Is reputation hard, buggy, or both?

[ChaseBears]

I'm really confused with reputation right now.

I completed a Warzone mission for the Jera Social Democrats, where I went to the conflict zone, sided with the Jera Social Democrats, and killed my quota of Jera Nationalists. Turning in this mission (at the JSD station) dropped me to unfriendly with JSD with all sorts of frowny red arrows. I really wanted to shoot some fascists in Space Spain but now I can't get warzone missions from JSD anymore and I can't earn any money without eye-bleeding grind.

Similarly, I just turned in some food donation missions to an Empire faction in an Empire system at an Empire station, which resulted in my reputation with both faction and Empire dropping. What the hell? Does the empire hate free food now? Are these missions just traps so they can weed out anyone with charitable impulses?

Is there something I am missing or is it just buggy?

 

[shrinkshooter]

There a bunch of mechanics for the rep system that are esoteric and/or wonky. Don't despair, buddy.

The most reliable way of raising it is to complete missions, especially the donation ones. Assassination missions don't count, though, afaik.

 

[Antenociti]

Similarly, I just turned in some food donation missions to an Empire faction in an Empire system at an Empire station, which resulted in my reputation with both faction and Empire dropping. What the hell? Does the empire hate free food now? Are these missions just traps so they can weed out anyone with charitable impulses?

Is there something I am missing or is it just buggy?

are you certain it was an (pro) Empire faction?

Many factions are not aligned with the dominant faction even though they share the same space... you need to go in and check the minor faction details to ensure that they are not anti-Major faction, before doing missions for them.


same applies in Fed or Alliance space - check the details of the minor factions (in the local status panel in right hand panel) before taking the mission

 

[Ben Ryder]

My experience has been that one scan carrying found cargo after days of gaming to get friendly with a couple of factions resulted in a galaxy wide federation unfriendly status.

 

[defekt]

Who the heck knows; I certainly don't. It's a heavily obfuscated mechanic that needs to be demystified, pronto.

 

[ChaseBears]

Thanks for the replies all. I think there's probably a few bugs mixed in with a opaque system.

are you certain it was an (pro) Empire faction?

Many factions are not aligned with the dominant faction even though they share the same space... you need to go in and check the minor faction details to ensure that they are not anti-Major faction, before doing missions for them.

Yes, it was Imperial Society, one of the grand senator's factions. Their mission, their station.

 

[ChaseBears]

Had another aggravating mission today - Empire Assembly wanted me to turn in 7 Personal Weapons for reputation. I did so, and gained Empire Assembly rep while *losing* Empire rep, causing a lucrative Empire Assembly mission to go unavailable.

I really truely think something is not working as intended. If there is something going on that causes this legitimately it's occurring so far behind the scenes that it' completely opaque to me as a player.

EDIT:

ARGH! And now the mission is available again! When all I've been doing is sitting in dock typing forum posts.

what?!?!?