Faction system
The faction system is an OOC representation of the formation of factions IG. There are also some IC powers within the faction system that determine what one can do IG.
Player Factions (With some information common to all)
Q: What is player faction?
A: A player faction can be created by any player. To create a player faction: 1) type -factions 2) Type the name of the faction you wish to create. 3) Click create new faction.
Q: How do I access a player faction?
A: Type -factions. A list of factions you're a member of will show up in the list. Click the one you wish to access/manage.
Q: Manage?
A: Yes, within a faction you can add ranks and members. Pay salaries to those members and change their rank. Also, you can determine who has access to the shared bank account of a faction, as well as, who has the ability to rename properly tagged fixtures. Other powers include: configuring what type of information is displayed within the faction for each member, viewing and creating OOC messages.
Q: How do I tag a fixture/item?
A: When renaming a fixture/item, place {FactionName} within the name. FactionName should be the name of your faction. Fixtures can be tagged by multiple factions.
Q: Where does the gold come from to pay salaries?
A. From the faction bank account. When it's depleted no salaries are paid.
Q: When are salaries paid?
A: On the first of every month. Dues are collected first.
Q: How do you give a character powers?
A: You can give characters powers individually. Or by giving the power to the rank they belong in. Or by giving the power to the Unranked rank, which affects every member.
Q: What are outsiders?
A: Outsiders are characters that are being paid a salary or the faction is receiving dues from. Dues are completely voluntary on part of the character. Outsiders have no standing within the faction.
Q: What does the immunity power do?
A: If a member has this power, directly or from it's rank. The member can only be modified by the owner. If a rank has this power, the rank cannot be modified, except by the owner.
Q: How many owners can a faction have?
A: Currently one. But nothing stops you from giving someone else every single power.
Q: Hey! My faction isn't showing up another server!
A: It's not yet cached on that server, type it's name as if creating it and click Create New Faction.
Q: How do I access the bank account?
A: The bank account can be accessed through any banker.
Q: How do I give powers?
A: You need to either be an owner or have the power to give powers and the power you wish to give.
Q: Is there a way to set an OOC message only certain members can look at?
A: Yes, starting a message with {PartOfRankName} will make the message viewable by only by those of that rank. Owners and those with the power to see all messages will see every message.
If you have a ranks called:
Unranked Co-owner
If the messsage is tagged with {ranked} only the Unranked rank will see it. If you tag the message with {r}, both the Unranked and the Co-owner faction will see them as both factions have an 'r' in the name.
Tips & Tricks
1) If your faction account doesn't see much income but you still wish to pay out salaries. Pay a due of equal amount to the salaries that are being paid out. Dues are collected first.
2) When creating a new faction, I like to give the unranked rank all the OOC messaging powers, so that all my members can stay in contact.
3) There is a known glitch in the faction system where your faction may one day just disappear. Don't panic right away! Your faction may actually still be around in the tables. First wait at least one reset and see if it fixes itself. If not you can try to effect a manual load of your faction by recreating the faction once more. Make sure it is the exact same name created by the same owner. You will likely see a error telling you it could not be created do to it already existing. Once you see that check if your faction is back. If it is good. If it's not...well I have to send you to the default answer to that situation.[[1]]
Settlement/Division factions
Q: How do I access my settlement faction? The options from -faction are severely limited.
A: Settlement factions are accessed through the settlement registrar. You can use -factions to access messages and their corresponding powers.
Q: What's so special about a settlement faction?
A: The settlement faction allows the leader(s) of the settlement to give characters the power to banish, set trade prices, set trade contracts, release shops, and other settlement powers. Some powers, such as bank and fixtures powers, from settlement factions also allow you to perform those actions in division factions.
Q: LeaderS? You said a faction could only have one owner!
A: I did, settlement factions and division factions are the exception. However, settlements with multiple leaders are restricted by the Writ System
Q: What's a division faction?
A: A division faction is automatically created when you create a rank in a settlement faction. Any members of that rank will also be owners of the division faction. Settlement leaders are also owner's of division factions, however they are also restricted by the writ system. A settlement leader can also belong to the rank and therefore not need a writ when performing actions within that division faction.
Q: Any other differences between division factions and the other factions?
A: Division factions are accessed through -factions. They have a bank account accessed through any banker. They also have two power list.
Q: Two power list? How does that work?
A: The first list functions much like it does for player factions. It controls what characters can do within the division faction. The other list, the Nation Power list, controls what the character can do to the settlement they belong to. Powers on the nation power list include banishment, removal of banishment, setting up trade contracts, etc. As well as access to renaming the settlement's fixtures and accessing the settlement's bank account. Characters with powers given from the secondary list have no ability to modify fixtures or gain access to the bank accounts of other divisions.
Shop System
Q: Hey! I gave people powers through my faction but they unable to use them with my shop.
A: First more sure the shop is associated with your faction. Then navigate to the ability menu and turn on (green) the abilities you want your faction members to access.
Q: Hey! I have the abilities green in the shop's ability menu, but my faction members cannot interact with my shop.
A: Give them the power through -factions.
Q: Why require both, the ability to be turned on through the shop and the power through the faction?
A: So that shop owners remain in total control of their shop and shop owners may not have access to the associated faction and only wish that faction to interact with their shop in a certain manner. The shop only may only want taxes (tithes) to go to the associated faction.
Q: How do faction taxes work?
A: First the settlement taxes, if applicable, are taken out, then the faction taxes (tithes) are taken out after that. So if the item costs 10,000 gold in a settlement with a 10% tax rate. The settlement's taxes will be taken out first, which would be 1,000. Leaving 9,000 to be split between the faction's account and the shop owner.