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Affiliations - Creating your Own

Affiliations - Creating your Own

Disclaimer - we in no way advocate the creation of a new affiliation. We do however recognise that for some, creating a new affiliation is their Grail Quest. So here is an article on how to go about it, the pitfalls and rewards and the things to look out for along the way.

Affiliations are core to Phoenix. By working with a group, often becoming good friends, you get much more out of the game than going it alone. You have people to bail you out when you cock-up - and you will; you have people to bounce ideas off; you can make more complicated plans; you have people to run your positions when you are on holiday; you can share responsibility (aka pass the blame); and most importantly, have people to share a laugh with.
Sometimes though you want to go it alone, at least to start with and then sometimes after you have spent time in an affiliation or two.


It is a common dream for new players to want to create a new faction in the game. Their reasons for manifold but most commonly they fall into two categories:
  • Be your own boss
  • The established affiliations do not offer what you want

Be Your Own Boss
It seems to be the case that the leadership within established affiliations is immortal. They have their way of running things that they will not change and should you join them, you are fairly certain that they will be watching over your shoulder, dictating policies and you will always be waiting in the wings. While there is no evidence to suggest that this even approaches the truth, it can seem like this from the outside especially if you are not gregarious in your playing style.

Alternatively you might just prefer to do things yourself - making mistakes and learning is often more fun that simply being told how to do everything. Taking this to the extreme it comes down to making decisions. Right or wrong, there is something satisfying about calling the shots.

You may have dallied with affiliations, you may have been a lynch pin holding the affiliation, in fact so reliant on you were the rest of the affiliation that the responsibility nearly broke you. Running hundreds of ships to keep the affiliation financially stable may be pushing you close to divorce and generating weekly reports or continually monitoring the activities of your affiliates is giving your a nervous breakdown. You know that even if you leave this affiliation for another, you will quickly accumulate responsibility and end up in the same situation - time to make a clean break and be responsible just for yourself.

Finally it is about legacy - creating something that has never existed before and even if you leave the game, coming back maybe even a decade later and seeing what you started, having evolved and going strong is truly satisfying.

Established Affiliations do not Offer what you want
Having read the profiles of various affiliations in the game and chatted with other players you may have come to the decision that they do not quite offer what you want. They may have their foibles that means you can't fight a faction you really want to fight and may even put out of game pressure on you to tow the party line if you joined them. They may be the perfect affiliation but located in the wrong region of space. They may even have the perfect profile and be in the right region of space but you just can't seem to get on with the leadership - it happens - the world is full of very nice people we can't seem to see eye to eye with. Suffice to say, joining them will not give you what you want.


Creating an Affiliation
If you are currently in an affiliation and are seeking to create your own affiliation you have two choices at this point. You can either chat with the leadership about your ambitions, or leave them right now and pursue you ambitions alone. Staying with them while plotting in secret has an impressive track record of ending badly for the fledgling affiliation and the player involved in its creation. The reason is trust. People get upset if they feel they have been betrayed and suddenly leaving an affiliation with sufficient assets seemingly out of nowhere to fund your new affiliation can generate long lasting enmity.

Presuming that you have resolved any in-game and out-of-game issues with you current/previous affiliation or simply have no outstanding issues, you next need to decide three things:

  • Where
  • Who
  • How


Where
If you are looking to build your first bases in Corewards or an area of space that is not already claimed, this should not be a problem. If however you are looking to be within a region space already claimed or on the border of an established faction, you need to establish relations with them - preferably friendly ones - at least to start with. Also look at the available civilian populations on which you will depend for revenue.

Who
What species will be dominant in your affiliation? If an alien species this will tie back into 'Where'. A dewiek faction may be established within Pocket Periphery or even the Dewiek Home Periphery - though this may require considerable talks with the Dewiek Elder Nation. This also covers the profile of the affiliation. It explains why you are not an established affiliation, it may describe your roots - a splinter faction of the Brotherhood that disagreed on the absolutism of Samuel or a rogue Pride of the Felini or even even a megacorp established through years of trading and saving.

