Expansions: BGS Guide Best Current Thinking

[Ryan Murdoc]

But only for PMF placement, correct?
So expansions - except for invasions - still require a total of less than 7 factions?

Correct (though System-specific exceptions might apply. Somewhere. Don't look at me, look at FD!)

If it was before, you could then have a system with 7 native factions and be completely immune to expansion into your home system.

Some PMF out there enjoy that fact. Though I'm quite happy to have our HQ filled up with 7 and making sure none retreats out

 

[Auronio]

Correct (though System-specific exceptions might apply. Somewhere. Don't look at me, look at FD!)

Thanks for confirmation.

Well, I believe that makes strategic expansion planning a little bit more risky but it is what it is.

Interesting, interesting.

 

[Ryan Murdoc]

This has been confirmed by frontier - 8th is ok so long as there are no more than 6 NATIVE factions

Considering there are some Systems out there with as little as 2 native ones...

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Considering there are some Systems out there with as little as 2 native ones...

Most Colonia systems only have one native - but I saw at least one in the bubble like that too, way back in 1.2ish.

 

[Jane Turner]

Considering there are some Systems out there with as little as 2 native ones...

Plenty with 1!. But once there is an expnaded pmf in there its excluded as an insertion site - they spent the first year of the game spamming expansions

 

[Auronio]

Plenty with 1!. But once there is an expnaded pmf in there its excluded as an insertion site - they spent the first year of the game spamming expansions

With more and more player groups trying to establish PMFs and with the significantly improved process time I believe it's fair and extends the range of possible insertion systems.
Also that way existing PMFs can't block access to interesting systems for new groups by keeping 7 factions in.

On the other side if any PMF is planning for strategic expansions with larger ranges which might entail months of BGS work it becomes an increasing risk as a new PMF might be placed there just from one day to the other.

Altogether it smells like more opportunities for conflict.
Maybe intended.

 

[Ryan Murdoc]

Altogether it smells like more opportunities for conflict.Maybe intended.

Only if there is no consensus reached. We've had two new PS4 PMF inserted very close to us (one actually 1 System away from our HQ) and still were able to establish good relations on first contact. It always depends on the people and their maturity (or lack thereof) if things go bad or not.

 

[Auronio]

Only if there is no consensus reached. We've had two new PS4 PMF inserted very close to us (one actually 1 System away from our HQ) and still were able to establish good relations on first contact. It always depends on the people and their maturity (or lack thereof) if things go bad or not.

I agree.

 

[Jane Turner]

Only if there is no consensus reached. We've had two new PS4 PMF inserted very close to us (one actually 1 System away from our HQ) and still were able to establish good relations on first contact. It always depends on the people and their maturity (or lack thereof) if things go bad or not.

Likewise!

 

[FrogsFriend]

It works if expansion is in a cube and not a sphere, i checked the first 3 closer systems available last night and they are all outside the cube.
I will contact you tonight when i get back from work for the details on all the other systems you skipped, i want to check them too!

To go back to the earlier point about 'cubic' expansions. When determining the priority of target systems to expand into, is that decided by 'closest by straight line measure' or does it also use some sort of 'closest by one or more of X, Y & Z'?

 

[Ian Doncaster]

To go back to the earlier point about 'cubic' expansions. When determining the priority of target systems to expand into, is that decided by 'closest by straight line measure' or does it also use some sort of 'closest by one or more of X, Y & Z'?

Once the cube has been used to filter candidates, prioritisation is then just on the straight-line distance.

A previous Retreat seems to prioritise it as if it was further away than all non-retreated systems.

 

[FrogsFriend]

Thanks Ian, my Faction doesn't expand very often so I just wanted to check I was adding things up right.

 

[Erbaran]

Hi

I can report an expansion being active only three days instead six. The expanding faction immediately started a war in another system. I don't know if this war, that become pending during expansion, was the cause of this short expansion.

In addition, I have to report another situation in which a faction, that was forced to withdraw from a system, did not return to that system in the next expansion. Instead, it expanded to a more distant system.

 

[Ryan Murdoc]

Hi

I can report an expansion being active only three days instead six. The expanding faction immediately started a war in another system. I don't know if this war, that become pending during expansion, was the cause of this short expansion.

In addition, I have to report another situation in which a faction, that was forced to withdraw from a system, did not return to that system in the next expansion. Instead, it expanded to a more distant system.

Working as intended in both cases.

 

[pluton]

It is written above, "An expansion may be cancelled entirely if a conflict goes active in the same tick as the expansion."

What happens if a war or election goes active one day after the expansion goes active? The State Table shows Expansion length as 3-8 days.

Is an active expansion cancelled if a conflict goes active before day 3? Or does the expansion effectively continue (hidden under the War or Election state) until day 3, at which time the expanding faction appears in the new system? Or something else?

Does it make any difference if the conflict is in the system where the faction is expanding from?

 

[Patau82]

One day after (or any day once its started) ends the expansion and it is resolved as normal
If conflict goes active before the expansion starts then the expansion stays pending until it clears and will go active
Makes no difference what system the expansion and conflict are taking place

 

[Sierra_Hotel]

When do you find out what system you're expanding to? Or, conversely, is there a way to see it while expansion is occurring?

 

[Romeo Alpha]

When do you find out what system you're expanding to? Or, conversely, is there a way to see it while expansion is occurring?

You won’t find out for sure until the expansion completes. You can predict where you’ll end up by finding the closest system with less than seven factions.

 

[Sierra_Hotel]

You won’t find out for sure until the expansion completes. You can predict where you’ll end up by finding the closest system with less than seven factions.

That's what I thought but wanted to make sure. Was thrown off on my assumptions last night when expansion support missions popped up all in the same system, but an expansion to that system didn't make sense so I wasn't sure if there was a connection.

 

[Deareim]

@Jane : an expansion can go pending at the same time than a war goes pending in the same tick.
just happened to us. It seems that eveyrthing is related to which system is updated first.