What Alliance is good to join?

[argot]

I am new. Received lots of recruitment messages.

What criteria should I use to select one?

[Britanicca]

A funny Acronym, join KoC

[sulli90]

You should look for one that you would fit in. I'd pick on that had friends in it over one with 1000 Nukes anyday. It's just a game, try to find one you would have fun in.

[Heyman]

Here's a list of things to look for in a good alliance:

- Are they on the same team as your nation?

Having an alliance on the same team as you benefits yourself. Intra-Alliance(NOT INTER) trades have a better chance of remaining stable, and you will have the happiness bonus for those trades. Trading is an essential gaming mechanic, and should not be overlooked when examining alliances.

- How active is this alliance?

One of the most important aspects of a great alliance is a sense of community. How often do you see this alliance on their own boards? How often do you see this alliance in diplomatic affairs? Joining an active alliance will give you more chances to benefit yourself. The Order Of the Light is a great example of this, half a year ago, they were a small, yet ambitious alliance. Now they have a huge member count, all due to active efforts by it's recruiters and other members.

- Is the community likable?

Every single alliance on Bob is different from the other. The Order of the Black Rose, for example, takes their role play very seriously, and might not be suitable for more casual gamers. The Random Insanity Alliance on the other hand, keep their affairs with a much less serious tone. Find an alliance that shares your likes, and dislikes. You'll find more friends there.

- What is that alliance's diplomatic position?

This is a must. Are they neutral? Independent? Warfaring? Peaceful? Make it suit your play style. Depending on an alliance's stance in game politics, your interaction with other alliances will differ.

- Is there a Stable Government?

Look for an active and helpful government from your alliance. Most governments are set up to further the cause of the alliance, and to help it. If you find officials interested only in their personal gain, I recommend keeping an arm's length away. Don't get caught in coups. My former alliance, the Coalition of Defensive States, was caught in several coups in it's dying days.

- Is this alliance Sanctioned?

Not exactly a requirement, nor a suggestion, but it does help. Sanctioned alliances have proven their worth to the game moderators, and are deemed worthy of recognition in-game. They have done so by succeeding all the previously mentioned factors. They are active, both in membership and in diplomatic matters. They have grown large. They have long standing governments capable of dealing with internal affairs as well as foreign. Technically, sanctions have nothing to do with anything but size, but growing has it's requirements.

The longest standing example of this sort of achievement is the New Pacific Order. Being here almost since the game started, the New Pacific Order has participated in almost every major conflict in Cybernations. They are by far the largest standing entity as well, in terms of both membership and alliance strength. They are a prime model of the recognition known as the sanction.

That being told, being in a sanctioned alliance will not necessarily mean you will do well in them. In order to get to their positions, the sanctioned alliances have made many sacrifices, and have also imposed regulations to maintain their stability. Some will require you to maintain an active presence at all times to retain your membership. Others may require you to hold a government position, or donate money when it is needed. If you are willing to give up some of your freedoms and time to trade for a sanctioned experience, then go for it.

[argot]

Here's a list of things to look for in a good alliance:

[

Thanks for the detailed, serious reply.

[Evangeline]

Depends on what you're looking for:

Large Alliance: Can offer you better protection, but you're likely to end up just a number if you're not incredibly active. Unless you post a ton, most people probably won't even know you're in their alliance.

Small Alliance: Doesn't have as much to offer, but there's a higher chance of getting involved and being a part of government or the various ministries.

Sign-Up Aid - Many alliances offer you aid just to join. Others do not. However, the majority of all alliances will give you aid to help you out once you become a member, and will continue to take care of your needs as long as you remain a member.

Chances to Get Involved: There's always something to do in an alliance, but with large alliances, the odds are you're going to be limited to low-level jobs (although they're just as important) such as recruiting. Smaller alliances allow you a greater chance of getting a higher position, but the alliance may not be very well known in the eyes of the Cyberverse yet. So it all depends on if you want to get a job fast or want to be well-known for your contributions.

As Heyman stated, there are also things to look at regarding team color. If you don't really care about what team color you are, then find other attributes in an alliance that you like and change your color if they require it. However, if you don't want to change your team color, then you'll need to find an alliance on your color, one that allows all colors, or a multi-colored alliance. While EDEN is a black team alliance, we don't require you to change your team color, we just recommend it.

The quickest way to get info on an alliance is to visit IRC. 99.9% of all alliances have IRC channels where you can speak directly with a member of government. You can find a list of those channels here: http://forums.cybernations.net/index.php?showtopic=18085

You're welcome to stop by #EDEN on irc.coldfront.net if you're interested. Good luck!

Edited July 24, 2008 by Empress van Wain

[Heyman]

Thanks for the detailed, serious reply.

It's a copy-paste I will use forever onward. Don't mention it.