Zoners are a diverse group of individuals who, for various reasons, have decided to live in the wild unregulated systems outside of colonial control.
They are a neutral faction, and their bases are open to all.
Zoners mostly use photon cannons. These fire slowly and do less damage, but have a strong range advantage, in keeping with the Zoner's philosophy of keeping trouble far away.
Bases
- Ames Research Station (Kepler)
- Freeport 1 (Omega-3)
- Freeport 2 (Bering)
- Freeport 5 (Omega-41)
- Freeport 6 (Tau-29)
- Freeport 7 (Sigma-17) (Destroyed)
- Freeport 9 (Omicron Theta)
- Freeport 10 (Tau-37)
Official Faction Standing
This faction is officially neutral. That being said, they have slightly positive empathy for the following groups:
- Xenos (+0.15)
- Gas Miners Guild (+0.10)
- Independent Miners Guild (+0.10)
- Unioners (+0.10)
- Bounty Hunters Guild (+0.05)
- Lane Hackers (+0.05)
Therefore, if you spend a lot of time grinding on any of these factions, you will find the supposedly neutral Zoners hating on you. Since grinding the Xenos and the Bounty Hunters Guild is probably the easiest way to rep up with most, if not all factions, and since the Zoners don't offer missions (and have no antipathy versus any factions, period), you can't grind your way back into their graces. Therefore, you will likely have to bribe somebody:
Bribes List
- Ames Research Station - Kepler system - Zoners
- Atka Research Station - Sigma 17 system - Cryer Pharmaceuticals
- Barrow - Hudson system - Xenos
- Cadiz Base - Omega 5 system - Corsairs
- Cali Base - Tau 23 system - Outcasts
- Douglas Station - Omega 3 system - BMM
- Falkland Base - Tau 37 system - Independent Miners Guild
- Freeport 1 - Omega 3 system - Zoners
- Freeport 5 - Omega 41 system - Zoners
- Freeport 6 - Tau 29 system - Zoners
- Freeport 9 - Omicron Theta system - Zoners
- Freeport 10 - Tau 37 system - Zoners
- Gas Miner Naha - Sigma 13 system - Gas Miners Guild
- Helgoland Station - Sigma 13 system - ALG Waste Disposal
- Java Station - Tau 23 system - Independent Miners Guild
- Planet Kurile - Sigma 17 system - Samura Heavy Industries
- Planet Hamburg - Hamburg system - Rheinland Police
- Ronneburg Station - Omega 5 system - Red Hessians
- Rügen Station - Omega 3 system - Daumann Heavy Construction
- Shinkaku Station - Tau 29 system - Samura Heavy Industries
- Yanagi Depot - Sigma 13 system - Junkers
The Zoners also have positive rep with the Independent Miners Guild and Synth Foods. Theoretically, doing jobs for the IMG will improve your standing with the Zoners (also ALG Waste Disposal and Gateway Shipping). However, since the IMG have negative rep with both the Corsairs and the Outcasts, doing jobs for the IMG will damage your reputation with the two Hispania Factions.
News
LIBERTY OUTLAWS AID TO CRIMINALS: BERING -- Liberty has long accused Zoners of what it called "aiding and abetting felonious criminal elements." In the new law signed yesterday by the President, any Zoners who sell goods or services to any criminal group have broken Liberty law and therefore are criminals themselves. Though Liberty said it would not pursue anyone in the Border Worlds for this new crime, criminals will be arrested if they enter Liberty space. A Zoner spokesman replied, "It's that type of foolishness that drove us away from that police state called Liberty."
THE ZONERS IN SOUTHERN SIRIUS: FREEPORT 9 -- Corsairs and Zoners get along reasonably well because of the large quantities of Corsair Food produced on Freeport 9, but there is some question as to whether operations like it will continue to be allowed to operate so freely by the Corsairs. The presence of Bounty Hunters in Zoner freeports has been the source of mounting tension between the Corsairs and their deliberately neutral neighbors.
ON A RAZOR'S EDGE: FREEPORT 10 -- The relationship between Zoners and Outcasts is a precarious one. The Outcasts view the Zoners as somewhat useful, so they do not attack them. The moment that the Outcasts no longer find the Zoners necessary, they will have no compunctions about slaughtering any who are in or near their space. The IMG have a much worse rapport with the faction. Outcasts will kill any miners they come across in the northern Edge Worlds. The last thing that Outcasts want is undue attention by outside factions in their territory.
Rumors
"We don't have a lot of enemies in Liberty space, but we don't have any friends here. My ship got attacked by some crazy women calling themselves the Golden Chrysanthemums. They freaked me out, talking about how I was a male oppressor and such. Hey, the Zoners don't oppress anybody." - Lance Harper, Deshima Station