Factions

There are many **factions** in the Aurigan Reach, all with their own friends, foes, and interests. Navigating between the threads of politics is crucial to surviving the struggle.

## Reputation effects

* Your rating with the Mercenary Review Board indicates how trusted and effective your mercenary company is. A high MRB rating will earn you respect from fellow mercenaries and MechWarriors-for-hire.

You can increase reputation gain from a mission by reducing **both** payment and salvage. It's not very obvious.

* Essentially there are **three** payment modes from a mission: payment, salvage, and reputation. Increasing any of them decreases the other two.
* This doesn't work with the Planetary Government faction, since you can't gain reputation with them.

Faction reputations are tracked for each of the major powers in the Reach
* **Loathed**: This faction considers you an enemy and will work with you only under duress. You receive 90% less payment for contracts and are not permitted to shop in systems this faction controls. You need a reputation level of below -80.
	+ You *can* get out of Loathed by grinding half-skull missions. It'll take a while.
* **Hated**: This faction deeply distrusts you and works with you only grudgingly. You receive 50% less payment for contracts and pay a 50% markup in shops in systems this faction controls. You need a reputation level of between -40 and -80.
* **Disliked**: This faction has reason to mistrust you. You receive 10% less payment for contracts and pay a 20% markup in shops in systems this faction controls. You need a reputation level of between -20 and -40.
* **Indifferent**: This faction has no firm opinions about your company. You pay a standard 10% markup in shops in systems this faction controls. You need a reputation level of between -20 and 20.
* **Liked**: This faction believes you are reliable and trustworthy. You receive a 5% bonus payment for contracts you undertake for this faction. You need a reputation level of between 20 and 40.
* **Friendly**: You are a respected resource this faction will call on for difficult tasks. You receive a 10% bonus payment for contracts and a 5% discount in shops in systems this faction controls. You need a reputation level of between 40 and 80.
* **Honored**: You are a trusted agent of this faction and will be offered its most sensitive and difficult missions. You receive a 15% bonus payment for contracts and a 10% discount in shops in systems this faction controls. You need a reputation level of above 80.
* **Allied**: The same as Honored, except you also get to purchase from this faction's private stores at their headquarters.
	+ This is only attainable by forming an official alliance with the faction. Doing so makes its enemies your enemies, and reduces your reputation with enemy factions of your new ally to 0 (for any that were above 0). Your reputation with enemy factions can never rise above 0.
	+ You can break an alliance. Doing so reduces your reputation with that faction and you cannot re-ally with them for at least a year (in-game time, presumably). Their enemies will no longer be your enemies, but any reputation levels/effects (e.g. Loathed) will remain.