I'm thinking we need to see a "galactic war" here - nothing TOO serious, but something to encourage PvP that'll last for say 1 month.

Here's what I think we could do:
* Dan creates TWO weekly missions - 1 completion each, and once one is finished, the other is locked forever. By completing one of these missions, you "lock in" to one side of the conflict (eg natives VS government over a newly discovered system cluster).
* Once completing one mission, you unlock a chain/cluster of missions specific to that side. ALL of these missions disappear after say, 1 month. Also, your ship is flagged as belonging to that faction.
* Each mission chain/cluster will give different rewards, for example one side may give new planet types, defence modules and cloak modules (natives), While the other may give a different new planet type, Attack modules, energy modules and new structures ("attacking" government). These MUST be balanced to prevent everyone flocking to one side.
* Missions will be advanced by fulfilling different PvP/PvE requirements to collect "debris" (eg hacking for plans, invading enemy planets, raiding and disabling enemy ships). Debris will be gained by performing certain actions against OPPOSING ships. Friendly fire will still reward badges as normal, but no debris.
*There will be a "score bar" on the news page. Whichever side has the most points at the end wins an extra prize (eg credits, a structure/module, that sort of thing). Scores are advanced by Hacking/disabling/raiding/invading OPPOSING ships/planets, completing faction missions, and turning in excess debris. The scores are weighted based on rank, action and rewards.

After finishing the missions, you will still collect debris. This debris can be traded in for extra items, such as CTP, EM, RP, CR, PF, Limited structures, modules, etc. Every piece of debris traded in will give "war points" too.

MVPs for each side are displayed on a new leaderboard, and the top 10(?) can be targeted by the opposing side.

Any thoughts? This is only a concept, and will probably need changing, but it could be fun. There is an "opt out" option already of NOT COMPLETING EITHER STARTER MISSION.

Edit:
Some missions/rewards I'm thinking of:
Natives/Government
Opening Mission:
Distress Call/Rallying the Troops
Your government is preparing to occupy our system clusters and our negotiations with them have been unsuccessful. The inevitable outcome now is war. We currently number too few to defend ourselves. Please help. Our very way of life is under threat./We have recently discovered a new system cluster and the natives appear to be hostile. We need every ship possible to neutralise the threat. We are rallying our forces on the border of sector NVI and are proparing to engage their growing fleet. Your help would be greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Natives Mission Cluster (all unlocked by completing Distress Call)
Supplying the colonies: Our planets are under siege, and so obtaining supplies is getting increasingly difficult. If you happen to "acquire" any supplies from say, enemy cargo holds, we would see to it that your efforts are justly recognised by the planets you help. (requires raid debris, 3(?) completions, rewards a "tribal planet" - VL size, High research/Artifacts, Passive defence, 25% chance when invaded for the invader to automatically fail, regardless of attack power)

Anticipating the Attacks Our defences would be far less dispersed if we know when and where the enemy will attack. See if you can hack some of their plans from their ships. (requires hack debris, 4(?) completions, provides a Counter-attack array, ship module, size 10, increases scan and defence by 40, And defence bonuses quadruple when guarding a planet (ie provide +160 defence to the planet instead of 40)

Adapting to Survive
We have received reports that the enemy has developed new weapons to attempt to take our planets. Please bring us anything unusual you salvage for further study so we can develop a countermeasure. (requires disable debris, 10(?) completions, rewards Bio-defence Laboratory. Planet structure, size 1, defence 500, +1 research. All Bonuses double if deployed on a Terra, Gaia, Exotic or Tribal planet.

Suitable Homes
The enemy have taken to invading our planets, and a large portion of our population have been displaced. Should you conquer any planets that could house our people, we would be grateful if you could provide accommodation for us. (requires Invasion debris, 3(?) completions, Rewards Native Anti-Vanquishment Installation (N.A.V.I) (structure). When deployed on a planet, development bonus is raised by 20% (even above 100%, and population is increased by 200. This is a structure, and can be extracted. Limit 1/planet, CANNOT be used on Dyson, Exotic or Rift planets.

The Government rewards would be similar, but attack focussed - they'd have a planet, a structure, an attack/scan module (bonus increasing during invasions) and something nice and powerful

Both sides would be able to trade in debris for extra, limited time modules and structures too.

Edit2 : 2 pictures I've mocked up:
(BT is from natives POV)

This is genius!!!!! +1

nice idea +1

+1 from me good idea

Argh.

I made my own legion to avoid "Us vs. Them" conflicts.

Add a Neutral Freelance Mercenary option, I'm sold.

I kinda like this but would there be an option, not to choose a side?

I like Namalak's idea... Sounds like a good way to make credits!

Don't complete either mission, you don't have to choose a side.

THAT could be good too - maybe it'd overcomplicate it though right now. An "independent/mercenary" side could be added in a second "war" - this wouldn't have to be a one-off. I mean, if you go to all the effort of coding this, you may as well re-use it. Of course, new rewards each time to keep it fresh.

