The whole 'BGS affect ppl' is a bogus argument. Players wouldn't know if it's random or scrpted or player agency that drives the BGS. And if it weren't driven they'd complain about a static, boring universe. It's just made up to justify antagonistic playstyle against others. Which the BGS isnt about, but they are narrowed down to their little viewport because they find it fun to upset people. In essence they are just trolls.
What does it matter if anyone cares about a faction? The BGS is a dynamic system and would continue to be dynamic if noone bothered about a faction. If there was an AI running it you wouldn't know the difference. It just provides a means to player motivation. In the end you can do without caring about factions - it doesn't affect the core game functionality. It enhances them. Anything you "care" about a faction is just metagaming in your head.
OK, so someone adopted a PMF. Great news. The BGS became a bit more like a dynamic living thing. Did it affect you? Probably not. If it did you had to consider some ramifications in a dynamic world. Thanks BGS. And thanks, unknown stranger who added some structured background to this virtual world.
BTW, ALL factions are territorial, not just the player driven ones. In any case, it's part of the game, whether nudged by players or controlled by algorithm.
Just like career Solo players waxing poetic about Open Play you've moved on to discussing how the BGS is played by
thousands of players from an equivalently ignorant place.
"Nudged" by players. Haha. Go ask a group like Communism Interstellar or AEDC if all they do is
nudge the BGS.
The BGS is an adversarial system. This is just like saying Open Play is a free for all. Fundamental to the concept, bud.
It's brought up in these conversations because people cry and whine about BGS actions too. "You're working against my faction! What are you? Some kind of griefer?" Granted it happens a lot less than in a PvP situation but it's there.
Like I said ages ago in this thread: the issue is a lot of players are religiously opposed to adversity in any form.
The BGS provides gameplay for everyone, the BGS affects everyone, the BGS is affected by everyone, the BGS should belong to everyone.
I'm not a fan of PMF, I am not a fan of playergroups manipulation the BGS but I'll accept it but do NOT call it PvP, do NOT complain about the effects my actions have on the BGS and most definitely do NOT deny me the right to do to the BGS whatever the hell pleases me!
Just because you lot managed to get developer support for emergent gameplay does not mean you have sole ownership of it.
If it were up to me even the largest player groups in the game would struggle to control even a small handful of systems.
Just like PvP in Open we have an issue (BGS manipulation) you can't do much about in game so you're taking to the forums to shame people into playing your way.
Go hit up the BGS forum. PvP isn't the only thing you can get good at playing.