Factions

The server has a somewhat unique take on PVP that goes beyond just having a PVP zone. We are currently using a plugin created by on of the admin team that allows players to engage in a king of the hill sort of PVP as well as having a separate island built for it. Players are able to join a faction by speaking to the Faction Recruiter in Australis. From there players can choose from the 4 different factions. These factions are Boars, Bears, Wolves and Stags. This opens the door to the Node Capture system as players that are not in a faction cannot engage in Node Capture. (There is sometimes a waiting list to join factions to help the factions numbers grow evenly). Nodes are custom building on the PVP island that contain a switch players can activate when the Node is vulnerable. Nodes become vulnerable at set times each night. This lasts for 30 minutes or until they are no longer contested. To capture a Node a player has to travel to it, enter and flip the switch once the Node becomes vulnerable (There is a chat notification). From there the player must defend it against any players from rival factions. If a player from a rival faction gets too close the count down timer stops (10 minutes to capture the Node), if the rival player is killed then the timer resumes. If the player who flipped the switch is killed then the rival player is able to flip the switch if they desire to take it for their faction. If the player trying to capture the Node moves too far away the timer resets. Once a player is successful in capturing the Node (10 minute timer expires) the Node will be under their control and cannot be taken until the next night.

**Benefits:** There are multiple benefits of controlling Nodes on the Australis Server. One being for every node your faction controls all players in that faction will receive 2.5J at regular intervals as they play. This is automatic. If a player is on the PVE island then they will receive half the value per Node ie 1.25J per node controlled.

Factions that control nodes also control the region around them. This means that only the faction that controls the Node can Build in that region. Some deployables are still able to be placed by rival faction members such as sleeping bags and walls. When a faction member gathers resources in a region they control an additional 10% of the material gathered is deposited into a chest in the heart of the faction citadel that the faction leader can access. Additionally any barrels that are broken deposit 1J into the chest as well. While controlling a Node any rival faction members that gather in that region are taxed 20% of the total materials gathered which is automatically deposited into the controlling factions citadel chest.

**Citadels:** Each faction has a starting Node which is unable to be taken. In this zone any buildings are destructible for the duration of the wipe except for Purge Day. Citadels are also strongly defended with extremely high walls and Sam Sites positioned the citadel. Only faction members are able to enter the Citadel via the gates (So get creative). Inside a Citadel there is also a Heli Pad, 3 Recyclers, a Research Bench, an Oil Refinery and a PVE Travel NPC that allows naked to travel back to Australis. Players cannot travel from or to Citadels with items or materials.

**Faction Leaders:** Faction Leaders are chosen via an expression of interest on discord. If there is more than one person interested in leading a certain faction then it will be put to a vote where players will be able to decide who they would like to lead them for the faction. The Faction Leaders are also able to designate individual allies as well as kick players provided they have a valid reason to do so. The leaders are able to lead how they like provided they aren't rude or break the server rules. That said members of a faction are not able to be forced to do something they do not want to do ie engage in PVP encounters.