Alliance

Alliances are player created and maintained and function almost completely outside of the game mechanics (excepting the Alliances statistics screen). They are primarily defense (and sometimes agression) pacts between nations. Any player may ask to join any alliance, but it is up to the individual alliances who they admit. Many of the player created alliance attempt to gain "control" over particular teams, but not all. This gives the various alliances a color identity and an opportunity to gain population happiness by trading with one another in the game. Most teams have multiple alliances within it.

There are a few in game screens in the World Statistics page that provide statistics and detail player created alliances. The NPO and GATO are the two largest alliances. For more information on Alliances see the Alliances Category. Also visit the Cyber Nations alliance forums for more information.

Benefits of an Alliance
Most nations view their alliance as extremely useful for the growth, development, and protection of their nation. There are many different alliances and each brings with it many different benefits. However, most alliances grant your nation protection when you are attacked and aid when you truly need it. In addition, alliances can provide a fun place to communicate with other people, develop strategy, and engage in global politics. Most alliances have offsite forums of their own where their members can communicate.

Possible reasons to avoid joining an alliance
That being said an alliance may cost your nation some freedoms as well. Very few alliances will allow you to attack other nations at whim, and those that do generally get demolished when one of their members attacks another (and usually bigger) alliance. In most alliances, you are going to have to get permission to go to war before attacking another nation. If you wish the right to go to war, check with your alliance first. Some alliances, such as GATO, never allow their members to go to war and those that do find themselves having to pay steep reparations to their opponent. Other alliances, such as NPO require you to ask permission of a higher ranked officer to ensure that you are not attacking another Alliance or declaring war at a inopportune time. You may also be required (or at least highly encouraged) to attack opponents of your alliance and give aid to other alliance members.

FAQ
Where do I go to join an alliance?
 * Most alliances have a sign-up thread with instructions in the Alliances and Wars Forum.

How can I create my own alliance?
 * Creating your own alliance is as simple as agreeing with your friends to protect and aid each other when in need. The more friends you have who have done this, the larger your alliance is.  You may also wish to advertise your alliance on the Cybernations Forums and see if other nations will come into this agreement with you.  In order to gain the largest number of followers, it is advisable to create a charter for your alliance stating what the alliance is about, who can join, what are the requirements, what are the benefits, how is power divided up within the alliance, who makes decisions, etc.  You can then post your charter on the Cyber Nations forums and hope for the best.  In order to become an "official" alliance, your alliance must usually have a large number of members, at least over 50 and usually over 100.