Factions on UO Outlands represent a persistent, large-scale Player versus Player (PvP) conflict where guilds align themselves with one of four distinct factions to wage war across the realm. This system revolves around controlling strategic [[#Wayposts|Wayposts]], stealing and securing rival [[#Faction Flags|Faction Flags]], engaging in [[Faction Caravans]], protecting or assassinating [[Faction VIPs]], and participating in direct combat with opposing faction members. Participation contributes to individual player scores, guild prestige, and the overall standing and power dynamics between the factions, culminating in weekly resets and rewards.
View current [https://forums.uooutlands.com/index.php?threads/patch-notes-for-january-21-2023-factions-patch.4481/ Faction information on the forums.]
Factions on Outlands is a persistent PvP system of conflict between four separate factions:
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{{#ev:youtube|https://youtu.be/mLOXuaK3mBw}}
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==Getting Started==
==Factions Menu==
===The Factions Menu===
* Players must be in a Guild to participate in Factions
[[File:factionsmenu1.png|thumb|right|The Factions tab in the Guild Menu.]]
* Players can access the Factions Menu of the Guild Menu by clicking on the Factions Tab
Access to Faction features is managed through the Guild Menu (`[Guild`), specifically under the "Factions" tab. Players can also directly open this menu by typing the command `[Faction`. Participation in the Faction system requires players to be members of a guild.
* Players can type [Faction to immediately jump to the Factions Menu of the Guild Menu
[[File:factionsmenu1.png|link=]]
==Joining a Faction==
* Each individual Guild decides optionally whether they will be aligned with one of four different Factions
* Any Officer or Guildmaster of a guild can change the Faction of their guild on the page 3 of the Factions Menu by clicking the Join button next to the desired Faction
* Guilds can only Join or Leave any Faction at most once every 7 days
* If a guild is aligned with a Faction, all members of the guild will see any text associated with their Faction displayed in Green text, and other Factions displayed in Orange text
* Guilds can leave a Faction by clicking the Leave button next to their Faction on page 3 of the Factions Menu
[[File:factionsmenu2b.gif|link=]]
Note: During the first 30 Days the Factions system has gone live, Guilds may instead change Factions at most once every 24 Hours (this is to give guilds a chance to learn the system and "try out" different relationships with other guilds/factions)
===Allied Guilds===
* Players cannot join a Faction if any of their Allied Guilds are currently aligned to a different faction
* Players will be notified which Allied Guilds belong to different factions and when prevented from joining a faction
===Last Week Tally===
* At the end of each week, a "Last Week Tally" will be calculated for each Faction based on how well it performed during the week in regards to Waypost and Flag Control, and each Faction will be ranked from 1st through 4th place based on that rating
* Guilds will not be allowed to join the Faction that has the 1st place ranking for "Last Week Tally" (i.e. which Faction was the strongest during the previous week)
[[File:factionslastweektally.png|link=]]
==Participate in Factions==
* If a Guild has aligned themselves with a Faction, each individual player in that guild who wants to participate in Faction activity MUST have "Participate in Factions" enabled on the page 1 of the Faction Menu
* Players can only change their "Participate in Factions" setting at most once every 24 hours
* Note: During the first 30 Days the Factions system has gone live, Players may instead change their "Participate in Factions" setting at most once every 1 Hour
Players cannot change this setting:
* While Flagged in PvP
* While inside a Faction Castle
* While within 50 tiles of a Faction Flag
* While within 50 tiles of a Faction Waypost
[[File:factionsmenu3.png|link=]]
Players who are in a guild that has a Faction alignment, but they have Participate in Factions setting disabled, will:
* Not display as Orange to other factions
* Not be able to enter Faction Castles
* Not be able engage in any Faction Activity
* Will not display a Faction Tag for their overhead name
==Faction Restrictions==
* Players are restricted in they can only have "Participate in Factions" enabled for a single Faction across their IP/All Accounts
* If a player ever attempts to enable "Participate in Factions" where it would result in them having characters in two different Factions on their IP/Accounts, it will prevent the player from doing so
* If a Guild changes their Faction, it will audit all players in the guild and any player who now is in two different Factions on their IP/Accounts will have the "Participate in Factions" setting disabled for all their characters (forcing them to pick a new, single faction)
* If a player is offline when they have their "Participate in Factions" setting disabled by this mechanic, they will receive an overhead message informing them of this the next time they log in
* Players are unable to target other players with the Invisibility Spell within Faction Castles or Faction Waypost Regions
==Faction Flagging==
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! colspan="4" | Faction Flagging Situations
|-
! [[File:factionsflagging1.png|link=]]
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Criminals and Murderers'''
* Faction Players who are Murderers will always flag as RED to other Faction players
* Faction Players who are currently Criminal flagged will always flag as GREY to other Faction players
* Faction Players will no longer by default be allowed to attack Murderers in their same Faction
* Players are allowed to attack Murderers in their same Faction if the Murderer is temporarily Criminal for attacking an Innocent (Blue) player
* Players who are in a Faction, and have Participate in Factions enabled, will by default flag as Orange to players in opposing Factions
* Players will be able to freely attack players from opposing Factions at most locations, except for the PvP Events and Special Events described earlier
|-
! [[File:factionsflagging3.png|link=]]
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Same Faction'''
* Players who are in the same Faction, and have Participate in Factions enabled, will by default flag as GREEN to each other
* Exceptions: Players who are in the same Faction, but are in different Guilds that are at WAR with each other, will flag as ORANGE to each other
|-
! [[File:factionsflagging4.png|350px]]
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Parties'''
* If two players are in the same Party, and the target player has "Flag Green to Party" enabled, they will display as GREEN even if they belong to opposing Factions
|-
! [[File:strangelandshotbar.png|link=]]
| style="text-align: left;" | '''PvP Events and Special Events'''
* Players who are participating in PvP events (such as Town Struggles, Corpse Creek Contests, Dungeon Flashpoints, or Stygian Rifts) or any special events (such as Strangelands, Stalag Grotto, Winterlands, etc) are NOT considered Faction Participants while they are inside the designated event zone
* Players participating in these events will NOT adopt any Faction Flagging nor will they count towards Faction Kills
|-
! [[File:shipdeed.png|link=]]
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Ships'''
* Players on board Ships are NOT considered Faction Participants
* Players on board Ships will NOT adopt any Faction Flagging nor will they count towards Faction Kills
|}
===Harmful Actions in Factions===
Players will NOT be able to do Harmful actions to other players in the same Faction, UNLESS any of the following are true:
* Both players belong to the same Guild
* Both players belong to the same Party and the target player has "Flag as Green to Party" toggled on
* The players belong to different Guilds that are currently at WAR with each other
===Beneficial Actions===
* If a player is NOT an active participant in Factions performs a Beneficial Action onto a Player or Follower who IS an active Participant in Factions, they will become flagged as attackable by all other Factions for 2 minutes
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
===Joining a Faction===
|-
[[File:factionsmenu2b.gif|thumb|right|Joining a Faction via the menu.]]
| [[File:factionsflagging5a.png|link=]]
Guild leadership (Officers or Guildmasters) can choose to align their entire guild with one of the four Factions via page 3 of the Factions Menu. Clicking the "Join" button next to the desired Faction enrolls the guild. A 7-day cooldown prevents changing Factions again only when a guild actively selects a *new* Faction; simply leaving a Faction without joining another does not trigger this cooldown. Once aligned, text related to the guild's own Faction appears Green, while other Factions appear Orange.
|-
| Fendrake is not in a Faction and heals Serathi who is in a Faction;<br />Fendrake temporarily flags as attackable by the 3 other factions Serathi is not in
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
[[File:factionslastweektally.png|thumb|right|Last Week Tally preventing joining the top faction.]]
|-
Certain restrictions apply: a guild cannot join a Faction if any of its allied guilds belong to a different Faction. Furthermore, guilds are prevented from joining the Faction that achieved the 1st place rank in the "Last Week Tally," which reflects the strongest performing faction from the previous week. Guilds can leave their current Faction using the "Leave" button on the same menu page.
| [[File:factionsflagging5b.png|link=]]
|-
| Fendrake now becomes attackable by Luthius, who belongs to<br />a different faction than the healing target
|}
Exceptions:
===Enabling Participation===
* This mechanic will not apply during PvP Events or Special Events
[[File:factionsmenu3.png|thumb|right|Enabling 'Participate in Factions'.]]
Even if a guild is aligned with a Faction, individual members must opt-in to actively participate. This is done by enabling the "Participate in Factions" toggle on page 1 of the Faction Menu. This setting can typically be changed once per hour. Changing this setting is restricted while flagged in PvP, inside a Faction Castle, or near a Faction Flag or Waypost. Players who do not enable participation will not adopt Faction flagging, cannot enter Faction Castles, cannot engage in Faction activities, and will not display a Faction tag overhead.
===Prevent Faction Healing===
===Account and IP Restrictions===
* Players can use [PreventFactionHealing to toggle whether they are automatically blocked from performing Beneficial Actions on Faction Players while they themselves are NOT an active participant in Factions (since this action would flag them)
A player can only have "Participate in Factions" enabled for characters belonging to a single Faction across all their accounts sharing the same IP address. Attempting to enable participation for a character in a different Faction will be blocked. If a guild changes Faction, the system audits its members; any player found to be in multiple Factions across their accounts will have participation disabled on all characters, forcing them to choose a single Faction to participate with going forward. Offline players affected by this will be notified upon their next login.
* By default [PreventFactionHealing is Enabled for players
[[File:factionsflagging6.png|link=]]
==Flagging, Interaction, and Combat==
===Faction Flagging Rules===
[[File:factionsflagging1.png|thumb|right|Faction flagging for Criminals and Murderers.]]
[[File:factionsflagging2.png|thumb|right|Flagging between Opposing Factions.]]
How players appear to each other is heavily influenced by Faction alignment and participation status:
* '''Opposing Factions:''' Active participants flag Orange to participants of other Factions and can generally be attacked freely (exceptions apply in specific event zones).
* '''Same Faction:''' Active participants flag Green to each other by default. Exception: If two players are in the same Faction but their guilds are at war, they will flag Orange to each other.
* '''Criminals & Murderers:''' Faction participants who are Murderers always flag Red. Criminals always flag Grey. By default, Faction members cannot attack Murderers within their own Faction unless the Murderer becomes temporarily Criminal (e.g., by attacking an Innocent).
* '''Parties:''' Being in the same Party overrides Faction flagging if the target has "Flag Green to Party" enabled, causing them to appear Green regardless of Faction.
* '''PvP & Special Events:''' Players actively participating in events like Town Struggles, Corpse Creek Contests, Dungeon Flashpoints, Stygian Rifts, Strangelands, etc., are NOT considered Faction participants while inside the event zone. They adopt event-specific flagging and do not count for Faction Kills.
* '''Ships:''' Players aboard ships are NOT considered Faction participants and do not adopt Faction flagging or count for Faction Kills.
