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[Seriphyn]

I was looking at the standings for the four main factions and was wondering what sort of crime and hostile elements the empires are put up against internally. I figured that the "archnemesis" of each faction may have some sort of influence on the internal crime and unrest that occurs in the four main factions so....without further pause...

GALLENTE - The Serpentis are the 'official' archnemesis of the Federation. I always thought it was a bit curious how a vast and large Federation finds itself at odds with a single corporation, but it's likely Serpentis have a web of corporate infiltration throughout the lower levels of Gallente commerce.

From old news items and the activity of the Serpentis, it would seem that the Federation's primary crime on the national scale is narcotics. The level of organized crime would be something similar to Mexico, as both Mexico and the Fed deploy military and paramilitary against elements dealing with narcotics (Serpentis influence would likely spawn smaller cartels). I would also think the Fed deals with corrupt corporations too (not any of the NPC corps, mind), given Serpentis' nature as a "illegal corporation" .

In addition, it seems ideological terrorism is another point of internal strife within the Federation. The UDI still kick around, along with Caldari terrorists that are either Amarrian religious zealots or militant Heth fanatics, and likely environmentalists too (Friends of Nature etc.). The Black Eagles chron mentions "corrupt military" folks, so it might be likely that the Fed goes up against its own, military commanders who have carved themselves a secret island (well, deadspace outpost) with their own loyal soldiers and (officially) Federation Navy vessels. Whether the SDII have finished rooting this out is not clear.

Thirdly, it is mentioned that the Guristas were one of the few things the Caldari and Gallente can agree on fighting. This article mentions a Guristas rampage in Vlillirier (and curiously mentions Wiyrkomi Peace Corps operating in Fed space). It is likely then that Guristas and the Angel Cartel, within the Federation, behave as "standard pirates", seeking to simply raid and pillage for their own material gain. (that said, I think the Gallente are treating the Guristas as 'an enemy of my enemy')

Finally, given the presence of Minmatar in the Federation, it is likely that criminal gangs operate at the lowest level. The Lost Stars chron mentions "plasma daggers commonly found amongst Mannar gangs", so it is likely you have your standard gang warfare affair amongst blue collar Gallente communities.

MINMATAR - The Angel Cartel is the "official" nemesis as far as the belt/gate pirates can be seen, but the Serpentis are a 'secondary' villain. From reading stuff, it sounds like corruption  is rampant in the Republic, demonstrated by RSS' 'connection with the underworld'. I would imagine crime in the Republic would be twofold...

The first is the Angel Cartel attempting to leverage power and influence over the political weak spots of the Republic. So local politicians (I guess clan chiefs?) being in the pockets of the Cartel. The second would generally be a hierarchy of organized crime starting from low level gangs to mafias, though unlike Hollywood mafia, I doubt these syndicates would be "high cultured" (Minmatar are somewhat low culture and that). I imagine that the RSS work with these elements to work against the Angel Cartel, the primary threat to the Republic.

Naturally there are those anti-Amarr extremists like the Bloody Hands, and other such radical elements.

AMARR - Given the Empire's distance from a "standard sci-fi setting", this is particularly interesting...I imagine the primary hostile elements are cultists and religious fanatics (the largest being Blood Raiders and EoM). How do these cults and fanatic groups fit into the "everyday living" for an Amarr Commoner?

There's also a mention of "Matari insurgents" and of course rebel groups of slaves that have broken free but haven't left. I suppose they would be the second primary threat. But what of more standard criminal cartels, like the Angels and Guristas? I imagine a lot of independent pirate ships are captained by big bad Brutor with one glass eye.

CALDARI - For the State, it's the Guristas, who are your standard pirate affair. Though, given the State's corporate nature, I imagine the Guristas may try to leverage in with front corporations on the 10% of the State which isn't owned by the Big Eight. Moreover, they might have connections with the organized crime that crops up with the "Disassociated".

The "Dissidents" is probably another element the State goes up against, spawning such organizations like the Brothers of Freedom. While some are probably more peaceful, it's easy to imagine that various terrorist organizations crop up.

