A Guide to Minor Factions and the Background Sim

[Deleted member 38366]

Anyone know what the mechanics for Capital Ship appearances are?
Can players influence when and where Capital Ships appear?

The system I am working in just saw a 13%P gain (without any apparent changes to any other systems) by one of the bad factions and a Capital Ship appeared and this was outside the bubble.
I am starting to feel like there are shenanigans afoot.

It may take a little longer, but I *will* take this system.

For all I know, it technically only takes a High Intensity Conflict zone and usually a Federation or Empire Faction involved.

However, I've seen Independents have a Capital Ship in a High Intensity Conflict Zone.
I was quite surprised when I saw a FNS spawn for the Feds... followed by a 2nd (Empire CapShip) fighting for our (Independent) side. Only seen it once, though, but others have reported the same occasionally.

I don't quite think Independents (or Alliance) would ever have a CapShip on their own, I reckon it can only occasionally appear when the Opposing side also has one in the field in a High Intensity CZ.

 

[Don Alvarez]

Anyone know what the mechanics for Capital Ship appearances are?
Can players influence when and where Capital Ships appear?

The system I am working in just saw a 13%P gain (without any apparent changes to any other systems) by one of the bad factions and a Capital Ship appeared and this was outside the bubble.
I am starting to feel like there are shenanigans afoot.

It may take a little longer, but I *will* take this system.

For all I know, it technically only takes a High Intensity Conflict zone and usually a Federation or Empire Faction involved.

However, I've seen Independents have a Capital Ship in a High Intensity Conflict Zone.
I was quite surprised when I saw a FNS spawn for the Feds... followed by a 2nd (Empire CapShip) fighting for our (Independent) side. Only seen it once, though, but others have reported the same occasionally.

I don't quite think Independents (or Alliance) would ever have a CapShip on their own, I reckon it can only occasionally appear when the Opposing side also has one in the field in a High Intensity CZ.

According to Dav, its a random chance when two factions go to war and one is not native, or what he dubbed "invasion". So one faction (or possibly both using that criteria) must have expanded into the system from elsewhere. That also theoretically rules out "civil" wars.

To answer the second question - no, pretty sure players have zero influence on when a cap ship appears. If the criteria for spawning one is met, it's a completely random chance.

 

[Mangal Oemie]

You can't shorten an investment with conflicts, it will stay active along with the conflict.

Two active states at the same time????

 

[irongut]

Two active states at the same time????

Only when one of them is investment, yes.

However, I've seen Independents have a Capital Ship in a High Intensity Conflict Zone.
I was quite surprised when I saw a FNS spawn for the Feds... followed by a 2nd (Empire CapShip) fighting for our (Independent) side. Only seen it once, though, but others have reported the same occasionally.

You think that's wierd, lately every time I get a capital ship CZ it is bugged and my faction (Empire) get a Farragut with a name like INV Duval and the Indies get a Majestic with a name like FNS Farragut!!! Really breaks my immersion and annoys the hell out of me. Before 2.1 or 2.2 the Indies didn't get a cap ship at all but if an Empire or Fed faction was present they could get their cap ship. Now it doesn't seem to matter as long as one side is Empire or Fed then both sides will get a cap ship, often the wrong ones.

 

[raeat]

Thanks for the responses, folks. Duly noted.

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

Only when one of them is investment, yes.

Has anyone seen Investment and Expansion at the same time? It should be possible for a second system to go into expansion while the Investment is running. Though they could end up with the same destination system.

 

[goemon]

Has anyone seen Investment and Expansion at the same time? It should be possible for a second system to go into expansion while the Investment is running. Though they could end up with the same destination system.

we had the circumstancs and it did not happen ... we will have them again at the weekend, i'll report back.

 

[_trent_]

When in war only combat actions have any effect on influence. Exploration data will have no effect.

I'm no longer convinced this is true. Recently we've noticed that black market activities seem to affect influence negatively regardless of the state the faction is in, including war/civil war.

 

[Jmanis]

According to Dav, its a random chance when two factions go to war and one is not native, or what he dubbed "invasion". So one faction (or possibly both using that criteria) must have expanded into the system from elsewhere. That also theoretically rules out "civil" wars.

To answer the second question - no, pretty sure players have zero influence on when a cap ship appears. If the criteria for spawning one is met, it's a completely random chance.