==Faction Commands and Settings==
===Harmful and Beneficial Actions===
The Commands and Settings menu has a number of Faction-specific toggleable options and hotkeys for players, that can be accessed by using Paperdoll -> Help -> Commands -> Faction
Harmful actions against members of the same Faction are generally disallowed unless both players are in the same guild, in the same party (with party flagging enabled), or their respective guilds are at war.
[[File:factionsflagging7.png|link=]]
[[File:factionsflagging5a.png|thumb|right|Non-faction player healing a Faction player...]]
[[File:factionsflagging5b.png|thumb|right|...results in the healer becoming attackable by other Factions.]]
Beneficial actions have specific consequences: if a player NOT actively participating in Factions performs a beneficial action (like healing) on an active Faction participant (or their follower), the non-participant becomes flagged as attackable (Orange) by all *other* Factions for 2 minutes. This does not apply during PvP/Special Events.
Players can use the command `[PreventFactionHealing` to toggle a setting (enabled by default) that blocks them from performing beneficial actions on Faction participants if they themselves are not active participants, thus avoiding the temporary flagging consequence.
==Area of Effect (AoE) Spells in Factions==
===Commands and Settings===
===Faction===
The Commands and Settings menu (Paperdoll -> Help -> Commands -> Faction) offers several toggleable options and hotkey assignments specific to Faction gameplay.
A Faction Player casting an AoE Spell will only hit other Faction players/followers (no blue targets) if any of the following are true:
* The Caster is within 50 tiles of a Waypost
* The Caster is within 50 tiles of a Faction Flag
* The Caster is inside of a Faction Castle
* The Caster is inside of a Faction's Town
* The Caster is inside of a Faction Dungeon
[[File:factionsflagging8a.png|link=]]
===Area of Effect (AoE) Spells in Organized PvP===
[[File:factionsflagging8a.png|thumb|right|Faction AoE spell targeting rules in specific zones.]]
[[File:FactionFriendlyAOE.png|thumb|right|Friendly Fire Penalty Example]]
Specific AoE spells cast by Faction participants have modified handling when used in "Organized PvP Situations". These situations include:
* Being inside a Faction Castle or within 50 tiles of its walls.
* Being within 50 tiles of a Faction Flag (carried or secured).
* Being within 50 tiles of a Faction Waypost.
* Participating in a [[Dungeon Flashpoints|Dungeon Flashpoint]] inside the Event Zone.
* Participating in a [[Corpse Creek Contest|Corpse Creek Contest]] inside the Event Zone.
===PvP Event Participants===
When [[Magery#8th Circle|Meteor Swarm]] or [[Magery#7th Circle|Chain Lightning]] are cast in these situations:
* As a reminder, players who are actively participating in a Town Struggle, Dungeon Flashpoint, or Corpse Creek Contest event are NOT considered Faction players while within those respective event areas
* '''Targeting:''' The spell will '''not''' hit any players or followers that are Blue (innocent) to the caster.
* '''Damage Scaling:''' The damage inflicted per target is adjusted based on the total number of players hit by that specific cast. See the individual spell pages ([[Meteor Swarm]], [[Chain Lightning]]) for the exact damage values based on target count. This is intended to give smaller groups counterplay against larger groups.
* '''Faction Friendly Fire Penalty:''' Because Faction players cannot normally damage members of the same Faction, a damage penalty is applied if the AoE radius includes friendly Faction members:
* For each friendly Faction player within the radius of an Organized PvP '''Meteor Swarm''', the spell suffers a '''20% damage penalty''' (up to a maximum of 80%).
* For each friendly Faction player within the radius of an Organized PvP '''Chain Lightning''', the spell suffers a '''30% damage penalty''' (up to a maximum of 80%).
===Friendly Faction Players===
==Core Mechanics: Wayposts==
* For each Friendly Faction Player in the spell's radius that the caster cannot harm, there will be a cumulative 20% Damage Penalty applied to the spell towards all targets hit (up to a maximum of 80% Penalty)
Wayposts are fixed control points in the overworld, representing strategic locations contested between Factions.
==Player Faction Score==
===Structure and Layout===
* Each player participating in Factions will have a weekly Faction Score that increases when they perform various faction-based activities
* Each player's Faction Score resets to 0 at the start of each week during Tabula Rasa (explained later)
[[File:factionswaypostsmap.png|thumb|right|Map showing Faction Waypost locations and chains.]]
* Players can view details of their Faction Score (Current Week, Last Week, and Seasonal) as well as their Last Week Silver Earned on Page 1 of the Faction Menu
There are 18 Wayposts total, organized into "Chains" of three Wayposts situated along paths connecting each pair of Faction territories (e.g., 3 between Terran and Cambria, 3 between Cambria and Prevalia, etc.). The Faction Menu (Page 2) and the `[FactionMap` command display the locations and chain structure.
[[File:factionsscoring1.png|link=]]
[[File:factionwayposts1a.png|thumb|right|Faction menu showing Waypost chains.]]
===Waypost Markers and Control===
[[File:factionswaypost2a.png|thumb|right|Waypost marker showing control progress.]]
Each Waypost features a Marker displaying the controlling Faction's banner and an overhead progress bar indicating their Control Percentage (0-100%). Single-clicking the marker shows the exact percentage.
* '''Neutral:''' No Faction has control.
* '''Partial Control:''' [[File:factionswaypostflaginprogress.png|thumb|right|Waypost showing partial control progress.]] A Faction has >0% but <100% control.
* '''Full Control:''' A Faction has 100% control. This is required for certain actions like initiating Flag Steals.
==ShowFactionKills==
===Waypost Region and Contesting===
* Players can type [ShowFactionKills or [Punkte to display overhead text showing your Faction Score earned exclusively from Player Kills in Factions during this current Season and throughout their entire Lifetime
[[File:factionswaypost3a.png|thumb|right|Entering a Waypost Region message.]]
* There is a 60 second cooldown between uses of the ShowFactionKill mechanic (to prevent spamming)
Each Waypost has a surrounding Region. Players receive system messages upon entering/leaving. To contest a Waypost, players must be considered "Valid Contestants" during periodic Control Ticks.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|- style="vertical-align: bottom;"
| [[File:factionsshowkills1.png|link=]]
|}
==Activity Icons==
In the Faction Menu and Faction Hotbar, each Waypost now has an Activity Icon next to it indicating what occured at that Waypost during the last Control Tick (occurs every 15 seconds) Activity Icons represent the following:
| A Faction is Raising their Control over the Waypost
|}
The [FactionHotbar will also display Activity Icons for its Wayposts
[[File:factionsactivity1.png|link=]]
==Faction Castles==
* Each faction has an associated Faction Castle located in their respective town
* Players must be a Faction Participant in order to enter any Faction Castle
* Players cannot recall/gate/hike into a Faction Castle region unless they are a member of that specific Faction
==Wayposts==
Wayposts are control zones that exist in the overworld that represent points of conflict between two different factions.
[[File:factionswaypost1.png|link=]]
* There are 18 total Wayposts in the game world
* Wayposts are positioned in the overworld so they form a "Chain" of 3 Wayposts on a path between every "pairing" of Factions
* For instance, there are 3 Wayposts that form a chain between Terran and Cambria, there are 3 Wayposts that form a chain between Cambria and Prevalia, and so on
[[File:factionswaypostsmap.png|link=]]
* On Page 2 of the Faction Menu players can view all Wayposts and how they are organized into Chains between respective pairings of factions
* In the image below, you can see between the Prevalia Faction and Andaria Faction that there are 3 Wayposts in their Chain (6. Farmland Garrison, 5. Gate Fortress, and 4. Andarian Lumberyard)
* Players can also type [FactionMap or click the "Faction Map" button on Page 2 of the Faction Menu to display an interactive map showing all Castles, Wayposts, and the Purification Pyre (explained later)
[[File:factionwayposts1a.png|link=]]
===Waypost Markers===
* Each Waypost has a Waypost Marker that shows which Faction currently has Control Progress on it
* Waypost Markers have a Progress Bar overhead that shows the Control Progress % of the controlling faction
* Players can also single-click the Waypost Marker to see the specific Control Progress % of the controlling faction
[[File:factionswaypost2a.png|link=]]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! colspan="4" | Waypost Marker Control Progress States
|-
| [[File:factionswaypostflagneutral.png|link=]]
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Neutral'''
* If no faction has any Control Progress on a Waypost, it is considered to be Neutral
* If a faction has 100% Control Progress on a Waypost, they are considered to have Full Control over it
* Full Control over Wayposts is required for players to initiate Flag Steal attempts against other factions (explained later)
|}
===Waypost Region===
* Each Waypost has a Region that players must enter and stay inside in order to attempt to contest it
* Players will receive a system message when they enter or leave a Waypost Region (similar to entering/leaving a Grey Zone like Corpse Creek)
[[File:factionswaypost3a.png|link=]]
====<u>Traveling to Waypost Regions</u>====
* Faction players can only travel via Recall, Gate, or Hike to a Waypost Region if it is currently Neutral or their Faction has Partial or Full Control over it
* Players not participating in a Faction can never travel to a Waypost Region
===Waypost Control Ticks===
===Waypost Control Ticks===
Every '''15 seconds''', a '''Control Tick''' occurs where the system checks to see which players are '''Valid Contestants''' of the Waypost Region. Players are considered Valid Contestants of a Waypost Region if all of the following are true:
Every '''15 seconds''', a Control Tick assesses who is contesting the Waypost. A player is a Valid Contestant if they are:
* Alive and Visible (not hidden).
* Inside the Waypost Region.
* Have "Participate in Factions" enabled.
* Have NOT been inside a House or Ship within 100 tiles in the last 2 minutes.
* Are NOT currently under a [[#Stationary Penalties|Stationary Penalty]].
* Their Faction has Full Control over all prerequisite Wayposts in that specific Waypost Chain (see below).
* They are '''Alive'''
====Control Progress====
* They are '''Inside''' the Region
[[File:factionswaypost3b.png|thumb|right|System message during Waypost contesting.]]
* They are '''Visible''' (not hidden)
If, during a Control Tick, all Valid Contestants belong to a single Faction:
* They have '''"Participate in Factions"''' enabled for their Guild/Factions settings
1. If an opposing Faction has control, they lose 10% Control Progress.
* They have not been inside of a '''House or Ship within 100 tiles of the Waypost in the last 2 minutes'''
2. If the Waypost is Neutral, the contesting Faction gains 10% Control Progress.
* Their Faction has '''Full Control''' over all '''prior Wayposts''' in that '''Waypost Chain''' (explained later)
3. If the contesting Faction already has Partial Control, they gain another 10% Control Progress.
Contesting players receive messages about progress and their Potential Faction Score. Earning Faction Score from Wayposts contributes towards [[War Aspect]] experience.
