A Guide to Minor Factions and the Background Sim

[Sixteen-String Jack]

As there are more multi-system factions in the galaxy the BGS could be developed further to reflect this.

A simple method would be to use the mechanic that determines whether factions go into war or election to ensure that factions trade with friends and attack enemies.

Though this mechanic could also be improved, because the reason why authoritarian governments should go into election at all is obscure, it would perhaps be better for their character to be developed rather than for them to be considered alternative forms of democracy.

These improvements might promote more peaceful governments, with the authoritarians deprived of trading missions.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

As there are more multi-system factions in the galaxy the BGS could be developed further to reflect this.

A simple method would be to use the mechanic that determines whether factions go into war or election to ensure that factions trade with friends and attack enemies.

Though this mechanic could also be improved, because the reason why authoritarian governments should go into election at all is obscure, it would perhaps be better for their character to be developed rather than for them to be considered alternative forms of democracy.

These improvements might promote more peaceful governments, with the authoritarians deprived of trading missions.

I would be interested in some "power struggle" mechanics, i.e. friendly/neutral/hostile thresholds for factions. Would definitely take a lot of consideration to implement, though.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

I'm getting a little frustrated with minor factions undermining...themselves.

I can understand some missions to a system they control, where you can RP the idea that 'we just need to give these guys this stuff, even if it hurts our inf'. But every single 'take some stuff to this system' mission yesterday was to the same system, and same faction. And I saw this in multiple systems.

Meaning Faction A in system A was giving missions to take 'some stuff' to Faction B in system X, which Faction A also controls. Fine. But Faction A was giving these missions from systems they control B, C, and D, and they were all to system X delivering to Faction B. If I had gone ahead and done them, that would have piled a lot inf into Faction B in system X, essentially undermining Faction A, the giver of the missions. [wacky]

Anyone else notice this? Is that intended, or is the BGS just not that self aware to keep it from happening?

I do wonder why factions don't send stuff to their own faction in other systems. But at least now it doesn't increase their influence like it used to. The only effect of being a destination faction is influencing the BGS states.

 

[SaliVader]

I do wonder why factions don't send stuff to their own faction in other systems. But at least now it doesn't increase their influence like it used to. The only effect of being a destination faction is influencing the BGS states.

Passenger missions do affect the target faction's influence.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

I do wonder why factions don't send stuff to their own faction in other systems. But at least now it doesn't increase their influence like it used to. The only effect of being a destination faction is influencing the BGS states.

Passenger missions do affect the target faction's influence.

I think Lizard is right, it's just state effects, not influence for or against the target.

*edit*

Didn't know that about the passengers. As far as cargo goes, all I ever see are state effects.

 

[Abil Midena]

I do wonder why factions don't send stuff to their own faction in other systems. But at least now it doesn't increase their influence like it used to. The only effect of being a destination faction is influencing the BGS states.

I had to read this a couple times...you're saying the target faction doesn't gain inf for the delivery (data/cargo), but it adds to one of their state buckets?

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

I had to read this a couple times...you're saying the target faction doesn't gain inf for the delivery (data/cargo), but it adds to one of their state buckets?

That's right. But turns out I'm wrong about passenger missions.

 

[Abil Midena]

That's right. But turns out I'm wrong about passenger missions.

Hm. That is odd. To me, it doesn't make sense that it would change state, but not inf. I wonder if it's down to server activity, because if they changed it so it changed inf as well, that would immediately double the server load as far as inf tracking goes. Or maybe they are going to change it in the future, since pax missions DO change inf. Where's Dav when you need him?

 

[Sentenza]

Now a couple of interesting questions. There is a faction in bust, and I am noticing in all nearby systems a lot - and I mean really a lot - of delivery missions that have the effect of pushing bust for the same faction.

So, first of all - is the existence of all these missions related to the fact of the faction already being in bust? I don't remember having seen this before, but I could be wrong.

Second question - what happens if I keep running such missions? Do they reinforce the state? In this specific case, existing bust will be interrupted soon by war, the bust pool will be filled again queuing another one or what?

 

[Sterling MH]

Another random thought, because I've not seen it myself. When a new coriolos station was made, was it spawned spinning or not? Because it would be silly to try to build the station when it's spinning, because trying to take anything from the centre of the ship to fix to the end, you will be moving *nearly* tangentially to the ground and swipe anything there. So it ought to be put mostly together, at least in the gross superstructure until the first few landing pads were done and working, stationary.

But I don't remember if the inserted unfinished stations were stationary or spinning.

