Factions & Organizations Guide
Everything about joining, creating, and running factions. From street gangs to government departments, factions are the backbone of organized roleplay.
What Are Factions?
A faction is a group of players organized under a shared purpose. Think of it as any kind of organization your character might be part of in real life -- a company, a club, a government agency, a criminal enterprise, or anything in between.
Factions give your character a community and a purpose. Instead of wandering the city alone, you become part of something bigger. You have people to work with, goals to achieve, and a role to fill. Factions are where some of the best and most engaging roleplay happens on the server.
Here are some examples of what a faction might be:
- A police department that patrols the streets and responds to crimes.
- A motorcycle club with its own clubhouse and territory.
- A private security company that protects businesses and events.
- A street gang that controls a neighborhood.
- A government department that manages city policy.
- A taxi company that provides transport to citizens.
- A law firm that handles court cases and legal matters.
The possibilities are wide open. If you can imagine an organization existing in a real city, you can create it here.
Types of Factions
There are two main categories of factions on the server, and both have full access to faction features.
Official Factions
These are factions that are formally recognized by the server. They have special features and privileges that come with their role. The main official factions are the Police Department, the Government, and EMS (Emergency Medical Services). These factions have unique tools, vehicles, and abilities that match their purpose. For example, police can issue warrants and access criminal records, while the government can set tax rates and create laws.
Unofficial Factions
These are player-created groups that form organically through roleplay. Any group of players can start their own faction. You do not need admin approval. Unofficial factions have access to the full faction system -- ranks, vehicles, stashes, and everything else. Over time, if an unofficial faction proves itself through consistent and quality roleplay, it can become officially recognized.
Whether a faction is official or unofficial does not change how the core features work. Both types can recruit members, set up ranks, own vehicles, and use shared storage. The main difference is that official factions have additional tools specific to their role in the city.
Joining a Faction
Joining a faction is done through roleplay, not through a menu or an application form on the website. This is intentional -- it makes the process feel real and creates good RP for everyone involved.
How to Find a Faction
Look around the city. Talk to people. If you see a group of players who seem organized -- wearing similar clothing, hanging out at a specific location, driving matching vehicles -- they might be a faction. Walk up and start a conversation in character.
How to Join
- Make contact in character. Go to the faction's known location, such as their headquarters, their hangout spot, or their business. Introduce yourself.
- Express interest. Tell them your character is looking for work, looking to join, or whatever fits your character's story. Be natural about it.
- Go through their process. Each faction has its own recruitment process. Some might interview you. Others might give you a trial period. Some gangs might test your loyalty. Go along with whatever they ask.
- Get invited. If the faction likes you, their leadership will invite you in-game. You will then appear as a member of their faction with whatever starting rank they assign you.
Roleplay your way in. Do not message faction leaders out of character asking to join. Instead, find them in the game world and approach them as your character would. The recruitment process itself is some of the best RP you will experience, so enjoy it rather than trying to skip it.
Your character walks into a mechanic shop run by a faction. They ask if there are any job openings, chat with the workers, and show genuine interest in cars and mechanics. Over a few days, they build relationships with the faction members and eventually get offered a spot.
Your character walks up to a group of gang members and says "Can I join your gang?" with no buildup, no backstory, and no prior interaction. This is lazy RP and most factions will turn you away.
Creating Your Own Faction
You do not have to join someone else's faction. You can create your own from scratch. This is one of the most rewarding things you can do on the server, but it takes effort and dedication.
How to Create a Faction
Creating a faction is self-service. You do not need to submit an application or wait for admin approval. Use the in-game command or the UCP to set up your faction. Choose a name, pick an initial structure, and you are ready to go.
What You Need to Do
- Choose a concept. What is your faction about? What does it do? A clear concept makes it easier to recruit members and create interesting RP scenarios.
- Set up ranks. Create a rank structure that makes sense for your organization. You can always adjust this later as the faction grows.
- Recruit members. Find other players in-game and recruit them through roleplay. Build relationships, offer opportunities, and give people a reason to join.
- Establish a presence. Pick a location in the city for your faction's base of operations. Regular activity in a consistent location helps other players find you and recognizes your faction as part of the city.
Running a faction is a long-term commitment. It takes time to build up members, establish your reputation, and create meaningful storylines. Do not get discouraged if things start slowly. The best factions on the server were all small at one point.
Faction Ranks
Every faction has a rank system. Ranks create structure within the organization and determine what each member can and cannot do.
How Ranks Work
Faction leaders set up the ranks for their organization. Each rank has a name and a set of permissions. For example, a high-ranking member might be able to invite new members and access the faction treasury, while a low-ranking member might only have basic access.
Typical Rank Structures
The exact ranks depend on the type of faction. Here are some examples:
- A police department might have ranks like Cadet, Officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain, and Chief.
- A street gang might have ranks like Associate, Soldier, Lieutenant, and Boss.
- A company might have ranks like Intern, Employee, Manager, Director, and CEO.
