A Faction is the largest NPC organisational grouping within the EVE Universe.
Each Faction represents a distinct political grouping, and contains one or more NPC Corporations. Each Faction maintains a separate value for a player's Standing with them, and also has a separate Standing for each player Corporation, made up of the mean average Standings of all Corporation members.
Faction Standing can be modified by carrying out 'Important Missions' through any agent of a member NPC Corporation. When this happens, many other factional standings will alter at once, to reflect the politcal attitudes between one Faction and its friends and enemies.
The Faction is functionally equivalent to a player-based Alliance.
Player Corporations may not join Factions, although individual players may join existing member NPC Corporations within a Faction.
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