====<u>Control Progress</u>====
====Potential Faction Score====
If there are '''1 or more Valid Contestants''' at a Waypost and they '''all belong to a single Faction''', one of the following will occur:
Increasing Control Progress adds to a player's Potential Faction Score for that Waypost (up to 75 points). This score is awarded only when the Waypost reaches Full Control under their Faction. If the Waypost becomes Neutral, all potential score is lost.
* If an '''opposing faction''' has any control over the Waypost, they will '''lose 10% Control Progress''' on it (and becomes '''Neutral if reduced to 0%''')
====Full Control and Locking====
* If the Waypost is currently '''Neutral''', it will '''flip''' to the new Faction and they will start with '''10% Control Progress''' on it
[[File:factionswaypost3c.png|thumb|right|A Locked Waypost after reaching Full Control.]]
* If the faction already has '''Partial Control''' of the Waypost, they will '''gain a further 10% Control Progress''' on it
Reaching 100% Control Progress (takes 2 minutes from 0%) grants Full Control. All players who contributed within the last 10 minutes earn their banked Potential Faction Score. The Waypost then becomes "Locked" for 2 minutes, indicated by sparkles, during which it cannot be contested.
* Players will earn 1 War Aspect Experience for every 3 Faction Score they earn from Waypost Control (players must first have War Aspect unlocked for their character to earn experience)
[[File:factionswaypostflaginprogress.png|link=]]
* Players will receive a system message on the Control Tick informing them of the new control % of the Waypost or any status changes
* Additionally players will see how much Potential Faction Score they will earn if the Waypost comes under Full Control of their faction (explained later)
[[File:factionswaypost3b.png|link=]]
====<u>Potential Faction Score</u>====
* When a faction increases their Control Progress over a Waypost, each Valid Contestant from that faction increases the amount of Potential Faction Score they can possibly earn from the Waypost
* Whenever a Waypost becomes Neutral, however, all Potential Faction Score for players on it is cleared
* Participating in a Waypost can earn players up to 75 Potential Faction Score (scaled based on player's Control %)
====<u>Waypost Full Control</u>====
* Wayposts take '''2 minutes''' to go from 0% to 100% Control
* When a faction reaches 100% Control Progress over a Waypost, the faction is said to now have Full Control over it
* All players who contested the Waypost within the last 10 minutes will receive Faction Score equal to their Potential Faction Score value for the Waypost
* The Waypost will become temporarily "Locked" and factions cannot contest the Waypost for the next 2 minutes
* A sparkle animation will display on the Waypost Marker indicating that it is locked
* Players can single-click the Waypost to see how much time remains before it becomes unlocked and contestable again
[[File:factionswaypost3c.png|link=]]
===Waypost Chain Control Order===
===Waypost Chain Control Order===
* As mentioned previously, Waypost Chains are a collection of 3 Wayposts that exist in a route between one Faction and an opposing Faction
[[File:factionswaypostterranexample.png|thumb|right|Example of Terran's Waypost control order towards Andaria.]]
* For every Waypost Chain, each Faction has a specific Control Order they must follow to be able to contest and control Wayposts along that Chain
Factions must capture Wayposts within a chain in a specific order relative to their own Castle:
* Factions must have Full Control of their Nearest Waypost, then Full Control of their Middle Waypost, and then Full Control their Farthest Waypost
1. '''Nearest Waypost:''' Closest to their Castle. Can always be contested.
* If a player attempts to contest a Waypost "out of order" they will receive a system message telling them they must first have Full Control of prior Wayposts
2. '''Middle Waypost:''' Requires Full Control of the Nearest Waypost before contesting.
3. '''Farthest Waypost:''' Closest to the opposing Faction's Castle. Requires Full Control of BOTH the Nearest and Middle Wayposts before contesting.
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
Attempting to contest out of order results in a notification.
* This is the Waypost that is Farthest from their Faction Castle (and is closest to the opposing Faction's Castle)
* A Faction must have Full Control over both their Nearest Waypost AND their Middle Waypost before they can contest the Farthest Waypost in the chain
|-
! [[File:factionswaypostterranexample.png|link=]]
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Terran Example'''<br />For Terran's Waypost chain with Andaria, their control order of Wayposts is: Waypost 3 -> Waypost 2 -> Waypost 1
* Waypost 3 is their Nearest Waypost, and they can always contest it
* Once Terran has Full Control over Waypost 3 (Nearest), they can attempt to contest Waypost 2 (Middle)
* Once Terran has Full Control over both Waypost 3 (Nearest) and Waypost 2 (middle), they can then begin attempt to contest Waypost 1 (Farthest)
|}
===Waypost Summaries===
* Players have multiple places where they can see a summary of the status of each Waypost
* On Page 2 of the Faction Menu players can see a list of every Waypost, with a Progress Bar indicating the Controlling Faction's Control % (hue of the Progress Bar reflects the Faction)
Wayposts that are part of Waypost Chains belonging to the player's faction will always be displayed on the top half of the page (above the horizontal bar)
[[File:factionswaypostsummary1.png|link=]]
* Players have access to a Faction Hotbar for a compact summary of Faction Activity
* The Faction Hotbar only shows Wayposts that are part of Waypost Chains belonging to the player's faction
* Players can launch the Faction Hotbar by typing [FactionHotbar or by clicking the "Launch Hotbar" button on Page 1 of the Faction Menu
[[File:factionshotbar1.png|link=]]
* Page 1 of the Faction Menu also shows a compact summary of Wayposts
* Under each faction is a set of 3 Tokens, each representing an opposing faction
* The number below each Token represents how many Wayposts that faction has Full Control over against that opposing faction
* A Crown Icon is displayed when the faction has all 3 Wayposts in that Waypost Chain under Full Control (meaning they Qualify to Steal that faction's Flag)
[[File:factionssummary2.png|link=]]
====<u>Orb Buttons</u>====
When players click the Orb icon next to any Waypost in either the Faction Menu or in the Faction Hotbar it will do the following:
* Display an Overworld Map of the Waypost's location
* List the X/Y/Z Coordinates to the Waypost location
* Start a Tracking Arrow that will point toward the Waypost location
[[File:factionsorbs1.png|link=]]
* Clicking the Orb button on the Faction Map next to a location will start a Tracking Arrow to that location
[[File:factionsorbs2.png|link=]]
==Faction Flags==
* Each Faction has a Faction Flag that begins in the Flag Room of their respective Faction Castle
* Factions have the potential to Steal other Faction Flags and Secure them in their own Castle's Flag Room
* It is possible, although extremely difficult, for one Faction to potentially Steal and Secure up to all four Faction Flags in their Castle Flag Room
[[File:factionsflagatbase1a.png|link=]]
===Flag Status===
* On Page 1 of the Faction Menu, players can see which Faction Flags are currently Secure in each Faction Castle under the "Flags in Castle" section
* Players can also see the status of each Faction Flag in the top section of the Faction Hotbar
[[File:factionsflagstatus1.png|link=]]
===Qualifying For Stealing Faction Flags===
* In order for a Faction to Qualify as being able to Steal a Faction Flag that is Secure at a Faction Castle, they must have Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their Waypost Chain with the Flag's Faction
* If a Faction's Flag is currently Secure in an opponent's Faction Castle (i.e. the Flag is not in their original faction's castle), the Stealing faction must ALSO have Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their Waypost Chain with the Castle's Faction (for a total of 6 Wayposts needing Full Control)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! colspan="2" | Stealing Faction Flag Situations
|-
| [[File:factionsflagstatus2.png|link=]]
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Example 1 (Flag is in its Own Castle)'''
* The Terran Flag is currently Secure inside of the Terran Castle
* Any faction that wishes to steal the Terran flag in this scenario simply needs to have Full Control over their entire Waypost Chain with the Terran faction (3 Wayposts)
* The Prevalia Faction has 3 Wayposts under Full Control against the Terran faction, and can attempt to Steal their Faction Flag from their Castle
|}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
! colspan="2" | Stealing Faction Flag Situations
|-
| [[File:factionsflagatbase2a.png|link=]]
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Example 2 (Flag is in Opposing Castle)'''
* The Prevalia Flag is currently Secure inside of the Terran Castle
* Any faction that wishes to steal this flag MUST have Full Control over their their Waypost Chain with BOTH the Prevalia Faction as well as the Terran Faction (for a total of 6 Wayposts needed)
|-
| [[File:factionsflagstatus3.png|link=]]
|-
| style="text-align: left;" | '''Example 2A (Flag is in Opposing Castle)'''
* Andaria will need Full Control over their Waypost Chains with Terran AND Prevalia to steal the flag in this scenario
|}
===Faction Doors===
* As mentioned prior, players are not allowed to Recall/Gate/Hike into Castles belonging to other factions
* Each Castle has a number of destructible Faction Doors that impede direct foot travel into the Flag Room of the Castle
* Players belonging to the faction can double-click a Faction Door to teleport to the opposite side of it (with a 5 second cooldown between uses)
* Players are not required to destroy all Faction Doors of a Castle to initiate Flag Steals, however they will likely need to destroy several of them in order to have a valid movement path to reach the Flag Room
[[File:factionscastledoor1.png|link=]]
* Players from opposing factions can double-click a Faction Door to attack it (and will repeatedly attack it so long as they stay stationary)
* If enough damage is done to the door, it will be destroyed
* Destroyed Faction Doors will respawn in 30 minutes
* If a damaged Faction Door has not been damaged in the last 30 minutes, it will automatically become fully repaired
[[File:factionscastledoor.gif|link=]]
===Initiating a Flag Steal Attempt===
* If a faction is Qualified to Steal a Flag from a Faction Castle, a player on that Faction may initiate a Steal attempt by moving within 2 tiles of the Faction Flag and double-clicking it
* The player who initiates the Flag Steal is referred to as the Stealing Player and they will remain an important role in the Steal Attempt process
* The Stealing player's name is announced overhead and a Beam of Light graphic will appear at their location
* While a Steal Attempt is in process for a Flag, no other players, on any faction, can attempt to Steal that same Flag
* Additionally, Individual players can only attempt to steal one flag at a time (even if their faction Qualifies for stealing multiple flags within that Castle)
* Flag Steals take '''3 minutes''' to go from 0% to 100% Control
[[File:factionscapturingflag1a.png|link=]]
====<u>Flag Steal Status</u>====
* If a faction has a Stealing attempt underway against them, a Crossed Swords icon will appear next to their Faction on Page 1 of the Faction Menu indicating it is "under attack"
* The Faction Hotbar will also list the status of the Faction Flag as "Under Attack at X Castle"
[[File:factionsflagsteal1.png|link=]]
[[File:factionsflagsteal2.png|link=]]
===Flag Steal Control Ticks and Steal Progress===
Once a Flag Steal Attempt has been initiated, a Control Tick will occur every '''15 seconds'''.
