risk Posted January 22 Report Posted January 22 New Criminal Faction Standards and Updated Tier System On behalf of Faction Management, we want to first and foremost apologize for the length of time it has taken to push out the new Faction Standards and Tier rework. An entire overhaul has been completed both internally and externally, with extra care taken to design a system that allows a wide range of criminal faction styles to thrive, while also giving your Guides the tools needed to implement and support it properly. With the holidays and several needed changes, everything took a bit longer than we would have liked. It’s been a monumental effort of love for the criminal community and we want to thank each and every one of you who came to us with ideas, feedback, concerns, and questions. Now that these new systems are released, we wanted to take a moment to address some questions we anticipate many of you will have preemptively. If you have a question not answered below, please feel free to reach out to your Faction Guides. 1. Recognized Player Factions - Getting Started 2. Faction Standards & Expectations 3. Faction Threads & Documentation 4. Illegal Faction Tier System 5. Faction Feedback Form _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1. Why are the inactivity and faction post standards different depending on my faction’s tier? Put simply, the higher you progress in the tier system the more rewards you are given. To remain eligible for those rewards, it is expected by the time your faction has reached Tier 7 you have streamlined the process enough and are active enough in game that you’re able to uphold higher standards. 2. Does my faction need to have a strike system for rule breaks to meet the accountability or roleplay standard? How you choose to hold your faction members accountable will be up to faction leadership. If clear expectations work best for you by way of a strike system, then you’re encouraged to do so. If your group functions better with discussions instead, you may do that as well. Faction Management is not here to police your faction; that job belongs solely to faction leadership. If you have accepted that role IC, it is expected you accept that role OOC as well and hold your own accountable to every standard listed regardless of who it is. If Faction Management needs to step in because of continued patterns not being addressed, it no longer becomes an educational moment and will instead be considered a failure to uphold this standard. 3. What does Faction Management now consider PVP-minded? We recognize PVP is a widely enjoyed play style by much of the community. Our goal is not to eliminate PVP, nor penalize those players who enjoy it. Our goal is to make sure those players who engage in PVP are doing so with a purpose, and with roleplay in mind before all else. Much effort has gone into helping criminal factions turn even the worst of losses into a palatable one, and it is expected factions will explore other avenues in adherence with their lore to allow for evolving, long term scenes that embrace more than just logging on to shoot. PVP is not the problem. PVP without purpose is. If you are a faction who claims to be an organization who operates in the shadows, it makes little sense for you to be engaging in shootouts that span several blocks. If you claim to be an organization that is wealthy and high class, it makes little sense to be found moving from lab to lab daily. There is a time and a place for conflict, and factions are expected to lean into the identities they themselves wrote. 4. What is a documented lore contradiction? Does that mean my faction can just be followed and snitched on constantly to get us demoted? A documented lore contradiction is an egregious or repeated failure to follow your lore, examined and issued by Faction Management. A conversation will occur when one is issued, with detailed explanations as to why it’s being issued so there is no confusion. Expectations will be communicated as issues arise, and no faction will be penalized without prior discussion and an opportunity to course correct. It’s important to note, evidence is required when submitting a report of lore noncompliance via a form provided below. In addition to this, egregious will be defined only by members of Game Affairs Management. As this new standard is arguably one of the biggest shifts, the first 30 days after this announcement will be a trial period where guides will work closely with their factions to help point out what is typical play error, what is noncompliant, and what would qualify as egregious once the trial period is over. Because it is impossible to define every faction, and every potential breach of lore, the following should be considered a non exhaustive list but provide you an idea of what we mean: A faction defines itself as democratic, valuing alliances above all else. FM is made aware one of their newer members was seen antagonizing a fight in the middle of Legion Square. A singular incident of a newer member breaking lore would not be considered an egregious deviation. It may be considered a breach of accountability if the behavior is not addressed by faction leadership; however, it only becomes lore deviation if multiple members of the faction are repeatedly being seen doing the same. A faction defines itself as risk takers, reckless, and uncaring about consequences. Said faction then continually engages in meta tactics to escape law enforcement from criminal activities. Utilizing the meta - either via tactics or vehicles - inherently minimizes risk. This would be considered an egregious breach if left unaddressed, given how steeply it can affect other players. 5. If my faction is held to lore we write, can I just write my faction lore as the best of all worlds? You can. Faction Management is not here to tell you how to design your faction; however, you can expect to struggle working your way through the Tier System if you, as players, are not willing to self-regulate. Roleplay only works when everyone is committed to making every interaction enjoyable for everyone involved, win or lose, and designing your group to be able to do everything with no limitation, no flaws, no weaknesses, and no way to lose indicates more often than not roleplay is not at the forefront of your mind. It will be an uphill battle, in full transparency, and the burden will be on you as players to prove you provide something of benefit to the community as a whole, not just your faction. 