Choosing a minor faction.

I gave Power Play a try and after a month of witnessing the vast majority of participants merits being delivered to a pointless few controlled systems, leading to the likes of 1000% fortification. It's an understatement to say it was disheartening.

So now I am in search of a new home and a minor faction to dedicate myself to. Possibly on the edge on the bubble.

For those who are experienced in BGS, I would like to know what factors did you consider when choosing a system and faction to align yourselves with.
 
I gave Power Play a try and after a month of witnessing the vast majority of participants merits being delivered to a pointless few controlled systems, leading to the likes of 1000% fortification. It's an understatement to say it was disheartening.

So now I am in search of a new home and a minor faction to dedicate myself to. Possibly on the edge on the bubble.

For those who are experienced in BGS, I would like to know what factors did you consider when choosing a system and faction to align yourselves with.

Faction superpower alignment
Location
Impact of govt type on powerplay triggers
Proximity to other player run factions
Sexiness of the system and neighbouring systems (physical geography and what bases are available)
RP reasons

And if you choose anything other than an Alliance faction you will have made the wrong choice :)
 
I gave Power Play a try and after a month of witnessing the vast majority of participants merits being delivered to a pointless few controlled systems, leading to the likes of 1000% fortification. It's an understatement to say it was disheartening.

So now I am in search of a new home and a minor faction to dedicate myself to. Possibly on the edge on the bubble.

For those who are experienced in BGS, I would like to know what factors did you consider when choosing a system and faction to align yourselves with.

I joined a player group and aligned myself with its minor faction. It's an independent democracy, which doesn't match well with my RP. But that's life and I'll stick to my choice.

If I had it all to do over again, I'd look for an Imperial aligned faction. Government type wouldn't matter, except it can't be anarchy. Something with some traffic so there would be other factions vying for the same real estate. Having an active player group attached would be another requirement.

I like the heart of the bubble. But that's just me. It would depend on your playing style and goals. There are good player factions on the edge. Some in Colonia as well.
 
I would suggest trying it out first before making a hard decision. Look for a low traffic, low population system that has small changes in influence "on its own". Just watch a system for two or three days. If there are none or negligible changes in influence it should be fine.

There you can try out how the BGS works if it is your first attempt. You'll also get to know the "feel" of certain factions, i. e. how they play when they're in a specific state. While doing this you can have a look for interesting system in the region. For instance you find a faction that offers cool missions in a given state so you might want to push that faction into the state, etc.

After you made one to three factions the ruler of a low traffic, low population system, you can then find a faction that suits you and that you'd like to push further.
 
Same as picking a Home System
1) You "Like It"
2) Main starport has decent outfitting/shipyard
3) Is close to entry point
4) Near some interesting systems (Res, different Economys)
+
5) Low population - So you can manipulate your faction
6) Low or Zero traffic - So others dont wee on your strawberries
7) Not PP Controlled - PP just makes it more painfull

Or you could join an existing Player Group. You must have similar interests to SOMEBODY.
 
Faction superpower alignment
Location
Impact of govt type on powerplay triggers
Proximity to other player run factions
Sexiness of the system and neighbouring systems (physical geography and what bases are available)
RP reasons

And if you choose anything other than an Alliance faction you will have made the wrong choice :)


What's your source for information on player controlled factions? I will definitely need to get familiar with them. Especially neighbors.
 
Same as picking a Home System
1) You "Like It"
2) Main starport has decent outfitting/shipyard
3) Is close to entry point
4) Near some interesting systems (Res, different Economys)
+
5) Low population - So you can manipulate your faction
6) Low or Zero traffic - So others dont wee on your strawberries
7) Not PP Controlled - PP just makes it more painfull

Or you could join an existing Player Group. You must have similar interests to SOMEBODY.

As starters, I am definitely seeking low pop and low traffic.
Is it a safe assumption that a system with low population is guaranteed low traffic. Because I assume it will produce less trade.
 
I would suggest trying it out first before making a hard decision. Look for a low traffic, low population system that has small changes in influence "on its own". Just watch a system for two or three days. If there are none or negligible changes in influence it should be fine.

There you can try out how the BGS works if it is your first attempt. You'll also get to know the "feel" of certain factions, i. e. how they play when they're in a specific state. While doing this you can have a look for interesting system in the region. For instance you find a faction that offers cool missions in a given state so you might want to push that faction into the state, etc.

