Differentiate between companies

Different companies should have certain perks that others do not. As it stands each company is just a copy of the next, with a slightly different paint job. Each perk should be balanced against the other two, but distinct enough to allow players to consider it over the next based on their personal play style.

Possible features:

*3 pieces or 3 sets of equipment

• One for each company
• Available upon completion of a mission or chain of missions
• Lost upon defection to prevent people from collecting all 3

*Bonus against certain NPCs

• EIC gets a bonus against streuner, streuneR, and pirates since they have the most experience with con artists and generally unscrupulous characters
• MMO gets a bonus against "Ancient" NPCs like the crystals since they have access to ancient martian ruins
• VRU gets a bonus against "biological" NPCs like Lordakia, Lordakium, Saimon, and sibelonit since they have the most experience with harsh environments and because they're green

-Map features
-Aesthetic changes

One way to implement this without affecting late game players is to make the membership bonus temporary, ending at a certain level. ~12 for instance

 

Yes, I think that would be a good idea! Giving each company it's own "perk" it would help to distinguish each company even more.

 

If there was to be a perk it cannot be a lasting one.
If the perk was permanent then one company would ultimately be better than the other so the vast majority of players would move to that company, then if DO balanced it people would complain about moving and losing half their honor for a perk that has changed.

The only way this could work is if the perk was applicable from levels 1 - 12 for instance.

 

Ahh but the key is to give no definitive winner. If each is balanced equally from the get go then people will hem and haw over which is the best. People will surely leave their company for another, but if it's fair then all three will be doing it equally.

This is a valid idea