I realize this topic has been talked almost to death (hehe), but I'd like to take one more attempt at analyzation.

Right now, I think the factions are a little over crowded, and while the more factions we have, the more the appeal to a diverse player base, I think it's time to take a look at consolidation, and absorbtion ((for the sake of fluff =) ))

Now I want to tell you right off, that I don't endorse faction retirement (not without a darn good reason) and that annihilating a faction completely is a waste of time (previous time that is, building it up in the fiction), but absorbtion of that faction into a larger, similarily aligned faction (House, Clan, etc) not only allows us to consolidate, stay in touch with the 'fluff', and allow other factions to compete with the likes of Clan Jade Falcon, and House Liao as far as "faction abilities" are concerned.

Let's take a look at how this could be achieved.

Swordsworn ---> Federated Suns (House Davion)
Stormhammers ---> Lyran Commonwealth (House Steiner)

I've heard some speculation of the reformation of the Federated Commonwealth (aka the combining of Federated Suns/Lyran Commonwealth). This would be interesting, I think from both fluff and gameplay perspective, as it would combine two factions with the same "niche". Of course the possibility of this after the F-C CW, is perhaps doubtful, I wouldn't be too upset it it happened.

Steel Wolves ---> Clan Wolf (Crusader) take away those crazy beserker dials, or make them more efficient =) Give Clan Wolf something they can use.

Republic of the Sphere + Highlanders ---> New SLDF? Bring back the Black Watch to redesign the Highlander paradigm. (Keep High Defense, Add Attack Values, IT)

Bannson's Raiders---> House Liao: Yeah, I know, some people don't like the idea, but let's face it boys and girls, Bannson is eating out of Daoshen's hand. If they were absorbed, however, I wouldn't want them to go away completely, just add them as the House's "Green" unit, and mix their colors with House Liao Colors (at the very least allow them to make formations with Liao units) =)

And, above all else, give units that belong to the factions, aka Clan Mechs to Clans, and to a lesser extent IS mechs to IS.

Those are my thoughts,
Stormcrow

Yes give clan wolf a brain lol, and it seems that the emperor's hand is back handing bannson at the moment.

You forgot:

DF => Kurita
SC => Clan Nova Cat

And also that the Highlanders were once a mercenary clan

bansons should join seafox in my opinion- fluff wise, they are both merchants and rule via money

besides, didn't bansons just betray liao?

I've been thinking about this alot lately. what abilities do you think they should give to each group? here is my go at it-

marik- the next faction in my opinion, and it should be pretty grand. let them be a new democracy and a new "free worlds league" and they are newly unified after a bloody civil war. and like napoleon, will take their nationalist force on a conquering spree. to spread freedom of course....

- I would like them to be just like bansons (no repair markers, low stats, good range and SEs) maybe give them a TON of single use equipment, as a unique trait, like on every number of the dial, with a different color from one click to the next. it would make them very versatile and represent the fact that these are independent people who do not all arm alike.

special abilities?
desperate times- mechs may use broken limbs as weapons, and all may take a point of damage (before the roll) to cause 1d6 damage in close combat
desperate measures- elite marik units may fire on friendly marik units and cause damage up to their full damage value (so you can get to SEs deeper in the dial, also represents the fact that these guys just fought a civil war and are not yet totally on the same side)
share ammo- if at the beginning of this order this marik unit in in base contact with a friendly marik unit with the same SE, this unit does not take damage from that single use SE. (to avoid some damage from SEs and promote faction purity)

I have more if you like

Quite right... was debating over SC myself though. I was thinking of throwing them in with the Highlanders and Republic, when I had a wierd thought and had to go check some old fluff stuff. =)

Good catch my young jigglypuff, keep up the good work.

@Ralph

I think the FWL is pretty much destroyed right?

Stormcrow

Nice idea. Yes, one could cut the factions in half by pairing them up as such:

1) SS + SH (old Fedcom)
2) DF + SC (Nova Cats are allies of the Draconis Combine)
3) W + JF (Both are Crusader Clans and former allies of sorts post 3057)
4) BR + Liao (novels say they're in bed together)
5) H + ROTS (a no-brainer)

Mercs and Sea Foxes can't make formations right now so they can stay independent.

They could keep the current paint schemes, just allow formations and whatnot. That way, they could just add a smaller number of pieces from every faction to each expansion (not "skip" any factions) and yet people would still have lots of units to work with, and the diversity of faction abilities/fluff/paint schemes is preserved.

Go for it WK!

If they do introduce a Marik faction, then SF and BR can join forces, and then Liao and Marik can join since they have been allies off and on over the years.

you really can't destroy a star empire. there are still people there, they still work everyday even if thier government is in tourmoil, and while civil wars are often very bloody, they usually end with a very loyal force remaining, one that will not like the idea that another succesion war ( that would certainly threaten thier new government) is starting without them.

besides, marik was THE arms dealers before the jihad, would have made mad cash during the jihad, and would be using its weapons (and generating seasoned and veteran soldiers) during the peace time when all other factions were "demilitarizing"

as for to many factions, we should be planiing on 10
davion
stiener
liao
kurita
marik?
republic/ highlanders?
wolf
cat
falcon
fox/ shark (Ilike shark better, sharks are scary and foxs are feminine. a clan should be scary)
+ mercs/ highlanders? I really don't consider mercs a real faction

is 10 too many? I think 30 factionabilities will make my head hurt, but 10 factions shouldn't be to bad. if they each got 14 units per set, then they would still have 144 units per set (the typical number) and they could stop "skipping" factions

maybe the next set should just be a base set with these factions and no others.

Don't forget the Ghost Bears.

and comstar

do you feel you need bear and comstar? I have no problem with it I guess, but it will mess up the number of units per set.

still 12 factions with 12 units per would make 144 units, so it could still work.

but I thought this thread was about reducing factions

It is about reducing factions, but not eliminating/ignoring them!

We need to expand first, then reduce, to achieve the zen balance! :p

The Bears, Comstar, Marik etc. should be in the game because they're cool and add diversity, but then they should be paired with other factions so that we keep the diversity (fans get to play as their favorite faction) but it keeps the game from getting too complicated.

In fact, if factions did combine, I think their unique attributes should be confined to their dials and not pop up as separate faction abilities that you need to reference on a piece of paper, because I thought the whole point of a click game was that all the info was on the game board and you didn't need to reference stuff.

Few of these options are "consolidation" - turning Swordsword into Davion doesn't reduce the number of factions - unless Davion was already present.

Consolidation is folding HL into RoTS or BR into Liao.

As there is little requirement to play "faction pure" armies there appears few reasons to limit the overall number of factions (just as there seems to be no limitation on the factions in CBT).

To my way of thinking, the need to consolidate factions boils down to:

1) it's a way to shift design paradigms in a logical way.

2) it reduces the number of Factions in a set, making it more likely to get a unit you want in a booster.

3) allows the introduction of old, favorite factions without swamping the game with so many factions that one can't keep them all straight.

4) By folding an older sub-faction into a new over-Faction the Faction has a ready-made base of units while it fills in the new units.

5) This works hand in hand with retirement. Allowing the game and unit designs to evolve.

All that said, there are groups that will never combine, such as the Wolves and the Falcons . .. they are enemies from WAAAAY back! No Inner Sphere House is likely to combine with another without a major story arc and lots of wailing an gnashing of teeth!
I'd like to see larger powers and unified forces start up within the next year or so, allowing for the introduction of more Faction Abilities.