The reason I'm bringing this up is because we all use the term "pirate", but I think each faction has different definitions of them (on top of the more general pirate definition)...

Gallente - Drug cartels, terrorists, criminal gangs
Caldari - Organized corporate crime, dissidents
Amarr - Cultists, religious fanatics
Minmatar - Organized crime, criminal gangs, extremists

It also makes me wonder how often the empires send planetary forces up against elements that are entrenched in their own territory...but that's another discussion.

[orange]

I was looking at the standings for the four main factions and was wondering what sort of crime and hostile elements the empires are put up against internally. I figured that the "archnemesis" of each faction may have some sort of influence on the internal crime and unrest that occurs in the four main factions so....without further pause...

GALLENTE - ...

Thirdly, it is mentioned that the Guristas were one of the few things the Caldari and Gallente can agree on fighting. This article mentions a Guristas rampage in Vlillirier (and curiously mentions Wiyrkomi Peace Corps operating in Fed space). It is likely then that Guristas and the Angel Cartel, within the Federation, behave as "standard pirates", seeking to simply raid and pillage for their own material gain. (that said, I think the Gallente are treating the Guristas as 'an enemy of my enemy')

...

CALDARI - For the State, it's the Guristas, who are your standard pirate affair. Though, given the State's corporate nature, I imagine the Guristas may try to leverage in with front corporations on the 10% of the State which isn't owned by the Big Eight. Moreover, they might have connections with the organized crime that crops up with the "Disassociated".

The "Dissidents" is probably another element the State goes up against, spawning such organizations like the Brothers of Freedom. While some are probably more peaceful, it's easy to imagine that various terrorist organizations crop up.

...

Caldari - Organized corporate crime, dissidents

WRT Vlillirier, Wiyrkomi has several stations there and has hired WPC to provide the stations with security.  It is a shame that there are not a few "big" NPC Federal Security Corporations outside of the government mentioned.

I do not see the Guristas as just pirates.  They are the 9th Megacorporation and they feed on the other megacorporations and State as a whole.  They are greedy and encourage corruption within the megacorporations, shifting money to their own efforts.

I also think the organization (not necessarily its leadership) does not want to see the State destroyed.  If the State is gone, then it hurts their profits.  I do not think they are too supportive of dissidents, since some of those dissidents may actually have the goal of hurting the Guristas's bottom line.

[Saede Riordan]

I was looking at the standings for the four main factions and was wondering what sort of crime and hostile elements the empires are put up against internally. I figured that the "archnemesis" of each faction may have some sort of influence on the internal crime and unrest that occurs in the four main factions so....without further pause...

GALLENTE - ...

Thirdly, it is mentioned that the Guristas were one of the few things the Caldari and Gallente can agree on fighting. This article mentions a Guristas rampage in Vlillirier (and curiously mentions Wiyrkomi Peace Corps operating in Fed space). It is likely then that Guristas and the Angel Cartel, within the Federation, behave as "standard pirates", seeking to simply raid and pillage for their own material gain. (that said, I think the Gallente are treating the Guristas as 'an enemy of my enemy')

...

CALDARI - For the State, it's the Guristas, who are your standard pirate affair. Though, given the State's corporate nature, I imagine the Guristas may try to leverage in with front corporations on the 10% of the State which isn't owned by the Big Eight. Moreover, they might have connections with the organized crime that crops up with the "Disassociated".

The "Dissidents" is probably another element the State goes up against, spawning such organizations like the Brothers of Freedom. While some are probably more peaceful, it's easy to imagine that various terrorist organizations crop up.

...

Caldari - Organized corporate crime, dissidents

WRT Vlillirier, Wiyrkomi has several stations there and has hired WPC to provide the stations with security.  It is a shame that there are not a few "big" NPC Federal Security Corporations outside of the government mentioned.

