Arissa Lavigny-Duval Power Play Cycle 7

EDIT 4: We have a new Overhead formula. Sandro posted it here.

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It gives a tiny bit more headroom, but we still need a massive Fortification push over the next three days. My suggestion is to start with those being undermined, move to the highest income control systems next, and get to the rest as we go.

EDIT 2: As of 2200 GMT/Zulu/SpaceTime on the 19th of July 3301, we have 28 systems not fortified. Our Upkeep ceiling is likely to be very low this cycle, and our #1 Preparation Target is Ida Dhor, a very good system for Expansion. We only have enough Command Capital available for one target, so as long as that maintains its #1 ranking, we'll be set.

Our Expansions are uncontested and successful.

If we can focus on Fortification for the rest of the cycle, we should make it through this Cycle alright.

As our Control Systems Tab in Power Play menu doesn't give us the system Income, I don't have a quick and efficient way of prioritizing our Fortification. Using the Galaxy Map and Power Play Control filter is probably best. White Fortification icons are as of yet unfortified systems. You can see the Radius Income when you click on the system, but if you don't have a lot of time to spare, simply go to the closest. Be sure to check system view to make sure you can land there before you set out.

I suggest we prioritize our highest income control systems first. We can build from there.




EDIT 1: New numbers are out, and it stalls almost all of our current thoughts. I didn't predict the numbers to play out the way they have, and we only have 189cc available for Preparation this cycle. This means we will only be able to prepare one system this cycle.

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Our Overhead stayed the same at 4280cc. Our Upkeep increased to the predicted 404cc (13 systems at normal upkeep). Our Income dropped 43cc due entirely to newly Contested Systems by rival Powers. That leaves us with only 189cc available.

For some reason our Top 4 includes Phracani and HIP 32812 still.

Thank you all for the quick work to give the merit-grinders somewhere to go with Ngun and Murare, but if we have only one system to prepare, I don't think any of us want it to be a system with under 30cc potential profit.

There are four possible systems we can expand into within 100Ly of Kamadhenu that can net over 80cc profit. Well, four possible star clusters, and I've narrowed them down to four systems. Since we only have enough Command Capital to expand into one of them, it is important to choose one which can be easily prepared by everyone.

This post lists the four systems. Two of them are not Patronage, which gives our Power a benefit with expansion and fortification triggers. One only has a medium landing pad. Another is a Dictatorship, which increases our trigger for expansion.

My vote is for Krinbea, but if 6000Ls is too far for large ships to secure what is likely our best possible expansion target this cycle, another system can work, too.

With only one system we can afford to prepare, this will become stiff competition with the merit-grinders, but I think we're up for it. Also, the 'fixed' merit-decay is really going to ruin their reward for grinding.




Here is our new thread for planning and discussing our plans for Cycle 7.

The cycle has flipped, but the server is not fully spooled up to date. Our Controls and Expansion tabs are as they should be, but Overview and Stats are still on Cycle 6. When our Upkeep reads 404cc, the numbers have been updated for Cycle 7. We had 10 systems with their Fortification Canceled, and 3 systems which were not Fortified. I have to add here, these three systems are some of the highest costing and least beneficial to our Income, so if this is evidence of the player base "fortifying strategically", great job guys, and keep up the good work.

As we still don't know the numbers we have to work with, our first goal is to prevent merit-grinders from creating run away Preparation trains. Phracani is not as good as it appears, because it's cannibalizing Command Capital from Kamadhenu.

We already have Gende still on the list, there are better choices in the regions around that system.

Temporary Early Preparation Targets: Updated CC available changes these.

Ngun
Distance from HQ: 39.90
Cost: 166
Upkeep: 26cc
Profit: 28cc
Agricultural/Tourism Patronage
Thiele Orbital (Orbis @167Ls)
"This system is favoured by Aisling Duval."

