it to their destination safely, and as fast as possible. There’s a small fee an escort charges for providing the captain with the security service, which is 10% of the profit made, per ship. It’s up to the captain of the trade ship to accept or decline the service, and also to accept how many security personnel he/she likes to take along with him/her. This division uses advanced tactics to improve the quality of the escort service we provide. There are two positions when escorting.

Scout

The scout is a must when escorting, this position needs to be filled at all times. The scout will be moving up ahead of the trade ships to look for trouble up ahead. The distance between the convoy and the scout will be no longer than radar range. When the scout enters a trade lane or jump gate the convoy shall wait for an all clear from the scout. If trouble is detected the scout will alert the convoy and make sure they can make a save detour. The scout shall avoid any confrontation, to ensure that the convoy keeps moving.

Shield

The shield is a secondary position, after the scout has been assigned others may position themselves as shield. The shield protects the convoy when under attack, and will also cover the rear of the convoy. If the convoy is being chased the shield can break off formation to intercept the chaser(s), or they will disrupt the trade lane behind them after the convoy entered to cut off any chasers. The shields also act as backup for the scout when in need of assistance.

Secondary duties

When there is no ship to be escorted the security division got several secondary duties. These are extra services the division provides to ensure constant security all around. For these duties stands no fixed fee.

Patrol

To ensure that the area in which Gateway Shipping operates is secured the security division makes use of patrol routes. When on patrol the security guard looks for any possible threat towards Gateway Shipping, but does not engage one unless in self defence. When a threat has been spotted the security guard is to report this to the local authority, and it is optional to keep observing the threat. When there are other Gateway vessels nearby the security guard is expected to alert the vessels about the threat.

Recon

It is important to know your surroundings. Space is a living thing, it changes constantly. Recon missions is a secondary duty that will make a security guard explore an unexplored area, or to re-explore an area to see if something notable changed. Recon missions will give the security division a clearer view of the situation all around, and will be able to adjust the strategy if necessary. It will also mark possible ‘hot spots’, or other danger elements that may harm Gateway Shipping.

Guard

Often mistaken or mixed up with the patrol duty, the guard duty ensures the safety of a specific place. In Sirius there are a couple of known ‘hot spots’, which are places where there is a high level of criminal activity. Guard duty may send a security guard to observe one of these hot spots, to ensure that there is no current activity. If there’s a threat at the hot spot the security guard shall not engage, unless in self defence. Also when there’s a threat the security guard shall alert the local authorities and other Gateway vessels when they are near. The main difference between patrol duty and guard duty is that patrol duty covers more hot spots, where guard duty ensures its safety durance of one location.

Missions

A rare occasion, situations might occur that can lead to a special mission. These missions are created and handed out by the Head of Security or Chief Executive Officer of Gateway Shipping. These missions can differentiate from a special recon, patrol or guard mission to even a strike mission. The difference between a special patrol, recon or guard mission and regular duty is that for the special mission there’s a bonus to achieve. Security guards have to sign up for a mission, and upon completion there’s a bonus for the security guards that took part in the mission.

Joining Gateway Shipping

Description

Gateway Shipping is always looking for more members, and encourages players of all sorts to sign up. Everyone will have their own reason to be trading or escorting, this faction tries to meet all these people. Whether you are fairly new to the whole concept, or enjoy trading alone or maybe just looking for some social contacts, Gateway Shipping provides. Gateway Shipping recruits new members two ways, either in-game or on the forums.

Forum recruitment

This is one of the most commonly used ways to process people through recruitment, the topic we use to recruit can be found at the bottom of this page. In this topic applicants will provide an application mostly in-role play. They will have to use a format to provide information like character name, gender, age, background and of course their motivation as to why they want to join Gateway Shipping. However it is encouraged, a complete biography of their character is not a requirement. They will also have to give up their Skype ID, which is a must have when joining Gateway Shipping. If the application is accepted the applicant will be invited for an OORP (Out Of Role Play) conversation on Skype, in which they will be asked some more questions. This conversation is in close resemblance of a job interview. After the interview is completed the person that interviewed the applicant will make a decision about whether or not to accept the applicant into Gateway Shipping. Even though Gateway Shipping tries to meet as many types of players as possible, there are still limitations as to how far we are willing to go. However, forum recruitment is not the only way to join Gateway Shipping.

In-game recruitment

The second way of recruiting in Gateway Shipping, people can join this faction without having made one forum post. However it is a requirement for all members to be familiar with the server rules. When a player in-game wants to join he/she will have to speak with either the Logistics Manager, Head of Security or the Chief Executive Officer of Gateway Shipping, as they are the only ones allowed to process applicants. In this conversation the applicant will provide the same information as they would on the forums, basic information, Skype ID ect. If the person processing the applicant is satisfied a job interview can follow up directly. This job interview will be about the same as the one held when joining up on the forums. After the job interview is over the person processing the applicant will make a decision about whether or not to accept the applicant into Gateway Shipping.

Training course

After an applicant has been accepted into Gateway Shipping they will start a training course. There is one course for each department, but its core structure remains as one. In this course the new member will learn all the basics that they need to know before they are fully taken into the faction. If they fail to complete this course twice the membership will be terminated.

Logistics Department - Training Course

When joining the logistics department the new member becomes a trainee, and are being given a ‘’Gull’’ Transport, unless they have another transport of their own that is allowed by the logistics department. A trainee will have to complete three challenges before they can take their final test.

First challenge

Complete the trainee route provided by the logistics manager and follow all Gateway protocols. (Payments, being pirated, ect.) Report completion to the logistics manager.

Second challenge

Complete the second trainee route provided by the logistics manager, hiring at least one of Gateway’s escorts. And follow all Gateway protocols. Report completion to the logistics manager.

Third challenge

Have at least five hours of active duty, and send proof to the logistics manager.

Once all three challenges have been completed successfully the trainee shall be invited by the logistics manager for a final test, either in-game or on Skype. This final test will be a quiz existing out of five questions. These questions are based on the things the trainee should have learned from the three challenges. All five questions need to be answered correctly in order to complete the training course. When one question is answered incorrectly the trainee will have to re-do the training course, and will receive five different questions as the final test. If the trainee is unable to complete the course twice the membership will be terminated. When the trainee completed the training course he/she will be promoted to the rank of Captain, and will be fully accepted into Gateway Shipping.

Security Division - Training Course

When joining the security division the new member becomes a recruit, and will be given an ‘’Eagle’’ Very Heavy Fighter, unless they have another ship of their own that is allowed by the security division. A recruit will have to complete three challenges before they can take their final test.

First challenge

Complete an escort mission in which you fulfill the role of scout, and report completion to the Head of Security.

Second challenge

Complete an escort mission in which you fulfill the role of shield, and report completion to the Head of Security.

Third challenge

Have at least five hours of active duty, and send proof to the Head of Security.

Once all three challenges have been completed successfully the recruit shall be invited by the Head of Security for a final test, either in-game or on Skype. This final test will be a quiz existing out of five questions. These questions are based on the things the recruit should have learned from the three challenges. All five questions need to be answered correctly in order to complete the training course. When one question is answered incorrectly the recruit will have to re-do the training course, and will receive five different questions as the final test. If the recruit is unable to complete the course twice, the membership will be terminated. When the recruit completed the training course he/she will be promoted to the rank of Security Guard, and will be fully accepted into Gateway Shipping.