Factions - what to do?

[Horrgakx]

Hi – I’m looking for advice on joining a faction (if that’s the right term for it?).

I see that there are missions which are available / aligned to particular factions but I really don’t know what to do with joining up with something (or indeed how to do it). I suppose I’m worried that if I go exploring then I go outside of the range of this faction, or if I go to other places which are enemies with a faction I join then what are the implications of that?

I’ve just stayed well away from this part ED and I’m sure I’m missing out, but I just don’t know what to do :/

 

[william1134]

Are you talking about powerplay?

If so I would warn you against it as at the moment it is simply an exercise in futility and frustration. It seems to me that in order to "play" it, you need an awful lot of time and in game money but ultimately you will not gain much in terms of enjoyment from it.

Have a read on the powerplay subforum. https://forums.frontier.co.uk/forumdisplay.php/159-Powerplay-Discussions

 

[Schlack]

If you're talking about in system factions, you don't join them as such, but you can get allied with them by undertaking missions, bounty hunting and selling explo data etc. You can help them but they cant really help you. You do get better missions, lower repair bills and nicer comms when you're allied. Plus their ships go green on the scanner!

 

[Adhock]

Ah. Picking a minor faction to support are you?

There is no fancy method, menus, or means to which to "pledge" or "join" a minor faction. It's as simple as picking a system, looking through the factions in the system and going "I like you so I'll support you!". Then you do so by running missions, trading, doing bounties, supporting them in CZ's, keeping them out of negative states while encouraging positive states and helping them expand into new systems.

So you don't really "Fly your Colors" so to speak.

Most factions are generally pretty neutral towards each other, (even wars aren't personal, they're just business) so "joining" a faction won't set off some kind of trigger where a whole faction is suddenly        at you and will kill you on Sight (unlike powerplay). You'd have to intentionally      them off by destroying their ships and property as well as intentionally failing or abandoning too many missions. Of course you can always run missions for the faction you're antagonizing to keep them more or less cordial toward you.

Most factions are limited to one system unless they've expanded so as long as you know the name of your system, you can find your way home pretty easily. And again, 'joining' a faction won't cause anyone else to hate you on sight unless you're intentionally ing them off.

So have fun! Do a few missions, learn how they work, increase your reputation with as many people as you like. Worth both sides to become a major player in your system. Play the BGS and make your faction the king of their corner of space!

Powerplay is another beast altogether and isn't going very well so you might want to stay out of that unless you're feeling comfortable antagonizing people.

 

[SafteyBot]

Getting friendly and allied with pirate factions also seems to reduce how often they interdict you. Nothing seems to stop it, but it will slow down.

 

[Horrgakx]

Thanks for the advice.

So if I do missions for different people I can build reputations with a few of them?

Sounds like I'll stay clear of PowerPlay

 

[the100thmonkey]

So if I do missions for different people I can build reputations with a few of them?

You can end up allied with all the factions in a particular system if you know what missions to avoid.

As others have pointed out, there's no in-game reason, apart from credits, to ingratiate yourself with minor factions. There are lots of outside-the-game reasons though. Consider perusing the Dangerous Groups forum and joining up with like-minded people in backing a minor faction. It's lots of fun.

 

[sndle9]

As others have pointed out, there's no in-game reason, apart from credits, to ingratiate yourself with minor factions. There are lots of outside-the-game reasons though.

Credits is a good reason, but not the only reason to cozy up to all factions at a station if you have Horizons and therefore Engineers...

The higher your rating the more chance of you being able to accept all missions on offer and (I suspect) the more chance they provide good resource/commodity rewards to pimp your ships.

Because of this I try to max out all factions at larger stations to get a big choice of missions with less flying around, especially near the engineers bases.

 

[Deleted member 115407]

It's a significant shortcoming in the BGS, IMO. Your standing with one minor faction should affect your standings with the others, depending on their relation with each other. This would make the galaxy more dynamic for people who operate within clusters of stars, and make the supercruise game more exciting when operating in areas where your allied faction(s) were at war with others.

