Re-posted from the /r/EliteLavigny/ SubReddit.
15 December 3302
A year ago Research posted a verbose explanation of Power Play mechanics and how they affected us. We also launched the SCRAP campaign in an effort to achieve our goals using every means at our disposal. SCRAP operations primarily used collusion piracy to push deficit-causing undermined systems into turmoil instead of cancelled high upkeep systems. The goal was to avoid a grand collapse worse than a horrible souffle. At the time, it was imminent, due to high levels of undermining.
If you want to understand the maths and mechanics behind deficit-causing systems, please refer to that previous post, or this one from Mahon's sub-reddit. Thankfully, 17 months after Power Play started, FDev finally displays accurate numbers for potential preparation systems. Accurate numbers for control systems have been available in the Galactic Powers menu for nearly a year (under Base Income).
If you want to understand how ALD went from #1 to #5 in a week and likely to the bottom before then end of this month, then we need to take a look at what has happened over the past 6 months. Let us be clear about one thing, what's happening to us now is a result of losing the preparation battle over the past six months. We have been barely retaining our most prized systems over these past six months. (We've lost solid systems like Olelbis and Ch'iang Fei.)
Here's my attempt at a summary:
Others have summarized and reported who ALD’s current fifth column is, so I won’t speak on it here. One thing to point out is that it did not start until 2.1 and FDev’s failed Cycle tick, which erased an entire Cycle’s worth of effort, launched a months long expansion bug, reduced security response time, and included more Power NPCs in normal space. Many people thought Power Play was dead after that point because undermining became difficult. It’s worth noting that around this time, everyone involved in organizing Power Play data realized how horrifically bad the mechanics treat overlapping Control Systems.
Over the past six months, around 1.4 billion credits a week were spent on bad preparation targets, or on fortifying deficit-causing systems and giving us a large surplus. When these combined with selective sniping, we were barely able to cling on to our prized systems as long as we did. By both sabotaging our preparation list and our ability to manage our surplus, the fifth column effectively removed our agency and ability when it came the future of the Power. The clear evidence a feather could have toppled us was the extreme efforts our SCRAP team had to expend during the one week FLC colluded with the fifth column. Essentially, the only thing keeping us afloat was the fifth column sabotaging us and our enemies choosing not to take advantage of this.
In Cycle 79, the fifth column and others who had withdrawn from power play activities combined their efforts to snipe 31 systems. Our SCRAP team isn't what it was 8 months ago, and by fortifying deficit-causing Control Systems, the fifth column actively prevents Research and our logistics team from having agency in the Power’s destiny. While a 31 system snipe is impressive, we endured and survive far stronger hits than that in the past. However, last week’s battle was lost over the past six months, not during last week's efforts.
During Cycle 53, we had a standing deficit of -126cc and 7 control systems at 21cc upkeep. Now? In Cycle 79, we had a standing deficit of -814cc and 12 control systems at 21cc upkeep. Those new five systems are costing us -272cc every week.
In Cycle 53, we had 65 control systems and 15 of them always cost us Command Capital, even when they were fortified. As of Cycle 79, we had 79 Control Systems and 26 of them cost Command Capital if fortified. We gained 15 new deficit-causing control systems over the past six months (we scrapped four).
Due to our inability to out-perform preparation saboteurs, we put ourselves into an indefensible position. Massive efforts from the logistics team have barely kept us afloat over the past six months. We could have never survived a snipe this large with the standing deficit we have. And of the systems in turmoil? Four of them are deficit-causers. Twelve of them are profitable. Should we lose them all, which at this point is unavoidable, the standing deficit will not improve.
At this point, the best ALD can hope for is to reduce our deficit and save some of our systems further than 60Ly out. It is still possible to recover, but what's debatable is whether it would be more appropriately called rebuilding.
When it comes down to it, Preparation is the most important task in Power Play. A Power's future prospects, ability to defend, and general well being relies on strong preparation targets. The inherent problem in this is that Preparation tasks are above and beyond the most mind-numbingly boring and dull aspect of Power Play. And because of the way it works, saboteurs can force loyalist CMDRs to spend 800 million credits or more shifting 80,000 tonnes of the most pointless material in the entire game. While the proposed "logistics consolidation" will go a long ways towards solving the problem of a large surplus, it will change nothing about a dedicated fifth column effort.
