What makes an alliance?

[threefingeredguy]

Alliance:

the state of being allied or confederated

a connection based on kinship or marriage or common interest; "the shifting alliances within a large family"; "their friendship constitutes a powerful bond between them"

an organization of people (or countries) involved in a pact or treaty

a formal agreement establishing an association or alliance between nations or other groups to achieve a particular aim

[New Frontier]

i wonder who this could be meant for

[Facade]

Interesting.

There are several things I don't agree with, but several that I do. No doubt a decent essay.

[Sal Paradise]

I find that a large percentage of the people that will see this essay need the obvious pointed out to them. I think it was a good essay.

At what percentage can we stop calling it obvious?

[Timmmehhh]

What makes a good alliance? In my opinion the following factors are important.

1. Unity

2. Activity

3. Good leadership

4. Passion for war

5. Brotherhood

I think my own alliance (FOK) is an example of a good alliance.

There is unity in FOK because we only accept Flemish and Dutch people. We all speak the same language and all FOK'ers are on the orange team and fly the FOK flag in game.

Activity is very important, if there is no activity you can't plan thing and won't get things done. FOK forum is always active and our irc is active too. One hour before the attack on the New Pacific Order we had 90 people in our private irc, of 250 people flying the FOK aa ingame.

Leadership also plays a very important role in an alliance. Bad leadership can become the end of an alliance. Lots of players tend to believe that democracies don't work, FOK is a democracy and I think it works for us. The general membership made the government withdraw from the Continuum with the help of the binding referenda were 90% of the FOK'ers voted in favour of leaving the continuum. The leadership (the council of five) was against it, but respected the wishes of the membership. Once FOK was out of the continuum the leadership made sure we wouldn't become an easy target. Treaties were signed with strong friends like the Mushroom Kingdom, Poison clan and Argent and we prepared for a curbstomp on FOK and bought lots of nukes, MHP's SDI's WRC's and meanwhile we kept increasing warchests.

If an alliance has no passion for war, it is really hard to get the membership to buy those important wonders, built warchests and read the guides. You need a membership with a passion for war otherwise you might become an easy target like NADC, GPA and GOLD were. Brotherhood is the last key element. Once !@#$ hits the FAN you need people to stick together and follow orders. Individual surrender isn't an option!

[Nathan Flech]

I like to think alliances are nations and blocs are alliances. And nations are like cities or people.

"1. Unity

2. Activity

3. Good leadership

4. Passion for war

5. Brotherhood"

Exactly, except war passion is not needed. The newbie can chose peace over war if he/she wants to.

Edited July 28, 2009 by Nathan Flech

[Emperor Stranger]

An alliance is two or more nations coming together with a common purpose. No legal document needs to be signed to make said nations an alliance.

OOC: It's like WW2, Russia, the United States and the UK did not sign a legal document to fight the axis, they had a common goal and thus were a temporary alliance.

[Kroknia]

I think alliances can certainly maintain a situation of nothing more than "Don't do stupid things and we'll watch each others backs". I find governments to be little more than burdensome in most circumstances and incredibly overused and abusive in all other circumstances.