Ideas (related to gameplay)
Factions info:
a) one era relation information:
aa) number of registered alts
ab) number of players visiting base
Reason: (prfemise = 1 faction could have more than 1 base)
Every base could have 2 attributes
1) max registered alts per base (related to base water source and water tank capacity)
2) max safe enter and exits of base (related to fact that players should be tracked to their bases)
ad 1) if your faction would exceed the number of base capacity, you need to 1.1) fill the water tanks with additional water (water caravans team quest) or 1.2) buy another (tier 2, 3, ...) base with bigger source of water and bigger water tank capacity. If not 1.1 or 1.2, your team would not be able to add another alts rights to visit this base
ad 2) if your team exceed number of safe enters and exists of the base, current base should be trackable by other players. If you exceed this significantly, base should be visible on base.
=> if factions wants to powerplay in fonline (more alts: more crafters, more powerbuilds, more members), they would have to focus on themselfs first, focuse on their bases.. they would not have time to start PKing in massive numbers in first few days after wipe..
also existing featuers could be reused in different way (who use caravan, if everyone have car? => you would need caravan to supply your base.).
At the ened of base hierarchy, i see world map visible faction base, with defences, walls, gates like (so relatively thief safe base), like on other servers (The Life After, Requiem).
Q1: How to avoid another faction abusing to avoid this water tanks, base visibility feautures?
A1: a) high tier base with bigger capacity and less propability of unwelcome visitors = more comfort for faction members (=elimination of base restricions)
b) factions with higher tier bases would get higher tier stuff from TC (or similar minigames), like on Requiem servers (=motivatoin element)
P.S.: I would like to see base very similar to The Life After base, where will exist zones where can enter only leader and important member (for save rare or hight valuable stuff, caps,), zones for basic members (and leader and i.m. too, of course), where you can save basic items for core members, and zone for newbies (and l, im, m too), for new members, to prevent stealing. I believe, that if you would have newbies in one place with core members, more players would continue playing and less would quit.
But if you would like this idea, dont forget about ergonomy of highest tier bases (1 or 2 clicks to enter members /newbies zones, max 10 hexes to leave the base on world map) = current vault base is worst than every other in this way.