Well, basically, we based our gameplay on a certain modification, known as OJP and JKE -- Open Jedi Project and Jedi Knight Enhanced, whereas the latter is an evaluated -- and supposedly, better -- version of the former. That made gameplay much more enjoyable, and not to forget, immersion. Our community followed a pre-set storyline as to use such as a base to begin with. Everybody, administrators and regulars alike, are forced to create a character biography - IC (In Character) - if they are to progress accordingly.
While you are allowed to role-play without an approved character biography, major actions that you might have practiced in character may not be of any major effect to the world around you. This pretty much means that one is a mere NPC; nothing more and nothing less. It's also a good way to encourage people to actually put effort into their character biographies. Otherwise, it wouldn't be approved, and thus, they would not be able to progress properly.
Once one has an approved biography, he or she will progress accordingly as aforementioned. In most cases, depending on in which arc we were in at the very moment, we started out with major, pre-defined -- as it should suit the storyline -- factions. These factions were usually Jedi, Sith, Mandalorians, Galactic Republic (including the Senate), and of course, the Imperials. Each factions has its own ranks, all depending on what the leader of said factions want it to be. Obviously, not silly suggestions as these would be simply declined. Let's say, one creates a character biography and would like to become a Sith (not the species, but belief). He or she would have to meet - most likely by accident - a member of the order as to become such, in character.