General Faction Standing

EEQ is full of NPC factions that players can interact with. Quests, diplomacy, and combat can increase or decrease a player or guild's faction standing with a group.   Killing a member of a faction will only result in a faction hit if a sapient NPC who is not warm or better towards the killer witnesses it (and survives until the killer leaves the area). A hit can also occur retroactively if a Shaman or Cleric speaks with the spirit of the deceased using the contextual menu from shift+right clicking on a Corpse. Additionally, someone with the tracking skill can track a corpse's killer. When they arrive at the killer, a message pops up informing the tracker that they have found the killer. Trackers can report any murderers to the deceased's faction Vanguard Liaison. This will result in the killer taking the standard faction hit and potentially in NPC bounty hunters being sent after them.   Players are not explicitly informed when they gain or lose faction. They may infer a potential change from NPC dialogue (e.g. "The Indigo Brotherhood will avenge my death!" suggests that the player is in danger of losing faction with the Indigo Brotherhood; "The Sentinels owe you a great debt" indicates that the player has gained faction with the Sentinels of Sagara). Considering an NPC will show their disposition towards the PC, which may help the player determine their general faction standing with that NPC's faction.    Faction standing ranges from -5000 to +5000. Players' initial standing with an organization is based on their species, hometown, class, religion, guild, overt faction membership, and the organization itself (some start hostile to all players). Faction caps at -5000 and +5000.   The General Faction Standing (GFS) scale is as follows:  

• -1500: hostile, the NPC will attack or flee on sight; faction gains with this group decreased by 90%
• -1000: disdainful, the NPC will not interact with the player (except violently should the player attack it or an NPC/PC who is considered neutral or better faction gains with this group decreased by 50%
• -500: apprehensive, the NPC distrusts the player, gives worse prices and may refuse some interactions/quests; faction gains with this group decreased by 25%
• 0 - neutral, the NPC has not particular reaction to the player
• 1500 - friendly, the NPC will give better prices and may have additional interactions/quests
• 3000 - warm, the NPC will give even better prices and may have additional interactions/quests
• 4500 - ally, the NPC will assist players in combat that breaks out in its vicinity in addition to giving excellent prices and possibly having special interactions/quests

NPC faction members have a rank within their faction:

• Rank 0: Disliked - base faction hit for killing: -500
• Rank 1: Neutral - base faction hit for killing: -2000
• Rank 2: Respected - base faction hit for killing: -3500
• Rank 3: Esteemed - base faction hit for killing: -6000
• Rank 4: Exalted - base faction hit for killing: -7500

Normally, killing a member of a faction will lower GFS by an amount determined by the deceased's faction rank modified by the killer's GFS. General Faction standing may be modified by Reputations with that faction.   Faction hit modifiers based on PC General Faction Standing:  

• Hostile: hit reduced by 90%; you are already hated, it takes a lot to make an impression
• Disdainful: hit reduced by 50%; they already expect the worst from you, so your transgressions are less shocking
• Apprehensive: hit reduced by 25%; you are just confirming their low opinion of you
• Neutral: no modifier
• Friendly: hit increased by 25%; they expected better of you
• Warm: hit increased by 50%; they feel betrayed
• Ally: hit increased by 100%; they are furious over your perfidious behavior

  Some factions may put out a bounty on players who have incurred bad faction. This bounty level can increase with repeated offenses. The higher the bounty level, the higher the bounty meaning that more dangerous NPC bounty hunters will pursue you. Certain NPCs can inform a PC of any bounties on their heads.