6. I have meta vehicles or assets. When am I expected to use lore appropriate options instead? Meta assets are not prohibited, and owning or using them casually is completely fine. Where expectations shift is during collaborative or competitive scenes where a loss is a reasonable and anticipated possibility, such as banks, labs, or other high stakes criminal activities involving other factions or law enforcement. In those situations, factions are expected to operate within their established lore framework, including the vehicles and tools that make sense for the identity they have written. This expectation exists to preserve interaction and shared storytelling for everyone involved in the scene. This does not mean you may never use your meta assets. Using high-end vehicles or purchased assets is perfectly acceptable when: Hanging out with your faction Casual driving or travel Racing or recreational activities Social scenes or non-collaborative play What is not acceptable is using meta assets outside of your lore during collaborative scenes primarily to secure an outcome, rather than allowing the story to unfold in a way that gives all parties room to engage. If a meta asset aligns with your lore, its use is allowed, but self-regulation is expected elsewhere to maintain balance. This may look like limiting car swaps, avoiding ambushes, or restricting certain terrain advantages so that outcomes are driven by roleplay and decision making rather than the asset itself. If a meta asset does not align with your lore, continued use of that asset during collaborative scenes should be discussed with your Guides in advance, as use may be considered a lore issue. We are not here to penalize you and are happy to work with you where we can - the goal here is not to dictate how you play, but expand upon good faith interactions where everyone leaves a scene feeling as though they had a fair chance to win. This expectation is not about forcing losses or removing options. It is about ensuring that collaborative scenes remain interactive from both sides and enjoyable for everyone involved, regardless of outcome. Faction Management cannot, and will not, attempt to define every vehicle or asset on the server as “meta” or “non-meta.” The intent is not to maintain a list of permitted versus prohibited options, but to preserve a roleplay environment where actions invite meaningful counterplay and scenes are not decided solely by asset advantage. 7. These lore expectations are going to put my gang at a severe disadvantage. How are you not just asking us to lose? These expectations are intended to encourage creativity, not restrict it. With a recent merge between FM and LFM, both Legal Faction Management and Faction Management are adjusting to new processes and shared standards. Meridian exists to support criminal factions during this transition by helping refine identity and develop sustainable roleplay where everyone finds the fun in logging in again. These standards are not designed to catch factions out or retroactively reframe past play; they exist to provide clearer expectations going forward so that no faction is left guessing where they stand. To promote transparent communication while these systems settle, a feedback form is now available for both criminal and legal factions to raise concerns and provide input in a structured way, where oversight teams have shared insight into roleplay standards for all factions. FACTION FEEDBACK FORM These standards are meant to protect shared roleplay and ensure expectations are applied consistently as everyone moves forward. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ Additional Clarifications Will these standards be applied retroactively? No. Factions will not be evaluated or demoted for behavior that occurred prior to the release of these standards. Evaluation moving forward is based on patterns and consistency, not past activity. What happens if a faction misses a requirement once? Missing a single activity window or expectation does not automatically result in demotion. Demotions occur only when standards are repeatedly unmet and leadership fails to address issues after being made aware. With this new system, demotion or lack of promotion will never be a surprise as our goal is continual feedback throughout the month. How detailed do forum posts need to be? There is no word count requirement. Posts are evaluated on substance, not length. Narrative context is required as outlined; screenshots alone are not sufficient for every post. How are low visibility or quiet factions evaluated? Factions that intentionally operate quietly or behind the scenes are not penalized for doing so. Evaluation is based on consistency, alignment with lore, and meaningful interaction appropriate to that identity. How does Faction Management ensure consistency across factions? Standards are applied through documented patterns, accepted reports, and collaborative review among Faction Management and Guides. Factions are evaluated against the standards themselves, not against one another. What should factions do if they are unsure or falling short? Leadership is encouraged to proactively reach out to their Guides. Early communication and willingness to course correct are always viewed favorably. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________ These standards are not intended to force a loss or dictate outcomes. They exist to reinforce accountability, protect the spirit of roleplay, and ensure factions are rewarded for consistency and follow through. Factions that commit to the identities they write and engage with the broader community in good faith will continue to find room to grow under this system. If you have questions about the new system, please reach out to your FM Guides via Discord. 1
