Ok, so i've been monitoring the active player page for awhile - trying to get a rough idea of peak times etc and ive noticed there are really more than 3 serco online at a time? i know the population of VO is small, but at the moment 1/12 of those online are serco.

Is there a reason for this? Surely if they are that poor they should be buffed? (No offence to any serco's out there)

It was just a thought, im still quite new (all level 2s and one level 3 at the moment...), sorry if its a stupid question

Spine

Part of it is the community's bias against the Serco. Most think of them as the bad guys, which isn't true. Part of the beauty of the Itani/Serco war is how wrong both sides are.

Until very recently, the Serco were less than organized as well, leading many people who tried the red team to switch in order to 'make more friends.' This is changing, but the process is by no means done.

Wait for it...

...

Waaaaaait for it...

...

...

...

SCP wants a buff!

ok, thanks for the replys

so actually... theres nothing statisticly worse about the serco's

i've read the backstory and I agree - it should be mutual responsibility.

on the topic of the backstory - the opening is rather like that of eve online no?

im not sure which came first and i doubt vo would steal a big part of the story - but ccp... im not so sure there naming of in game elements is hardly original (take tritanium for example - remind you of anything?)

Spine

And the backstory is written from an Itani viewpoint, of course it's biased :P I think it's not so much an itani vs Serco problem though, more of an Old guard Itani (ie Akanese) versus Serco problem. And the Itani shelter the akanese, for all intents and purposes.

Why are so few people Serco? Because so few people are cool.

Honestly, I tried to read the backstory and I couldn't. It's way too long (yes, I know there's a "condensed" version). There's no reason a backstory couldn't be that long, but (no offense to Incarnate) I just couldn't get into it.

So I joined Serco because their numbers are fewer. That's the only reason.

First rule of game color schemes: Red = bad guys, or at best, "Player 2". Balancing out the backstory with the Serco and UIT perspectives might help as well, but it's rather rare for folks to read the backstory, let alone know there's one to be read ("[100]There's a story? Where?").

There's only one logical solution- The best Serco implant technology, featured in the centerfold of next month's Gorgeous Galactic Girls(24.99c).

Meh, that's not good serco implants...

The REAL implants are featured in "Howitzers R Us" ads.

EZR - Serco-in-exile

I've just re-read the backstory, and it's the Serco who DEFINITELY look like the bad guys. I mean, they look stupid, too. While the Itani were perfecting spaceflight and the UIT were busy leaving Serco space for somewhere less oppressive, the Serco were busy grunting, throwing feces, smashing things and beating each other over the head in gladiatorial combat rituals.

That's what the backstory seems like.

The Serco need a makeover, they need an underground movement like the Akanese, but a peaceful one. Kind of like tibet, a part of China but not really. Something like that.

The backstory has a micro version. Check the faction descriptions when making a new character.

IRS: Yes. That's also what I don't like about the Red State vs. Blue State thing. I like blue better than red, but I cannot bring myself to vote red. Recently I've begun to wonder if I can even vote blue. Maybe Professor Chaos will become a UIT character to symbolize my desire no longer to be associated with the spineless Republican party and my continuing desire to not be associated with the evil Democrat party.

The only thing lamer than the Serco as described in the backstory would be a shadowy Serco peace movement :P

I like how Mom has his own color, i know it's because he's the only one unaligned, but it's still funny.

I guess it would be pretty hard to get the 2 sides to balance out (in an active players point of view) - but if they want to do factional warfare type things in the future...

Anyway, if I didn't love being itan so much (I'm joining ITAN hehe) I would remake a serco - but it's too late now...

it's interesting though, what makes people choose itan when they first start the game? From what I remember the opening lines about both sides are fairly balanced and if you haven't read the backstory or done lots of research you shouldn't have a large preference...

Spine

I picked UIT first, the idea of being a trader striking my fancy.

Getting more involved in the game brought me closer to PvP and combat in general and really enjoying Border Skirmish. then iry caught up with me and I had my character name changed and my faction changed.

I read the backstory afterwards and it seemed like the Serco were good until they decided utter annihilation.

The backstory is written from an Itani perspective. BS and BP used to be stacked in the blue's favor in two ways; Serco needed to travel through a WH, immediately entering into enemy fire with an empty battery to get to either one, and the freakin' radar showed everyone as reds. These things are reasons why *in the past* I've chosen Itani over Serco. We'll have to wait to see if fixing BS affects popularity in the future.

I don't think that has anything to do with people's initial selection, though, Mynt. And most people stick with the nation they played during the trial, though plenty change or have alts.

I would be most interested in seeing your proof that most people stick with the nation they played during the trial.

I played Serco during the trial. And my first two weeks here. Didn't play a Serco again after that for... two years.

I guess I said that too much as fact. It's more an assumption, and I have no proof, but I'd be just as interested as you to see if my assumption is true.