A Guide to Minor Factions and the Background Sim

[Starwolfe]

Thanks CMDR;

By predictable re expansion destination, do you mean they will arrive at the nearest system unless they are already there or its filled. If a faction already controls a certain type of economy, I was hoping that the bgs would pass on going into another one even if its the closest available system.

Its a basic formula - I think its posten on the OP, but to state:

The closest system from the Point of expansion with room (having 6 or less factions) within 20 Ly.

It is assumed the Investment state expands the range to 40ly, but it "might" also allow for the system to be more full as I have seen systems with 8+ factions in them. But those may be holdovers from prior to the expansion mechanic change sometime last year.

 

[FrogsFriend]

My supported Faction has just expanded last week and it skipped the three closest systems, with 3, 4 & 4 Factions respectively in each, and put me in the fourth one out, that already had six Factions in it. Perhaps the states/pending states of existing Factions in those systems made them ineligible for some reason?

 

[Walter2]

Its a basic formula - I think its posten on the OP, but to state:

The closest system from the Point of expansion with room (having 6 or less factions) within 20 Ly.

These may not be absolute rules. There were two expansions in Colonia recently where the nearest candidates were skipped. One of the expanding factions is now the eighth faction in the system (Eol Prou LW-L c8-306).

However:
1 There may be special rules in Colonia.
2 There may be an infrequently applied random factor to make expansions less predictable (I seem to remember someone else reporting an 8-faction system and there's FrogsFriend's post above).
3 This could be a bug (or two).

 

[BL1P]

These may not be absolute rules. There were two expansions in Colonia recently where the nearest candidates were skipped. One of the expanding factions is now the eighth faction in the system (Eol Prou LW-L c8-306).

However:
1 There may be special rules in Colonia.
2 There may be an infrequently applied random factor to make expansions less predictable (I seem to remember someone else reporting an 8-faction system and there's FrogsFriend's post above).
3 This could be a bug (or two).

As I understand it the rules are (Distance (closest best) + Faction amount (lowest best) + Population size (smallest best))
Could be wrong though

 

[Starwolfe]

Interesting. The systems I observe within the bubble have it tend to follow those rules to a T.

Optional systems of 4 or less factions in 20 ly are skipped for the closest system with room every time.


Makes me wonder what is different...

 

[_trent_]

My supported Faction has just expanded last week and it skipped the three closest systems, with 3, 4 & 4 Factions respectively in each, and put me in the fourth one out, that already had six Factions in it. Perhaps the states/pending states of existing Factions in those systems made them ineligible for some reason?

That is very interesting. We've seen that non-native factions don't seem to retreat from systems with 3 or 4 factions but haven't seen a faction expand to a system other than the nearest available one. In saying that, none of the systems in our location have less than 5 factions, and most have 6 or 7, so perhaps the ones near you with only 3 or 4 are like that for a reason.

 

[Starwolfe]

That's a good point Trent.

There are not many, but I am aware of a few systems such as Sol where it is impossible for a Player Minor Faction to go into. It would be good to know if those systems were such situations more publically sometimes...

 

[Patau82]

That is very interesting. We've seen that non-native factions don't seem to retreat from systems with 3 or 4 factions but haven't seen a faction expand to a system other than the nearest available one. In saying that, none of the systems in our location have less than 5 factions, and most have 6 or 7, so perhaps the ones near you with only 3 or 4 are like that for a reason.

had a strange expansion like this a few weeks back, there were at least 5 systems closer and the system we ended up in was 29.36Ly away!
no idea why this happened, all other previous and subsequent expansions seem to follow rule

 

[Walter2]

As I understand it the rules are (Distance (closest best) + Faction amount (lowest best) + Population size (smallest best))
Could be wrong though

That really sounds both plausible and desirable, but it doesn't seem to be working that way at the moment. Someone in the Colonia Discord bgs channel reported this behaviour in the bubble: "I had expansions where the closest candidate had 4 factions yet we expanded into a 7 faction system 3ly further." This sounds horribly familiar.

There has been more odd behaviour in Colonia itself: two extra-normal expansions into systems that already have seven factions, triggering immediate and unpended wars - conflicts that don't seem to be affecting the behaviour of the factions in other systems.

 

[Lee Ti]

That's a good point Trent.

There are not many, but I am aware of a few systems such as Sol where it is impossible for a Player Minor Faction to go into. It would be good to know if those systems were such situations more publically sometimes...

From the fraction submission request form https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...inor-Factions-Submission-Form-and-Information

"If the system that you are applying to contains any of the following systems, it will be rejected: Sol, Alioth, Achenar, Lave, Cemiess, Sirius, Robigo, Rauta, Eravate.
Why are these systems rejected?
1) too many applications to said system,
2) reserved system,
3) lore important system,
4) locked out by request of Frontier."

And I think we can assume that there will be other player locked systems. As we are told that all fractions are equal then I would assume that a non player fraction would also be locked out. I wonder if where there was only 3 or 4 fractions present if they were all local...

 

[KoteBR]

Hello everyone.Our minor faction is about to go under elections against another faction.We have 43.2% influence and they have 38.8%.Is there a minimum % of influence to definitely win the election?or something like "if you have at least 10% more influence than the other faction,the election will stop and you win" ?

