Hi everyone, and welcome to this week's edition of Question of the Week, where I take your questions and get answers straight from the developers. This week we've got an interesting question about factions, and we hope you will contribute to the thread regarding your thoughts about the answer.

(via Carnun) How will the player choose his/her faction? Will we be birthed to a faction of our choosing (i.e. at character creation) or will the player be able to choose at a later time. Will we be able to go turncoat?
This week we will answer Carnun's question regarding Faction affiliation for new players. It's a very interesting question because unlike other games on the market, choice of affiliation is not forced on the player from the very beginning of the game. Players can change their affiliation from Continoma and Noir at any time as long as it serves their needs and they can live up with the consequences of such betrayal.

When a new player leaves the crystomatic databanks containing his DNA and saved memories and sets his foot on the island of Enterra, he has no affiliation with any faction. Despite being utopian but ultimately corrupted society, the Continoma-ruled city of Sal Vitas believes that citizenship should be a natural choice for its new citizens. At this point players can make a choice - accept to join Continoma and reap the benefits of its new and bold society - with security and economic opportunities abound - or directly walk away into the wild and risky locations where they can meet with the Noir rebels, either NPCs or Noir characters who might embrace and protect them (unlike Continoma, Noir protection will depend slightly less on NPCs and more on the player's collaborative actions). While such choice will be very risky for newly created characters that have yet to hone their skills, they can do it - and if they pull it off, such actions might even be recognized later on. This allows new players who have yet to taste the world of Enterra make the natural choice of serving Continoma and be allowed to develop with acceptable level of security and support, while experienced players who enjoy challenges can immediately affiliate with Noir early on.

As mentioned above, change of affiliation between Continoma and Noir may happen at any time. Such change won't happen automatically. Every action will count against the reputation towards each faction and players can be seen as zealots or untrustworthy Continomians or Noir supporters. Shift between Continoma and Noir will happen only when the player strictly chooses to. Still players have to prove their interest in the opposite cause before they are accepted among the rival faction. Frequent change of faction affiliation is another factor to count in - players will find it harder to gain trust of their new brethren if they have been turning their coat too many times too often. Finally, turning to the other side in the conflict while the player is in a Party or a Guild will have it's severe repercussions - each Guild has its own affiliation to Continoma and Noir and in a game featuring territorial conquest, traitors among the lines will rarely be tolerated. Players will have to choose wisely.

Thank you to our devs for taking time out to answer this intriguing question, and to Carnun for such a cool topic. Please feel free to discuss the questions below in this thread, and post any questions you have on our QOTW thread here. We read every question, just so you know.

See you next week!
~ M.

That sounds awesome.

I think (though I may be mistaken) Commi3 meant how difficult it would be to start of as a member of Noir, having no previous experience?

No, and here's why:

Noir will ultimately be viewed as the "good guys" by most incoming players.  They'll see a large suppressive society versus a small "free" society.  SWG was afflicted with this where, considering all of the might of the Empire, Imperials were generally always outnumbered by rebels.

Noir is going to attract more players than Continoma.  There's no getting around this without radically changing one or both of the factions.

Personally I think that more people would join Noir, not Continoma, but many will just turn sides when they want to, so technically it doesn't even mater. Still, people from big guilds probably won't dare to move, but the people from small or no guilds remain. I'm more concerned about what Angel Azrael's said - spying.

What about creating our own faction? I noticed you guys kinda skipped that question from wife - agro's interview. Though you said that the players would only be able to change the world around them by being with the main two factions.

Think I have to agree with commi3 on this one. Although I hope it isn't true. Everyone in SWG wanted to be rebel. I think the same may hold true with this game. Everyone will want to rebel against "the man" and join Noir. I hope they will include some serious advantages for Continoma otherwise they may have the same thing on their hands. Wont be much of a civil battle if everyone is on the same side.

Thank you yet again for a quick reply. I like the dedication I have been seeing from the developers to help use gamers understand what they plan to deliver. I just hope we aren't taking up too much developing time  .