Factions Guide
The galaxy is divided between two factions: The Alliance and The Maraken. Joining a faction unlocks exclusive ships and provides a safe homeworld — but it also defines your allegiances.
The Two Factions
The Alliance
- Headquarters: Earth
- Archetype: The defenders of democracy
- Motto: “Our goal is democracy. Our bible is the Codex.”
The Alliance represents order and civilization. Their headquarters on Earth features a monument with tiny spinning planets and the Codex motto rotating around a replica of the known worlds. Tourists study it while you approach the help window.
The Maraken
- Headquarters: Norhaven (Hell City)
- Archetype: The forces of power and domination
- Leader: Carnage (Jerard Knolfer)
- Motto: “Not all men are created equal. To purify the race is natural selection and our duty.”
The Maraken are ruled by Carnage from Norhaven’s Hell City. Their HQ is a grim place — hundreds of “special services” military march through the main doors with “unhealthy” members of society, taking them to the reconditioning chamber. People hide in alleys from roaming street patrols looking for “unproductive” citizens.
Joining a Faction
- Travel to the faction’s HQ — Earth for Alliance, Norhaven for Maraken
- Press [J] to join
- Confirm with [Y]
Requirements:
- You must be unaffiliated (no current faction)
- You cannot switch directly — you must leave your current faction first
Faction-Exclusive Ships
Joining a faction unlocks powerful ships only available to members:
Alliance Ships (sold at Earth)
| Ship | Cost | Fighting Odds | Max Cargo | Max Fighters | Max Shields | Torpedoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ardent Supplier | $3,500,000 | 35 | 400 | 1,000 | 5,000 | 0 |
| Revelation | $7,243,900 | 45 | 75 | 20,000 | 5,000 | 4 |
| Prophecy | $9,220,000 | 55 | 225 | 200,000 | 10,000 | 6 |
| ACCOLADE | $36,000,000 | 55 | 300 | 1,000,000 | 100,000 | 10 |
The Ardent Supplier is the ultimate trade vessel (400 cargo). The ACCOLADE is the Alliance endgame flagship — 1M fighters, 100K shields, and 10 reactor power.
Maraken Ships (sold at Norhaven)
| Ship | Cost | Fighting Odds | Max Cargo | Max Fighters | Max Shields | Torpedoes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MayhemMaster | $2,270,000 | 60 | 75 | 10,000 | 1,000 | 6 |
| Nognut | $5,700,000 | 45 | 100 | 100,000 | 10,000 | 2 |
| Quietus | $6,500,000 | 65 | 50 | 5,000 | 1,000 | 10 |
| LEXOR | $13,439,000 | 50 | 200 | 150,000 | 10,000 | 5 |
| APOCALYPSE | $29,340,000 | 55 | 300 | 1,000,000 | 100,000 | 10 |
The Quietus has the highest fighting odds in the game (65) and 10 torpedo bays — a glass cannon. The APOCALYPSE is the Maraken endgame flagship, matching the ACCOLADE’s firepower at a lower price but with 8 reactor upgrades.
Homeworld Safe Zones
Faction homeworlds are guaranteed safe — no combat is allowed:
- Earth (Alliance) — the planet “warns aggressors to cease hostilities before incinerating them”
- Norhaven (Maraken) — same protection applies
This makes faction HQs the safest place to park overnight. Even without cloaking, nobody can attack you at your faction’s homeworld.
Leaving a Faction
- Travel to your faction’s HQ
- Press [L] to leave
- Confirm with [Y]
Warning: Leaving a faction means:
- You lose access to faction-exclusive ships — if you’re flying one, you keep it, but you can’t buy new ones
- You become unaffiliated and can join the other faction
NPC Faction Filtering
Your faction membership affects NPC encounters:
- Alliance NPCs will not attack Alliance members
- Maraken NPCs will not attack Maraken members
- Freelance NPCs attack everyone regardless of faction
Joining a faction effectively reduces the number of hostile NPCs you encounter.
The Carnage Story
The lore behind the Maraken faction is one of the game’s richest stories, available in the Schoolor Library on Schooloria:
Earth matured the quickest of all the Planets and was the first to make contact with another world. Earth’s technology leaped forward for 48 years, then leveled out. Earth formed The Alliance, and because they had the most power, no one disputed it.
Then, 12 years ago, a man named Carnage killed an Alliance representative, stole his ship and cargo. He became rich and outspoken. Carnage plundered over 38 planets before the Alliance found out. By then it was too late — hundreds of planets began creating illegal weapons for self-defense, and some for piracy.
Carnage goaded many small planets into following him, or scared ships into paying tribute. He invented a strange device — witnesses swore he could completely disable ships without firing a single shot. Fear became his deadliest weapon.
His real name was Jerard Knolfer — winner of an 8-planet science fair at age eight, recognized as a genius by 15. Then he fell in love with someone who wasn’t interested. She invited him to her wedding. In the middle of the ceremony, he stalked out. Ten minutes later, the entire building was reduced to ashes — his first weapon.
His last words to his home planet, Endora: “I don’t need my family, and don’t need friends. I am Carnage.” Then his ship released a warhead of his own design, and the entire planet exploded.
The universe has changed a lot in the last twenty years. The Alliance no longer controls every planet. A new and evil power has encroached itself across the galaxy — they call themselves the Maraken. They are led by an old man known as Carnage. His infamous name has recruited millions into flying under his banner. Will you be next? Or will you choose to help The Alliance? The choice is up to you.