On each Control Tick, Steal Progress on the Stealing Attempt will increase by 10% if all of the following are true:
* The Stealing Player (who initiated the Steal Attempt) is Alive
* The Stealing Player is Inside the Flag Room
* The Stealing Player is Visible (not Hidden)
If any of those conditions are false, the Stealing Attempt will fail and all Steal Progress made will be lost
[[File:factionsflagstealboundary.png|link=]]
Note: Once a faction has begun a Stealing Attempt on a flag, if they subsequently lose control of any of the Wayposts that were originally needed to Qualify for that Steal Attempt, it will NOT affect the Steal Attempt and will NOT prevent its completion
However, if a faction fails a Stealing Attempt, they will again have to Qualify as normal to begin a new Stealing Attempt, and therefore will again need Full Control over any necessary Wayposts to proceed.
[[File:factionsflagcontroltick.gif|link=]]
* On each Control Tick, a Beam of Light graphic will appear over the Stealing Player
* Players can single-click the Faction Flag to see the name of the flag's Stealing Player as well as the specific Steal Progress % of the Steal Attempt
====<u>Potential Faction Score</u>====
* When a Control Tick occurs during a Flag Steal Attempt, all players of that Stealing Faction that are Alive, Visible, and Inside the Flag Room will receive a system message informing them of their faction's current Steal Progress against the flag
* Participating in a Flag Steal Attempt can earn players up to 50 Potential Faction Score (scaled based on player's Control %)
===Successful Flag Steal===
* Once Steal Progress on a Steal Attempt reaches 100%, the Flag Steal will be deemed successful
* The Faction Flag becomes "equipped" by the Stealing Player and they will now be referred to as a Flag Carrier
[[File:factionsflagstolen.png|link=]]
===Waypost Summaries and Tracking===
[[File:factionswaypostsummary1.png|thumb|right|Faction menu Waypost summary.]]
[[File:factionssummary2.png|thumb|right|Compact Waypost control summary on Faction menu page 1.]]
Waypost status can be monitored through:
* Page 2 of the Faction Menu (shows all Wayposts, progress bars).
* The Faction Hotbar (`[FactionHotbar`, shows only relevant Wayposts for your Faction).
* Page 1 of the Faction Menu (compact summary showing counts per opposing Faction, Crown icon indicates full chain control).
* Activity Icons next to Wayposts indicate recent actions: Lock ([[File:factionsactivitylock.png]]), Dagger (Contested, [[File:factionsactivitydagger.png]]), Left Arrow (Lowering control, [[File:factionsactivityleftarrow.png]]), Right Arrow (Raising control, [[File:factionsactivityrightarrow.png]]).
===Faction Flag Carriers===
[[File:factionsorbs1.png|thumb|right|Using the Orb button for Waypoint tracking.]]
* If a Faction Flag is being carried by a player, it will be displayed under the "Flags Carried" section of the Faction Menu and in the top section of the Faction Hotbar next to the respective flag
[[File:factionsorbs2.png|thumb|right|Using the Orb button on the Faction Map.]]
* If a player clicks the Orb button next to the Flag icon for a Carried Flag on the Faction Menu or Faction Hotbar, it will:
Clicking the Orb button next to a Waypost (in Menu, Hotbar, or Faction Map) displays its location on the map, lists coordinates, and activates a tracking arrow.
** Display the coordinates of the Flag location
** Launch a Map of the Flag's Location
** And start a Tracking Arrow to the Flag location
Note: Players can use this information to track down the location of a flag, including Dropped Flags (explained later)
==Core Mechanics: Faction Flags==
[[File:factionsflagcarrier1.png|link=]]
Each Faction possesses a unique Flag, initially located in their respective Faction Castle's Flag Room. The ultimate objective is often to steal enemy Flags and secure them within one's own Castle.
====<u>Faction Flag Carrier Restrictions</u>====
===Flag Status and Location===
Players carrying a Faction Flag can ride Mounts, Teleport, and perform most movement actions as normal. However, Flag Carriers are prevented from doing any the following:
[[File:factionsflagstatus1.png|thumb|right|Faction menu showing Flag status (location).]]
Page 1 of the Faction Menu and the Faction Hotbar display the current location of each Faction Flag under "Flags in Castle" or "Flags Carried."
* Entering Houses
===Qualifying For a Steal Attempt===
* Boarding Ships
[[File:factionsflagstatus2.png|thumb|right|Example: Prevalia qualifies to steal Terran's flag.]]
* Recalling, Hiking, or using any form of Gate Travel/Moongate
[[File:factionsflagatbase2a.png|thumb|right|Example: Prevalia flag is in Terran castle.]]
* Entering Dungeons or other non-Overworld locations such as the Arena or Casino
To be eligible to attempt stealing a specific Flag secured in a Castle, a Faction must meet Waypost control requirements:
* Hiding or becoming Invisible
* '''If Flag is in its Home Castle:''' The stealing Faction must have Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their chain connecting to the Flag's Faction.
* '''If Flag is in an Enemy Castle:''' The stealing Faction must have Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their chain to the Flag's Faction *AND* Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their chain to the Castle's Faction (total 6 Wayposts).
[[File:factionscastledoor.gif|thumb|right|Attacking a Faction Door.]]
Faction Castles are protected by destructible Faction Doors. Members of the owning Faction can bypass them via double-click (5s cooldown). Opposing Faction members must attack them (double-click or use `[FactionDoor` command nearby) to destroy them. Destroyed doors respawn in 30 minutes. Damaged doors repair automatically if not damaged for 30 minutes. Accessing the Flag Room often requires destroying one or more doors. Recall/Gate/Hike into enemy castles is prohibited.
* Players can use the '''`[FactionDoor`''' command to attempt to double-click the nearest Faction Door within 2 tiles.
====<u>Flag Returning</u>====
===Initiating a Flag Steal===
* If a Flag Carrier somehow enters a "invalid" location with a Faction Flag (such as a House, Ship, Dungeon, Interior Region), the Faction Flag will automatically be returned to the last Castle it had been Secured inside (i.e where it was stolen from)
[[File:factionscapturingflag1a.png|thumb|right|Initiating a Faction Flag steal attempt.]]
* If a Flag is ever Returned, any Potential Faction Score recorded for players for the flag is cleared
If qualified, a player can initiate a steal attempt by moving within 2 tiles of the target Flag and double-clicking it (or using `[FactionFlag`). This player becomes the "Stealing Player," marked by a light beam and announced overhead. Only one steal attempt can be active per Flag at a time, and individual players can only attempt one steal simultaneously.
* Players can use the '''`[FactionFlag`''' command to attempt to double-click the nearest Faction Flag within 2 tiles.
While a steal is in progress, the target Faction's status shows "Under Attack" in menus/hotbars.
====<u>Flag Steal Expiration</u>====
===Flag Steal Control Ticks and Progress===
* If 30 minutes have passed since a Faction Flag was stolen from a Castle, and it has not yet been Secured into a Castle, it will be returned to the last Castle it had been Secured inside of (i.e where it was stolen from)
[[File:factionsflagstealboundary.png|thumb|right|The boundary of a Castle Flag Room.]]
* If a Flag is ever Returned, any Potential Faction Score recorded for players for the flag is cleared
[[File:factionsflagcontroltick.gif|thumb|right|Control Tick progress during a flag steal.]]
Similar to Wayposts, Flag Steals progress via Control Ticks every '''15 seconds'''. Steal Progress increases by 10% per tick if the Stealing Player is Alive, Visible, Inside the Flag Room boundary, and NOT under a [[#Stationary Penalties|Stationary Penalty]]. Failure to meet these conditions resets all progress. The steal attempt takes '''3 minutes''' to complete (0% to 100%). Losing qualifying Waypost control *after* initiating the steal does not cancel it, but failure requires requalifying. Players of the stealing faction inside the Flag Room during ticks earn Potential Faction Score.
====<u>Flag Carrier Death</u>====
===Successful Steal: The Flag Carrier===
* If the Flag Carrier dies, the Faction Flag they were carrying will be Dropped at their location
Upon reaching 100% Steal Progress, the Stealing Player successfully captures the Flag and becomes the Flag Carrier.
* Players can single-click a Dropped flag to see how much time remains before it is returned to its last Castle (i.e. the 30 minute timer)
[[File:factionsflagdeath1.png|link=]]
==Core Mechanics: Handling Captured Flags==
====<u>Server Reboot</u>====
===Tracking Flag Carriers===
* When the server has finished booting (after a Patch/Crash/Restart) any Faction Flags that were being carried by players when the server went down, will be dropped to the ground at the location last carrier was last at (to prevent an issue where the previous Flag Carrier doesn't log back in)
[[File:factionsflagcarrier1.png|thumb|right|Tracking a carried Faction Flag via the menu Orb.]]
Carried Flags are indicated in the Faction Menu/Hotbar. Clicking the Orb button next to a carried flag reveals its coordinates, opens a map, and starts a tracking arrow.
====<u>Picking Up a Dropped Faction Flag</u>====
===Flag Carrier Restrictions===
* Players can pick up a Dropped Faction Flag by double-clicking it within 1 tile
* However, before a player may pick up a Dropped Faction Flag, that player's Faction MUST have Full Control over the 3 Wayposts in their Waypost Chain with the Flag's Faction
Flag Carriers can generally move and fight normally (including mounting) but are subject to critical restrictions:
* Cannot enter Houses or board Ships.
* Cannot use Recall, Hike, Gate Travel, or Moongates.
* Cannot enter Dungeons, Arena, Casino, or other non-Overworld areas.
* Cannot Hide or become Invisible.
[[File:factionsflagdeath2.png|link=]]
===Flag Returning and Expiration===
A carried Flag will automatically return to the last Castle it was secured in if:
'''Example:'''
* The Carrier enters an invalid location (House, Ship, Dungeon etc.).
* A Cambria Faction player carrying the Terran Flag drops that flag on the ground
* 30 minutes pass since it was stolen without being Secured in a new Castle.
* A Prevalia Faction player encounters this and intends to pick up the flag
* The server reboots (Flag drops at Carrier's last location upon restart).
* In order for the Prevalia player to pick up the flag, the Prevalia Faction must have Full Control over all 3 Waypost in their Waypost Chain with the Terran Faction
Returned flags clear any associated Potential Faction Score.
Note: This mechanic makes it very important for a faction to maintain Full Control over Waypost Chains throughout the full process of a Flag Steal, so they can recover Dropped Faction Flags in the circumstance where their Flag Carrier is killed
===Flag Carrier Death and Recovery===
If a Flag Carrier dies, the Flag drops to the ground at their location. A dropped flag retains its 30-minute return timer. To pick up a dropped Flag (by double-clicking within 1 tile, or simply moving over it), the player's Faction MUST currently have Full Control over the 3 Wayposts in their chain connecting to the Flag's Faction. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining Waypost control throughout the entire flag capture process.
===Purifying Faction Flags===
===Purifying Faction Flags===
* Before a player can Secure a Faction Flag back in their own Castle, they must first Purify it
Before a stolen Flag can be secured in a new Castle, it must be Purified. This requires the Flag Carrier to bring it to the Purification Pyre located in the center of Daemon Keep (a Grey Zone). The Carrier must remain within 2 tiles of the Pyre for 60 consecutive seconds (progress checked every 15s via Control Ticks). Moving too far or becoming hidden resets the process. Purification takes '''1 minute''' total (0% to 100%). Players within 50 tiles during purification earn Potential Faction Score. Successfully purified flags display a distinct flame graphic.