This establishes your affiliation as an entity in the eyes of other players but will also dictate to some degree how the Game Master's NPC's will interact with the faction.

How
First of all you need to register the affiliation with the EEM (at least its legal corporation/recognized sovereignty). This costs 1,000,000 stellars. Though if it still exists as a viable affiliation after a year, you can request a refund. This initial fee also acts to deter the establishment of affiliations for the purpose of abusing diplomatic relations.
If you are on friendly terms with an established affiliation, they may be willing to loan you the stellars. You may even be able to take a loan out from the EEM against a starbase if its collateral value is worth it. Note though that any loan from the EEM will be paid back directly from the starbase income.

All this points towards having a solid income for the affiliation. This means having a starbase situated on a reasonably well developed world - preferably with sufficient merchandising income to the tune of 30,000 stellars/week. Realistically, you will need at least three starbases with similar incomes with a top-up of around 50,000 stellars through planetary sales. Overall, you do want a minimum income of at least 150,000 stellars if you are going to be securing what you own with troops, running a modest warfleet and undertaking research. Achieving this will give you a tiny and quite weak affiliation that will be yours, all yours!

Congratulations, unless you have some very powerful friends or well liked, you have just presented the universe with an all you can eat buffet.

What does this give you?

  • First of all an affiliation name and its three letter code, e.g. Corewards Central Plutocracy (CCP).
  • Your political is immediately promoted to the Periphery Director (PD) of the new affiliation and given all rights and privileges commensurate with the position.
  • You can set tax rate for assets within your affiliation.
  • You can set the profile for the affiliation though there may be some GM limits appropriate to the events that led to the creation of the affiliation.
  • You can now set diplomatic relations with other affiliations, establish posted lists and depending on profile, claim systems and define enemy lists within them and be entitled to system income.
  • A new private section is created in Nexus for your affiliation, including library, forums and recruitment section.
  • You are given admin rights for your affiliation section in Nexus.[/FONT]


Growing
Presuming that you have turned a profit, expanded your bases, improved your trade and shipping, you can look towards growing your affiliation. While one option is to build more bases, this has the obvious drawback that it will cost you more and take more time. The alternative and in the Game Designers' opinion a much better option, is to attempt to grow your playerbase.
Look at what you want to achieve for the affiliation - which area you want to expand into (both in terms of space, i.e. which systems and activity i.e. more combat or trading) and try to snare the interest of somebody who would like to do this. Make sure that you can support the new player. For example, you may still have three bases, but have accumulated lots of modules in the bases which can be used to establish bases for the new recruit. You may want to pass one base over so that you can start work on another, giving the new recruit something to get his teeth into immediately.
Most importantly, look at the reasons you created your own affiliation and see to it that you give your recruit both support and responsibility.

One final point - in Phoenix, affiliations rise and fall. It is better to dismantle, scrap and sell assets than it is to cripple the affiliation by trying to hold onto expensive and/or obsolete assets. Never see this as a step backwards - better to play and enjoy the game than to burden yourself with stuff you neither need nor use. Look at it this way, flogging stuff for stellars not only puts stellars into your account, but also saves stellars on the wages of the asset you have got rid off. Expansion, when it again becomes possible is much easier with a healthy stellar account.


 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

Solo claim swings back and forth

The situation in Solo appears to be getting even more heated. First the NHS dropped 600,000 troops to contest the system and then the DTR answered with enough troops of their own to trump the NHS claim. The NHS found yet more troops, taking the contesting claim up to 750,000 and once again the DTR answered, bringing Solo back under DTR control. Now the NHS have had a look down the back of the sofa and found yet more troops, taking the contesting claim to a massive 900,000 trained troops. We wait to see if the DTR have an answer to this. We can only guess where all these troops are coming from, but what is clear is that the established affiliations clearly have far larger armies than many thought.
 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

NHS attempt to claim Solo away from DTR

In a shock move the NHS have contested the Solo claim with a huge garrison of 600,000 trained troops. In a move that nobody saw coming, especially as it was unknown the NHS had such a large force of troops to draw upon, the NHS seem to be provoking a response from the DTR. Currently there has been no word from the DTR in how they are going to deal with this claim jumping, although rumours are that they are pretending the Solo claim doesn't really matter to them and so action is unlikely. However this may be a smokescreen and we may yet see the DTR's powerful fleet cause havoc in the system of Solo, which has for a long time been an important junction and fought over by many different factions.

