On each graph, points are on the Y-axis, and squadron position on the leaderboard is on the X-axis. Both scales are logarithmic. The light grey line (diamond marker) is the numbers for the previous measured season. As in previous seasons, the approximate power-law distribution continues allowing estimates of total activity to be made without spending too long reading the boards. Results are based on late measures of the current season boards due to known bugs with the "last season" boards, and so may not reflect final outcomes exactly.
(Political is excluded, because there are well-known exploits to allow very high scores, and because it's not clear even without the exploits what it's supposed to be measuring: the in-game description of "large and happy faction" is clearly wrong - possibly this will change if they ever implement BGS happiness properly)
Anti Xeno (227 pages)
Winners: Xeno Strike Force, Stellanebula Project, Swords of Makhai
A slight rise in page count but a drop in overall activity, as Thargoid hostilities remain quiet.
Combat (1193 pages)
Winners: The Order of Dripnificence, Swords of Mahkai, Lavigny's Legion
There's a significant rise in page count, but overall combat activity falls somewhat. The trophies are the same squadrons as last season, though Silver and Bronze swap places.
CQC (28 pages)
Winners: We Rock You Roll, Beyond Space, Sidewinder Syndicate
Not even colonisation can do anything for CQC, with the total page count and activity count both falling slightly.
Exploration (1364 pages)
Winners: Airone, The Stellar Cartographers Guild, Stellanebula Project
Contrary to last season's drop in total pages but significant rise in amount, this season goes the other way - amounts are down significantly except for the top 1, but the total page count breaks Season 40's record by 130 pages
Powerplay (270 pages)
Winners: Swords of Makhai, Federal Liberal Command, Aislings Angels
Another board seeing total merits drop at all ranks, but a record number of total pages.
Trade (1294 pages)
Winners: Pilots Faction Network Squadron, Swords of Makhai, Pilots Community Network Squad
Not surprisingly, with colonisation involving a lot of trade-contributing activities, this board also sees a record page number ... and also, I think for the first time, significantly more pages than the Combat board.
Despite this the total estimated amount is down slightly on season 41 (though still above long-term averages) - points here are directly proportional to trade profit, and colonisation's per-tonne profit is fairly small despite the substantial amounts involved.
Other comments
Conveniently, Colonisation's release was almost exactly the same time as the start of season 42, so we get a cleaner-than-usual comparison of before and after.
Colonisation's effect on the leaderboards was roughly as expected last time - page counts generally up (and by a greater than expected amount, setting a new verified record), but total activity down as people focus on things which gain no or fewer leaderboard points.
It seems very unlikely that the record participation levels will be sustained into next season but it'll be interesting to see if the changes in the wider patterns (especially, trade being more popular than combat) continue or revert back to the more historic sorts.
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