Multi-Company Clans [The Issues + A Fix]

Longtime player here, since 2007.
Back in the days, companies used to mean something. EIC vs MMO vs VRU - the literal foundation of the game.

Clans would assemble, events used to absolutely rock, SpaceBall was formidable and fun because all three companies would band together against one another and fight.

Now? It's multi-company clans that take over events, you got MMO/EIC clans not allowing anyone else from either company to participate, you have EIC/VRU clans, you have EIC/VRU/MMO clans, etc ... it's ruined the fun and the literal basis of the game (you choose your company when you register, you make a pledge to fight for your company against other companies, why would you ever team up with a rival company?) ...

My solution?

Make clans SINGLE-COMPANIES!

How? It's simple.

Give everyone a one-time FREE company switch. No uridium, no honor loss. This is an indefinite one-time voucher token for a company switch.

Clans: Clans HAVE to pick between EIC / VRU / MMO on their clan info page. Any pilots not in that selected company get kicked after 30 days, and you aren't allowed to send an application to a clan that is different than your company tag. This will conglomerate companies and make loyalty a thing again. Does a clan want to be EIC or VRU or MMO? Make them choose, give the pilots a free token so they can follow their leader's decision.

This will fix literally most everything (besides the obvious afk-users) that has ruined the game and will spark the competition back into the game. It's all about the companies, it always has been. So fix it! BigPoint even said years back they would be looking into the issue of MCC's (Multi-Company Clans), and I think my solution would absolutely work.

Thank you for coming to my TED Talk, I am very passionate about DarkOrbit and their companies.

Your long-time space pilot,
Lith

 

I once wanted that but the problem's bigger. Clan company ultimately means nothing when you could easily ally with a clan from a different company and go about your way. Or outfit with different company players...

Restricting those is much harder to sell to players.

Even if those were ever to be restricted, nothing's actually stopping friends across companies from teaming up together to bully weaker players.
I remember over a decade ago I saw a fellow EIC shooting a super icy. So I went to shoot it too and before long his pal from VRU (in a different clan) shot me off it like a guard dog.