Question Multi Major Faction Loophole

[Davak]

Hey gang, why do we allow one character to be part of multiple major factions?

There is a very thorough and regulated ally slot system in place, yet it can essentially be entirely avoided by simply adding your character to the roster of another faction.

There are plenty of thread types dedicated to inter-faction roleplay that should cover any reason a character would have to join another faction other than their own.

I can't come up with a reason aside from using this function to forgo the ally slot system, or maybe to get implied allowance to use certain faction-restricted subs.

I don't understand why a RPC should be part of more than one major faction.

As these loopholes especially pertain to the map game, and the "competitive" aspects related to the forum, I am not sure why this isn't regulated.

Help me out.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

I mean, if I'm in a minor faction that functions as a Jedi Enclave or Commerce Guild and then in a major for a larger plot I don't see what the big deal is? How would it be a hinderance?

 

[Davak]

100% agree, minor factions are entirely excluded. This specifically pertains to joining multiple Major Factions.

 

[Makai Dashiell]

100% agree, minor factions are entirely excluded. This specifically pertains to joining multiple Major Factions.

Ah, thats what I get for not reading. I mean people can obtain dual citizenship for two countries IRL. I kind of view it that way.

 

[Davak]

Hahah fair metaphor, but what bout this afaik you're not allowed to serve in two separate armies as an active combatant?

 

[Allyson Locke]

There's no rule against your character from joining multiple factions. Most players have a "main" faction one that they will always participate with. Yes it does loophole the ally slot, its very obvious. If I remember right and an admin can correct me -- the ally slot system came about during a period you had to be a part of a major faction for 30 days before participating in an invasion. This caused more harm than good especially when it came down to new writers.

If someone wants to be a part of two factions there's IC reason for it, they could have originated from a different area on the map, have moved and became a citizen there. I've written spy characters, so I tend to join multiple factions as such pertaining to story.

We leave it up to the major faction staff teams to regulate, we don't remove ally slots because someone might not want to join that major faction, but are in alliance with the factions fighting (using invasions as an example).

 

[Soundwave]

I think it just becomes too much to micromanage at any given time.

While I don't think there should be a restriction on how many majors a single given character can be a part of (Since mercenaries or people who are spies, situations where a character might have more than one allegiance, etc. exist), I do think, at least for the purposes of invasions, that a character has to have at least had a minimum requirement of X amount of posts in [Faction] dedicated threads within the last X amount of months (Not privates, junctions or collaborative threads between factions) to justify their involvement in an invasion without requesting an ally slot.

Because I do agree it's very silly for an entire faction to jump onto one side of an invasion solely because they say they're part of it, even if they are complete ideological opposites and have no actual reason to work with one another.

And this isn't a jab at any specific factions in general, but the ally slot system needs to be adjusted/reworked or just be removed entirely because it's just pointless to have there if the loophole is going to get abused.

 

[Soundwave]

Just an afterthought as well if the Ally Slot System is going to get adjusted - Make a Major Faction specific mandate to allow for an entirely different major faction to be allowed to sign up as allies (To account for alliances/mercenary groups, perhaps up to a cap of say 3-4 charactersin any given faction looking to sign up) + individual slots on the chance that a rogue element decides they want to show up as usual just because they want to throw hands with an opposing faction. Obviously, there will be balancing issues, but at least narratively, it would make sense.

 

[Aselia Verd]

You're premise is that people shouldn't be able to skirt ally slots. Sure makes sense, but we all know that the moment this rule gets changed everyone will make an alt for an invasion join the faction then delete it when the invasion is over. Been on the site long enough to see this happen with every invasion. This also adds another burden to site staff in yet another way they have to monitor the community.

If you want to truly implement something change invasion rules. To be eligible for an invasion the account in question has to be a member of the faction for say six months or something. (Obviously if its a new writer account we could wave that, since everyone should only have 1 writer account) Then you could legitimately take away multi-faction from folks.

