Did the expansion rules change?

[CunningStunt]

I was under the impression that a system with 7 factions would not be a viable expansion target but a PMF just expanded into the home system of our nearest ally.

Quantum Intelligence Enterprise are a fairly new PMF based in Kaliki having only recently taken control of their home system. When they were added to the game Kaliki had 8 factions.

On Jan 27 Keltim Empire League retreated from the system leaving them with 7 factions.

On Jan 30 East India Corporation expanded into the system. So there are 8 factions again. Did the succuessful retreat of KEM make Kaliki a viable expansion target while there were still 7 factions present? Luckily both squadrons have ambassadors on my squadrons discord so I was able to put them in touch pretty quick, as Inara does not list QIE as a player faction.

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[M K Vimes]

Its an invasion. this happens when a faction has no valid regular expansion target in range. The invading faction goes straight into a conflict with the lowest non-native faction. The loser of the conflict will be kicked out of the system, restoring the system to 7 factions.

 

[CMDR Ahlos]

Is there a way to influence what system you gonna expand to+ or is it randomly chosen when it ends?

 

[FrogsFriend]

Is there a way to influence what system you gonna expand to+ or is it randomly chosen when it ends?

Simply put it's the nearest one with less than 7 factions, that you haven't previously retreated from. There's some more rules to it but that covers most expansions

 

[CMDR Ahlos]

Simply put it's the nearest one with less than 7 factions, that you haven't previously retreated from. There's some more rules to it but that covers most expansions

So no way to "direct" where the expansion goes then other then less then 7 factions, and if 7, it goes to an invasion with a non-native faction in that system?

 

[CunningStunt]

Not unless you are prepared to put a monumental effort into forcing factions out of systems by putting non-native factions into retreat to make room for your squadron, thats the only way I know of to force expansion in a certain direction.

 

[Jmanis]

So no way to "direct" where the expansion goes then other then less then 7 factions, and if 7, it goes to an invasion with a non-native faction in that system?

If there's no other options.

 

[CMDR Ahlos]

When a faction goes into a expansion state. what can you do to help it? Or will it expand regardles in the end?

 

[Ian Doncaster]

When a faction goes into a expansion state. what can you do to help it? Or will it expand regardles in the end?

Expansions basically can't be stopped once they go pending. Just a matter of deciding whether you want another expansion from that system after this one completes (keep inf high) or not (lower it a bit)

 

[CMDR Ahlos]

Expansions basically can't be stopped once they go pending. Just a matter of deciding whether you want another expansion from that system after this one completes (keep inf high) or not (lower it a bit)

So it cant fail due to lack of missions once it goes active? Like how the wars/elections work?

 

[Ian Doncaster]

So it cant fail due to lack of missions once it goes active? Like how the wars/elections work?

No, nothing like that.

The only theoretical way it could fail is if your faction was somehow forced out of the system entirely before it completed, and that would require some extremely unusual circumstances.

 

[Jmanis]

No, nothing like that.

The only theoretical way it could fail is if your faction was somehow forced out of the system entirely before it completed, and that would require some extremely unusual circumstances.

The other circumstance is that there's genuinely nowhere to expand, though in the bubble that's almost never the case.