Noob Questions and Confusion

Ok, next question. One of the "smaller" factions I've been helping has switched to Boom state. Did I do that? Regardless, is Boom a kind of INF multiplier, and if so, how do I take advantage of it?
Boom may increase the effectiveness of trade actions to that faction. If they control stations it also increases their production of most goods, and their prices for mined goods.

Also, is it possible for more than one faction in a system to be in Boom at the same time? The faction currently in Boom is not the one I've been trying to push to the top, but I did help them out in an effort to erode the controlling faction. If I can swing my 'pet' faction into Boom (how did I do that?), it would be great.
Faction states are basically completely independent, so you can have as many factions in Boom as you want.
 
What do I do to make them go Boom? Besides shooting at them, of course ;)
  • Trade for profit at commodity markets owned by that faction.
  • Run missions which improve economic status for that faction.

Such missions are trade, delivery, mining. Note there's different flavours of the same mission type which has different effects though. For example... a typical "deliver 40t of indium" will improve economy... but a mission to deliver 40t of battle weapons will improve security. States will affect what flavour of missions you see.. even though they're fundamentally the same type of mission.
 
  • Trade for profit at commodity markets owned by that faction.
  • Run missions which improve economic status for that faction.

Such missions are trade, delivery, mining. Note there's different flavours of the same mission type which has different effects though. For example... a typical "deliver 40t of indium" will improve economy... but a mission to deliver 40t of battle weapons will improve security. States will affect what flavour of missions you see.. even though they're fundamentally the same type of mission.
Ah, that explains it! I ran some gold for that system. It was just a single mission! I had no idea it would trigger a boom. Excellent! Many thanks.

BTW, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this BGS stuff. This week, my humble backwater system. Next week - THE GALAXY!!!! Muhahaa!
 
  • Trade for profit at commodity markets owned by that faction.
  • Run missions which improve economic status for that faction.

Such missions are trade, delivery, mining. Note there's different flavours of the same mission type which has different effects though. For example... a typical "deliver 40t of indium" will improve economy... but a mission to deliver 40t of battle weapons will improve security. States will affect what flavour of missions you see.. even though they're fundamentally the same type of mission.

Does "trade for profit" work in both directions? In other words if I buy from my favorite faction in the system and sell at a profit elsewhere, does this count towards Boom state and INF back home? And since I found a wonderful 'round trip' trade route, can I buy stuff from far away and sell it at a profit back home and also increase INF / Boom chance?

Oh, and does actual profit made make any difference, or is it a flat INF+n per trade transaction? And if the latter, do I get more INF by loading my ship with a variety of different goods (each specific good being a different transaction) over loading my ship with just one commodity?
 
NEW QUESTION (but please don't miss my previous post):

I just noticed that USS (like HGEs) are labeled by faction! Like Jane said, once you take the pill, you start to see things... So what does this mean? If I harvest mats from a USS owned by my faction (I assume the wreckage is one of their ships), does this somehow affect the BGS?
 
Does "trade for profit" work in both directions? In other words if I buy from my favorite faction in the system and sell at a profit elsewhere, does this count towards Boom state and INF back home? And since I found a wonderful 'round trip' trade route, can I buy stuff from far away and sell it at a profit back home and also increase INF / Boom chance?
Buying goods from a station doesn't directly affect anything, only selling. But if you find a nice round-trip route, then you may able to get both ends into Boom, which will for most goods improve the rate at which they generate new supply for you to buy.

Oh, and does actual profit made make any difference, or is it a flat INF+n per trade transaction? And if the latter, do I get more INF by loading my ship with a variety of different goods (each specific good being a different transaction) over loading my ship with just one commodity?
It's complicated and has a bunch of anti-exploit measures. Like a lot of things it was adjusted in 3.3 and then probably fine-tuned a fair bit since, so I don't know if the exact formulae have been calculated. Broadly, more different types of good are good, more different systems the goods are sourced from are good, and both higher profit per tonne and higher tonnage are good.

So long as you're making a profit on the trades they'll probably be okay, though.

I just noticed that USS (like HGEs) are labeled by faction! Like Jane said, once you take the pill, you start to see things... So what does this mean? If I harvest mats from a USS owned by my faction (I assume the wreckage is one of their ships), does this somehow affect the BGS?
USS are by-faction, so the faction's current state will affect what you might find inside them.

If you're just salvaging materials this won't affect the BGS. If you start shooting at ships you find there, then it can. Cargo salvage will have the normal effects if sold. A few of them have scenarios inside which have their own BGS effects.
 
