A Guide to Minor Factions and the Background Sim

[Starwolfe]

Was told I could find BGS experts here by goemon on this thread https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/347822-Civil-Unrest-vs-Lockdown


We have an in game faction that is currently number 2 in system. We are trying to go to civil war with the controlling faction (CF) to take the system over.

The CF has all stations. There are RES sites in system. We are the only player backed faction in system.

We have been running missions, smuggling and killing security ships to bring the CFs influence closer to ours to spark civil war.

The CF is now pending: civil unrest and lockdown.

Since we don't own any stations and non of the other non controlling factions don't either. My guess is that civil unrest is what we want cause otherwise we can't bring our faction up.

How do we control which of the pending states goes into effect, as all the info I can find, refer to original post above) tells me smuggling and murder increase both?

Open to lockdown being ok, but if I'm not mistaken since the CF has all stations we'll be at a standstill and can't control the negative points draining from CF by performing positive actions to direct those points to our faction.

To get into a conflict to take over the system you need to do one of tow things;

Match influence with the controlling faction, or be at 60% for your faction to demand a conflict.

The only thing that could prevent it would be if the CF is in another conflict in another system. Check the System Status Summary from the main meny when you dock at a station, it'll be bottom-center, under GalNet but shoudl be listed first before other articles.


You cannot control which state goes first, its a result of various actions. When it goes pending, if other states are holding it up (like a conflict in another system) and how long the pending goes before its active, then its somewhat random as to which counts first.

If they control all the stations, you may not want a Lockdown, as it will block out the mission boards for any faction in that system, locking your group's progress by that means.


Provided your faction is not Anarchy, you could use the Res sites with KWS to get your own bounties to help your faction, and just not turn in the other bounties in this system - use a low sec outside it to get rid of them and not help them.

Other than that, all I can recommend is to keep at it. System size and traffic play parts in how well you will make progress but eventually you will make it.

 

[goemon]

You cannot control which state goes first, its a result of various actions. When it goes pending, if other states are holding it up (like a conflict in another system) and how long the pending goes before its active, then its somewhat random as to which counts first.

according to MB it isn't random: if two states are pending and would go active on the same tick, the one with the most filled state pool/ higher bucket will trigger: "Once the pool is large enough it will queue the state with a countdown after which the event will trigger, assuming it has the largest pool." https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/221826-Dev-Update-(07-01-2016).

now, as we don't know about the size of buckets, and how much actions contribute to it, that is as good as random ... but at least we can work into the right direction!

 

[Boston]

- how much traffic has that system? (traffic report) 300-500 per day

- how much bounty redeems? (bounty hunter report) how many of those are from your group? From today's bounty hunter report: Bounties claimed 1029, Credits earned: 55,733,772. None from our group since before 2.3 it was all going to controlling faction.

- how many factions are aligned to a superpower, and is your group aligned to a superpower, too? 7 total. 3 fed including us and CF. Rest are independent.

- does the CF has a station with a black market? Yes

- is the CF present in other systems? Last I checked earlier this week. No.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

- how much traffic has that system? (traffic report) 300-500 per day

That's an ambitious system to be working in.

The good news is the recent superpower bounty change will help you a little, or at least won't hurt your group, as any Fed bounties will be split between the CF, your faction and the other fed one.

Since there is a blackmarket, I advise your group start smuggling as much illegal goods into the system as you can.

 

[Boston]

Smuggling an average of 10-20k tons a day.

 

[Boston]

That's an ambitious system to be working in.

The good news is the recent superpower bounty change will help you a little, or at least won't hurt your group, as any Fed bounties will be split between the CF, your faction and the other fed one.

Since there is a blackmarket, I advise your group start smuggling as much illegal goods into the system as you can.

Would you recommend we go for lockdown or civil unrest for the controlling faction, both are pending?

 

[Starwolfe]

according to MB it isn't random: if two states are pending and would go active on the same tick, the one with the most filled state pool/ higher bucket will trigger: "Once the pool is large enough it will queue the state with a countdown after which the event will trigger, assuming it has the largest pool." https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/221826-Dev-Update-(07-01-2016).

now, as we don't know about the size of buckets, and how much actions contribute to it, that is as good as random ... but at least we can work into the right direction!

Yes, but I think that relates to the bucket that triggers the pending states - not some weight once it is pending.

Assuming they are both pending, the one that triggers first goes first since both have 3 days on it.

If they both start on the same day is where I would wager its somewhat random.


However if it is determined by which goes first, it will be determined if either the Fines/Smuggling weapons weight for Civil Unrest is heavier than the murder actions on the cops for Lockdown.

Personally tho, I've not observed enough of these dual states to say what happens, which leaves me to my gut saying its somewhat random. Of the two or three times I have its been Civil Unrest before Lockdown after a conflict.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Would you recommend we go for lockdown or civil unrest for the controlling faction, both are pending?

Lockdown will stop you from being able to smuggle. It can also cause an active group to increase their bountyhunting efforts. Civil unrest increases the BGS efect of bounties, but I think it reduces the payouts. So I think civil unrest is probably better for you.
But if they go into lockdown, just switch to murdering cops. This is easier in lockdown as there are more cops around.