I do not see the Guristas as just pirates.  They are the 9th Megacorporation and they feed on the other megacorporations and State as a whole.  They are greedy and encourage corruption within the megacorporations, shifting money to their own efforts.

I also think the organization (not necessarily its leadership) does not want to see the State destroyed.  If the State is gone, then it hurts their profits.  I do not think they are too supportive of dissidents, since some of those dissidents may actually have the goal of hurting the Guristas's bottom line.

I never saw the Guristas as being that organized overall. They struck me as much more rape. pillage, and plunder, slash and burn style pirates. Like, Pirates of the Carribean type group.

[Casiella]

"Burning Life" seems to indicate otherwise. The Guristas have some rather audacious projects going, and I don't see how Jack Sparrow and his ilk would even approach the level of organization needed for those things.

[Ken]

It was tough to grasp what was really going on with the pirate factions when I first got into EVE, but over time I've come to see them as rogue nations rather than criminal organizations.  One thing we ought to keep in mind when considering the grand scheme of things is the concept that as you deal with higher and higher levels of complexity in a system, new paradigms take effect that were unnoticeable or irrelevant at the lower levels.  What makes sense in the context of a 1920's mob family with a few hundred soldiers or a 17th century pirate ship, just doesn't cover everything when we crank up the scale. 

With the New Eden empires and pirate factions, we're dealing with sociopolitical entities accounting for hundreds of billions to trillions of people each.  There may be as many free-thinking citizens left in Sansha's Nation as there are living humans on modern Earth.  A label like "pirate faction" just can't convey how much is really going on out there in these places.

They may have started out as a couple of rebels or a group of high-minded colonists, but these are the third world/rogue states (outside the two superpower blocs) consisting of the people who for whatever reason aren't part of the CONCORD club.  Imagine the Sani Sabik "state" trying to gain representation in the assembly with Gallente help over vehement Amarrian objection.  In that I see a mirror of the Taiwan-US-China relationship rather than a bunch of Space Vampires of the Caribbean.  I also think the factions flow together and blend much more than standings depict.  Entities like the RSS, Eifyr & Co., Krusual tribe, NOH, Roden, etc. float somewhere in between.

Switch our viewpoints and we can see that "pirate" is really a propaganda term.  Remember that Sansha's Nation was attacked by the empires and nearly obliterated.  Its remnants have for decades tried to defend what they had left and rebuild by raiding the bully nations who came in and made a mess of the place.  The Burning Life did a fine job of showing us the human side of the "pirates" and, I think, proved that CCP intends them to be more akin to living, breathing nations than mere criminal gangs.

(Sorry, this is a bit rambling, but it's well past my bedtime.)

[Seriphyn]

Absolutely agree, Ken, in fact...this post is quite interesting...

serpentis fleet continues to influence outer ring politics

Mention of a "Serpentis Home Fleet" and "Serpentis First Fleet", talk of "peacekeeping" as well as "influencing politics"...yep, I think it adds more flavour to the universe.

"Winter came while you were away" is also set on a planet under Serpentis control, and it's all fancy like. The "sovereign Serpentis nation" is basically a unipolar corporate state.

[Alain Colcer]

see them as rogue nations

Absolutely

rather than criminal organizations.

Criminal activities is their main "export" so to speak, they fare in the activities the main 4 empire label unlawful.

Regarding Guristas, i was under the impression they were the anti-corporation, why would they be the 9th megacorp?.

[lallara zhuul]

Crime in general, within the major factions?

The pirate factions have very little to do with it.

The majority of crime will always be unorganized, thieves nicking something that they believe should be theirs without any real work, domestic abuse, random crimes and crimes of passion.

The difference between different factions is which of the crimes will go unpunished because it is part of the culture.

The difference between the major factions and the pirate factions is what ways of making a living is considered culturally acceptable.

Another major difference between the major factions and pirate factions is that major factions are self sufficient units while the pirate factions are parasitic in nature.

The major factions pretty much share the same 'productive' ways of making a living, with the obvious differences because of their different views on human rights.

