Let's take a look at the Cardassian Union from a lore perspective for a moment. As of 2385, they can no longer field an active military and are limited to a small planetary defense force. In exchange, the Federation provides them with material and humanitarian aid. Starfleet is largely responsible for the security of Cardassian space. Realistically speaking, the Union is essentially a glorified vassal of the Federation as it is. Why not just merge them into the Federation? At least then, you have a half-baked excuse for the Galors serving in Starfleet while simultaneously laying the ground work for the story of a True Way-based Cardassian faction. You even gain a story-based excuse to charge for Cardassians as a playable race.

For the same reason the US did not just annex Western Germany and Japan.

The Cardassians are not applying to be members of the Federation and so will never be members of the Federation until they do and considering the Dominion Wars was not that long ago its unlikely to happen any time soon.

It sounds like a good idea to me. But if they become their own faction in STO, it would probably be better that they apply for membership in the UFP, and are presently still in application status according to game lore.

That way, they are still their own political entity, but also are on good terms with the Federation and might help explain all the Galors everyone are flying.

2413, that's like 3 years away?!?!?

For gameplay reasons, I would rather see the Cardassians join the Dominion....

"That's what." - She

But I think Neoakirali is more correct.

Of course, it's been 2409 for nearly 3 years now...

If the Cardassian's joined the Dominion that would make them the DUMBEST race since 21st century mankind.

That's why I can't stand the true way....they wan to return Cardassa back to it's old way but yet they turn to the people who bombed them to hell, and are the reason they lost everything, but to stupid and stubborn to admit so they blame the Federation.

Honestly, I would rather not have the Cardassians and Dominion combined as a single faction. I would much rather have a Cardassian Union faction (and not the True Way) and a seperate Dominion faction.

Granted I don't know how plausible a Dominion Faction would be, with The Founders being somewhat "Mythical" within the Dominion ranks, it might be hard to get a playable Founder without some level of lore breaking, but if Cryptic can do it, this is my ideal.

They arent mythical.

Founders are the Dominion's leadership, changelings are not even that uncommon due to then being ... well, not trusting of solids and during the Dominion War they used their abilities to infiltrate, sabotage and subvert enemies and potential enemies on the Alpha Quadrant.

Not to say the amount is measures they taken to assure the loyalty of the Vorta and Jem'Hadar, they were not going to risk some solid to get that much control over the Dominion.

Also after the Dominion War they seem to be content to stay were they are, they have no designs for the Alpha Quadrant with the New Link having little to do with the Dominion, its just Laas that picked up the ones that gone missing and convinced then to start the New Link for their safety (and we all know what happened when they got fed up with Laas and ejected him) along with the Alpha Jem'Hadar that seem to been discarded by the Dominion as well some Cardassian die hards that simply did not had much of a choice.

Of course thats the New Link, considering what the Dominion (and not the New Link) did to Cardassia during the war I think there would be far more chances of the Cardassian Union to became a Federation member that get into a alliance with the Dominion.

Check your in-game logs and convert the Stardate. We're actually in the latter half of 2413.