Faction Play
Faction Play is where highly-competitive MechWarriors fight for control over the Inner Sphere through distinct game modes. It places a strong emphasis on team cohesion and specialized 'Mech loadouts, and there is no skill-based matchmaking system in place. Faction Play matches are thus often comprised of experienced and well-organized Units of players running heavily customized 'Mechs.
Because this interface must work on many different monitors and resolutions, the Faction Play interface is very modular. The below images were taken on a 1920 x 1080 display.
Contents
Career Selection
Players default to a "Freelancer". Go where you want, fight with who you want. Get paid. However, you do not receive Loyalty or Mercenary reputation points and the corresponding rewards.
Choosing the "Mercenary" career requires that you form or join a Unit (see below). You sign a contract with a Faction where you fight for them for a certain period of time. You also build up Mercenary reputation points that grant rewards: C-Bills, MC, GXP, cockpit items, premium time or 'Mech bays.
Choosing the "Loyalist" career means you fight only for that Faction. You an be a solo player or in a Unit. After a probation period you build up reputation points in your chosen Faction that grant rewards: C-Bills, MC, GXP, cockpit items, premium time or 'Mech bays.
Inner Sphere Map
See how the campaign is going and what battles are being fought. The front lines change every eight hours.
Select a battlefield planet to see its description and recent battle history.
Factions
Choose your Faction.
Unit
If you are not a member of a Unit you are given the option to create one.
Member Management
View the total roster of your Unit, their player rank (see below) and their online status.
Pending Invitations
Browse active invitations to other MechWarriors to join your Unit.
Rank Management
MWO offers many default Unit ranks, but only gives all privileges to the unit creator, who has rank of "General of the Army". Units can create their own rank structure and control their in-game permissions.
Coffer Management
Check your Unit coffers and a history of donations. Unit members can donate C-Bills here, and Unit MC earned from Faction Play is stored here. When a Unit grows beyond a certain size it costs C-Bills to add members. Once in the coffers C-Bills or MC can not be re-assined to individual members.
Contracts
Only Mercenary units may accept Faction Play contracts. Only players with such permissions within their Unit may take contracts.
Faction Reputation
See your current reputation with the various Factions and as a Mercenary.
Leaderboards
Roll up of the current season of Faction Play. Examine statistics of Factions, pilots or Units.
Manage Drop Decks
Faction Play consists of two game mode: Scouting and Invasion.
Scouting is 4v4, restricted to 'Mechs 55 tons or less. You do not know if you will be gathering intel or defending intel, nor do you know what map you are using. So use the provided Drop Deck to have several 'Mechs on stand by. You get two decks for free and you can buy up to two more decks for MC.
Invastion is 12v12, with three 'Mechs worth of re-spawn. The total tonnage of your four 'Mech deck must be between 160 and 265 tons. You do not know if the game mode will change when you search for a match, nor do you know what map you are using. So use the provided Drop Deck to have several drop decks on stand by. You get two decks for free and you can buy up to two more decks for MC.
War History
Scroll through the recent history of Faction Play battles. Sometimes there are Faction-specific events.