Back Ground Sim - Want to get involved?

[Banana's_Are_Good_For_You]

If I have to come here to research it, that's bad game design. It should be clear in game why I would want to assist one faction or factions in a system over another/the others.

When you engage with the game and play it, then your actions will show the changes, as in certain commodities being legal. Prices can also be affected in at least a small way but it's not something I've had time to look at properly but on my "to do" list.
I do know, by being a filthy Commie, that Battle Weapons can be very cheap if you control a viable economy...and also very useful. Dunno how it works in other governances though.
That, in itself, isn't that hard to work out if you are paying enough attention to how you've affected the situation.

The problem is that too many players want a big red arrow telling them where to go and what to do when this game actually allows players the freedom to play with it. Something a lot of other games won't allow as they only force you down one linear path until game ends.

Elite is not a linear game but there are definitely players out there who would like it to be and play it in such a fashion. These are the fast trackers who must have the best ship and the best mods asap. Same goes for Fed or Imperial rank. They purely focus on one thing because it's the only way they know how to play games.

That's a choice a player makes as to what makes them happy but this game has a lot more to offer if you look for it.

I'm not even going to say that it's working perfectly because PP can be a massive pain when it comes to an over-riding legal policy. If a Power says a commodity is illegal then it's illegal and no player group can currently do much about it unless they are outside PP jurisdiction, sadly.

I remember the Devs mentioning a "Freedom Fighter" thing where maybe a player controlled faction could challenge the authority but it got bogged down and I haven't heard much mention of it since. It should take work to maintain your freedom, by maybe having to fend off aggressive PP NPC actions to ensure your survival or even troll the controlling system to such a degree their resources are funneled into protecting their main system as opposed to causing the player faction issues.

Another thing:
If you do missions for a Federal or Imperial faction, unsurprisingly your standing / rank with them goes up.
May not be as fast as you like but it gets there.

Ultimately, you have to play and engage with the game to get the best out of it.
Your actions in this game define you...and the game does not force you to do anything.
All it does is give you something to play with.
How much is made of that is entirely up to the player.

 

[Otherwhere]

I hear you, and while I'm not looking for a "big red arrow" telling me what to do, I am looking for more guidance than Frontier has in game. They're all faceless mission givers (yes, I know they have pics), and there's no reason to choose one over another for any reason other than credits vs credits plus materials, etc.

In the world of the game, I'd have an idea of whether or not helping corporations supports the kind of systems I'm looking to deal with. Or a dictator, or democracy, what-have-you. It wouldn't be this: "Just do it and see what happens." Especially when the affect you have is so minimal, and so glacial, and I'll likely be a hundred light years away (or more) by the time any results surface.

Maybe it's because I'm more an explorer? I system jump a lot. I don't hang around in one system very long. But when I do have time (like with the Ambika CG), I'd like to have an idea of whether or not helping out this faction &/or that one will be a benefit - aside from "better [i.e., more lucrative] missions."

 

[Doolittle]

Does seem to be working better. The trade info actually seems to work properly now, and you can use the info instead of being tricked into loosing money by it. Demand goes down and prices go up as you shuffle more goods to other systems. FD is making some headway...................YEAH!!!!.

 

[Ben Ryder]

Okay just trying to steer things from hwo it works and what works and back on to the topic of who's up for getting together to flip some easy systems for fun?

 

[Banana's_Are_Good_For_You]

I hear you, and while I'm not looking for a "big red arrow" telling me what to do, I am looking for more guidance than Frontier has in game. They're all faceless mission givers (yes, I know they have pics), and there's no reason to choose one over another for any reason other than credits vs credits plus materials, etc.

In the world of the game, I'd have an idea of whether or not helping corporations supports the kind of systems I'm looking to deal with. Or a dictator, or democracy, what-have-you. It wouldn't be this: "Just do it and see what happens." Especially when the affect you have is so minimal, and so glacial, and I'll likely be a hundred light years away (or more) by the time any results surface.

Maybe it's because I'm more an explorer? I system jump a lot. I don't hang around in one system very long. But when I do have time (like with the Ambika CG), I'd like to have an idea of whether or not helping out this faction &/or that one will be a benefit - aside from "better [i.e., more lucrative] missions."

Well, you have to be dedicated to make any headway with the BGS. One mission here or there won't make a massive amount of difference.

I guess this a roleplay thing where you have to make an agreement with yourself on what you can or can't do.
An example would be that I don't trade in slaves. It's a personal choice and I get all kinds of mad when I see other factions spamming such missions...then I go force them to retreat and kick them out...or when I have time or the situation lends itself when it's easier to do so.
I have a list of factions who I plan vengeance upon.