DNA Chairman TonTon resigns

The following communication has been leaked from the DNA to the GTT's PD.

Greetings CEO Fox.
It regrets me to have to inform to you that the DNA nation state will be renouncing its claim on Aladdin system following a ceremony planet side, shortly.
However, it gives me great pleasure to have to inform you that these ceremonies are being planned by Vladimir Tavikovitch, the South Road Traffic Coordinator. He is also responsible for all DNA and .ore. assets in the Outer Naplian (Capellan) periphery so if there are any further issues, please take it up with him.
For any and all other matters, please forward your request directly to the DNA directorate services at NexusID: DNA people.
The Foreign Ministry objects one last time to your illegal claim jump of Aladdin, but we realise it is time to de-escalate.
Normally i would sign off with Naambta, but doing so would be hypocritical. Let me say good riddance instead.
I hereby resign in protest!

Chairman TonTon,
Foreign Minister, DNA
cc: Directorate Services personnel coordinator - !urgent resignation!


DTR threaten WMB with fines for multiple breaches of DTR Law

Lady Sylvansight of the DTR has issued a fine of 1,000,000 stellars to the Wimbles for multiple breaches of DTR Penal and Territorial Law. This seems a very brave move of the DTR to risk upsetting the huge and warlike WMB when they also have the rival NHS Solo system claim to deal with. No word has been recieved yet that the Wimbles are going to pay, but if the formidable WMB warfleet is seen heading for the DTR home systems we will know what their thought are on the matter. The DTR and WMB fleets going head to head would be a sight to behold.

*** Affiliations ***

AFT Association of Free Traders (54) - Marion Tweedy
BLG Bolg Organisation (22) - Akhenaten
CIA Combined Intelligence Agency (64) - Laton CIA
DNA Displaced Natives Asylum (66) - DNA people
DTR Detinus Republic (58) - Morley Decker
DWK Dewiek Packs (19) - <Unknown>
FCN Falconian Republic (70) – Graspien
FEL Felini Tyranny (49) - Kr'Shan
FLZ Flagritz Republic (47) - Kayxaer
FET Frontier Exploration & Trade (56) - Cu Chulainn
GTT Galactic Trade & Transport (52) - Xavier Fox
HEX Hexamon (23) - Tranquility
KRL Krell (30) - Namica
KRT Krell of the Reverence Temple (37) - Cyn
KST Kastor Kastorians (12) - Kastor
MOH Mohache (73) – Listens
NHS Noble Houses (41) – Roy Roberts
NLF Naplian Liberation Front (38) - NLFHQ
SMS Stellar Mining and Smelting (53) - MikhailM
WMB Wimble Nations (25) - zz

* Leader MAY be inactive, affiliation may be active
** Only known contact, please update us if this is incorrect.

NPC / FoC: ARC, CIV, CGT, FRE, HBO, HEF, IND, ISP, JCN, MEK, MRC, PIR, PRV, TCA, TRN, KAS
Inactive: ANT, COD, BHD, DEN, DOM, GCE, HVE, IDC, IMP, RIP, RCF, SKW, TAG,

*** Submissions ***

By private message to The Editor or via Mica if you prefer to remain anonymous.
 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

DNA and GTT clash over Aladdin system claim while Pirates look on.