Buying goods from a station doesn't directly affect anything, only selling.
This must be a gameplay mechanic, because I'm friends with a business owner, and she much rather I buy things from her than sell things to her. Granted, if I'm part of her supply chain, then my reputation with her increases, but her 'influence' is based on her sales.

I suppose I can mindsplain it by selling things that are in great demand, and then assume those things are being used to make the faction's people happy. I know my small town suffers "civil unrest" when our Walmart runs out of certain supplies!
 
I suppose I can mindsplain it by selling things that are in great demand, and then assume those things are being used to make the faction's people happy.

The best handwavery I could think of is that we're selling into a wholesale market; then the retailers who buy what we sell make a profit by selling on to the public. But the whole thing - especially buys being inconsequential - makes so little sense that I just stopped thinking about it.

It's one of those "When CMDRs do well, factions do well" things.
 
Ah, that explains it! I ran some gold for that system. It was just a single mission! I had no idea it would trigger a boom. Excellent! Many thanks.

BTW, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this BGS stuff. This week, my humble backwater system. Next week - THE GALAXY!!!! Muhahaa!
In the 1st page of the Status tab of your ship's right panel, you can see the economic and security bars with all of the states. In each is a small diamond-shaped indicator telling you where within the current state the faction is. For the faction you sold gold to, the indicator may have been almost to the Boom state in that bar. The indicator can be very difficult to see at times. Touch your nose to your screen (if not using VR) and you might see it. :ROFLMAO:
 
In the 1st page of the Status tab of your ship's right panel, you can see the economic and security bars with all of the states. In each is a small diamond-shaped indicator telling you where within the current state the faction is. For the faction you sold gold to, the indicator may have been almost to the Boom state in that bar. The indicator can be very difficult to see at times. Touch your nose to your screen (if not using VR) and you might see it. :ROFLMAO:
This pointer, it only moves on the tick, correct? In other words, that status page is a snapshot that only updates once per day IIRC. Shame, that..
 
This must be a gameplay mechanic, because I'm friends with a business owner, and she much rather I buy things from her than sell things to her. Granted, if I'm part of her supply chain, then my reputation with her increases, but her 'influence' is based on her sales.

this had been my thought as well. i still don't understand why we don't gain rep or influence when we buy from a faction's market.
 
this had been my thought as well. i still don't understand why we don't gain rep or influence when we buy from a faction's market.
While I agree superficially, one of the problems is it would be highly exploitable and overpowered, due to not having to leave the station and undertake some activity to increase their influence, or an individual's rep. It's why the ability to sell stolen goods from the location you stole them was removed.

However, increasing economic strength for purchasing would be fine, since this has no direct positive influence effects.
 
Last edited:
While I agree superficially, one of the problems is it would be highly exploitable and overpowered, due to not having to leave the station and undertake some activity to increase their influence. It's why the ability to sell stolen goods from the location you stole them was removed.
My original assumption was that selling faction wouldn't get the INF when you bought the commodities, but rather when you sold those commodities for a profit elsewhere. This would make it similar to a courier mission, in that both parties benefit when courier data is delivered. Not that this makes total sense for commodities outside of a mission, but at least it would still reward a faction for selling products at a good price while maintaining a fair gameplay loop.
 
So next totally noob question - is faction state shared across all systems that faction exists in? I didn't think so, but I see one of the low INF factions complaining about a failed expansion attempt, yet there's no way this faction could have triggered an expansion in the system I'm currently working... I'm confused!
 
So next totally noob question - is faction state shared across all systems that faction exists in? I didn't think so, but I see one of the low INF factions complaining about a failed expansion attempt, yet there's no way this faction could have triggered an expansion in the system I'm currently working... I'm confused!
Expansion and retreat are global states; the only ones though.
My original assumption was that selling faction wouldn't get the INF when you bought the commodities, but rather when you sold those commodities for a profit elsewhere. This would make it similar to a courier mission, in that both parties benefit when courier data is delivered. Not that this makes total sense for commodities outside of a mission, but at least it would still reward a faction for selling products at a good price while maintaining a fair gameplay loop.
Because of the way market stuff works, it would still be very exploitable. Don't have time atm to explain though.
 
Expansion and retreat are global states; the only ones though.
Okay, that explains why multiple states can coexist, if there's a global category and a local one. I wonder how these all intersect each other. For example, does a faction that's about to expand out of another system become weaker or stronger to a civil war in a different system?

Because of the way market stuff works, it would still be very exploitable. Don't have time atm to explain though.
I don't see it, but that's okay. I can roleplay that I'm supplying the colonies vital commodities to make the people happy. Does buying do anything at all, like increase economic status or even perhaps affect the items and prices of what is sold?
 
Back
Top Bottom