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 (218 pages)
Winners: Hendiatris, Skull, Swords of Makhai
While the total on this board falls to its lowest recorded level in the current payout structure, at least it doesn't quite hit the zero that Galnet's "no-one has seen a Thargoid for six months" reporting might suggest.
Combat (984 pages)
Winners: Swords of Mahkai, Lavigny's Legion, Feros Initiative
Again similar trophies to last season, though a new name in third. Total page count is unsurprisingly down after last season's high, though overall activity in the top 1000 is near-identical.
CQC (26 pages)
Winners: We Rock You Roll, Sidewinder Syndicate, Airone
The consistency of the CQC board continues.
Exploration (1094 pages)
Winners: Intergalactic Astronomical Union, Endurance Exploration, Independent Explorers Assoc.
While the top 3 names change completely, the pattern of points is essentially identical to last season (though with a slightly less divergent first place from the rest of the pattern). Total page count is lower though still higher than any pre-Ascendancy seasons.
Powerplay (243 pages)
Winners: Torval Space Agency, Swords of Makhai, Federal Liberal Command
In a reverse of last season, total pages fall slightly, but activity levels rise in the top 1000. Torval Space Agency - assuming no last-minute changes - bring a new name into the top 3.
Trade (1056 pages)
Winners: Pilots Faction Network Squadron, Swords of Makhai, Stellanebula Project
A combination of colonisation continuing and some very good trade CGs puts the trade board to its highest aggregate level since Season 32 - and it remains ahead of Combat on page count, which may be becoming a stable permanent change.
Other comments
As expected last time, the initial colonisation boost has fallen back a bit, though most boards remain at historically high levels.
It looks like Vanguards is going to shake up the structure of the leaderboards a lot, so if that releases before 14 August, this may be the last of these reports: whether I do a new series with the new format will depend on what sort of data comes out of them.
(Maybe the new leaderboards will fix the weird "last season" bug and make things easier for me?)