The GTT have this week launched an attack on the DNA outpost in Aladdin, in what appears to be little more than a turkey shoot. Around 100,000 GTT Naplian Startroopers attacked the DNA position to remove the rival system claim. Reports indicate the DNA garrison were taken by surprise and lost control of the base in the first few hours of the fighting. The base has since been reflagged from [Free Naplian Capital] Peaceful Protest to [Loyal Naplian Capital] DNA claim Ended so it's fair to say there was a clear message being sent by the GTT. We have been waiting for the DNA leadership to comment but so far they have been unusually silent. No doubt when they have crawled out from under their desks they will have something to say on the matter.

While this attack was going on several pirate ships were also seen in Aladdin, according to the GTT in what may be true or may be a diversion, with reports of a pirate GP and scout being destroyed while a 150HH pirate warship slipped away and escaped from incoming anti-pirate patrols.

Secret meeting of the EEM

A recent communication intercepted by one of our top reporters today made us aware of a meeting of the EEM. This is underway in a top secret location called Black Pool, which sounds suspiciously like the lair of a pirate band. After pulling in many favours, we were able to identify some of the attending members. On the bases that they won't be named we were able to find out some slight information of the subjects to be discussed at the meeting and one thing is for certain, there could be huge impacts to the lives of everybody living in the galaxy. Details to follow. When the shadowy figures of the EEM come together with the top political players in a pirate base the possibilities are endless!


You are never more than 6 systems from a RAT 🐀

A new saying has arisen in the bars and spaceport of starbases throughout the many peripheries; you are never more than 6 systems from a RAT.

It is understood that this saying originated in Yank and spread by trade vessels to peripheries far and wide. Many starbases have heightened their security and added additional sensors and locks to various entry points including foul and grey water outfalls. Beer and drug stocks are undergoing increased proofing to avoid the critters gaining entry and consuming the stockpiles.

Will this present as a new plague of proportions never before seen or is this some simple urban myth being spread for the amusement of some mischievous entity? Who knows, but to be certain... check the shadows.

 
This year we will again be returning to the Briardene Hotel. They were welcoming, the bar didn't run out of beer pre-covid and there was room for quiet chats. Along with Wetherspoons there is the Victoria just down the road (Sam Smiths - last time beer was around 2 shillings per pint and a full round was less than £10).

Mostly drinking beer and talking toot though we have a good few things on the agenda.

Bookings are done directly with the hotel. Book by phone and say that you are with KJC Games

Briardene Hotel
Telephone: +44(0)1253 338300
All staff should be able to deal with the booking but if there are any problems ask for Tracy (manager) as she dealt with all our foibles in previous years.
 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

Dog days are over

With the fall of the DEN and the implosion of their home territory as the AFT, DTR and GTT moved in, it was unlikely the Dewiek would rise again. The DWP gave the species a little hope with the Dewiek Pocket Periphery kept under lock and key. But news has reached us of the AFT's penetration of this private area of space that's been locked down. With a base and claim in one of the three visible systems it seems that the end of the Dewiek is near. A once noble and aggressive race, determined to make an impact on the galaxy is now little more than a species that lives under the command of others. A sad end to a once powerful species that used to control a significant part of known space.

Pirate activity continues

Yet more reports of pirate activity have been received, one from the WMB, losing a freighter in Solo and another from the FET who reported they had engaged and hit the attacking pirate ship with several weapons before it managed to make off with it's prize. Hopefully the pirate ship took significant damage and will now be out of action for some time. The Corewards periphery seems to have been plagued with pirates recently and many travellers would welcome a break from attacks.


MEK incursion into Corewards

The FET and GTT have mounted a joint venture into Nog-Kesri to tackle a MEK force. It isn't known where they have come from, with the only other MEK ships seen so far being located in the Orion Spur. The lack of a known link between where they have appeared in Corewards and the Orion Spur has caused some concern among planetary populations as who knows where they could turn up next! Fortunately the combined FET/GTT task force dealt the MEK a heavy blow and the threat has been eradicated. But we all know this is unlikely to be the last we hear of the MEK in Corwards and we would encourage ship captains to keep a keen eye on thier sensor screens when travelling near Nog-Kesri.

 
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*** Inter Galactic News ***

  • CIA freighter fights off overwhelming pirate forces

  • Fin Saine media broadcast, What is Hot in the galaxy?!?!