 

[Sentenza]

Another random thought, because I've not seen it myself. When a new coriolos station was made, was it spawned spinning or not? Because it would be silly to try to build the station when it's spinning, because trying to take anything from the centre of the ship to fix to the end, you will be moving *nearly* tangentially to the ground and swipe anything there. So it ought to be put mostly together, at least in the gross superstructure until the first few landing pads were done and working, stationary.

But I don't remember if the inserted unfinished stations were stationary or spinning.

Near Maia there is a station "under construction" and it is spinning.

 

[Fire Dragon]

Has anyone managed to figure out how the new trading system works? I mean since they removed the 1tn effect.

Is it on profit, quantity, amount of cmdrs involved x ?, We do quite a lot of trading (well used to as it was a good way to keep the % up) but now trading seems useless

Any advice would really be appreciated...

 

[Sterling MH]

Near Maia there is a station "under construction" and it is spinning.

Cheers.

Silly engineers...

When you're already bringing in the beds and sheets and building internal walls, sure, it's a lot easier to build in a gravity well (spinning). Ah well. Maybe that animation is built in to the code for the stations, to be meta about it.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

There were definitely stations that didn't spin. It was a bit weird docking at them. It should have been easier, but somehow it wasn't.

 

[CMDR Endincite]

Has anyone managed to figure out how the new trading system works? I mean since they removed the 1tn effect.

Is it on profit, quantity, amount of cmdrs involved x ?, We do quite a lot of trading (well used to as it was a good way to keep the % up) but now trading seems useless

Any advice would really be appreciated...

Actually conducting testing on this right now, starting with small scale (100 tons, mediocre profit vs. various populations with no traffic). I started just after today's tick, so I'll post the results when I have them.
Quite difficult to get really solid 'neutral' results just this moment - tons of factions nearby in various interfering states - so I'll conduct a bunch of tests and try to sort out some average.

One report earlier had >2% for ~220 tons at a decent profit in low-pop/zero-traffic. I wouldn't call that useless. 2% for what? Ten minutes effort? [up]
Basically everything is improved by increasing CMDR numbers, so something like a trade circuit through as many of your faction's assets as possible still seems useful.

 

[CMDR pollycough]

Ceos station is/was not spinning while under construction

 

[Jmanis]

Actually conducting testing on this right now, starting with small scale (100 tons, mediocre profit vs. various populations with no traffic). I started just after today's tick, so I'll post the results when I have them.
Quite difficult to get really solid 'neutral' results just this moment - tons of factions nearby in various interfering states - so I'll conduct a bunch of tests and try to sort out some average.

One report earlier had >2% for ~220 tons at a decent profit in low-pop/zero-traffic. I wouldn't call that useless. 2% for what? Ten minutes effort? [up]
Basically everything is improved by increasing CMDR numbers, so something like a trade circuit through as many of your faction's assets as possible still seems useful.

For whatever it's worth... I might've mentioned this earlier too, my faction's been enjoying widespread growth across multiple systems since this change came in... and we have control of a good trade route cluster. Before this change, we usually had to put in effort to maintain those systems. Average player traffic is 20-odd pilots per day.

Off-current-topic. How long does pending outbreak usually last? Just verifying it won't shortcut expansion*

* PS: I do know it's not meant to. While I have every faith in groupthink usually, I still like to personally verify.

 

[Sentenza]

One report earlier had >2% for ~220 tons at a decent profit in low-pop/zero-traffic. I wouldn't call that useless. 2% for what? Ten minutes effort? [up]
Basically everything is improved by increasing CMDR numbers, so something like a trade circuit through as many of your faction's assets as possible still seems useful.

No, that was a reference about what was expected "before" the change.

My test systems just cleared from war, I am going to test soon.

 

[Jmanis]

Oh, and another silly question... anyone familiar with a way of tanking your own rep *without* hurting your faction's influence?

I want to re-collect my faction's various portraits again... which means I need to drop from Allied all the way down to Hostile.

I want to *assume* that accepting and abandoning missions doesn't hurt influence, but thought I'd double check, or try to find a better way at least

 

[Schlack]

Oh, and another silly question... anyone familiar with a way of tanking your own rep *without* hurting your faction's influence?

I want to re-collect my faction's various portraits again... which means I need to drop from Allied all the way down to Hostile.

I want to *assume* that accepting and abandoning missions doesn't hurt influence, but thought I'd double check, or try to find a better way at least

Abandoning/failing missions should do it. It used to tank influence but was patched out due to player abuse.