Factions & Diplomacy
Factions are the political powers of the galaxy. Every player belongs to a faction, and faction politics — alliances, wars, taxation, and voting — shape the game world.
Where you start
Every new account begins as The Morchedi, in the Morchedi faction, docked at New Hope. Registration does not branch on the race you pick — it is the same opening for everyone, which is why the starter hulls (Genesis, Explorer I/II/III) are Morchedi-issue: the Morchedi shelter the newly arrived, so the Morchedi supply the ship.
The powers of the galaxy
Sixteen factions hold territory. Five are flagged playable and have a home system and starbase of their own:
| Faction | Race | Home System |
|---|---|---|
| Terran Empire | Terrans | Sol |
| Union | Slah'ke | Proxima |
| Nexus | Kolari | Deneb |
| Genus | Brood | Tau Cygni |
| Alliance | Orfine | Arcturus |
The rest — Overseers, Pirates, Hive, Federation, Matrix, Dagon, Egaran, Klakanid, Va'Tal, the Morchedi themselves and the monsters — run as NPC powers. They hold space, field fleets, trade, and take a view about you.
Faction Standings
Factions hold one of five diplomatic states towards each other:
| Standing | Effect |
|---|---|
| Alliance | Friendly. Allied faction members can dock at your starbases |
| Cease Fire | Hostilities suspended, no other privileges |
| Neutral | No special relationship |
| Trade Embargo | Trade restricted; no military consequence on its own |
| War | Hostile. PvP enabled between factions in PvP systems |
Standings affect:
- Whether you can dock at another faction's starbase
- Whether you can attack players of that faction
- Trade and market access
Your own standing with a faction
Separately from faction-to-faction diplomacy, you hold a reputation score with each faction — one number, earned mainly from missions. It bands into five tiers, and the tier is what the game reads:
| Tier | From | Sales tax you pay | Discount on their goods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honored | 5,000 | 50% of base | 15% |
| Allied | 1,000 | 70% of base | 10% |
| Trusted | 100 | 85% of base | 5% |
| Neutral | 0 | 100% of base | — |
| Hostile | below 0 | 150% of base | — |
The discount applies only to that faction's own NPC listings, never to another player's. Standing does not decay on its own, and nothing else reads it yet — docking and mission access are governed by faction diplomacy and by what you have shot at, not by your score.
The Voting System
Factions are governed through a motion system. Players with the Councilor or Dictator role can propose motions, and faction members vote:
- Alliance motions — propose an alliance with another faction
- War declarations — declare war on an enemy faction
- Tax changes — adjust the faction's tax rate
- Policy decisions — other faction-wide actions
Motions require a majority vote to pass.
Taxation
Each faction sets its own tax rate on certain player earnings — currently between 10% and 25%, with the Terran Empire the steepest and the Alliance and the Morchedi the cheapest:
- Tax revenue goes into the faction treasury
- The treasury funds faction-wide operations
- Tax rates can be changed through the voting system
Faction Roles
| Role | Abilities |
|---|---|
| Dictator | Full control. Can propose any motion |
| Councilor | Can propose and vote on motions |
| Member | Can vote on active motions |
PvP and Faction Conflict
Faction standings directly control combat rules:
- At war: Players can freely attack each other in PvP systems
- Allied: Players cannot attack each other
- Same faction: Some systems prevent friendly fire entirely
Territory control matters. Conquering enemy starbases and planets shifts the balance of power.
Tips
- Get involved in politics — faction votes shape the galaxy. Your voice matters
- Check standings before engaging — attacking an allied faction's player has consequences
- Faction loyalty has perks — friendly starbases mean safe docking and repair
- Join Discord — most faction coordination happens out of game