A Guide to Minor Factions and the Background Sim

[Walter2]

Now if it were a lack of trade, then I would expect all factions in these systems to go Outbreak or Famine at some point, or to do something randomly? That doesn't sound very FD to be honest when it comes to the BGS. Thats for Engineers is random.

Good points.

One thing I haven't seen though, and that is a controlling faction, with no state change or infulence change succumb to Famine or Outbreak.
Edit: Just looked on the GM, and found a few including one that is 46.4% controlling and in Outbreak.

Another theory out the window.

Remiss of me: I forgot to add to the list of knowns what FD have told us (but not necessarily reliable - there have been a number of other undocumented changes since we were given this info).

What we know about Famine and Outbreak version 3

1 Famine and Outbreak affect factions that have not had recent actions (missions, BH) applied to it.

2 If factions with Famine or Outbreak are ignored, there are no changes in their influence levels.

3 If factions with Famine or Outbreak are ignored, the condition will eventually time out and the faction restored as if nothing had happened.

4 Neither Famine nor Outbreak is contagious; other factions don't seem to catch either State. It is possible for other factions within the same system to also declare Famine/Outbreak, but it is not possible to know if this is related to the original State.

5 Both Famine and Outbreak appear in cluster, with these afflictions not appearing in some areas of space (contentious - we only observe relatively small regions - needs to be confirmed).

6 A Famine or Outbreak in a faction appears in other systems where the same faction has a presence (contentious - needs to be confirmed).

7 Famine and Outbreak conclude on the outbreak of War, Civil war or Election.

8 Famine: Has a countdown lasting 3 days.

9 Famine: Has a minimum length of 3 days

10 Famine: Has a maximum length of 28 days

11 Famine: Has a cooldown of 25 days.

12 Famine: Delivering food during a Famine removes 2 points from the Famine pool and adds 1 point to the Influence pool.

13 Famine: Selling Exploration data takes 1 point from the Famine pool.

14 Outbreak: Has a countdown lasting 4 days.

15 Outbreak: Has a minimum length of 3 days.

16 Outbreak: Has a maximum length of 28 days.

17 Outbreak: Has a cooldown period lasting 7 days.

18 Outbreak: Delivering medication during an Outbreak removes 2 points from the Outbreak pool and adds 1 point to the Influence pool.

19 Outbreak: Selling Exploration data takes 1 point from the Outbreak pool.

20 Outbreak: Triggered by low level standard of living and development level.

21 Outbreak: Decreases standard of living while active.

 

[_trent_]

Now, back on a subject previously touched but not confirmed: I have right now another example of a war ended at >60% influence and immediately pending war again for control of the next station. So the case is confirmed, unless you end the war <60% you keep being in war there until you have control of all stations.

Wow, this is a fast moving thread, took me a while to go back and find this.

Our faction in Teaka just flipped the system from UTF and took control of our first station today. The civil war state is still on so it looks like we'll have to keep fighting. CZs are still active and massacre/civil war related missions are still being generated. We went up in influence at the last tick from 63.9% to 64.7%.

Wasn't expecting that at all, was expecting the current civil war to end and a new one to become pending.

Also, I've noticed that we've got a black market in our new station, despite it not having a black market before. Wasn't expecting that either as I didn't think that switching from a Dictator to a Cooperative would cause a black market to spawn.

 

[jimbeau1571]

6 A Famine or Outbreak in a faction appears in other systems where the same faction has a presence (contentious - needs to be confirmed).

Confirmed. Just like Exploration does. Hence the complication of the Faction as a whole in Famine/Outbreak or just the Faction in a certain system in Famine but state is 'announced' galaxy wide.

I'm now on the Faction as a whole side of the arguement. The reason for this is that the recent changes to W/CW/E. These were just 'system' centric, but now appear to be more 'faction' centric.

 

[Walter2]

Also, I've noticed that we've got a black market in our new station, despite it not having a black market before. Wasn't expecting that either as I didn't think that switching from a Dictator to a Cooperative would cause a black market to spawn.

A change of station owner installs a black market - don't worry, you're not alone - DB himself didn't know that happened (but I bet I can't find the reference).

Confirmed. Just like Exploration does. Hence the complication of the Faction as a whole in Famine/Outbreak or just the Faction in a certain system in Famine but state is 'announced' galaxy wide.

I'm now on the Faction as a whole side of the arguement. The reason for this is that the recent changes to W/CW/E. These were just 'system' centric, but now appear to be more 'faction' centric.

So tracking down the system in which Famine/Outbreak first began is going to be difficult. Especially difficult consequences if it starts in one of those systems your didn't really want to go to in the first place and haven't really been bothering about. If one of those goes, the effect will be felt across the whole of that faction's domain.

 

[jimbeau1571]

So tracking down the system in which Famine/Outbreak first began is going to be difficult. Especially difficult consequences if it starts in one of those systems your didn't really want to go to in the first place and haven't really been bothering about. If one of those goes, the effect will be felt across the whole of that faction's domain.

Very difficult. So the only way to work out the mechanism is with a faction that is in one system only. And I just happen to run a system where 2 factions in it are also only in that one. Unfortunately I took control a long time back, and have the only market. But still, its a good reference and I have data going back to the beginning of Aug.

And I also question as to exactly what effect?
Influence doesn't change any. The markets may move if the faction owns a market. Seeking goods and the like may appear, but is it actually detrimental to go into Famine and Outbreak at all? At the moment I'd suggest it has no negative consequence.

