Editing Server:Faction

This article will attempt to explain how faction works server-side to assist with understanding the various modifiers applied to characters between the base values and the ones you experience in-game.

In the source code, faction is found in [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/common/faction.h /common/faction.h] and [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/common/faction.cpp /common/faction.cpp]. 

== How Faction Gets Calculated ==
Faction is ultimately calculated in the '''FACTION_VALUE CalculateFaction(FactionMods* fm, int32 tmpCharacter_value, bool lua = false);''' function which is defined in [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/common/faction.cpp#L55 /common/faction.cpp].

'''CalculateFaction''' is called from the '''FACTION_VALUE Client::GetFactionLevel(uint32 char_id, uint32 p_race, uint32 p_class, uint32 p_deity, int32 pFaction, Mob* tnpc, bool lua)''' function in [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/zone/client.cpp#L4350 /zone/client.cpp].  

# [[#Pulling Faction from the Database]]
# [[#Calculate Raw Character Faction Level]]
# [[#Apply Faction Bonuses from Spells and Items]]
# [[#Check for Special Exceptions]]

===Pulling Faction from the Database===
First, the server queries data about the NPC's Primary Faction (stored in an '''int32 pFaction''' variable) from the database (via 	'''bool	GetFactionData(FactionMods* fd, uint32 class_mod, uint32 race_mod, uint32 deity_mod, int32 faction_id, uint8 texture_mod, uint8 gender_mod, uint32 base_race, bool skip_illusions = false);''' in [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/zone/zonedb.cpp#L2334 /zone/zonedb.cpp]) and stores the modifiers in a variable called '''fmods''' which is of type [[#Faction Modifiers|FactionMod]].

This function is where all the "special sauce" is found regarding how to interpret the faction data as it appears in the database.

===Calculate Raw Character Faction Level===

Next, the server queries the player's current faction value with the NPC's primary faction by calling '''GetCharacterFactionLevel(pFaction)''' from [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/zone/client.cpp#L4492 /zone/client.cpp] and stores that in a variable called '''tmpFactionValue'''.

This is the raw faction value you would find in the '''character_faction_values''' table for the current client.

===Apply Faction Bonuses ===

It then calculates faction bonuses and adds those to '''tmpFactionValue'''. 

==== Spells ==== 
Faction bonuses from Alliance type spells ('''int32 GetFactionBonus(uint32 pFactionID);''') are checked in [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/zone/mob.cpp#L3655 /zone/mob.cpp].

==== Items ====
Faction bonuses from items ('''int32 GetItemFactionBonus(uint32 pFactionID);''') are checked in [https://github.com/EQMacEmu/Server/blob/main/zone/mob.cpp#L3665 /zone/mob.cpp] as well.


=== Final Calculation ===
Finally, '''CalculateFaction''' is called and passed the modifiers from the NPC's Primary Faction and the '''tmpFactionValue'''.

<code>
character_value = tmpFactionValue + base + class_mod + race_mod + deity_mod
</code>

The result of this formula is then returned as a [[#Faction Value Ranges |FactionValue]].

===Check for Special Exceptions===

==== Indifferent Use Cases ====
''Note: Faction with an NPC will be '''Indifferent''' if any of the following are true:''

#the player is currently feign death and the target NPC is not immune to it,
#the zone is marked as no combat,
#if the player is invis to undead and the target npc is undead,
#if the player is invis and the target NPC cannot see invis

==== Pets ====
Pets will be Amiable to their owner and Indifferent to everyone else.

==== Merchants ====
If a merchant would otherwise con Threateningly or Scowls to the player based on final faction value, they will instead be set to Dubious.

==== Combat ====
If an NPC would normally have Dubious or higher faction with the player, and that player is on their hate list (i.e. from combat), they will instead con Threateningly.

== Faction Properties ==
The '''Faction''' struct defined in '''/common/faction.h''' defines the following members:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Property !! Data Type !! Description
|-
| id || int32 || database identifier
|-
| mods || std::map<std::string, int16> ||
|-
| base || int16 || The base, unmodified value that players start with for this faction before race, class, and deity modifiers are applied
|-
| name || char array 50 || The name of the faction
|-
| see_illusion || bool || Determines whether the faction will see through racial illusion spells
|-
| min_cap || int16 || Minimum value players can reach with this faction
|-
| max_cap || int16 || Maximum value players can reach with this faction
|}

== Faction Modifiers ==
The '''FactionMod''' struct defined in '''/common/faction.h''' defines the following members:
* int32 base
* int32 class_mod
* int32 race_mod
* int32 deity_mod

==Faction Value Ranges== 
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Min Cap !! Max Cap !! FACTION_VALUE (Enum)
|-
| >= 2000 || - || FACTION_MAX_ALLY = 0
|-
| >= 1100 || - || FACTION_ALLY = 1
|-
| >= 750 || <= 1099 || FACTION_WARMLY = 2
|-
| >= 500 || <= 749 || FACTION_KINDLY = 3
|-
| >= 100 || <= 499 || FACTION_AMIABLY = 4
|-
| >= 0 || <= 99 || FACTION_INDIFFERENTLY = 5
|-
| >= -100 || <= -1 || FACTION_APPREHENSIVELY = 6
|-
| >= -500 || <= -101 || FACTION_DUBIOUSLY = 7
|-
| >= -750 || <= -501 || FACTION_THREATENINGLY = 8
|-
| - || <= -751 || FACTION_SCOWLS = 9
|-
| - || <= -2000 || FACTION_MAX_SCOWLS = 10
|}

The range of faction values above which are returned as the enums described in the final column are filtered through the '''const char *FactionValueToString(FACTION_VALUE faction_value);''' function to convert them to the corresponding string equivalent before being sent to the client and used for in-game consider or similar messages.

== NPC Faction ==
The '''NPCFaction''' struct defined in '''/common/faction.h''' defines the following members:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Property !! Data Type !! Description
|-
| factionID || uint32 ||
|-
| value_mod || int32 ||
|-
| npc_value || int8 ||
|-
| temp || uint8 ||
|}