* To do this, players must bring the Faction Flag to the Purification Pyre at the center of the Daemon Keep region (which is a Grey Zone)
* Players can click the Purification Pyre orb icon on the [FactionMap to display a Tracking Arrow that will help navigate the player to the Purification Pyre's location
[[File:factionsflagpurification1.jpg|link=]]
====Escorting Bonus (Purification)====
Spending 60+ cumulative seconds within 50 tiles of a non-Purified Flag while it's being transported outside Castles/Daemon Keep (i.e., escorting to the Pyre) increases the Potential Faction Score earned from the Purification phase by +100% (max 100 points). This contributes to [[War Aspect]] experience.
====<u>Flag Purification</u>====
===Securing a Faction Flag===
* In order to Purify a Faction Flag, the Flag Carrier must spend 60 seconds consecutively within 2 tiles of the Purification Pyre
Once Purified, the Flag can be brought to the Flag Room of the Carrier's Faction Castle to be Secured. This process mirrors the Steal attempt: requires the Carrier to be Alive, Visible, Inside the Flag Room, and NOT under a [[#Stationary Penalties|Stationary Penalty]] for Control Ticks (every 15 seconds) to increase Secure Progress by 10%. It takes '''3 minutes''' to complete (0% to 100%). Failure resets progress, but the Secure attempt can be immediately re-initiated as long as the flag is carried. Waypost control is NOT required to attempt Securing. Players present during Secure ticks earn Potential Faction Score (up to 25 points).
* If the player becomes Hidden or moves too far away, the Purification process will reset
* Control Ticks for the purification process occur every 15 seconds, and the Flag Carrier will receive system messages informing them of their purification progress on each tick
* Flag Purifications take '''3 minutes''' to go from 0% to 100% Control
* Players within 50 Tiles of the Flag Carrier during Flag Purification can earn up to 50 Potential Faction Score (scaled based on player's Control %)
* Once a flag has been successfully Purified, a firestorm graphic will display over the flag carrier player
* The Faction Flag will now display a prominent Flame graphic upon it, indicating to players that the flag has been Purified
[[File:factionsflagcleansing.gif|link=]]
====Escorting Bonus (Securing)====
Spending 60+ cumulative seconds within 50 tiles of a Purified Flag while it's being transported outside Castles/Daemon Keep (i.e., escorting to the home Castle) increases the Potential Faction Score earned from Flag Securing by +200% (max 75 Potential Faction Score). This contributes to [[War Aspect]] experience.
Reaching 100% Secure Progress successfully secures the Flag in the new Castle. All banked Potential Faction Score from the entire Steal-Purify-Secure process is awarded to participating players. If any guild member earned 100+ score during the process, the guild gains 1 Prestige. The newly Secured Flag appears in the Castle's inventory and becomes Locked (unstealable) for 10 minutes.
====<u>Escorting</u>====
==Scoring, Penalties, and Bonuses==
* If a player spends a '''cumulative 60 seconds or more within 50 Tiles of a non-Purified Faction Flag''' while it is outside of any Faction Castle or the Daemon Keep Region (i.e. they are Escorting the Flag to the Purification Pyre) they will have their Potential Faction Score earned from Flag Purification increased by +100% (to a max of 100 Potential Faction Score)
===Player Faction Score===
[[File:factionsscoring1.png|thumb|right|Viewing player Faction Score details.]]
Players earn Faction Score through Waypost control, Flag activities (Stealing, Purifying, Securing, Escorting), participating in Faction Caravans, engaging with Faction VIPs, and killing Faction enemies. Scores contribute to weekly and seasonal rankings and rewards. The `[ShowFactionKills` command displays lifetime and seasonal kill score totals (60s cooldown). Scores reset weekly during Tabula Rasa.
==Securing a Faction Flag==
===War Aspect Experience===
* Once a Faction Flag has been Purified, that faction may now attempt to Secure it in the Flag Room of their Faction Castle
Players earn [[War Aspect]] Experience from increasing Faction Score (at a rate of 33% of the score earned, requires War Aspect unlocked) for activities including: Waypost Control, Faction Caravans, Faction VIPs, Flag Escorting (Purification and Securing), and Flag Securing.
* Flag Steals takes '''3 minutes''' to go from 0% to 100% Control
[[File:factionsflagsecuring1.jpg|link=]]
===Faction Player Kills===
* '''Kills To Give:''' To be worth score, a victim must have "Kills To Give" (KTG). Players regenerate 1 KTG every 4 hours (max 6 stored) and gain 1 KTG per 100 Faction Score earned from objectives (Wayposts, Flags, Faction Spawns, Caravans, VIPs etc.). Killing a player with 0 KTG yields 0 score.
* '''Score Value:''' A valid kill reduces victim's KTG by 1. Base score is '''20 Faction Score''', divided among killers by damage %. Kills occurring near Wayposts/Flags (within 50 tiles), inside Faction Castles/Towns/Dungeons are upgraded to '''50 Faction Score'''. Killing a Flag Carrier grants an additional '''+50 Faction Score''' (victim must still have KTG).
===Flag Secure Control Ticks===
===Heat of Battle===
If a faction is attempting to Secure a flag in the Flag Room of their Castle, a Control Tick will occur every '''15 seconds'''. On each Control Tick, if all of the following are true, Secure Progress on the Secure Attempt will increase by 10%:
Performing key Faction actions (contesting Wayposts during ticks, purifying/stealing/securing flags during ticks, damaging Faction Doors) applies a 30-second "Heat of Battle" flag. This prevents immediate escape via Recall/Gate etc. The flag is cleared for players near a Waypost when it returns to 100% control.
* The Flag Carrier is Alive
===Faction Death Penalties===
* The Flag Carrier is Inside the Flag Room
Dying as a result of a Faction Kill imposes a 2-minute Faction Death Penalty on ALL characters on the player's Account/IP. During this penalty:
* The Flag Carrier is Visible (not Hidden)
* Player does not count as valid for Contesting Wayposts or Stealing/Securing Flags (but can still receive banked score).
* Cannot initiate Steals or pick up dropped Flags.
* Cannot cast Field or AoE spells.
* Deals 50% less damage (Players & Creatures).
* Healing output reduced by 50% (Self & Others).
If any of those conditions are false, the Secure Attempt will fail and all Secure Progress made will be lost.
===Stationary Penalties===
If a player uses Recall/Gate/Hike, or has been stationary for 5 minutes or more, they receive a Stationary Scoring Penalty. While penalized, they do not count towards controlling Wayposts, Flag Stealing/Securing, or VIP Controlling/Contesting. The penalty is removed once the player moves 5 steps. A system message notifies the player.
Based on the previous week's overall performance ("Last Week Tally"), Factions receive a Handicap Bonus for the current week: 4th Place (Weakest) = 30%, 3rd = 20%, 2nd = 10%, 1st (Strongest) = 0%. This bonus percentage represents the chance that on any Control Tick (Waypost, Purify, Steal, Secure), the Faction will gain double progress (20% instead of 10%).
<i>'''Note:''' As long as a faction is carrying a Faction Flag, they can keep attempting to Secure it in their Faction Castle, regardless whether or not they have Full Control over any Wayposts of the related Faction's involved</i>
===Underdog Handicap===
Additionally, a Faction receives a temporary Underdog Handicap Bonus against any specific Faction that currently holds more Secured Flags than they do. The bonus is 15% per flag difference (max +60% for 4 flags) and stacks with the weekly Handicap Bonus. This bonus also provides a chance for double progress on ticks related to actions against that specific stronger Faction.
If a faction fails a Secure attempt, they can immediately attempt to Secure that flag again, so long as they have a player who is carrying that Faction Flag.
==Support and Logistics==
====<u>Potential Faction Score</u>====
===Faction Castles===
* When a Control Tick occurs during a Flag Secure Attempt, all players of that Faction that are Alive, Visible, and Inside the Flag Room will increase the amount of Potential Faction Score they can possibly earn from the entire Flag Steal Process (Steal + Purify + Secure)
Each Faction has a Castle in its home territory, serving as the Flag repository and respawn point. Only members of the owning Faction can enter freely or Recall/Gate/Hike into the region.
* Participating in a Flag Securing can earn players up to 25 Potential Faction Score (scaled based on player's Control %)
* When a Faction successfully Secures a Faction Flag, if one or more members of a guild in that Faction earned at least 100 Faction Score or more during the process (Steal + Purify + Secure), the Guild will receive 1 Prestige
Note: the Prestige Gain amount will not be announced to the guild (to cut down on message spam)
====<u>Escorting</u>====
'''Follower Restrictions in Faction Zones:''' [[File:FollowerPvPZoneRestrictions.png|thumb|right|Follower Restrictions]] Players cannot cast [[Spirit Speaking|Summoning spells]] while inside a Faction Castle or within the boundaries of a Faction Waypost. Any existing Summoned Followers that enter these zones will be automatically unsummoned. Furthermore, players cannot issue Combat commands (Attack / Guard / Patrol) to any Followers (Tamed or Summoned) within these zones. Any Followers inside these zones with active combat commands will automatically switch to Follow mode.
* If a player spends a cumulative 60 seconds or more within 50 Tiles of a Purified Faction Flag while it is outside of any Faction Castle or the Daemon Keep Region (i.e. they are Escorting the Flag to their Faction Castle) they will have their Potential Faction Score earned from Flag Securing increased by +200% (to a max of 75 Potential Faction Score)
===Successful Flag Secure===
===Faction Ghost Gates===
* Once Secure Progress on a Secure Attempt reaches 100%, the Secure action will be deemed successful
Near each Waypost is a Faction Ghost Gate, visible and usable only by dead Faction participants. Using it teleports the ghost (and nearby followers) to a random spot in their Faction Castle's courtyard.
* All Potential Faction Score banked by players in the Faction for the entire Flag Steal Process will be distributed to those players as Faction Score
* The newly Secure flag will now show up in the "Flags in Castle" section of the Faction Menu for that faction
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
===Faction Moongates===
| [[File:factionsflagsecuring3.jpg|link=]]
Inside each Castle's Flag Room is a Faction Moongate, usable only by members of that Faction. It allows travel to Wayposts relevant to that Faction's chains, following standard moongate restrictions (no criminals, no Heat of Battle). Players arrive Revealed at the destination.
|}
* The newly Secure Flag will become temporarily "Locked" and factions cannot make Steal attempts on that flag for the next 10 minutes
==Weekly Cycle and Rewards==
* A sparkle animation will display on the Flag indicating that it is Locked
* Players can single-click the Flag to see how much time remains before it becomes unlocked and can make Steal attempts on it again
===Tabula Rasa (Weekly Reset)===
Every Friday at 8 PM EST, a "Tabula Rasa" occurs:
* All Faction Flags return to their home Castles.