  • MEKlan forces attack in Corewards Arm


  •  
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    *** Inter Galactic News ***

    Aladdin faces ongoing DNA/GTT tension

    The tensions between the DNA and GTT in the Coptuv system recently spilled over into the DNA system of Aladdin. A significant party of GTT ground troops has reinforced one of their bases in the system and claimed it, forcing the system claim into turmoil as the DNA finds itself under threat of losing the system. With the DNA chairman asking for help, several affiliations have been seen sending ships to evacuate any in the local population that want to escape the GTT. But so far not a shot has been fired and despite the AFT, FEL and DTR assistance no reisistance to the claim jump has been encountered so far. It remains to be seen if the DNA and it's friends will scatter before this hostile take over or put in a last minute counter claim to thwart GTT intentions.

    Increasing pirate activity

    Recent reports indicate a new surge in pirate attacks with the AFT and GTT reporting ships lost. Knowing how some don't like to advertise losses we wouldn't be surprised if this is the tip of the iceberg. Reports passed to us show the ship PIR Scavenger running ID 43174 and another ship of the same name running ID 68668 have both been in action with successful boarding attempts. It's unknown whether these are seperate ships or the same ship reregistered, but our information suggests that it would be hard for these pirates to cover the space where these attacks happened with just one ship. One thing is for sure, be on your guard as open space is not as safe as it once was.


    GCE ships loitering in deep space

    After the fall of the GCE and a lot of their assets being shared or purchased it was thought that the affiliation was no more. Yet deep space scans indicate that there is still a significant number of GCE warships holding station in deep space between Coptuv and Yank on the transport route into the Corwards Arm. Nobody knows what these ships are up to and why they are still flagged GCE, but our best guess is that are captains either awaiting new orders or owners after the fall of the GCE command structure.


    *** Affiliations ***

    AFT Association of Free Traders (54) - Marion Tweedy
    BLG Bolg Organisation (22) - Akhenaten
    BHD Brotherhood (63) - de Molay
    CIA Combined Intelligence Agency (64) - Laton CIA
    DNA Displaced Natives Asylum (66) - DNA people
    DTR Detinus Republic (58) - Morley Decker
    DWK Dewiek Packs (19) - <Unknown>
    FCN Falconian Republic (70) – Graspien
    FEL Felini Tyranny (49) - Kr'Shan
    FLZ Flagritz Republic (47) - Kayxaer
    FET Frontier Exploration & Trade (56) - Cu Chulainn
    GTT Galactic Trade & Transport (52) - Xavier Fox
    HEX Hexamon (23) - Tranquility
    KRL Krell (30) - Namica
    KRT Krell of the Reverence Temple (37) - Cyn
    KST Kastor Kastorians (12) - Kastor
    MOH Mohache (73) – Listens
    NHS Noble Houses (41) – Roy Roberts
    NLF Naplian Liberation Front (38) - NLFHQ
    SMS Stellar Mining and Smelting (53) - MikhailM
    WMB Wimble Nations (25) - zz

    * Leader MAY be inactive, affiliation may be active
    ** Only known contact, please update us if this is incorrect.

    NPC / FoC: ARC, CIV, CGT, FRE, HBO, HEF, IND, ISP, JCN, MEK, MRC, PIR, PRV, TCA, TRN, KAS
    Inactive: ANT, COD, DEN, DOM, GCE, HVE, IDC, IMP, RIP, RCF, SKW, TAG,

    *** Submissions ***

    By private message to The Editor or via Mica if you prefer to remain anonymous.
     
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    *** Inter Galactic News ***

    Tension in the Corewards Arm

    With the DNA obtaining several ex-GCE bases in the Coreward Arm it has found itself in the middle of an asset grab of serious proportions and aggression. Our reporters witnessed several GTT troop carriers heading for the Corewards system as the DNA published information suggesting they were accidental owners of the system and that the assets were to be moved on. As the GTT ships started to arrive the bases were quickly passed to the CIA, thus thwarting the GTT intentions as they were hardly likely to start dropping troops on their allies bases. This shrew move by the DNA seems to have calmed matters in the Coreward arm temporarily, although the shift in relations between the GTT and DNA has taken a negative turn. When asked what their next move might be the GTT refused to comment.

