Love the evolution of gameplay so far

I main Vasari Alliance (previously called the Rebels) in team matches. I find that they're great for team games as they're a great support faction that can transition into a very strong empire. You start the match with awareness of some minor factions, meaning you get an early lead on winning auctions, access to the markets, purchasing Minor Faction abilities, and scouting out the map. If played well this can advance your economy quickly, give an edge to your capital ships through items, and improve your mobility through acquiring Phase Gates earlier than you would otherwise be able to (through the Viturak Transport Cabal). The faction is all about leveraging the entire map to your advantage.

I actually prefer the TEC Loyalists myself. I like to build a defense network of planets with defensive roaming militia. Get enough of them linked together and they can hold off even a moderate sized fleet or even delay a large fleet as their forces can combine. The Rebels are fun, but their long range "nuke" cannon can be defended against if you have a star base at the planets in their range (or even the shield upgrade for the Loyalist Titan). Loyalist is just more my flavor overall and are incredibly good at defense.