* All Wayposts become Neutral.
* Faction Doors are fully repaired.
* Potential Faction Scores are cleared.
* Faction Dungeon rotates.
* Weekly scoring and rewards are resolved.
==Faction Handicap Bonus==
===Faction Ranking and Titles===
* As mentioned previously, at the end of every week a "Last Week Tally" is calculated for each Faction based on its performance that week, and factions are ranked from 1st Place through 4th Place (with 1st place being the "strongest" faction and 4th place being the "weakest")
During Tabula Rasa, Factions are ranked 1st-4th based on the previous week's performance, determining the next week's Handicap Bonus and joining restrictions.
* Based on this Last Week Tally ranking, each faction is assigned a "Handicap Bonus" that will persist throughout the coming week
Handicap Bonuses are as follows:
Individual player performance is tracked via seasonal Faction Score totals in `[ServerRank`. At season's end, players receive a Rank % based on their score relative to all other Faction participants. This Rank % determines their Faction Title Tier for the upcoming season:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
! Ranked
! Handicap Bonus
|-
| 1st
| 0%
|-
| 2nd
| 10%
|-
| 3rd
| 20%
|-
| 4th
| 30%
|}
[[File:factionshandicapbonus1a.png|link=]]
* Whenever a Faction has a Control Tick for a Waypost, Purification Pyre, Steal Attempt or Secure Attempt, there is a Handicap Bonus % chance that faction will earn double progress on that action (i.e. increase progress by 20% instead of 10%)
* If a "double progress" occurs, players from that faction will receive more Potential Faction Score (if relevant to the activity)
'''Example:'''
* A Faction was in 4th place last week and now has a 30% Current Handicap Bonus in place
* On any Control Tick occurring for Wayposts, Flag Purification, Steal Attempts, or Secure Attempts, that faction has a 30% chance that they will instead earn 20% Progress rather of the normal 10% Progress amount
<i>'''Note:''' The intention of the Handicap Bonus for factions is to provide chances for weaker factions to potentially Control/Steal/Secure things quicker, to make up for their lack of "firepower" from its members.</i>
==Underdog Handicap==
* In addition to the Weekly Handicap Bonus each Faction receives based on their past week's performance, each Faction can now also receive a temporary Underdog Handicap Bonus that is directed against a specific Faction
* Factions will receive an Underdog Handicap Bonus towards another Faction if that target Faction has more Flags Secured in their Castle than they have
* The Underdog Handicap Bonus is 15% per Secure Flag Difference (for a max of +60% for 4 Flags)
* The Underdog Handicap Bonus will stack with a Faction's Weekly Handicap Bonus
* As a reminder, Handicap Bonuses provide a chance on any Waypost, Purification, Flag Steal/Secure Ticks to result in 20% Progress (instead of 10%)
'''Example:'''
* The Terran Faction currently has 1 Flag Secured in their Castle and the Andaria Faction currently has 3 Flags Secured in their Castle
* Because Andaria has (3 -1) = 2 more Flags Secured than Terran, the Terran Faction will receive a (2 * 15%) = 30% Handicap Bonus against all actions towards Andaria
==Heat of Battle==
Faction players will receive a '''30 second Heat of Battle''' flag whenever any of the following occur:
* They are in a Waypost Region and considered a Valid Contestant when a Control Tick occurs
* They are Purifying a flag and a Control Tick occurs
* They are in the Flag Room while their faction is making a Steal Attempt against a flag and a Control Tick occurs
* They inflict Damage on a Faction Door
* They are in the Flag Room while their faction is making a Secure Attempt for a flag and a Control Tick occurs
<i>'''Note:''' The Heat of Battle for Factions is designed to make players "commit" to their actions, and not simply recall away the moment they see an enemy.</i>
===Heat of Battle Removal===
* Whenever a Waypost returns to 100% Control (regardless if it switched controller or not), all Faction players within 50 tiles will have any Heat of Battle removed
==Faction Player Kills==
===Kills To Give===
* In order for a Faction Kill to be worth Faction Score, the victim must have 1 or more "Kills To Give" available
* Players regain 1 Kill To Give every 4 hours (even if not actively participating in Factions or if player is offline)
* For every cumulative 100 Faction Score that a player earns from Securing Wayposts, Securing/Stealing Flags, or killing Faction Spawns they will regain 1 Kill to Give
* Players can have a maximum of 6 Kills To Give stored
* Players will receive a "You have earned a zero-score faction kill" message when killing a player who have 0 Kills To Give
===Faction Score for Kills===
* If a valid Player Kill worth Faction Score occurs, the Faction Score earned will be divided amongst all damaging players based on their Damage Dealt % to the victim (i.e. a player who does 33% of the damage will get 33% of the Faction Score possible)
* Any player who has '''0 Kills to Give''' will be '''worth 0 Faction Score''' on Faction Kills
* Any Faction Kill worth Faction Score will reduce the victim's "Kills to Give" value by 1
* Player Faction Kills are worth a base '''20 Faction Score'''
Faction Kills will be '''upgraded to be worth 50 Faction Score''' if they occur in any of the following conditions:
* Within 50 tiles of a Waypost
* Within 50 tiles of a Faction Flag
* Inside of a Faction Castle
* Inside of a Faction's Town
* Inside of a Faction Dungeon
Killing a Flag Carrier is worth an additional 50 Faction Score (the player must still have "Kills to Give", and not recently ressed, to be worth points)
==Faction Death Penalties==
Players who die as the result of a Faction Kill will receive a 2 minute Faction Death Penalty in place for ALL characters on their Account and IP Address. A player who has a Faction Death Penalty in place has the following effects:
* They do not count as a valid player towards Contesting Wayposts or Stealing/Securing Flags (they will still earn credit on successful Steals/Secures based on their previous progress earned)
* They cannot initiate a Steal Attempt against a Flag or pick up a Dropped Flag
* They cannot cast any Field Spells or Area of Effect (AoE) Spells
* They will suffer a 50% Penalty to their Damage inflicted against any Player and Creature
* Their Healing amounts will be reduced by 50% (to both healing themselves or other players/creatures)
==Faction Ghost Gates==
* At every Waypost location, there is a Faction Ghost Gate located nearby
* Only players who are in Factions and are currently Dead can see or use Faction Ghost Gates
* Faction Ghost Gates allow the player to teleport themselves (and their nearby followers) to their own Faction's Castle
* Using a Faction Ghost Gate will teleport the player to randomized location in their Faction Castle's main courtyard
[[File:factionghostgate1.jpg|link=]]
==Faction Moongates==
* Inside of the Flag Room of each Faction Castle is a Faction Moongate that can only be used by members of that Faction
* Faction Moongates allow members of that Castle's Faction to teleport to Wayposts that are part of that Faction's Waypost Chains
* The text hue of each Waypost entry will match the Faction Hue of the opposing faction in the relevant Waypost Chain
[[File:factionmoongate.jpg|link=]]
* Faction Moongates follow all of the normal restrictions for using Public Moongates, such as not allowing Criminals to use them, not allowing players with a Heat of Battle active, and so forth
* Using a Faction Moongate will warp the player (and their followers) to a random location near the destination, using handling similar to Public Moongates
* However, unlike Public Moongates, the player will be Revealed when they reach the destination, instead of being Hidden
==Tabula Rasa (Weekly Reset)==
At the start of every week (Fridays at 8pm EST), a '''"Tabula Rasa"''' will take place. When a Tabula Rasa occurs:
* Each Faction Flag will be returned to their faction's Flag Room (even if was in the process of being Stolen or Carried by a player)
* All Wayposts will set to Neutral status
* All Faction Doors that were Damaged or Destroyed will be returned to Full Repair
* Any Potential Faction Score that had been tracked for players (but not earned) will be cleared
* The current Faction Dungeon will rotate (explained later)
* Scoring and Rewards will be resolved for Faction Players
'''<i>Note: The Waypost/Flag resetting feature of Tabula Rasa is intented to ensure that a single faction doesn't permanently maintain an exceptionally strong or weak position for weeks on end, such as holding either no flags, or multiple flags: it is intended to give each faction a "clean slate" each week to start their activities</i>'''
[[File:factionstabularasa1.jpg|link=]]
==Faction Ranking==
* During Tabula Rasa, each entire faction will receive a Last Week Tally based on how well that faction as a whole performed over the course of the previous week in regards to Waypost Control and Flag Captures, and will be ranked from 1st (best) through 4th (weakest)
* This ranking will be used to determine the Handicap Bonus that each faction will experience for the coming week, as well as prevent players from Joining the faction that was in 1st place for Last Week Score (i.e. the strongest faction)
[[File:factionsranking1.jpg|link=]]
==Faction Titles==
* Players will gain access to Faction Titles, which are earned on a Seasonal basis
* If a player has a Faction Title earned for this season, having "Display Faction Title" toggled will display it, and will override any Achievement Titles currently selected for the player; i.e. Faction Titles will take display priority over Achievement Titles
* Faction Titles will NOT show up in the [Titles menu, only in the Factions Menu
* Faction Titles are earned on a per-character basis (not per-account)
* The Faction Title available to a player will be determined based on a Faction Title Tier assigned to them based on their seasonal [ServerRank results for Factions
[[File:factiontitles1.jpg|link=]]
==[ServerRank==
* A [ServerRank category will be created for Factions that is based on how much cumulative Faction Score players earn each season
* When a season ends, each player will receive a Rank % based on their how their seasonal [ServerRank total for Factions compares to all other players
* '''<i>Example: A player who has the 50th highest [ServerRank out of 500 total faction players during a season will have Rank 90% (since their total is better than 90% of other faction players)</i>'''
[[File:factionserverrank1.jpg|link=]]
==Faction Title Tiers==
* Based on a player's Rank %, they will be assigned a Faction Title Tier for the new season, that will determine what title is displayed for them
* Faction Title Tiers will stay with a player throughout that season, even if they change Factions
Faction Title Tiers for players calculated as follows:
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;"
|-
|-
! Rank
! Rank %
! Title Tier
! Title Tier
|-
|-
| 0-25%
| 99%-100%
| 1
| 6
|-
| 95%-<99%
| 5
|-
|-
| 25-50%
| 75%-<95%
| 2
| 4
|-
|-
| 50-75%
| 50%-<75%
| 3
| 3
|-
|-
| 75-95%
| 25%-<50%
| 4
| 2
|-
|-
| 95-99%
| 0%-<25%
| 5
| 1
|-
| 99%-100%
| 6
|}
|}
===Faction-Specific Titles===
The actual title displayed is a combination of the player's current Faction and their earned Title Tier. Faction Titles, if enabled via the "Display Faction Title" toggle, override Achievement Titles.