 

[Walter2]

And I also question as to exactly what effect?
Influence doesn't change any. The markets may move if the faction owns a market. Seeking goods and the like may appear, but is it actually detrimental to go into Famine and Outbreak at all? At the moment I'd suggest it has no negative consequence.

Possibly just a place-holder - like many other current "features" the situation might be different this time next month.

 

[_trent_]

A change of station owner installs a black market - don't worry, you're not alone - DB himself didn't know that happened (but I bet I can't find the reference).

I see, well at least it sounds like I am in good company then. [haha]

Does that mean that every station we flip will get a black market? If so, I don't suppose there's a way to get rid of them?

 

[Schlack]

I've done it again. The lack of trade/missions with that afflicted faction.

Rather than trade or missions, perhaps it is the lack of supply of foodstuffs that causes the famines. Perhaps the famine prone systems cant actually support themselves without human interaction. There may be a distance from a supply system limit beyond which humans have to fill the gap.

 

[jimbeau1571]

Rather than trade or missions, perhaps it is the lack of supply of foodstuffs that causes the famines. Perhaps the famine prone systems cant actually support themselves without human interaction. There may be a distance from a supply system limit beyond which humans have to fill the gap.

Surely then, it will afflict all in the system. And those of us on the edge of the bubble should be spending most of our time running food and meds.
Again not the case. Never run food or meds for my systems, my faction never been in Famine or Outbreak. And there is no other way of getting food or meds in other than missions and/or trade.

 

[Sentenza]

I see, well at least it sounds like I am in good company then. [haha]

Does that mean that every station we flip will get a black market? If so, I don't suppose there's a way to get rid of them?

Definitely not. I think it depends on government type.

 

[jimbeau1571]

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So this is the data for the system containing my faction (Fac C in this) and the 2 other factions that only appear in this system.
Pink is Boom, Yellow Expansion, Green Outbreak and Blue CW.

So CW definitely interrupts Outbreak (it does Famine too but obviously not here as there is no Famine).
The equalling of A and B occured by my actions, doing missions for Fac B in order to reduce C's % below the 75% mark. The expansions were not taking place from this system.
I only did missions for Fac B. So it pushed them high enough to reduce my Fac, but also enough to have CW go pending AND lift Fac A up to 15.5 with them. And so stripped out 11.6% from my Fac.

Then later I did some Combat for Fac B to end the CW.

The odd thing you may notice is that in doing Combat for B in the CZ, both Facs went up (14.2 to 16.1)??? Why. I have seen this elsewhere too. And then later on Fac B went up.

Conclusion:
The raising of Influence % does not end Outbreak. Otherwise both Fac's would have come out of Outbreak on the equalling of %, not just Fac A the day after.
Not much else can be drawn from this ..... yet.

 

[SaliVader]

I have a question regarding expansion: Let's say a faction controls several systems. What decides from which system the faction will expand? Is it the system with the highest influence, or are there other factors?

 

[Sentenza]

I have a question regarding expansion: Let's say a faction controls several systems. What decides from which system the faction will expand? Is it the system with the highest influence, or are there other factors?

It should be the first one to reach the expansion threshold.

 

[ph1Lt0r]

Can a minor faction be completely removed from the game? What would that take? We're curious as we have the only pirate faction in our system very low and it says retreat. They are a native faction in that system, and we'd like to keep them there for bounty hunting.

 

[Sentenza]

Can a minor faction be completely removed from the game? What would that take? We're curious as we have the only pirate faction in our system very low and it says retreat. They are a native faction in that system, and we'd like to keep them there for bounty hunting.

This is NOT supposed to happen in 2.1, a faction can never retreat from its own system. Maybe they did expand somewhere before and are retreating from there?

 

[Gemai]

This is NOT supposed to happen in 2.1, a faction can never retreat from its own system. Maybe they did expand somewhere before and are retreating from there?

There have been instances of "double homes" for those factions having spawned in engineer colonies. They can retreat to either, making them just switch from the main to the colony and during the next retreat back.

So they can play ping-pong with their associated colony.

 

[ph1Lt0r]

This is NOT supposed to happen in 2.1, a faction can never retreat from its own system. Maybe they did expand somewhere before and are retreating from there?

Correct, it's retreating from another system. I was just wondering if it can be eliminated from it's home system due to 'over fishing' by our player faction members. Also, can player factions be removed from their home system? Or just repressed?

 

[Sentenza]

Correct, it's retreating from another system. I was just wondering if it can be eliminated from it's home system due to 'over fishing' by our player faction members. Also, can player factions be removed from their home system? Or just repressed?

From what we know, no faction (NPC or player) can be removed from its system now.

 

[ph1Lt0r]

From what we know, no faction (NPC or player) can be removed from its system now.

Good news! Thank you Sentenza

 

[_trent_]

Wow, this is a fast moving thread, took me a while to go back and find this.

Our faction in Teaka just flipped the system from UTF and took control of our first station today. The civil war state is still on so it looks like we'll have to keep fighting. CZs are still active and massacre/civil war related missions are still being generated. We went up in influence at the last tick from 63.9% to 64.7%.

Wasn't expecting that at all, was expecting the current civil war to end and a new one to become pending.

Also, I've noticed that we've got a black market in our new station, despite it not having a black market before. Wasn't expecting that either as I didn't think that switching from a Dictator to a Cooperative would cause a black market to spawn.

Just a follow up to last night's post. Today we went up to 65.6% and the civil war ended at the tick without any more stations changing hands. Currently our state is 'none' pending 'none' and our rival is showing current state 'none' with 'civil unrest' as pending.