Murare
Distance from HQ: 25.49Ly
Cost: 87cc
Upkeep: 21cc
Profit: 22cc
Industrial/Extraction Patronage
Ananstase Perrotin Terminal (Outpost @52Ls); Schmidt Orbital (Coriolus @ 122Ls)


Again, these are temporary, and only to help guide merit-grinders. Do not over-extend yourselves on these systems.

As for our other Preparation Targets, I hope we will have the funds for 2 more systems, but I cannot announce them until we see our numbers. This post will update as we go.

(Murare looked much better before Phracani set up shop. It is still better than Gende.)
 

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Alright guys, great job! Out of the Top 4, two of them are already expansion targets, and the other 2 are our preliminary targets.

I've waited 4 hours for the cycle flip to solidify, but we are still seeing either a bug or a delay. Our Preparation Tab doesn't seem to know we are expanding, and our Overview and Stats tabs are showing last weeks data. When our Upkeep changes to 404cc, the numbers are changing. When that happens, we can fully comprise our Preparation Target List. Until that happens, which relies on the forums and subreddit to get together, we should keep our minds open.

We have five potentially good +80cc systems researched. We won't be able to expand to all five, and we certainly don't want to push our Overhead that high. The reddit suggestion thread had very little feedback, so I'm going to list some systems here. Sorry, no photos tonight.

Here's the list, in no particular order. Either start chatting about them or start preparing them. Don't pour all your money in yet, as we will want to choose only a couple of them, not all of them.

Phra Narai
Distance from HQ: 59.42Ly
Cost: 129cc
Upkeep: 24cc
Profit: 81cc
Terraforming/Extraction Patronage
Brom Prospect (Outpost @659Ls)

Malaikudi
Distance from HQ: 70.88Ly
Cost: 134cc
Upkeep: 26cc
Profit: 82cc
Industrial Dictatorship
Leopold Heckmann Ring (Coriolus @115Ls)

Binjia
Distance from HQ: 83.98Ly
Cost: 160cc
Upkeep: 28cc
Profit: 83cc
Industrial Confederacy
Carr Orbital (Occelus @463Ls)

Krinbea
Distance from HQ: 72.92Ly
Cost: 135cc
Upkeep: 26cc
Profit: 83cc
Industrial/Extraction Patronage
Albategnius Port (Outpost @185Ls); Meinel Dock (Coriolus @6818Ls)

Someone out there really wants to push Ida Dhor, and it would be nice to hear from them. My concerns are still the same, it is far away, has a high upkeep cost, and is likely to contribute to our Overheads, no matter what the new formula might be. However, it is still a solid system, so if we get player support for it, we should go ahead and try for it. At worst, it will be one of the first to fall into Turmoil, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing, if it keeps Pancienses or Sietae safe for a little bit longer.
 
I've dumped my first load on Ngun early this morning, to get it above Gende. I'm not going to be dumping huge amounts since I won't be grinding above rank 2 and I only have an Asp, but I'll make another run or two later in the week.

Malaikudi sounds good to me but does dictatorship affect the fortification requirements, or just prep/exp reqiurements? So Binjia seems okay if Dictators are a problem.
Expansion won't be a problem if there's only one system next week. The combined efforts of ALD would expand any single system, regardless of penalties.
I think it needs to be a large station, since we'll need the hardcore Anaconda/T9 guys to out-prep the merit grinders.
And does flipping it to another minor faction work? If Hudson can't flip his capital from the IND minor faction to to a federation one, then I suspect we'll have the same problem.
 
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I've dumped my first load on Ngun early this morning, to get it above Gende. I'm not going to be dumping huge amounts since I won't be grinding above rank 2 and I only have an Asp, but I'll make another run or two later in the week.

Malaikudi sounds good to me but does dictatorship affect the fortification requirements, or just prep/exp reqiurements? So Binjia seems okay if Dictators are a problem.
Expansion won't be a problem if there's only one system next week. The combined efforts of ALD would expand any single system, regardless of penalties.
I think it needs to be a large station, since we'll need the hardcore Anaconda/T9 guys to out-prep the merit grinders.
And does flipping it to another minor faction work? If Hudson can't flip his capital from the IND minor faction to to a federation one, then I suspect we'll have the same problem.

