[Tomkat]

I think a lot of people would prefer not to fakenick if they had the choice (running another IRC client, registering another P-nick, etc).

It's the alliances persuading people to do it. If you don't fakenick, you go down in a few arbiters. Those arbiters then link you up to all your alliance mates. People are worried they'll be told off for getting the rest of the alliance out.

That's how I look at it anyway - in the past I've only fakenicked because I didn't want to be the muppet who gave away half the alliance's coordinates.

Perhaps alliances could take the initiative here? Maybe split the alliance into two sections in the early game - those who wish to fakenick, and those who don't? As soon as people who fakenick get discovered, they can move into the other group. It'd be complicated, but it might work.