Help System

NAME
factions - groups of people (and/or creatures) united by an ideology

SYNTAX
faction

DESCRIPTION
Factions exist throughout the world of Alyria, and your standing
amongst the varied factions can be important depending on your
goals. Faction standing can affect many things, such as:

* Ability to equip/use certain faction-bound pieces of equipment
* Cause faction members to attack you on sight, or possibly
   to assist you
* Give you access to exclusive faction banks
* Give you discounts at exclusive faction stores, or the ability
   to buy from those stores at all using credits from the faction
   bank (some faction-run shops may not accept gold or any other
   form of currency, except as issued as credit from their bank)

Faction Types
There are many different faction types, which are primarily used for
classification purposes. These faction types are similar to clan
types. Current faction types are:

Guild                 Region              Racial
Towne                 Class               Clan
Alliance              Cartel              Coven
Court                 Order

Faction Points and Standing Levels
To increase or decrease in standing with a faction, you will gain
or lose faction points. When you are first 'noticed' by a faction,
you start out neutral, with a faction standing of "ambivalent"
(0 points). As you gain faction points, your standing level will
change. Faction levels range from feared to legendary, and
points range from -27,500 to 27,500.

Faction standing levels are:
Legendary                 22,500  to   27,499 faction points
Esteemed                  17,500  to   22,499 faction points
Distinguished             12,500  to   17,499 faction points
Liked                     7,500   to   12,499 faction points
Appreciated               2,500   to    7,499 faction points
Ambivalent               -2,500   to    2,499 faction points
Apprehensive             -7,500   to   -2,499 faction points
Disliked                 -12,500  to   -7,499 faction points
Disgraced                -17,500  to  -12,499 faction points
Despised                 -22,500  to  -17,499 faction points
Feared                   -27,500  to  -22,499 faction points

The FACTION command displays a list of factions and your current
standing with each one.

Gaining and Losing Faction Points
You can gain or lose points with particular factions via the
following actions:
* Completing certain quests
* Firing upon and sinking faction ships
* Slaying faction NPCs

Additionally, some factions have restrictions as to who can gain
points with them (such as specific race-bound factions).

Opposing and Parent Factions
Some factions may have OPPOSING factions, which means if you gain
faction points with one faction, you will lose them with another,
and vice versa.

Some factions may have PARENT factions, which means that if you
gain or lose points with a faction that has a parent, you will
gain or lose points with the parent faction as well, albeit
to a lesser degree.

Faction Banks
Some factions have their own banks. These banks can be used by
faction members in shops associated with that faction. For example,
the Alyrian Bazaar, located near New Rigel, is run by the Alyrian
Merchant's Association, a well known trading faction. You can
obtain vouchers that, when used, give you a certain amount of
credit in the Alyrian Merchant Association's bank, which can then
be used to buy goods from the Alyrian Bazaar.

SEE ALSO
Seafaring, Clans, Alliances