Semantics is fun sometimes. qazwsx and some others were talking about something to do with EVE on IRC. qazwsx stated that some group called Pandemic Legion was an alliance, not a coalition. Not knowing that Alliances and Coalitions are a game mechanic, I was trying to understand the nature of his statement. "Coalition" comes from Latin 'co-' (together), 'alo' (I advance, e.g. a cause). "Ally" means to unite or connect. Therefore "alliance" is more general than "coalition," the latter being a subset of the former--an alliance formed with the intent to further a cause (such as their own dominance). From my limited understanding of EVE and of the conversation, it seemed to me than just about every alliance in the game (and this one in particular) would be a coalition by that definition.