For now, you can just ally yourself with everyone if you want to put in the time. A good strategy though is to choose one or two minor factions with a strong presence in a handful of systems. Work up rep with them and there will usually always be a place to go to find good missions.

To get in on a faction's good side quickly, find a faction at war and turn in about 500k in bonds for them (I usually do it in 100k increments, but I don't know that it matters).

 

[Horrgakx]

Thanks for the info all.

To get in on a faction's good side quickly, find a faction at war and turn in about 500k in bonds for them

I'm not sure I want to give any cash away, I'm struggling with an Eagle with pulse lasers at the moment and I'm really finding it difficult.
You really would think I've been playing since the Betas. Although I have had some time off recently purely because I found it hard to actually get anywhere.

 

[Engadine]

Thanks for the info all.



I'm not sure I want to give any cash away, I'm struggling with an Eagle with pulse lasers at the moment and I'm really finding it difficult.
You really would think I've been playing since the Betas. Although I have had some time off recently purely because I found it hard to actually get anywhere.

Hi,

You've misunderstood the reply.

It's referring to Combat Bonds, which you get by fighting for that faction in the local Combat Zones, so you end up ranking up your Rep with your chosen faction whilst earning credits at the same time upon handing them in.

 

[DukeIronHand]

Getting friendly and allied with pirate factions also seems to reduce how often they interdict you. Nothing seems to stop it, but it will slow down.

Really? Interesting. Never heard that before.
All pirates or (I presume) just the NPC's from the faction you are friendly with in their system? Now that I type that it would make sense eh?

 

[Horrgakx]

Hi,
You've misunderstood the reply.
It's referring to Combat Bonds, which you get by fighting for that faction in the local Combat Zones, so you end up ranking up your Rep with your chosen faction whilst earning credits at the same time upon handing them in.

I still don't think I understand - sorry
Last night I killed a 'wanted' ship and got bounty for it. I decided to work my way back to Sol but I'm unable to cash in the credits anywhere now.

 

[Tataboj]

I still don't think I understand - sorry
Last night I killed a 'wanted' ship and got bounty for it. I decided to work my way back to Sol but I'm unable to cash in the credits anywhere now.

You can manipulate the factions to get in a war with each other. If they're in a war, conflict zones will be all over the system. You can side with your faction in a conflict zone and fight for their navy.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

Also, if the bounty has been issued by a minor faction, you need to be in a system where that faction is present, so they can pay you off.

 

[Engadine]

I still don't think I understand - sorry
Last night I killed a 'wanted' ship and got bounty for it. I decided to work my way back to Sol but I'm unable to cash in the credits anywhere now.

Two dfferent things; Combat Bonds & Bounties.

Bounties will be given for taking out a Wanted ship and the bounty is collected by handing it at a station where the faction who put the bounty out resides.

http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Bounty

So unless that bounty was put on the NPC by a faction in Sol, you won't be able to cash it in there. Best bet if you're desperate to claim it is to look at the name of the faction who put it out and then use the Galaxy Map to do a search for the to see where and how far away they are.

Combat Bonds are collected in a Conflict Zone where there is a, for example Civil War.

http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Conflict_Zone

http://elite-dangerous.wikia.com/wiki/Combat_Bond_Voucher

 

[Mythmere]

Another thing that only got mentioned obliquely is that player groups are usually centered on a single minor faction. Playing with a group of players is fun, and it adds a lot more meaning to your interaction with the minor factions. You have to look into your choices, since many player groups focus on power play, which isn't what you want from reading your posts. Virtually all of them are aligned in terms of independent (sometimes a particular form of government), Empire, Federation, or Alliance. If you're interested in an imperial group that's not power play, PM me. Otherwise there is likely another player group that will fit what you want. A whole forum area is devoted to player groups, which you can peruse to get an idea of what they stand for.