 

[Boston]

Lockdown will stop you from being able to smuggle. It can also cause an active group to increase their bountyhunting efforts. Civil unrest increases the BGS efect of bounties, but I think it reduces the payouts. So I think civil unrest is probably better for you.
But if they go into lockdown, just switch to murdering cops. This is easier in lockdown as there are more cops around.

Thank You.

 

[goemon]

- how much traffic has that system? (traffic report) 300-500 per day

- how much bounty redeems? (bounty hunter report) how many of those are from your group? From today's bounty hunter report: Bounties claimed 1029, Credits earned: 55,733,772. None from our group since before 2.3 it was all going to controlling faction.

- how many factions are aligned to a superpower, and is your group aligned to a superpower, too? 7 total. 3 fed including us and CF. Rest are independent.

- does the CF has a station with a black market? Yes

- is the CF present in other systems? Last I checked earlier this week. No.

that's a serious system you are working... so much traffic!

how superpower bounties are working, the controlling faction should loose influence from superbounty redeems and shift it to you and (to a larger marging) the smaller, third fed faction. the question is whether you'll get into conflict with the CF or the third faction first. i assume that this kind of traffic leads to a lot of superbounty redeems in system, which makes it very hard to have any effect in system at all (additionally to traffic). but that shifting would change as soon as the CF gets into civil unrest, as they would win double from bounty redeems.

so i'd advise going for lockdown. also lockown will reduce any impact random cmdr traffic has in that system, as they won't find missions, nothing has an effect for the CF etc.

if this attempt of yours fails, i'd check whether the CF is pesent in another system and whether you can bind them into an election there. during election, bounty hunting has no effect for CF, so they won't win from bounty redeems in system. in which case you can use your factions specific bounties to get your influence up.

That's an ambitious system to be working in.

The good news is the recent superpower bounty change will help you a little, or at least won't hurt your group, as any Fed bounties will be split between the CF, your faction and the other fed one.

Since there is a blackmarket, I advise your group start smuggling as much illegal goods into the system as you can.

maybe to add to this excellent advise - smuggle as much different illegal goods as possible per run. different items should bring the number of transactions a bit up, while generally the influence effect is more or less down to tonnage (with the usual diminuishing effects). so bring in narcotics AND tobacco from an agricultural economy, or personal weapons AND battle weapons from a industrial ... maybe you even find a dictatorship/anarchy high tech system with narcotics, combat stabilisers, battle weapons, personal weapons ...

 

[goemon]

we will have a chance to watch whether legal weapons trade really adds to civil unrest: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/348030-The-Gear-of-War-(Trade)

at least after the intial boom, during this CG which includes personal weapons and battle weapons, we should see the state going pending.

also we should be able see some effects of superpower bounties from the new BHing CG in Cartoq (as eddb is on strike, and i don't have the system data, there may be or not several federal factions in system).

 

[Matzov]

Quick question on Outbreak. Do any meds work, or only advanced and basic? eg Agri-meds and Prog cells

 

[goemon]

Quick question on Outbreak. Do any meds work, or only advanced and basic? eg Agri-meds and Prog cells

any meds. that even includes illegal ones....

 

[Matzov]

Cool beans. Thanks

 

[Boston]

Just got an interesting reply from FD support.

"your question about Civil Unrest vs Lockdown when both are queued is quite a simple answer. When something is queued then you could say that it's already been triggered. If there are two states queued then you'll be seeing one and then the other in turn. Nothing short of a conflict (civil war or full out war) would change the queued states now so you still have a chance to get out of the Lockdown state, though bear in mind both of those states are generally difficult to trigger at short notice."

This contradicts everything I've seen or heard. And also it's been well over a day since both states went pending and neither have taken effect.

 

[CMDR Endincite]

That answer appears to contradict *itself*, unless I'm missing something.

Edit: unless they mean the civil unrest going active will give you time to start a conflict and thus avoid the lockdown...

 

[goemon]

Just got an interesting reply from FD support.

"your question about Civil Unrest vs Lockdown when both are queued is quite a simple answer. When something is queued then you could say that it's already been triggered. If there are two states queued then you'll be seeing one and then the other in turn. Nothing short of a conflict (civil war or full out war) would change the queued states now so you still have a chance to get out of the Lockdown state, though bear in mind both of those states are generally difficult to trigger at short notice."

This contradicts everything I've seen or heard. And also it's been well over a day since both states went pending and neither have taken effect.

did tthey have a boom pending additionally to lockdown and civil unrest, which go active or any other state?

 

[Matzov]

Or is there a cooldown from another state still in effect? That might be delaying them going live.

 

[Boston]

They are in boom. But we have seen the cooldown ignored pretty much every faction state change.

 

[Schlack]

Just got an interesting reply from FD support.

"your question about Civil Unrest vs Lockdown when both are queued is quite a simple answer. When something is queued then you could say that it's already been triggered. If there are two states queued then you'll be seeing one and then the other in turn. Nothing short of a conflict (civil war or full out war) would change the queued states now so you still have a chance to get out of the Lockdown state, though bear in mind both of those states are generally difficult to trigger at short notice."

This contradicts everything I've seen or heard. And also it's been well over a day since both states went pending and neither have taken effect.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/221826-Dev-Update-(07-01-2016)

a bit dated, different states have different pending periods