Political Interactions:

The Federation: The Federation is no longer the 'human rights advocates of the galaxy.' It has, in fact, been bending a few human rights itself. The new presider, you see, has some Imperial connections, and sometimes seems to be working for the Empire. However, most people do not see this, as they are caught up in propeganda released by the Presider and his loyalists, and support for him is still strong. The Federation has a mild dislike of the CIS and has recently raised tariffs. The Federation has officially renounced the Regiment for it's militaristic tactics. Also, the Federaton fears the Thargoids, and is helping to fund the Tri-Alliance.

The FFM: The FFM know that the Empire is getting the better of the Federation. They have agents acting in the government, but the majority of the FFM's members are intelligence officers and scientists. A few businessmen are also involved. The FFM wants to free the Federation from Imperial influence and a war fever is building within them. The FFM is contemplating attacks on the Empire and/or Empire-influenced members of the Federation. Realizing that an attack on either would currently be suicidal (at least until the movement gains momentum), they now are using their moles inside the Federal Navy's Research Wing to find ways to equal their foes. (Looking for experimental weaponry.) The FFM usually uses old, rusting, and battle-worn ships, but has one flagship unique to its side: The Banshee. The FFM has gotten some support from the Alliance, but it is understandably limited, as the Alliance must keep the appearance of absolute neutrality.

The Empire: The Emporer has died. Rather than chaos, the Empire is experiencing a new era of stability and smart politics. The old Emporer wasn't bad at his job, he just wasn't that good. His successor is hot stuff. They don't want a confrontation with the Federation. Instead they are contented with subverting the Federation's government, and wish to turn the Federation into a puppet of the Empire. The Federation has no idea how they are being manipulated and this amuses the Empire. The Empire somewhat dislikes the CIS. They have organized military strikes against the CIS. Yet, they do not want to be known as a bully state, and are paying pirates to do the dirty work. The Empire keeps a wary eye on the Regiment, but does not currently feel theatened by it. The Empire also despises the Thargoids. They supply the Tri-Alliance with weapons and pay for Thargoid carcasses, for even though they recognize the Thargoid threat, they admire the Thargoid's perfection of cloning.

The Alliance: The Alliance wants to keep the peace. The reasons are not entirely noble, as the Alliance has sort of a 'peacetime economy' that works best when everyone cooperates, but there is kind of a pride invovled. Keeping the Peace is not an easy job, though. Currently, the Alliance is trying to restore the Federation's government to its original state. They are slipping some money and information to the FFM. Alliance operatives are essential in undermining the mole-hunting attempts of the Federation. The Alliance is also supporter of the CIS. While doing all of this, the Alliance still seeks to be neutral, and funds summits, peace talks, and discovery missions. The Alliance had a scientific exchange with the Thargoids, and is finally making goodies such as Thargoid Lasers availible.

The Commonwealth of Independent Systems or Lave Treaty Systems: The CIS is wealthy, but has a problem with organized piracy. The CIS has suspicions that the Empire is funding the pirate attacks against them, but no proof. The Alliance provides advice and any assistance needed, as it sees itself reflected in the CIS. The CIS has few missions to offer, except the occational discovery/claiming mission. Once one has a ranking of Dangerous, one can visit the Elite Federation, with headquarters in the CIS, for missions. Once one is Elite, one can join the Elite Federation (I assume). Thus, the CIS becomes more important as the game goes on.

The Communist Regiment of Alkaid: The Regiment is a militaristic society out to save everyone from themselves. By force. They see themselves as the epitome of civilization. They are hostile to all nations, but the only nation currently threatened directly is the Alliance, which stands in the way of its expansion. They have members in the Tri-Alliance, but refuse to contribute any resources to them. The Regiment is extremely skilled at 'converting' anarchies to their side, and constantly assassinate leaders in independent systems, trying to create a power vacuum that they will, of course, be there to fill.

The Elite Federation: The Elite Federation won't come into play until late in the game, though it will be mentioned in the journals. Imperial Journals will have favorable comments about the E. Federation, while the Federation's will only publish disapproving articles. The E. Federation has operatives within the Tri-Alliance, just to keep an eye on them so they don't mess things up in general. The Elite Federation is currently involved in secret negotiations with the Thargoids in an attempt to buy warships from them. It is rumored to have some already... Note: Why do we have to use similar names for the Elite Federation and Federation? There are other names.

The Tri-Alliance: The Tri-Alliance is an organization dedicated to destroying the Thargoids. Their operatives often lead raids against Thargoid targets and assassinations of 'Thargoid-influenced' members of the Alliance. They value the experience of their elders, and their rank-advancement reflects this- it is based on seniority rather than number of missions or importance. In an unusual contrast, the upper levels of their command (commander-in-chief, etc.) are elected.

Thargoids: I'm not sure how involved the Thargoids will be involved in the plot, but (in my thinking) Thargoid warships will be availible through the Elite Council, and Thargoid equipment will be availible through the Alliance (if you are of proper rank). Of course, missions against the Thargoids will be available through the Tri-Alliance.

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Rank Advancement:

Rank Advancement varies from country to country, and with reason: ranks reflect what country they come from. I have the following suggestions to make:

The Federation: Normal rank advancement. The Federation is old, and has established rules. Has a few medals.

The Empire: Normal rank advancement. Offers medals for public displays of courage and allegiance to the Empire, but only awards them on special occations.

The Alliance: Slightly faster rank advancement than the Federation or Empire. Offers peace awards, but only on an annual basis.

The CIS: Fast rank advancement, about twice as fast as the Federation or Empire. It has few medals.

The Regiment: Slow rank advancement, about 1.5 times slower than the Federation or Empire, as the Regiment is paranoid and doesn't want high-ranking officers who haven't proved their loyalty many times over. It gives many, many medals, so each and every member of the Regiment feels important.

The Elite Federation: It's based on Elite ranking, so I'm not convinced it needs another type of rank advancement. It could give titles though (for important things like contact with the Thargoids).

The Tri-Alliance: Advancement based on seniority, but you must do a certain number of missions to retain your membership. Maybe it gives a few medals, too.

The Thargoids: Err... How would aliens go about rank advancement? They are insects, so maybe ranks would be more of a classification of the type of work you do more often: Worker (trading), soldier (military), drone (diplomatic work, the hardest to get). The Thargoids themselves probably don't have rank advancement, but surely they recognize a human's flexibility. Don't they?

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