 

[_trent_]

Hello everyone.Our minor faction is about to go under elections against another faction.We have 43.2% influence and they have 38.8%.Is there a minimum % of influence to definitely win the election?or something like "if you have at least 10% more influence than the other faction,the election will stop and you win" ?

Elections last for a minimum of 4 days. On the third day if one faction has a 5%* or more lead then it will 'win' the election and gain the best asset in the system belonging to the losing faction. The elections will finish 1 tick later (don't know why it takes an extra day, it just does)

If neither faction is 5% ahead of the other, the elections will continue until one gains the required 5% lead. At that point, they will win the election and gain the best asset in the system belonging to the losing faction. The elections will finish 1 tick later.

*With civil wars the margin of victory is 3%, but I'm pretty sure that both War and Elections require a 5% lead.

 

[CMDR Endincite]

Other way around afaik.
Elections and civil wars: 3%
Wars: 5%

Edit: I wondered about Elections with non-native factions (which would equate to wars) but they also seem to require only 3%.

 

[IGII2]

My minor faction has been in expansion state for full 7 days and the expansion is still listed as current state and no actual expansion happened. Anyone knows how is this possible? According to the OP's table, expansion can last up to 6 days, not 7 (8th day with the next tick), so I'm a bit confused here.

Also, how is it possible to make the expansion last only its min duration (5 days)? I don't actually understand what needs to be done for it to happen and not going for the full duration (which seems longer than listed anyways).

There is plenty of systems within 20ly range, there is no ongoing war and the station's news don't list anything about successful expansion. I also checked nearby systems and my faction is nowhere to be found either.

 

[Starwolfe]

Elections are funky in that way, its based off a similar government type it seems. However it is somewhat odd... the gap IIRC is indeed 3%, but unlike Wars and Civil Wars that can last up to 28 days, Elections have a max of 5.

My minor faction has been in expansion state for full 7 days and the expansion is still listed as current state and no actual expansion happened. Anyone knows how is this possible? According to the OP's table, expansion can last up to 6 days, not 7 (8th day with the next tick), so I'm a bit confused here.

Also, how is it possible to make the expansion last only its min duration (5 days)? I don't actually understand what needs to be done for it to happen and not going for the full duration (which seems longer than listed anyways).

There is plenty of systems within 20ly range, there is no ongoing war and the station's news don't list anything about successful expansion. I also checked nearby systems and my faction is nowhere to be found either.

A Conflict state overrides some of the logic in the system sometimes. You likely have a conflict like War, Civil War or Election "holding" up the pending Expansion. The Expansion will go active once the conflict is resolved.

Check your local news boards, the system faction summary section will tell you what is up with the faction, and where.


HOWEVER; I don't know why it would be still current... that sounds really buggy.

 

[_trent_]

Other way around afaik.
Elections and civil wars: 3%
Wars: 5%

Edit: I wondered about Elections with non-native factions (which would equate to wars) but they also seem to require only 3%.

Fair enough. My faction members are all quite keen, we usually win every war/election by about 15 points.

 

[BL1P]

Other way around afaik.
Elections and civil wars: 3%
Wars: 5%

Edit: I wondered about Elections with non-native factions (which would equate to wars) but they also seem to require only 3%.

And yet from Different sources I have been told the following :-

1. From Discord I was told : 5% for cw, 10% for war, and for election if i remember correctly its 5% for 2 factions native to the system and 10% if there is at least one non-native faction involved
2. Other people have said 3% for CW - 5% for War - 5% for Election.
and now yours
3. Elections and civil wars: 3% Wars: 5%

I wonder which one it is

Would it be so hard for Fdev to put the amount needed to win in the description of the State ?
Or God forbid actually create a Galactic Encyclopedia ? (No thats going to far ! lets just make everyone Meta-Game instead of Playing the game)

 

[Limoncello Lizard]

And yet from Different sources I have been told the following :-

1. From Discord I was told : 5% for cw, 10% for war, and for election if i remember correctly its 5% for 2 factions native to the system and 10% if there is at least one non-native faction involved
2. Other people have said 3% for CW - 5% for War - 5% for Election.
and now yours
3. Elections and civil wars: 3% Wars: 5%

I wonder which one it is

Some of those sources are out of date. It was the higher figure once, but this has changed. So option 3. Elections and civil wars: 3% Wars: 5%.

 

[ShimEnki]

And yet from Different sources I have been told the following :-

1. From Discord I was told : 5% for cw, 10% for war, and for election if i remember correctly its 5% for 2 factions native to the system and 10% if there is at least one non-native faction involved
2. Other people have said 3% for CW - 5% for War - 5% for Election.
and now yours
3. Elections and civil wars: 3% Wars: 5%

I wonder which one it is

Would it be so hard for Fdev to put the amount needed to win in the description of the State ?
Or God forbid actually create a Galactic Encyclopedia ? (No thats going to far ! lets just make everyone Meta-Game instead of Playing the game)

Agreed, we could use a few small to medium sized bones tossed our way re bgs...clear basics would be a gruyte start

 

[MottiKhan]

There was a dev update that mentioned elections and civil wars being 3% and wars being 5%, but I don't recall where it was. It's in several discords though. I don't know about reddit, since I don't peruse that sort of thing.