    GCE collapse

    The GCE are no more, save for some scattered light freighters. The affiliation which enjoyed a sharp rise and profiltable relations with many has ceased trading. Rumors point to the GTT buying up GCE assets before stripping the rival corporation of anything of value. Although our reporters at the SSS have been quick to point out that any GCE assets not in GTT systems have been taken over by both the DNA and FET. So it seems many different affiliations were able to profit from this development including a new group called the HSH who appear to have taken over the GCE war fleet. No doubt many in the peripheries will be watching with interest where these ships are used, who the HSH are and how they were able to get thier hands on so many warships so quickly.


    Secudus trials

    In the Cluster Secudus has continued his trials, claiming to root out terrorists working against the Empire. With tends of thousands of beings being sent to the camps or worse. There is no sign of these actions stopping as the NHS clamp down on the locals and bring them under the harsh control of the Empire.


    *** Affiliations ***

    AFT Association of Free Traders (54) - Marion Tweedy
    BLG Bolg Organisation (22) - Akhenaten
    BHD Brotherhood (63) - de Molay
    CIA Combined Intelligence Agency (64) - Laton CIA
    DNA Displaced Natives Asylum (66) - DNA people
    DTR Detinus Republic (58) - Morley Decker
    DWK Dewiek Packs (19) - <Unknown>
    FCN Falconian Republic (70) – <Unknown>
    FEL Felini Tyranny (49) - Juris
    FLZ Flagritz Republic (47) - Kayxaer
    FET Frontier Exploration & Trade (56) - Cu Chulainn
    GTT Galactic Trade & Transport (52) - Xavier Fox
    HEX Hexamon (23) - Tranquility
    KRL Krell (30) - Namica
    KRT Krell of the Reverence Temple (37) - Cyn
    KST Kastor Kastorians (12) - Kastor
    MOH Mohache (73) – Listens
    NHS Noble Houses (41) – Roy Roberts
    NLF Naplian Liberation Front (38) - NLFHQ
    SMS Stellar Mining and Smelting (53) - MikhailM
    WMB Wimble Nations (25) - zz

    * Leader MAY be inactive, affiliation may be active
    ** Only known contact, please update us if this is incorrect.

    NPC / FoC: ARC, CIV, CGT, FRE, HBO, HEF, IND, ISP, JCN, MEK, MRC, PIR, PRV, TCA, TRN, KAS
    Inactive: ANT, COD, DEN, DOM, GCE, HVE, IDC, IMP, RIP, RCF, SKW, TAG,

    *** Submissions ***

    By private message to The Editor or via Mica if you prefer to remain anonymous.
     
    ******Empire Syndicated News Network (ESNN) ******

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    Welcome to the latest version of ESNN, giving the news and views from the ESNN's reporter and news anchor, Ainsley Moore, making this the peripheries' most favourite and most reliable unbiased publication in the known universe from our home in the Heartland,

    And so with the news from the last couple of weeks,


    Cluster War! DNA Gather Fruit
     

    Free Ship when you sign-up
    Complete missions for in game rewards
    Control everything, up to an entire empire
    Dedicated human moderators
    Player and Moderator driven plotlines
    Discover new worlds to explore, exploit & colonise
    Over 20 years of content development
    Persistent Browser-Based Game (PBBG)

    I’ve played on and off for approximately 10 years, over a 20 year spell. After some interesting debate on the in-game forum, I did wonder what, exactly, has kept drawing me back to the game, when for so many others I’ve generally lost interest after a few months.

    Ultimately, I think it is a combination of automation (that allows the game to handle thousands of positions to interact on a daily basis) coupled with Special Actions (that allow the story arc to develop in a way that could not be catered for by a set of predefined list of available orders).
    -Zigic