 

[Darth Strosius]

Speaking from the Major Faction Staff angle regarding the need for ally slots and whatnot, there is always the option of simply removing someone from the faction page and communicating with the other faction's staff that you wouldn't like a certain writer participating for whatever reason. Ally slots are shared between the factions of an invasion so both sides can agree not to approve certain writers if they want, and keeping an eye on them using the faction joining loophole would simply be part of that. Of course its not ideal and doesn't typically happen but it is perfectly possible to effectively block people from getting involved in an invasion that way.

 

[Kurayami Bloodborn]

There really isn't anything wrong with the rules as they stand. And in fact they are better than they were before. This is the smoothest I have seen invasions run in over a decade on the site. So why screw it up with a rewrite?

 

[Allyson Locke]

If you want to truly implement something change invasion rules. To be eligible for an invasion the account in question has to be a member of the faction for say six months or something. (Obviously if its a new writer account we could wave that, since everyone should only have 1 writer account) Then you could legitimately take away multi-faction from folks.

This was something that we have done in the past, this is why we have the ally slot system. It doesn't work. It now adds something else on the plates of Board Staff and Faction staff to police. There's no reason for it. The way things work now while there's a "loophole". Darth Strosius mentioned it, its an agreement between factions in the invasion. If there's a problematic member it can be discussed between them & if its something that's really bad it can be reported or the invasion admin can be notified.

 

[Kitter Bitters]

Can I ask why we even have ally slots?

It seems to just limit people who want to play in the threads.

(don't hate... I really want to know)

 

[Davak]

First off, awesome to see that this seems to be a topic others too want to discuss.

Also great that we can call it what it is a "loophole."

I do generally agree that in a PvP environment like an invasion, either faction has and should exercise the right to look into the opposing members and call out the usage of this loophole if they think it's being abused.

At the same time, this is where the problem arises. Since there are no clear rules that govern the usage of the loophole, it would have to be deliberated on a case-by-case basis, and it can be quite difficult to essentially prove someone is or is not abusing it. How would one prove a character that's writing in two factions at once "belongs" or doesn't "belong" to either one?

Maybe something simple like a Primary Major Faction designation could be implemented to show where a character's current allegiances and narrative focus lie, making it easier to rule on these cases.

Either way, I am glad this is getting some recognition.

 

[Aether Verd]

In 2025, there were seven invasions.

Asking factions, or site staff, to micromanage who joins their faction, or putting up some barrier to entry for joining a faction, over seven total threads in a calendar year seems a bit much to me. Any answer to this "problem" as described would require a lot more effort than letting rpers rp in threads they find interesting.

If folks want to be allies? Great, there's a system for that.

If folks want to click join and jump in that way? Great, there's a check for that (if they join after the invasion starts, it's generally a no-go).

For the most part, this is a non-issue as, out of the hundreds of threads and thousands of posts made a year, in 2025 invasions were a mere seven.

 

[Reina Daival]

Has the current system caused any issues recently? I presume not, which in that case, why fix what isn't necessarily broken? It might be a loophole but it's not hurting anyone.

 

[Madrona A’Mia]

A’Mia is part of two major Sith Factions which makes perfect sense to me given that her goals include ushering in a Sith Golden Age

 

[Corazona von Ascania]

I’ve always interpreted ally slots as available for folks who aren’t part of a major faction and don’t want to join said faction for whatever reason.

For example, if TIC were to invade another faction and I, writing Cora - a character who wouldn’t have much of an IC reason to join TIC - wanted a piece of the action, I’d apply for an ally slot.

 

[Briana Sal-Soren]

Don't both factions have to agree on how many ally slots they have during an invasion, and also agree to the writers, on both sides, of who can participate in said invasion? Wasn't that the new mandated rule, or did things change again?

 

[Allyson Locke]

Can I ask why we even have ally slots?

It seems to just limit people who want to play in the threads.

(don't hate... I really want to know)

I explained it in my original answer. It’s a system that we had before because of another rule that is now gone. The Ally slots proved a way for someone to join the thread without having to join a faction if the don’t want to.

An explanation was provided, I hope this clears it up further.