After you made one to three factions the ruler of a low traffic, low population system, you can then find a faction that suits you and that you'd like to push further.

I'm going to use this as a definitive guideline. Thanks
 
I do actually like how 'The Alliance' players seem to have their sh*t together and are practical.
 
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What's your source for information on player controlled factions? I will definitely need to get familiar with them. Especially neighbors.

EDDB.io, inara and a bit of googling. Most groups have discord servers, so go chat with them before you set up shop.
 
Is it a safe assumption that a system with low population is guaranteed low traffic. Because I assume it will produce less trade.
As a general correlation, yes, because player traffic is higher towards the centre of the bubble and system populations are lower towards the edge. For any particular system, though, no guarantees - plenty of reasons a low population system might get visitors or a high population system get mostly ignored.

I keep an estimate of general player traffic in the bubble at https://heatmap.sotl.org.uk/ - it's based on EDDN data, so only about 5% of actual traffic is recorded, which may or may not be representative, but it'll probably be reasonably close for most systems. You won't know for certain until you read the traffic report at the station, though.
 
As starters, I am definitely seeking low pop and low traffic.
Is it a safe assumption that a system with low population is guaranteed low traffic. Because I assume it will produce less trade.

I would say no, it isnt. Check the Traffic Reports for a day or 2.
Something like an Outpost with a BM, a base selling something unusual, a CNB or even an accessible HazRes can generate traffic that could stomp all over your efforts.
 
Ohhh okay. Brain fart. I was thinking of traffic as within simulation, not actual players. Duly noted, and I will be mindful about it.

I appreciate all of the advice. I am adding the Heatmap link to my bookmarks
 
Also, in the cases of where the Wing name doesn't match the MF (Minor faction) name: Google is your friend.

Some of us want to see if potentially interested CMDRs are curious and like to investigate instead of having every piece of information handfed to them. There are naturally those who have their entitled opinion on the matter, but that's life.
 
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Also, in the cases of where the Wing name doesn't match the MF (Minor faction) name: Google is your friend.

Some of us want to see if potentially interested CMDRs are curious and like to investigate instead of having every piece of information handfed to them. There are naturally those who have their entitled opinion on the matter, but that's life.
Hahahahahah.
 
Sorry to hear that you have my deepest condolences.

Thanks but nothing to worry about. With all the improvements done to the BGS in the last 3 years (ey, stop laughing!) it still might be broken in some aspects, but it finally shapes itself into something more.

Also, assuming the new PvP/PvE changes in the coming Q1 update will be as good as they sound (need to verify it) it'll be quite the boon to those who actually want to play the BGS and establish something. Probably doesn't mean we'll be rid of all the knuckleheads who only mess around, but it'll weed out the majority of them.

Finally they'll need to git gud. Let's see about that though ;)
 
As starters, I am definitely seeking low pop and low traffic.
Is it a safe assumption that a system with low population is guaranteed low traffic. Because I assume it will produce less trade.

Not necessarily. Low population systems in central areas tend to be extraction systems, and may have some rings with res sites for bounty hunting. If that is near an engineer, for instance, that likes those bounties, or is next door to a popular system, it will be hell to manage, because you'll see wild swings.

It is better to look for an area out of the way that in general sees little traffic, often at the edge of the bubble of populated systems (but away from rank or credit grind systems).

I do actually like how 'The Alliance' players seem to have their sh*t together and are practical.

You can say that again. The Alliance controlled 1.17% of populated systems on 1/1/3301. Today, according to eddb.io it stands at 4.03%. That doesn't happen by itself. That's Alliance pilots, as you say, having their sh*t together.
 
More like a head start on the focus.

Empire folk tended to be more into RP early on, and most early Feds either did their own thing or focused on Powerplay - and the mechanics never meant it was worth fussing over BGS back then.

Alliance guys always seemed to have a knack for spreadsheets and focused early on how the BGS interacted with things which meshed together well in the long haul.


Kinda leaves a sour taste in my mouth when its not worth bragging about being the guy in charge of one of the largest Fed factions in the game and I'm the only one working it - most Fed factions aren't in the same scope as Indi or the rest.
 
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