I can also start wars by bringing two factions influence up to the same level. If they aren't involved in a war elsewhere then it's all gravy. Sometimes I just do it for the lulz. Other times I have an agenda.

Source missions are usually a sign that a system may be entering Famine, Civil Unrest or Outbreak and I like to help out the humans sometimes. SometimesI don't.

Basically, if you give yourself a ruleset on who you do and don't like (and valid reasons why), then you can make more informed choices as to your actions.
Works for me.

My basic rules are:
No slaves.
Okay wit the Federation
Hates the Empire.
Down with Pirates, they smell funny.
Doesn't know who the Alliance is.
Okay with Antal, Sirius...

And I just base my gameplay around that.
I'll only consider flipping a system if it's outside PP control and if it would be handy to have a closer source for whatever commodity.

I don't choose missions because the payout is good. I choose them because they'll help my minor faction in some way, shape or form. I also experiment a fair bit which keeps me interested.

 

[Walter2]

. . .

The Antal Power is tiny and really very different to the other powers. It does some very strange stuff. It's not aggressive and it's activities are either unnoticed or just a little bit odd.

Well here's the interesting bit. It's not a fed, its not imperial, it is a commune co-operative type thing. They post all their activity openly on reddit and often here.

. . .

Anyway what they have done is transform 49% of the systems they are present in to favorable government types. This has been a real challenge because almost everywhere is like a democracy or corporations. They turned the systems in to coopertaives, dictatorships, feudal societies and communes.

. . .

Favourable for whom?

 

[Banana's_Are_Good_For_You]

Favourable for whom?

For those who wish to exist under a Utopian ideal?

 

[Otherwhere]

Well, you have to be dedicated to make any headway with the BGS. One mission here or there won't make a massive amount of difference.

I guess this a roleplay thing where you have to make an agreement with yourself on what you can or can't do.
An example would be that I don't trade in slaves. It's a personal choice and I get all kinds of mad when I see other factions spamming such missions...then I go force them to retreat and kick them out...or when I have time or the situation lends itself when it's easier to do so.
I have a list of factions who I plan vengeance upon.


I can also start wars by bringing two factions influence up to the same level. If they aren't involved in a war elsewhere then it's all gravy. Sometimes I just do it for the lulz. Other times I have an agenda.

Source missions are usually a sign that a system may be entering Famine, Civil Unrest or Outbreak and I like to help out the humans sometimes. SometimesI don't.

Basically, if you give yourself a ruleset on who you do and don't like (and valid reasons why), then you can make more informed choices as to your actions.
Works for me.

My basic rules are:
No slaves.
Okay wit the Federation
Hates the Empire.
Down with Pirates, they smell funny.
Doesn't know who the Alliance is.
Okay with Antal, Sirius...

And I just base my gameplay around that.
I'll only consider flipping a system if it's outside PP control and if it would be handy to have a closer source for whatever commodity.

I don't choose missions because the payout is good. I choose them because they'll help my minor faction in some way, shape or form. I also experiment a fair bit which keeps me interested.

Thanks for the info! That's kind of what I was doing, but blindly with no idea of what would happen if I took missions from everyone who was offering (not at the same time! too many interdictions) and wanted to know why I should help one group over another. I do pretty much what you do. I'll support democracies and not dictators, anarchy if I'm in Federation systems, no slaves but the occasional Black Market illicit goods. But corporations? Why do I care, one over another? That's the depth I feel is missing in Elite Dangerous. I can make up my own rules and try and entertain myself that way, but I appreciate when a developer demonstrates creativity as well.

Fly safe, Commander!

P.S. With the Ambika CG over, and the next ones mostly unplayable for me as I don't have Horizons, maybe I'll hang around this sector for a while and see what I can mess with BGS-wise.

 

[Ben Ryder]

Favourable for whom?

For those who wish to exist under a Utopian ideal?

Yep thats correct

 

[killminster]

Hi all, check out this thread it contains about as much as I know about BGS tinkering. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/275163-Liberate-Sirius-System-flippers-with-Sirius-permits-needed%21

I did get some good results as at one point Sirius Corporation and Sirius Free were at parity in influence. However I think I was the only person who was actively working the BGS in this system and even though I could see the results of what I was doing it was a lot of sustained daily grind and I burnt out. The result was after slacking off for a day Sirius Corp. influence dropped by 10% (at that point I thought "screw this!" and went on a trip to the Bubble Nebula, from whence I have just returned).

The lesson I learned, at least for this system, is that one person can get tangible results, but it was too big a job for just one person.

I wouldn't try this again by myself but if a group of 5 or more like minded CMDRs (with Sirius permits) made a concerted effort I think they could get some pleasing results pretty quickly.

PM me if you would like to give it a go.