A Guide to Minor Factions and the Background Sim

[Limoncello Lizard]

It is FDs simple grouping mechanic. Biowaste should be in the food category (as it also has the description of being "sterile") or in another category like "chemicals" which furthers boom upon delivery.

Waste causes outbreak and in case of Scrap Metal (can be contaminated) or actual toxic waste, there it is fine. Blame FDs simple grouping mechanics.

If FD requires a method of producing outbreak, passengers would be a far better method of doing this. Passengers from an outbreak system should have a chance of carrying a disease, or even infecting other passengers.

- - - Updated - - -

If it is in the medicine category and a demand... reduce outbreak. Hey TEA prevents famine just because it is in the "food" category. Better not question the logic. It works in groups.

Except the blood bores are usually illegal. So it may actually have the reverse effect. I am only guessing though. I might test this at some stage. Of course it would just be trade, and not missions, as there are no missions for rare goods.

 

[Shintai]

I wonder if this is completely intended, as agricultural systems should welcome receiving a certain amount of biowaste. I think they should have a base level of immunity.
Outbreak must have other causes then biowaste though. Most of the factions I see in outbreak aren't in agricultural systems.

I'm sure there are other causes. but it could also be a redirected biowaste delivery. After one of those I have given a faction in a refinery/extraction system a pending outbreak.

 

[SaliVader]

But that wouldn't impact FD, just the moderators who have a hard enough job as it is. There is a discussion on Giving the Cannon Threadnought a sub forum. The player maintaining the threadnought is arguing against this, as he is actively summarising the discussion in the first posts. He has a good point.
Unfortunately, the OP to the BGS thread isn't being regularly maintained, so is is becoming obsolete.

Didn't FDev say that they wouldn't do a BGS subforum because there doesn't seem to be enough people interested? Cannon is a pleyer group, but the BGS is a part of the game. There's already a PP, engineers and CG discussion subforums, why couldn't we have a BGS discussion subforum?

 

[CMDR Endincite]

Also there's the very low traffic systems. Wars that go untouched and last the full 28 days seem to cause widespread bad states from the temporary decline of Health/Wealth etc. Seems to be just a matter of whatever base stat was lowest in a given system.

 

[Murrdox]

Didn't FDev say that they wouldn't do a BGS subforum because there doesn't seem to be enough people interested? Cannon is a pleyer group, but the BGS is a part of the game. There's already a PP, engineers and CG discussion subforums, why couldn't we have a BGS discussion subforum?

If we can't have a dedicated sub-forum... geez can we at least Sticky this thread? Or better yet, sticky a NEW thread with a new developer update on the accurate state of affairs with the BGS?

 

[CMDR Endincite]

new developer update on the accurate state of affairs with the BGS?

Sorry the word "new" here caught me, as if there hadn't only been one ever.

I agree that'd be great. I can listen to CMDR Dav explain the BGS for hours.

 

[Schlack]

Sorry the word "new" here caught me, as if there hadn't only been one ever.

I agree that'd be great. I can listen to CMDR Dav explain the BGS for hours.

A little unfair, Michael Brookes used to engage quite a lot during the first post launch year on the forum. Granted many of his answers were deliberately cryptic as they didn't want to give the whole game away because we would break it immediately, instead of a few weeks later once we'd figured out where the cracks were!

 

[Gemai]

because we would break it immediately, instead of a few weeks later once we'd figured out where the cracks were!

And see how well that worked for 2.2's negative influence exploit and lack of cap... marvelous not to invite the BGS cracks to their newest changes.

 

[jimbeau1571]

It's sad to say but I'm becoming slowly disillusioned with the BGS, and more slowly but still frustrated with the game and FD's constant 'change' of the rules and dynamics.

To say that this is a fundamental part of the game is a small understatement, and yet they seem to treat it with contempt. The recent highlighted issues are frankly preposterous considering they went through what I can only see as a charade now, of putting PMF's into the game. And yet, here we are with a BGS that can only be viewed as being a throwback of the code from pre 1.6 where reasonable chaos ensued. I'm only surprised that the tick is regular still.

Who tested the BGS on this upgrade to 2.2? No one is the only answer.

I don't blame them in a way for not wanting a dedicated subgroup to the BGS, it would become their albatross. Firstly they would have to acknowledge they screwed up, again, and it is not good form to have to do that each time you bring out an upgrade is it.

I just hope this thread doesn't go the same way and turn into a constant bun fight between opinions. Be aware folks, its becoming that.

 

[Jane Turner]

It's sad to say but I'm becoming slowly disillusioned with the BGS, and more slowly but still frustrated with the game and FD's constant 'change' of the rules and dynamics.

To say that this is a fundamental part of the game is a small understatement, and yet they seem to treat it with contempt. The recent highlighted issues are frankly preposterous considering they went through what I can only see as a charade now, of putting PMF's into the game. And yet, here we are with a BGS that can only be viewed as being a throwback of the code from pre 1.6 where reasonable chaos ensued. I'm only surprised that the tick is regular still.