Rank Permissions
Higher ranks typically have access to more features and responsibilities:
- Inviting and kicking members. Usually restricted to leadership ranks.
- Accessing faction resources. Higher ranks may have access to faction funds, vehicles, and stashes.
- Changing faction settings. Only the top ranks can modify the faction's name, ranks, or other settings.
- Promoting and demoting members. Mid-level and senior ranks can usually adjust the ranks of those below them.
Work your way up through loyalty and good roleplay. Do not rush for promotions. The journey from the bottom to the top of a faction is a great storyline for your character, and leaders notice members who put in consistent effort.
Faction Vehicles
Factions can own vehicles that are shared among their members. This is especially useful for factions that need transport for their operations.
How Faction Vehicles Work
Faction vehicles belong to the faction, not to any individual member. They are stored at the faction's location and can be used by any member who has permission. When a member is done with a faction vehicle, they return it so others can use it.
Who Controls Access
Faction leaders and high-ranking members manage who can use faction vehicles. They can grant or restrict vehicle access based on rank or on a per-member basis. This keeps things organized and prevents misuse.
Special Vehicles
Official factions like the police department and EMS have access to special vehicles that match their role. Police get patrol cars, EMS gets ambulances, and so on. These vehicles have unique features that regular vehicles do not, such as sirens and special liveries.
Unofficial factions use standard vehicles, but they can still build up an impressive fleet over time. A successful faction might own dozens of vehicles for their members to use.
Faction Stashes
Faction stashes are shared storage areas where faction members can store and retrieve items for the group. They are an essential tool for any organized faction.
What Are Stashes For?
- Storing weapons. Keep a shared armory for faction members to equip from.
- Storing items. Keep supplies, materials, and other useful items in a central location.
- Storing money. Some factions pool their funds in a shared treasury for group expenses.
- Organizing resources. Having a central stash makes it easy to distribute resources to members who need them.
Access Control
Not every member can access the stash. Access is controlled by rank. Faction leaders decide which ranks can deposit into and withdraw from the stash. This prevents low-ranking or new members from taking things they should not have access to yet.
If you are a faction leader, be smart about stash permissions. Give withdraw access only to members you trust. It is common for factions to restrict full stash access to senior members and above, while allowing all members to deposit items.
Government Factions
Government factions are a special category of official factions that have the power to shape the entire server's experience. They are some of the most impactful factions in the city.
The Government
The government faction is responsible for running the city at the highest level. Government officials can:
- Create and modify laws. The laws on the server are created by government players, not by admins. This means the legal system is dynamic and can change based on the roleplay of government officials.
- Set tax rates. The government controls taxes, which affects everyone in the city. Higher taxes mean more government revenue but less money in people's pockets.
- Make official announcements. Government broadcasts reach the entire city. These are used for public safety alerts, new laws, events, and other important information.
- Manage city services. Budgets, public programs, and city infrastructure all fall under government responsibility.
The Police Department
The police department enforces the laws created by the government. Police officers patrol the city, respond to 911 calls, investigate crimes, and arrest people who break the law. They have access to the Mobile Data Computer (MDC), which lets them look up criminal records, outstanding warrants, and vehicle registrations.
The police department is entirely player-run. Officers, detectives, sergeants, and the chief are all real players making real decisions. This means that police encounters are genuine roleplay interactions, not scripted events.
Emergency Medical Services
EMS handles medical emergencies across the city. When someone gets injured, EMS responds. They provide medical treatment, transport patients, and keep the city's population healthy. Like the police, EMS is fully player-run.
Government factions are always looking for dedicated members. If you want your character to have a direct impact on the entire server, joining a government faction is the way to do it. These roles come with real responsibility and influence.
Tips for Faction Leaders
Running a faction well takes more than just creating one and hoping people show up. Here is practical advice for anyone leading or thinking about leading a faction.
Recruit Actively
Do not sit in your headquarters waiting for people to come to you. Get out into the city. Meet people. Create situations where potential recruits can interact with your faction naturally. The more visible your faction is, the more people will want to join.
Create Engaging Scenarios
Your members joined because they want interesting roleplay. Give it to them. Plan events, create storylines, set up missions and tasks. A faction that does nothing will lose members fast. A faction that always has something going on will grow.
Set Clear Expectations
Make sure your members know what is expected of them. How often should they be active? What are the rules? What happens if they break them? Clear expectations prevent confusion and conflict later.
Share Resources
Do not hoard everything at the top. A faction where only the leader benefits is a faction that will fall apart. Share vehicles, share stash access (wisely), and make sure everyone feels like they are getting something out of being a member.
Keep Members Involved
Check in with your members. Ask them what they want to do. Give them roles and responsibilities. People who feel valued and involved will stay loyal. People who feel ignored will leave.
A faction leader organizes a weekly meeting in character where members discuss recent events, plan upcoming operations, and new members get introduced. Everyone feels included and the faction has a clear direction.
A faction leader creates the faction, recruits ten people, then goes inactive for two weeks. Members have no guidance, no events, and no reason to stay. The faction falls apart within a month.