I've seen Civil Wars with capships. I'll keep my eye out next time and get screenshots.

I recall (but don't take my word on it) that there were other "factors" that influenced whether Captial ships would appear (in High CZs) relating to underlying factors (e.g wealth, overall influence etc) but definitely take that with a grain of salt.

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I'm no longer convinced this is true. Recently we've noticed that black market activities seem to affect influence negatively regardless of the state the faction is in, including war/civil war.

+1. I have no evidence of this though, haven't had the space or time to get some together.

 

[Rubbernuke]

A few questions regarding expansions:

What percentage influence does a faction need to trigger one? What triggers the expansion itself?

Once this percentage is reached, what is the average time to expand? Related, once a faction has expanded, what is the cooldown time before another one can happen?

Is it possible to steer where a faction expands to? If it is, how do you do it?

 

[_trent_]

A few questions regarding expansions:

What percentage influence does a faction need to trigger one? What triggers the expansion itself?

Once this percentage is reached, what is the average time to expand? Related, once a faction has expanded, what is the cooldown time before another one can happen?

Is it possible to steer where a faction expands to? If it is, how do you do it?

75% to trigger an expansion.

5 days pending 5-7 days active expansion. Once active, you can cut this short by going into conflict in another system. If you time it right, you can expand immediately by going into war/civil war/election on the first day of the expansion.

Yes. You will go into the nearest system (to the system that you are expanding from) with 6 factions or less.

 

[Jendrassik]

As I understand it:

You need 70% influence, no other requirements.

Expansions are pending for 5 days, last 3-5 days and have a cooldown of 2 days.

If there are no valid systems (populated, has a spare faction slot) in range to expand to, the faction will go into the Investment state, then looks for a valid system again at increased range. There is no way to control what system a faction expands to.

I presume each system can only expand once, otherwise a faction at 70% would constantly be expanding or in cooldown, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Thanks guys!

I presume each system can only expand once, otherwise a faction at 70% would constantly be expanding or in cooldown, but I'm not 100% sure.

I'd like to know that as well.

 

[Jmanis]

Thanks guys!



I'd like to know that as well.

Not quite sure what you/jendrassik mean? So, expansion state has a built-in influence drain which is meant to get it below 75% again, but if you are savvy enough you can keep it above 75%, then once the cooldown has finished, the same system will go into expansion pending again. Keeping it above 75% is hard work though, since a tiny bit of negative influence can undo heaps of positive influence actions.

So,, answering your question, yes, a (single) system can expand multiple times; no limit afaik.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Not quite sure what you/jendrassik mean? So, expansion state has a built-in influence drain which is meant to get it below 75% again, but if you are savvy enough you can keep it above 75%, then once the cooldown has finished, the same system will go into expansion pending again. Keeping it above 75% is hard work though, since a tiny bit of negative influence can undo heaps of positive influence actions.

So,, answering your question, yes, a (single) system can expand multiple times; no limit afaik.

That was the gist of it, in that an expansion state has a 'lifecycle' (and that once it is over it drops back down again to start over).

 

[Ben Ryder]

That was the gist of it, in that an expansion state has a 'lifecycle' (and that once it is over it drops back down again to start over).

You might find this useful

 

[Rubbernuke]

Last question (I promise!)

What is the maximum size a faction can expand to? What limits are there?

 

[_trent_]

Last question (I promise!)

What is the maximum size a faction can expand to? What limits are there?

There probably isn't a hard limit to the number of systems you can be in, I know of factions who are in 15+, however the larger the number of systems the faction is in, the harder it is to manage them.

Pushing a faction with 12 systems into conflict in any one of them, for example, effectively prevents them from doing much else in the other 11 systems for a full week.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Cheers! +1 since I can't give it again!

 

[Schlack]

Last question (I promise!)

What is the maximum size a faction can expand to? What limits are there?

We don't know, I think the limit is as many as you can manage. It gets a bit funky when over 20! And recent BGS changes with mission destination effects and skimmer scumming makes it a challenge. Information is the key to success.

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Pushing a faction with 12 systems into conflict in any one of them, for example, effectively prevents them from doing much else in the other 11 systems for a full week.

It certainly limits the actions that can be taken because of the 1 faction state rule (investment excepted) but that time can also be used for preparations and faction management. This becomes far more important the more systems a faction is in.