What is the point of a faction?

[Doom_Carrot]

So you have a color on the map? Because I don't get what factions are for when we have clans.

[Jona]

Factions are only for strat, clans are for other aspects of crpg. In a faction you can easily trade gear/troops/money between each member, in addition to seeing where they are on the map at all times (unless they are inside a fief). Also, if you get attacked and aren't around, then one of your faction mates can accept people to the battle for you, or lead the battle on your behalf should you want them to. For the most part, factions on strat are made up of a crpg clan, and some larger factions are made up of multiple crpg clans with perhaps a few additional members. Having more guys on your side means having more guaranteed mercenaries to fight in your battles as well. Basically, real wars aren't waged by single men, and neither are they in strat, although it is arguably possible in strat, just harder unless you have a lot of friends. But if you had a lot of strat-active friends you'd normally be in a faction with them.

[Doom_Carrot]

Ok, I see. So factions are actually far more important in strat than clans are.

And about battles, and having people fight them for you etc: Is it possible to choose the time and date for a battle? For instance, if I attack some guy, will I be able to say to have the battle in 26 hours instead of 24 or something? And hos do you make somebody else the leader of a battle?

[Jona]

Battles are always 24 hours after the attack is initiated, unless the defender has a night time setting which postpones the fight. Night time settings are used so that you will not have to fight a battle during the hours you are sleeping/working. Not many people use night time settings though, as we are mostly more or less on the same schedule.

The leader of a battle is more a figurative position than anything material. It is simply the guy in TS or in-game chat telling people where to go, when to charge, what fortifications to place, etc. Plenty of smaller battles are completely lacking commanders as there is simply no need to tell people to "run at the enemy, kill them and cap flags." However for the more important ones, like sieges, there are generally still leaders who try to organize coordinated assaults to maximize the chance of success.

[Doom_Carrot]

Ok, thanks. What if Ican't get any mercs, but I also can't make the battle, will I automatically lose everything just because I didn't show up? And yeah I just fought under a commander at the siege of bruvan or whatever. It wasn't very effective 

[Tristan_of_Erzoth]

Ok, thanks. What if Ican't get any mercs, but I also can't make the battle, will I automatically lose everything just because I didn't show up? And yeah I just fought under a commander at the siege of bruvan or whatever. It wasn't very effective 

If you have no mercs and cant make it yourself, then you will auto lose. If the battles at a good time and isn't something stupid(like 100v100) usually random people will just sign up for both sides looking for a fun fight.

[njames89]

Joining a faction helps a lot as it means more people to potentially reinforce your battles, and more people to monitor the roster and sign mercenaries.

[woody]

Bit of a tip - playing strat as a loner is pointless. Sooner or later a faction will take all your stuff. Even a small faction will be able to slaughter a loner. There are very few active players and almost any faction will want a trustworthy active player.

I really hope the new epic or whatever has a dynamic for loners, this has been discussed many times as to how etc.

[Doom_Carrot]

Well, I don't really have any intentions of picking any large fights, if I happen to get mixed up with one I'll have no choice but to join a large faction lol 

[njames89]

Feel free to trade at HCE fiefs!

[Doom_Carrot]

Feel free to trade at HCE fiefs!

This I have done 

[njames89]

  Wunderbar!

[Lt_Anders]

Join Astralis, or whatever I decide to be. It's pretty much just like 3-5 people now. You'd still feel like a Lone wolf, but get a bit more support.

[woody]

Its actually easier now as a lone wolf since strat has so few active players, before it died even taking S/D got you hunted down.

Even so sooner or later a faction will notice you and rob your stuff out of boredom if nothing else. The fact there are fiefs where factions wont even defend since so many are factions are almost totally inactive is true, until they can be arsed to take it back.

[Doom_Carrot]

Idk why everybody says its such a big deal to join a faction though. Even the more massive factions on NA only have 10-15 ACTIVE players.

And I made a clan the day I made my account, and it now has 4 members, so i don't want to just screw them all over and leave lol