From what the Devs have said it seems like you still pick regular TEC/Advent/Vasari as usually, but he moment you research a rebel or loyalist tech (which could technically be never) you've basically decided to play as that subfaction. A little bit like governments in Rise of Nations it sounds like, except with a heck of a lot more influence and you can't change your mind after you've decided.

I don't really understand what you are trying to say. You fight against whomever you opponents pick as their race and subfaction. Keep in mind each Sins battle is basically just a very small part of the giant war going on, therefore when you choose a faction you just bring your section of space to either the loyalist or rebel camps.

This is from the lore section of the website.

When the Americans rebelled they had to fight the British empire with whatever resources and forces that were willing to help their cause. In sins rebellion it should be like that, if you research a tech that causes you to rebel your empire that you had founded should then turn against you with the exception of a few planets and ships. You then have to fight an uphill battle against your former empire plus whom ever else is out there.

For example lets say you have 50 planets under your control, then research a tech that causes you to be a rebel faction. After that tech is researched you get lets say 10 planets with the lowest allegiance to your former capitol planet to join your side and the remaining 40 remain with the "parent faction" Taking whatever resources those 10 planets that you now have you must somehow fight to establish your faction and prevent yourself from being crushed by your brethren and other players. Rebellions are hard.

Well, I see what your getting at... The expansion is called Rebellion, so the rebellion should take place while you are playing the game. And seeing as how theres no campaign, it should be a game mechanic. On the other hand, the last expansion was called Diplomacy and I dont really think there was any diplomacy going on.

The current picture of things is that eventually you can focus your faction to a particular gamestyle or being more flexible. This trading of strengths and weaknesses should give plays more strategic options without a huge affect on the overall balance of the game.

However, theres not much info as to how you cause the faction change. My understanding is that you will research to cause this change, but who knows if there are other consequences? maybe some unloyal planet splits off and starts its own faction, controlled by an AI. That would be cool, but we dont know.

Or what? The turkey gets it again?

LPDM

So with Rebelllion research if you research one item, then another item becomes unavailable?  Neat trick

I wouldn't mind if part my of territory rebelled against me especially at the end of the game. For example: I'm playing a large map with 100 planets and I just finished wiping out my enemy. Now, that's a lot of planets, I'm going to get to the point where I wipe out all resistance and move on, leaving just a dead planet behind. The perfect place for rebels to go.

Other planets of my empire notice the growing movement and decide to be a part of it. So they rebel against me.

When I play a game against the AI, I always designate a planet to be a shipyard, what if that planet rebelled? They now have the means to create a fleet.

I also wouldn't mind the opportunity to annex other territories. What if I was Vasari and a group of TEC rebels decided to join me? I never liked the idea of destroying everything and bombarding a planet every time I wanted to conquer. Why rebuild when I can just take what is there?

That's just me throwing out my thoughts.