* The Faction Title that is displayed for a player is based on a combination of their Current Faction and their Faction Title Tier they earned for that season
'''Example:'''
* If a player is currently in the Andaria faction, and earned Faction Title Tier 4, they will display the Andaria Tier 4 Title
* If same player's guild decides to switch to the Prevalia faction, they will now display the Prevalia Tier 4 Title
==Faction Warfare==
{{FactionsIndex}}
{{FactionsIndex}}
{{PvP Events}}
Latest revision as of 01:29, 29 April 2025
Factions on UO Outlands represent a persistent, large-scale Player versus Player (PvP) conflict where guilds align themselves with one of four distinct factions to wage war across the realm. This system revolves around controlling strategic Wayposts, stealing and securing rival Faction Flags, engaging in Faction Caravans, protecting or assassinating Faction VIPs, and participating in direct combat with opposing faction members. Participation contributes to individual player scores, guild prestige, and the overall standing and power dynamics between the factions, culminating in weekly resets and rewards.
Access to Faction features is managed through the Guild Menu (`[Guild`), specifically under the "Factions" tab. Players can also directly open this menu by typing the command `[Faction`. Participation in the Faction system requires players to be members of a guild.
Joining a Faction
Joining a Faction via the menu.
Guild leadership (Officers or Guildmasters) can choose to align their entire guild with one of the four Factions via page 3 of the Factions Menu. Clicking the "Join" button next to the desired Faction enrolls the guild. A 7-day cooldown prevents changing Factions again only when a guild actively selects a *new* Faction; simply leaving a Faction without joining another does not trigger this cooldown. Once aligned, text related to the guild's own Faction appears Green, while other Factions appear Orange.
Last Week Tally preventing joining the top faction.
Certain restrictions apply: a guild cannot join a Faction if any of its allied guilds belong to a different Faction. Furthermore, guilds are prevented from joining the Faction that achieved the 1st place rank in the "Last Week Tally," which reflects the strongest performing faction from the previous week. Guilds can leave their current Faction using the "Leave" button on the same menu page.
Enabling Participation
Enabling 'Participate in Factions'.
Even if a guild is aligned with a Faction, individual members must opt-in to actively participate. This is done by enabling the "Participate in Factions" toggle on page 1 of the Faction Menu. This setting can typically be changed once per hour. Changing this setting is restricted while flagged in PvP, inside a Faction Castle, or near a Faction Flag or Waypost. Players who do not enable participation will not adopt Faction flagging, cannot enter Faction Castles, cannot engage in Faction activities, and will not display a Faction tag overhead.
Account and IP Restrictions
A player can only have "Participate in Factions" enabled for characters belonging to a single Faction across all their accounts sharing the same IP address. Attempting to enable participation for a character in a different Faction will be blocked. If a guild changes Faction, the system audits its members; any player found to be in multiple Factions across their accounts will have participation disabled on all characters, forcing them to choose a single Faction to participate with going forward. Offline players affected by this will be notified upon their next login.
Flagging, Interaction, and Combat
Faction Flagging Rules
Faction flagging for Criminals and Murderers.Flagging between Opposing Factions.
How players appear to each other is heavily influenced by Faction alignment and participation status:
Opposing Factions: Active participants flag Orange to participants of other Factions and can generally be attacked freely (exceptions apply in specific event zones).
Same Faction: Active participants flag Green to each other by default. Exception: If two players are in the same Faction but their guilds are at war, they will flag Orange to each other.
Criminals & Murderers: Faction participants who are Murderers always flag Red. Criminals always flag Grey. By default, Faction members cannot attack Murderers within their own Faction unless the Murderer becomes temporarily Criminal (e.g., by attacking an Innocent).
Parties: Being in the same Party overrides Faction flagging if the target has "Flag Green to Party" enabled, causing them to appear Green regardless of Faction.
PvP & Special Events: Players actively participating in events like Town Struggles, Corpse Creek Contests, Dungeon Flashpoints, Stygian Rifts, Strangelands, etc., are NOT considered Faction participants while inside the event zone. They adopt event-specific flagging and do not count for Faction Kills.
Ships: Players aboard ships are NOT considered Faction participants and do not adopt Faction flagging or count for Faction Kills.
Harmful and Beneficial Actions
Harmful actions against members of the same Faction are generally disallowed unless both players are in the same guild, in the same party (with party flagging enabled), or their respective guilds are at war.
Non-faction player healing a Faction player......results in the healer becoming attackable by other Factions.
Beneficial actions have specific consequences: if a player NOT actively participating in Factions performs a beneficial action (like healing) on an active Faction participant (or their follower), the non-participant becomes flagged as attackable (Orange) by all *other* Factions for 2 minutes. This does not apply during PvP/Special Events.
Players can use the command `[PreventFactionHealing` to toggle a setting (enabled by default) that blocks them from performing beneficial actions on Faction participants if they themselves are not active participants, thus avoiding the temporary flagging consequence.
Commands and Settings
The Commands and Settings menu (Paperdoll -> Help -> Commands -> Faction) offers several toggleable options and hotkey assignments specific to Faction gameplay.
Area of Effect (AoE) Spells in Organized PvP
Faction AoE spell targeting rules in specific zones.File:FactionFriendlyAOE.pngFriendly Fire Penalty Example
Specific AoE spells cast by Faction participants have modified handling when used in "Organized PvP Situations". These situations include:
Being inside a Faction Castle or within 50 tiles of its walls.
Being within 50 tiles of a Faction Flag (carried or secured).
Targeting: The spell will not hit any players or followers that are Blue (innocent) to the caster.
Damage Scaling: The damage inflicted per target is adjusted based on the total number of players hit by that specific cast. See the individual spell pages (Meteor Swarm, Chain Lightning) for the exact damage values based on target count. This is intended to give smaller groups counterplay against larger groups.
Faction Friendly Fire Penalty: Because Faction players cannot normally damage members of the same Faction, a damage penalty is applied if the AoE radius includes friendly Faction members:
* For each friendly Faction player within the radius of an Organized PvP Meteor Swarm, the spell suffers a 20% damage penalty (up to a maximum of 80%).
* For each friendly Faction player within the radius of an Organized PvP Chain Lightning, the spell suffers a 30% damage penalty (up to a maximum of 80%).
Core Mechanics: Wayposts
Wayposts are fixed control points in the overworld, representing strategic locations contested between Factions.
Structure and Layout
A Faction Waypost marker.Map showing Faction Waypost locations and chains.
There are 18 Wayposts total, organized into "Chains" of three Wayposts situated along paths connecting each pair of Faction territories (e.g., 3 between Terran and Cambria, 3 between Cambria and Prevalia, etc.). The Faction Menu (Page 2) and the `[FactionMap` command display the locations and chain structure.
Faction menu showing Waypost chains.
Waypost Markers and Control
Waypost marker showing control progress.
Each Waypost features a Marker displaying the controlling Faction's banner and an overhead progress bar indicating their Control Percentage (0-100%). Single-clicking the marker shows the exact percentage.
Neutral: No Faction has control.
Partial Control:Waypost showing partial control progress. A Faction has >0% but <100% control.
Full Control: A Faction has 100% control. This is required for certain actions like initiating Flag Steals.
Waypost Region and Contesting
Entering a Waypost Region message.
Each Waypost has a surrounding Region. Players receive system messages upon entering/leaving. To contest a Waypost, players must be considered "Valid Contestants" during periodic Control Ticks.
Waypost Control Ticks
Every 15 seconds, a Control Tick assesses who is contesting the Waypost. A player is a Valid Contestant if they are:
Alive and Visible (not hidden).
Inside the Waypost Region.
Have "Participate in Factions" enabled.
Have NOT been inside a House or Ship within 100 tiles in the last 2 minutes.
Their Faction has Full Control over all prerequisite Wayposts in that specific Waypost Chain (see below).
Control Progress
System message during Waypost contesting.
If, during a Control Tick, all Valid Contestants belong to a single Faction:
1. If an opposing Faction has control, they lose 10% Control Progress.
2. If the Waypost is Neutral, the contesting Faction gains 10% Control Progress.
3. If the contesting Faction already has Partial Control, they gain another 10% Control Progress.
Contesting players receive messages about progress and their Potential Faction Score. Earning Faction Score from Wayposts contributes towards War Aspect experience.
Potential Faction Score
Increasing Control Progress adds to a player's Potential Faction Score for that Waypost (up to 75 points). This score is awarded only when the Waypost reaches Full Control under their Faction. If the Waypost becomes Neutral, all potential score is lost.
Full Control and Locking
A Locked Waypost after reaching Full Control.
Reaching 100% Control Progress (takes 2 minutes from 0%) grants Full Control. All players who contributed within the last 10 minutes earn their banked Potential Faction Score. The Waypost then becomes "Locked" for 2 minutes, indicated by sparkles, during which it cannot be contested.
Waypost Chain Control Order
Example of Terran's Waypost control order towards Andaria.
Factions must capture Wayposts within a chain in a specific order relative to their own Castle:
1. Nearest Waypost: Closest to their Castle. Can always be contested.
2. Middle Waypost: Requires Full Control of the Nearest Waypost before contesting.
3. Farthest Waypost: Closest to the opposing Faction's Castle. Requires Full Control of BOTH the Nearest and Middle Wayposts before contesting.
Attempting to contest out of order results in a notification.
Waypost Summaries and Tracking
Faction menu Waypost summary.Compact Waypost control summary on Faction menu page 1.
Waypost status can be monitored through:
Page 2 of the Faction Menu (shows all Wayposts, progress bars).
The Faction Hotbar (`[FactionHotbar`, shows only relevant Wayposts for your Faction).
Page 1 of the Faction Menu (compact summary showing counts per opposing Faction, Crown icon indicates full chain control).
Activity Icons next to Wayposts indicate recent actions: Lock (), Dagger (Contested, ), Left Arrow (Lowering control, ), Right Arrow (Raising control, ).
Using the Orb button for Waypoint tracking.Using the Orb button on the Faction Map.
Clicking the Orb button next to a Waypost (in Menu, Hotbar, or Faction Map) displays its location on the map, lists coordinates, and activates a tracking arrow.
Core Mechanics: Faction Flags
Each Faction possesses a unique Flag, initially located in their respective Faction Castle's Flag Room. The ultimate objective is often to steal enemy Flags and secure them within one's own Castle.
Flag Status and Location
Faction menu showing Flag status (location).
Page 1 of the Faction Menu and the Faction Hotbar display the current location of each Faction Flag under "Flags in Castle" or "Flags Carried."
Qualifying For a Steal Attempt
Example: Prevalia qualifies to steal Terran's flag.Example: Prevalia flag is in Terran castle.
To be eligible to attempt stealing a specific Flag secured in a Castle, a Faction must meet Waypost control requirements:
If Flag is in its Home Castle: The stealing Faction must have Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their chain connecting to the Flag's Faction.
If Flag is in an Enemy Castle: The stealing Faction must have Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their chain to the Flag's Faction *AND* Full Control over all 3 Wayposts in their chain to the Castle's Faction (total 6 Wayposts).
Infiltrating Castles: Faction Doors
A destructible Faction Door.Attacking a Faction Door.