Do not go to Phracani.

You will get killed.

And you will deserve it.
 
I've dumped my first load on Ngun early this morning, to get it above Gende. I'm not going to be dumping huge amounts since I won't be grinding above rank 2 and I only have an Asp, but I'll make another run or two later in the week.

Malaikudi sounds good to me but does dictatorship affect the fortification requirements, or just prep/exp reqiurements? So Binjia seems okay if Dictators are a problem.
Expansion won't be a problem if there's only one system next week. The combined efforts of ALD would expand any single system, regardless of penalties.
I think it needs to be a large station, since we'll need the hardcore Anaconda/T9 guys to out-prep the merit grinders.
And does flipping it to another minor faction work? If Hudson can't flip his capital from the IND minor faction to to a federation one, then I suspect we'll have the same problem.

There is no text that says Dictatorships make Fortification worse, but Patronage does make Fortification easier. Fortification should be similar for Coroporation, Democracy, and Dictatorship. That would probably be a simple check in our current Control Systems. Some of them are dictatorships.
 
Hi there!

I am in need of advice, so please, help me!
I began preparing Krinbea (and was glad to see it overtook at least HIP 22006 with its negative profit), however I am quite skeptical about ever getting it to the top of the list. Should I push it on with my 128 t capacity Python or should I rather head to Ida Dhor?

Thank you in advance!
 

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Lets not forget about fortification please. We are under attack on multiple fronts.
Do you really think preparing and expansion is what we need ? Recent turmoils didnt teach us anything ?
 
Lets not forget about fortification please. We are under attack on multiple fronts.
Do you really think preparing and expansion is what we need ? Recent turmoils didnt teach us anything ?


Yeah, you are right on that. I actually spent all my past cycle fortifying (NOT Guathiti). :) I am trying to follow common strategy now, that's why I asked my question. Most of this thread was about where to prepare so far...
 
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Chucked a load into Krinbea with my anaconda, got it up into 4th above Gende, at 4613. I reckon if we get it into 3rd today above Ngun, people who don't check the forums but do look at value for merit grind should compare the top 3 - Murare, Ida Dhor and Krinbea - and pick one the latter two and Krinbea is considerably closer! Both are better than Murare, given Phracani is definitely expanding now.

Obvs we need to keep on top of fortification as well - but looking at cycles down the road, the last thing we want is be saddled with low-value systems from expansion now. And from another point of view, tactically NOT fortifying some of the worst systems a) helps keep the brakes on mad expansion by reducing available CC, and b) sets them up as the first to fall assuming we do go into turmoil again due to crippling overhead.
 
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Chucked a load into Krinbea with my anaconda, got it up into 4th above Gende, at 4613. I reckon if we get it into 3rd today above Ngun, people who don't check the forums but do look at value for merit grind should compare the top 3 - Murare, Ida Dhor and Krinbea - and pick one the latter two and Krinbea is considerably closer! Both are better than Murare, given Phracani is definitely expanding now.

Obvs we need to keep on top of fortification as well - but looking at cycles down the road, the last thing we want is be saddled with low-value systems from expansion now. And from another point of view, tactically NOT fortifying some of the worst systems a) helps keep the brakes on mad expansion by reducing available CC, and b) sets them up as the first to fall assuming we do go into turmoil again due to crippling overhead.


Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. If we always let the grinders choose expansion targets, we are going to end up fortifying crappy systems. My concern is, however, whether Krinbea will ever overtake Murare, that is well over 10k now. That is why I asked what I asked, because I'm afraid that all the effort I put into Krinbea will be wasted and would be better spent on Ida Dhor. (On top of that, my list updates rather slowly, so I usually do not see the exact state of preparation.)
 
Aye - murare hadn't changed much when I looked at it a few hours back so I was hoping it might not grow too much, but it's added another 2,300 now - up at 12,682 on my list, and ngun has another 600. Clearly temporary placeholder preps can easily end up as final choices by default whether we like it not, once they get momentum going!