The pirate factions favor more 'parasitic' ways of making a living with the obvious differences because of their different views on what is acceptable.

All the factions work with their own cultural world views on what is considered human behaviour and what is considered inhuman. Those that behave in a way that makes them inhuman can be treated in any way that you feel like without any repercussions. The major factions consider the pirate factions inhuman and anyone in that faction can be treated as such, while the pirate factions do exactly the same to the major factions.

It is a very interesting mechanic.

And oh so human.

[Syylara/Yaansu]

Crime in general, within the major factions?

The pirate factions have very little to do with it.

The majority of crime will always be unorganized, thieves nicking something that they believe should be theirs without any real work, domestic abuse, random crimes and crimes of passion.

I agree it forms the bulk of criminal volume, but I think the organized criminal factions have greater impact.  Guristas kidnapped and ransomed a Gallente Diplomat and disrupt operations deep into Caldari Space, Blood Raider/Sansha cults plague the Amarrian attempts at cultural hegemony, Serpentis deeply corrupts parts of the Federation and in some ways are a wedge issue for the friction between Gallente/Intaki, etc.

Another major difference between the major factions and pirate factions is that major factions are self sufficient units while the pirate factions are parasitic in nature.

Not entirely sure that's true, They hold sovereignty in NPC 0.0.  They have their own stations, their own ship designs and theoretically, the capability to manufacture them.

I think what you are saying there is true of some pirate organizations (represented by non-aligned player pirates whether RPer or not, in my mind), but not the major lore-established ones who have territory that suggests infrastructure.  Guristas has a production corp, Serpentis has its tentacles in the business world and they manufacture their drugs somewhere, right?

[Morwen Lagann]

Another major difference between the major factions and pirate factions is that major factions are self sufficient units while the pirate factions are parasitic in nature.

Not entirely sure that's true, They hold sovereignty in NPC 0.0.  They have their own stations, their own ship designs and theoretically, the capability to manufacture them.

The Serpentis are the exception to the rule here. While they do all of the above, there is one thing they don't do with regards to their own space that all of the other pirate factions do - defend it with their own assets and personnel. The Serpentis depend on the Cartel for protection, and are more or less incapable of fending for themselves.

[Inara Subaka]

Another major difference between the major factions and pirate factions is that major factions are self sufficient units while the pirate factions are parasitic in nature.

I'd like to point you here and here and here.

Nullsec empires (aka the pirate factions) have already established themselves as self-sustaining and self-governing, which is one of the reasons the 'big 4' have trouble dislodging them. They have the same amount of resources as the Empires (in fact, one could say their available resources are better), the same or more space inhabited, slightly less numerical population (some nulsec planets are inhabited), and a very well defined command structure.

[Gottii]

They have the same amount of resources as the Empires (in fact, one could say their available resources are better), the same or more space inhabited, slightly less numerical population (some nulsec planets are inhabited), and a very well defined command structure.

Umm citation needed?

[Inara Subaka]

They have the same amount of resources as the Empires (in fact, one could say their available resources are better), the same or more space inhabited, slightly less numerical population (some nulsec planets are inhabited), and a very well defined command structure.

Umm citation needed?

Resources: There's better minerals available in nulsec as compared to hisec, mostly due to exploitation of hisec resources for centuries longer. Also, there are better quality minerals in 'lawless space' (ABCM) that has been a major drawing point of quiet excursions by some Empire corporations into nulsec.

Space: Well, I'm just gonna suggest you look at the maps. There's just as many nulsec regions claimed by "pirate factions" as there are empire regions claimed by the official 4 nations (it's close, not sure what the exact numbers are).

Population: It's well known that the Empires are far more populated, however there are stories (including the recent chron) indicating that nulsec planets are infact populated. Though, it's reasonable to assume that the numbers/density is quite a bit lower due to the risks associated with living in that space.

Command: Most every pirate nation has a list of people running the show, and what their place in the command structure is. Also the fact that they have existed for quite a number of years without destabilizing is indicative of a structure that works for them.