Faction Castles are protected by destructible Faction Doors. Members of the owning Faction can bypass them via double-click (5s cooldown). Opposing Faction members must attack them (double-click or use `[FactionDoor` command nearby) to destroy them. Destroyed doors respawn in 30 minutes. Damaged doors repair automatically if not damaged for 30 minutes. Accessing the Flag Room often requires destroying one or more doors. Recall/Gate/Hike into enemy castles is prohibited.
Players can use the `[FactionDoor` command to attempt to double-click the nearest Faction Door within 2 tiles.
Initiating a Flag Steal
Initiating a Faction Flag steal attempt.
If qualified, a player can initiate a steal attempt by moving within 2 tiles of the target Flag and double-clicking it (or using `[FactionFlag`). This player becomes the "Stealing Player," marked by a light beam and announced overhead. Only one steal attempt can be active per Flag at a time, and individual players can only attempt one steal simultaneously.
Players can use the `[FactionFlag` command to attempt to double-click the nearest Faction Flag within 2 tiles.
While a steal is in progress, the target Faction's status shows "Under Attack" in menus/hotbars.
Flag Steal Control Ticks and Progress
The boundary of a Castle Flag Room.Control Tick progress during a flag steal.
Similar to Wayposts, Flag Steals progress via Control Ticks every 15 seconds. Steal Progress increases by 10% per tick if the Stealing Player is Alive, Visible, Inside the Flag Room boundary, and NOT under a Stationary Penalty. Failure to meet these conditions resets all progress. The steal attempt takes 3 minutes to complete (0% to 100%). Losing qualifying Waypost control *after* initiating the steal does not cancel it, but failure requires requalifying. Players of the stealing faction inside the Flag Room during ticks earn Potential Faction Score.
Successful Steal: The Flag Carrier
Upon reaching 100% Steal Progress, the Stealing Player successfully captures the Flag and becomes the Flag Carrier.
Core Mechanics: Handling Captured Flags
Tracking Flag Carriers
Tracking a carried Faction Flag via the menu Orb.
Carried Flags are indicated in the Faction Menu/Hotbar. Clicking the Orb button next to a carried flag reveals its coordinates, opens a map, and starts a tracking arrow.
Flag Carrier Restrictions
Flag carrier restrictions message.
Flag Carriers can generally move and fight normally (including mounting) but are subject to critical restrictions:
Cannot enter Houses or board Ships.
Cannot use Recall, Hike, Gate Travel, or Moongates.
Cannot enter Dungeons, Arena, Casino, or other non-Overworld areas.
Cannot Hide or become Invisible.
Flag Returning and Expiration
A carried Flag will automatically return to the last Castle it was secured in if:
The Carrier enters an invalid location (House, Ship, Dungeon etc.).
30 minutes pass since it was stolen without being Secured in a new Castle.
The server reboots (Flag drops at Carrier's last location upon restart).
Returned flags clear any associated Potential Faction Score.
Flag Carrier Death and Recovery
If a Flag Carrier dies, the Flag drops to the ground at their location. A dropped flag retains its 30-minute return timer. To pick up a dropped Flag (by double-clicking within 1 tile, or simply moving over it), the player's Faction MUST currently have Full Control over the 3 Wayposts in their chain connecting to the Flag's Faction. This emphasizes the importance of maintaining Waypost control throughout the entire flag capture process.
Purifying Faction Flags
Before a stolen Flag can be secured in a new Castle, it must be Purified. This requires the Flag Carrier to bring it to the Purification Pyre located in the center of Daemon Keep (a Grey Zone). The Carrier must remain within 2 tiles of the Pyre for 60 consecutive seconds (progress checked every 15s via Control Ticks). Moving too far or becoming hidden resets the process. Purification takes 1 minute total (0% to 100%). Players within 50 tiles during purification earn Potential Faction Score. Successfully purified flags display a distinct flame graphic.
Escorting Bonus (Purification)
Spending 60+ cumulative seconds within 50 tiles of a non-Purified Flag while it's being transported outside Castles/Daemon Keep (i.e., escorting to the Pyre) increases the Potential Faction Score earned from the Purification phase by +100% (max 100 points). This contributes to War Aspect experience.
Securing a Faction Flag
Once Purified, the Flag can be brought to the Flag Room of the Carrier's Faction Castle to be Secured. This process mirrors the Steal attempt: requires the Carrier to be Alive, Visible, Inside the Flag Room, and NOT under a Stationary Penalty for Control Ticks (every 15 seconds) to increase Secure Progress by 10%. It takes 3 minutes to complete (0% to 100%). Failure resets progress, but the Secure attempt can be immediately re-initiated as long as the flag is carried. Waypost control is NOT required to attempt Securing. Players present during Secure ticks earn Potential Faction Score (up to 25 points).
Escorting Bonus (Securing)
Spending 60+ cumulative seconds within 50 tiles of a Purified Flag while it's being transported outside Castles/Daemon Keep (i.e., escorting to the home Castle) increases the Potential Faction Score earned from Flag Securing by +200% (max 75 Potential Faction Score). This contributes to War Aspect experience.
Successful Secure
Successfully Secured Faction Flag.
Reaching 100% Secure Progress successfully secures the Flag in the new Castle. All banked Potential Faction Score from the entire Steal-Purify-Secure process is awarded to participating players. If any guild member earned 100+ score during the process, the guild gains 1 Prestige. The newly Secured Flag appears in the Castle's inventory and becomes Locked (unstealable) for 10 minutes.
Scoring, Penalties, and Bonuses
Player Faction Score
Viewing player Faction Score details.
Players earn Faction Score through Waypost control, Flag activities (Stealing, Purifying, Securing, Escorting), participating in Faction Caravans, engaging with Faction VIPs, and killing Faction enemies. Scores contribute to weekly and seasonal rankings and rewards. The `[ShowFactionKills` command displays lifetime and seasonal kill score totals (60s cooldown). Scores reset weekly during Tabula Rasa.
War Aspect Experience
Players earn War Aspect Experience from increasing Faction Score (at a rate of 33% of the score earned, requires War Aspect unlocked) for activities including: Waypost Control, Faction Caravans, Faction VIPs, Flag Escorting (Purification and Securing), and Flag Securing.
Faction Player Kills
Kills To Give: To be worth score, a victim must have "Kills To Give" (KTG). Players regenerate 1 KTG every 4 hours (max 6 stored) and gain 1 KTG per 100 Faction Score earned from objectives (Wayposts, Flags, Faction Spawns, Caravans, VIPs etc.). Killing a player with 0 KTG yields 0 score.
Score Value: A valid kill reduces victim's KTG by 1. Base score is 20 Faction Score, divided among killers by damage %. Kills occurring near Wayposts/Flags (within 50 tiles), inside Faction Castles/Towns/Dungeons are upgraded to 50 Faction Score. Killing a Flag Carrier grants an additional +50 Faction Score (victim must still have KTG).
Heat of Battle
Performing key Faction actions (contesting Wayposts during ticks, purifying/stealing/securing flags during ticks, damaging Faction Doors) applies a 30-second "Heat of Battle" flag. This prevents immediate escape via Recall/Gate etc. The flag is cleared for players near a Waypost when it returns to 100% control.
Faction Death Penalties
Dying as a result of a Faction Kill imposes a 2-minute Faction Death Penalty on ALL characters on the player's Account/IP. During this penalty:
Player does not count as valid for Contesting Wayposts or Stealing/Securing Flags (but can still receive banked score).
Cannot initiate Steals or pick up dropped Flags.
Cannot cast Field or AoE spells.
Deals 50% less damage (Players & Creatures).
Healing output reduced by 50% (Self & Others).
Stationary Penalties
If a player uses Recall/Gate/Hike, or has been stationary for 5 minutes or more, they receive a Stationary Scoring Penalty. While penalized, they do not count towards controlling Wayposts, Flag Stealing/Securing, or VIP Controlling/Contesting. The penalty is removed once the player moves 5 steps. A system message notifies the player.
Faction Handicap Bonus
Faction Handicap Bonus display.
Based on the previous week's overall performance ("Last Week Tally"), Factions receive a Handicap Bonus for the current week: 4th Place (Weakest) = 30%, 3rd = 20%, 2nd = 10%, 1st (Strongest) = 0%. This bonus percentage represents the chance that on any Control Tick (Waypost, Purify, Steal, Secure), the Faction will gain double progress (20% instead of 10%).
Underdog Handicap
Additionally, a Faction receives a temporary Underdog Handicap Bonus against any specific Faction that currently holds more Secured Flags than they do. The bonus is 15% per flag difference (max +60% for 4 flags) and stacks with the weekly Handicap Bonus. This bonus also provides a chance for double progress on ticks related to actions against that specific stronger Faction.
Support and Logistics
Faction Castles
Each Faction has a Castle in its home territory, serving as the Flag repository and respawn point. Only members of the owning Faction can enter freely or Recall/Gate/Hike into the region.
Players cannot cast Summoning spells while inside a Faction Castle or within the boundaries of a Faction Waypost. Any existing Summoned Followers that enter these zones will be automatically unsummoned. Furthermore, players cannot issue Combat commands (Attack / Guard / Patrol) to any Followers (Tamed or Summoned) within these zones. Any Followers inside these zones with active combat commands will automatically switch to Follow mode.
Faction Ghost Gates
Near each Waypost is a Faction Ghost Gate, visible and usable only by dead Faction participants. Using it teleports the ghost (and nearby followers) to a random spot in their Faction Castle's courtyard.
Faction Moongates
Inside each Castle's Flag Room is a Faction Moongate, usable only by members of that Faction. It allows travel to Wayposts relevant to that Faction's chains, following standard moongate restrictions (no criminals, no Heat of Battle). Players arrive Revealed at the destination.
Weekly Cycle and Rewards
Tabula Rasa (Weekly Reset)
Every Friday at 8 PM EST, a "Tabula Rasa" occurs:
All Faction Flags return to their home Castles.
All Wayposts become Neutral.
Faction Doors are fully repaired.
Potential Faction Scores are cleared.
Faction Dungeon rotates.
Weekly scoring and rewards are resolved.
Faction Ranking and Titles
During Tabula Rasa, Factions are ranked 1st-4th based on the previous week's performance, determining the next week's Handicap Bonus and joining restrictions.
Individual player performance is tracked via seasonal Faction Score totals in `[ServerRank`. At season's end, players receive a Rank % based on their score relative to all other Faction participants. This Rank % determines their Faction Title Tier for the upcoming season:
Rank %
Title Tier
99%-100%
6
95%-<99%
5
75%-<95%
4
50%-<75%
3
25%-<50%
2
0%-<25%
1
The actual title displayed is a combination of the player's current Faction and their earned Title Tier. Faction Titles, if enabled via the "Display Faction Title" toggle, override Achievement Titles.
), Dagger (Contested, 
), Left Arrow (Lowering control, 
), Right Arrow (Raising control, 
).