Yeah, I know, just don't do a mission but this would be a bit difficult for Dan to program don't you think. It might be a bit buggy... A decline button maybe, that sets a value eg: "Side" to 0 instead of 1 (Government) or 2(Natives)???

I think I over-think things a little too much....

@Spyder. I like your thinking!

This is a brilliant idea, but maybe we could get some new badges?

Well, I was thinking that the excess "debris" could act like badges - you know, trade them in for extra rewards, such as modules, structures, even CTP or credits. So fighting the war would still have a purpose after you finish all the missions.
eg The "hacked plans" could give a hack defence debris module, the captured cargo (raid "debris) could give raid defences, Insignia (disable debris) could give a planet attack structure and/or a PvP module, and Invasion debris (I'm thinking hostages or something) could give prisons (structures or a ship module)

+1 sounds like fun!

+1 , sounds interesting and will surely breath new life into game for higher ranked guys

Some missions/rewards I'm thinking of:
Natives/Government
Opening Mission:
Distress Call/Rallying the Troops
Your government is preparing to occupy our system clusters and our negotiations with them have been unsuccessful. The inevitable outcome now is war. We currently number too few to defend ourselves. Please help. Our very way of life is under threat./We have recently discovered a new system cluster and the natives appear to be hostile. We need every ship possible to neutralise the threat. We are rallying our forces on the border of sector NVI and are proparing to engage their growing fleet. Your help would be greatly appreciated and rewarded.

Natives Mission Cluster (all unlocked by completing Distress Call)
Supplying the colonies: Our planets are under siege, and so obtaining supplies is getting increasingly difficult. If you happen to "acquire" any supplies from say, enemy cargo holds, we would see to it that your efforts are justly recognised by the planets you help. (requires raid debris, 3(?) completions, rewards a "tribal planet" - VL size, High research/Artifacts, Passive defence, 25% chance when invaded for the invader to automatically fail, regardless of attack power)

Anticipating the Attacks Our defences would be far less dispersed if we know when and where the enemy will attack. See if you can hack some of their plans from their ships. (requires hack debris, 4(?) completions, provides a Counter-attack array, ship module, size 10, increases scan and defence by 40, And defence bonuses quadruple when guarding a planet (ie provide +160 defence to the planet instead of 40)

Adapting to Survive
We have received reports that the enemy has developed new weapons to attempt to take our planets. Please bring us anything unusual you salvage for further study so we can develop a countermeasure. (requires disable debris, 10(?) completions, rewards Bio-defence Laboratory. Planet structure, size 1, defence 500, +1 research. All Bonuses double if deployed on a Terra, Gaia, Exotic or Tribal planet.

Suitable Homes
The enemy have taken to invading our planets, and a large portion of our population have been displaced. Should you conquer any planets that could house our people, we would be grateful if you could provide accommodation for us. (requires Invasion debris, 3(?) completions, Rewards Native Anti-Vanquishment Installation (N.A.V.I) (structure). When deployed on a planet, development bonus is raised by 20% (even above 100%, and population is increased by 200. This is a structure, and can be extracted. Limit 1/planet, CANNOT be used on Dyson, Exotic or Rift planets.

The Government rewards would be similar, but attack focussed - they'd have a planet, a structure, an attack/scan module (bonus increasing during invasions) and something nice and powerful

Both sides would be able to trade in debris for extra, limited time modules and structures too.

Spyder, i have only one thing to say to you:
Your genius know no bounds.

I think this is awesome idea, that would make this game a little bit more interesting, but just wondering about one thing though.
If this where to happen, and there where 3 sides, the tribal, the government and the mercenaries, what would hapen to the legions?
If 40 of 60 members in the legion join the government, and 10 join the tribal, would they have to fight eachother or would they still be on the same "team" but with just different political opinion?

As for the mercenary "chain", i think they might be like the suppliers of both factions and aid them both, and this might give rewards like more mineral production, artifact production, research production or maybe some planetary structures to get more resources extracted from their own planets.

I was thinking just have two sides the first time around, then a whole new one a while later with 3 sides.
Legion-wise - simply different opinions - nothing more. Legions could then try to co-ordinate and all go one side, or have an privately organised internal competition to see which side comes out on top.
NAPs still stand, OR have a "war" option in which it's fine to attack the ships of the opposing faction - agreed upon by BOTH legions involved.

I think it sounds really cool, and since there would only be political opinions that would affect the legion and not an intern battle, i think this idea would make Galaxy Legion a much more interesting game to play for players that have played it for a while.

The only reason I though of this was this:
Since getting my last few of EVERYTHING PvP (bar greens) 4 months ago, I have gained 6 reds, 5 blues and 4 yellows - there's no incentive, except revenge really right now. This would give EVERYONE a purpose for PvP again - I know at high ranks it can take hundreds of energy per kill, and what's the point for a now redundant badge and maybe at best a few thousand production points?