I think you may well be right that it's going to be too tough to get krinbea at the top of the list - the weekend is critical for big shifts, and we don't want to be wasting _too_ much effort on a prep fight against the easy-grinders that could be going on fortification. So maybe it is time to accept whoever's been pushing ida dhor and swing behind it to beat murare.

Perhaps someone who understands overhead costs could give us the actual profit/loss numbers behind the 3, once overheads are accounted for?
 
Yeah, that's what I was thinking, too. If we always let the grinders choose expansion targets, we are going to end up fortifying crappy systems. My concern is, however, whether Krinbea will ever overtake Murare, that is well over 10k now. That is why I asked what I asked, because I'm afraid that all the effort I put into Krinbea will be wasted and would be better spent on Ida Dhor. (On top of that, my list updates rather slowly, so I usually do not see the exact state of preparation.)

Our first system is usually over 20k by the end of the cycle. If we can get Krinbea or Ida Dhor to first place by the time the weekend hits, we should be good.

If Ida Dhor is closer to overtaking Murare, go for it. I'll confer with the subreddit today so we can finalize our Preparation plans and move on to establishing "strategic fortification" plans.

- - - Updated - - -

Aye - murare hadn't changed much when I looked at it a few hours back so I was hoping it might not grow too much, but it's added another 2,300 now - up at 12,682 on my list, and ngun has another 600. Clearly temporary placeholder preps can easily end up as final choices by default whether we like it not, once they get momentum going!

I think you may well be right that it's going to be too tough to get krinbea at the top of the list - the weekend is critical for big shifts, and we don't want to be wasting _too_ much effort on a prep fight against the easy-grinders that could be going on fortification. So maybe it is time to accept whoever's been pushing ida dhor and swing behind it to beat murare.

Perhaps someone who understands overhead costs could give us the actual profit/loss numbers behind the 3, once overheads are accounted for?

It's difficult to account for Overheads, as the formula has been changing for the past two weeks, differently for different Powers.
 
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Has now made some "prepping" to IDA DHOR, although I am not sure it is the right thing to do. Do we have what it takes to strengthen IDA DHOR in the next cycle and the next cycle ......
Will there be enough comanders to defend IDA DHOR in the next cycle?
Perhaps the best strategy would be to reinforce close headquarters?
 
Has now made some "prepping" to IDA DHOR, although I am not sure it is the right thing to do. Do we have what it takes to strengthen IDA DHOR in the next cycle and the next cycle ......
Will there be enough comanders to defend IDA DHOR in the next cycle?
Perhaps the best strategy would be to reinforce close headquarters?

During Cycle 6, we failed to expand into Ida Dhor. We also had 7 other expansions going. During Cycle 8, we will only have one expansion.

At this stage, it is a bit unclear whether or not Cycle 9 will be our next Turmoil cycle. If it isn't, we stand to earn a higher profit from Ida Dhor at the moment, and it serves as yet another high upkeep border system to draw undermining away from our more important systems. If it is, its high upkeep will make it the first system to fall into Turmoil, possibly even before Sietae.

It is a bit unclear whether this is the best possible control system we could have, but from my information on our current Top 10, it might just be our best option to Prepare and Expand over the next two weeks.
 
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Ida Dhor is number 1 now!

Great job guys!

I am endorsing Ida Dhor in the Reddit discussion thread, and hoping they agree with me. Until then, I will not publicly endorse it in the OP.

So everyone is aware, Fortification is also a large priority for us this cycle. I crunched the numbers, and we have a very small window of available Command Capital that we can afford to spend on Upkeep. This cycle, our Upkeep costs were 404cc, and we cannot afford to repeat that. Of course, those numbers rely on a bunch of FDev conditionals, like formulas not changing on us or on Exploited System Counts actually adjusting to correspond to our systems, and of course, whether or not we have our currently exploited systems thrown into Contention by rivals.
 
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