Who tested the BGS on this upgrade to 2.2? No one is the only answer.

I don't blame them in a way for not wanting a dedicated subgroup to the BGS, it would become their albatross. Firstly they would have to acknowledge they screwed up, again, and it is not good form to have to do that each time you bring out an upgrade is it.

I just hope this thread doesn't go the same way and turn into a constant bun fight between opinions. Be aware folks, its becoming that.

One of the problems of Beta testing is that the player really into the BGS don't have the time to waste testing the BGS in beta - whilst the pew pew brigade are all over it

 

[Gemai]

don't have the time to waste testing the BGS in beta

FD could just tell the main BGS groups the "planned patch notes" for BGS beforehand. Their cracks take a look and say "I know how to exploit THAT". It works for me. I found 4 exploits easily just by looking at some cases of 2.2.

3 I reported already... None is fixed.

 

[dynamicbob]

FD could just tell the main BGS groups the "planned patch notes" for BGS beforehand. Their cracks take a look and say "I know how to exploit THAT". It works for me. I found 4 exploits easily just by looking at some cases of 2.2.

3 I reported already... None is fixed.

Given 90% of the dev team are working on rushing out 2.3, my guess is the big bug fixes will be in 2.3

 

[jimbeau1571]

One of the problems of Beta testing is that the player really into the BGS don't have the time to waste testing the BGS in beta - whilst the pew pew brigade are all over it

Is it really solely down to the community to Beta a product and not the developer also? And if you looked at the Beta notes and what FD were asking people to test, no mention of the BGS itself.
And there lies the problem. They are testing the new stuff, rightly so, but not the old stuff. Because they are expecting it to be the same. Only it isn't, and never is. BGS, Missions board and Missions themselves, Payouts, the lot.
I believe the SAG A* passenger missions have taken a hit, no longer offering the 40-50Million Cr now, more like 8Million. One error replaced by another!

But then when you raise issues, 'working as expected'.

I go back to what I opened with. It's a fundamental part of the game, and yet is treated with contempt.

 

[Ben Ryder]

That makes me wonder what illegal medicines, such as Terra Mater Blood Bores, does to outbreak.

Can you suggest way to test this including a profitable target system because I'd give it a go and maybe some of the folk I know who hang around that way would find it fun too. You can PM me if you like with the details so it doesnt get disrupted and I'll share the results on this thread.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Can you suggest way to test this including a profitable target system because I'd give it a go and maybe some of the folk I know who hang around that way would find it fun too. You can PM me if you like with the details so it doesnt get disrupted and I'll share the results on this thread.

I'll have a quick look for a suitable system tonight. Though it may take until the weekend, as I'm 300ly from Terra Mater, plus I have a war I'm trying to start.
I might have the perfect system, nothing but a station. Last time I was there, the had been no other traffic. I'll check it again.

 

[goemon]

That makes me wonder what illegal medicines, such as Terra Mater Blood Bores, does to outbreak.

looking to the table shown during the BGS update, it should lower the black market owning factions influence, and reduce outbreak. illegal trade of medicine is mentioned there.

Seems to be just a matter of whatever base stat was lowest in a given system.

what brings you to that conclusion? my impression was (is), it is affecting all of them: lowering wealth, system security and fills famine and outbreak buckets (somehow)?

 

[Schlack]

Well I think that the bgs has gone downhill significantly since FD stopped engaging the bgs community. Michael Brooke's Jan post and Dave's live stream mid year are about it. Bgs changes did not even get a mention in the patch notes.

How can we beta test changes when we don't know what those changes are?

 

[Sentenza]

It is FDs simple grouping mechanic. Biowaste should be in the food category (as it also has the description of being "sterile") or in another category like "chemicals" which furthers boom upon delivery.

Waste causes outbreak and in case of Scrap Metal (can be contaminated) or actual toxic waste, there it is fine. Blame FDs simple grouping mechanics.

No Biowaste is in the "Waste" category, along with Chemical Waste, Scrap etc.

 

[Sentenza]

One of the problems of Beta testing is that the player really into the BGS don't have the time to waste testing the BGS in beta - whilst the pew pew brigade are all over it

It's also a lot of things to test and we don't even know what to test. I specifically tried to look for BGS impact and so discovered the new mission effects, but how many things I did not even know were there?

 

[jimbeau1571]

Well I think that the bgs has gone downhill significantly since FD stopped engaging the bgs community. Michael Brooke's Jan post and Dave's live stream mid year are about it. Bgs changes did not even get a mention in the patch notes.

How can we beta test changes when we don't know what those changes are?

Simple answer to that is they didn't expect any changes, and therefore no patch notes to check I suppose. Working as intended?!

Sorry for the sarcasm, but that's where I'm at right now with this.

It's beyond frustrating and into the sarcastically funny stage