I started off Discovery OpenSP from the IMG Base Battleship Hood in the Dublin system. That's how I got my Spatial. However, I knew I had to be neutral with the Liberty Rogues in order to get a Barghest easily, so I kept shooting down Gaians and Corsairs. At the time I got my Barghest, I was hostile with the IMG, Nomads, Corsairs and Gaians, and dangerously close to making enemies out of Samura, Kusari Naval Forces and the Unioners.
Constant attacks on the Corsairs has made me friendly with the Outcasts, Blood Dragons, Golden Chrysanthemums, Red Hessians, Liberty Rogues, Mollys, Lane Hackers, Bretonia Armed Forces, BMM, ALG, Interspace, Border World Exports, Universal Shipping and Republican Shipping, and my standing with the Bounty Hunters Guild, Liberty Police and Zoners improved somewhat, even though they are still neutral. However, it also diminished my standing with the Junkers.
The most interesting thing, though, is that if I bribed the Junkers to friendly, my reputation with the Corsairs actually improves greatly, although they're still hostile. The improvement is significant enough to be seen on my reputation list. This, considering that most of the 300+ fighters I've shot down so far are Corsairs.