Arissa Invicta
15 December 3302
A year ago Research posted a verbose explanation of Power Play mechanics and how they affected us. We also launched the SCRAP campaign in an effort to achieve our goals using every means at our disposal. SCRAP operations primarily used collusion piracy to push deficit-causing undermined systems into turmoil instead of cancelled high upkeep systems. The goal was to avoid a grand collapse worse than a horrible souffle. At the time, it was imminent, due to high levels of undermining.
If you want to understand the maths and mechanics behind deficit-causing systems, please refer to that previous post, or this one from Mahon's sub-reddit. Thankfully, 17 months after Power Play started, FDev finally displays accurate numbers for potential preparation systems. Accurate numbers for control systems have been available in the Galactic Powers menu for nearly a year (under Base Income).
If you want to understand how ALD went from #1 to #5 in a week and likely to the bottom before then end of this month, then we need to take a look at what has happened over the past 6 months. Let us be clear about one thing, what's happening to us now is a result of losing the preparation battle over the past six months. We have been barely retaining our most prized systems over these past six months. (We've lost solid systems like Olelbis and Ch'iang Fei.)
Here's my attempt at a summary:
Others have summarized and reported who ALD’s current fifth column is, so I won’t speak on it here. One thing to point out is that it did not start until 2.1 and FDev’s failed Cycle tick, which erased an entire Cycle’s worth of effort, launched a months long expansion bug, reduced security response time, and included more Power NPCs in normal space. Many people thought Power Play was dead after that point because undermining became difficult. It’s worth noting that around this time, everyone involved in organizing Power Play data realized how horrifically bad the mechanics treat overlapping Control Systems.
Over the past six months, around 1.4 billion credits a week were spent on bad preparation targets, or on fortifying deficit-causing systems and giving us a large surplus. When these combined with selective sniping, we were barely able to cling on to our prized systems as long as we did. By both sabotaging our preparation list and our ability to manage our surplus, the fifth column effectively removed our agency and ability when it came the future of the Power. The clear evidence a feather could have toppled us was the extreme efforts our SCRAP team had to expend during the one week FLC colluded with the fifth column. Essentially, the only thing keeping us afloat was the fifth column sabotaging us and our enemies choosing not to take advantage of this.
In Cycle 79, the fifth column and others who had withdrawn from power play activities combined their efforts to snipe 31 systems. Our SCRAP team isn't what it was 8 months ago, and by fortifying deficit-causing Control Systems, the fifth column actively prevents Research and our logistics team from having agency in the Power’s destiny. While a 31 system snipe is impressive, we endured and survive far stronger hits than that in the past. However, last week’s battle was lost over the past six months, not during last week's efforts.
During Cycle 53, we had a standing deficit of -126cc and 7 control systems at 21cc upkeep. Now? In Cycle 79, we had a standing deficit of -814cc and 12 control systems at 21cc upkeep. Those new five systems are costing us -272cc every week.
In Cycle 53, we had 65 control systems and 15 of them always cost us Command Capital, even when they were fortified. As of Cycle 79, we had 79 Control Systems and 26 of them cost Command Capital if fortified. We gained 15 new deficit-causing control systems over the past six months (we scrapped four).
Due to our inability to out-perform preparation saboteurs, we put ourselves into an indefensible position. Massive efforts from the logistics team have barely kept us afloat over the past six months. We could have never survived a snipe this large with the standing deficit we have. And of the systems in turmoil? Four of them are deficit-causers. Twelve of them are profitable. Should we lose them all, which at this point is unavoidable, the standing deficit will not improve.
At this point, the best ALD can hope for is to reduce our deficit and save some of our systems further than 60Ly out. It is still possible to recover, but what's debatable is whether it would be more appropriately called rebuilding.
When it comes down to it, Preparation is the most important task in Power Play. A Power's future prospects, ability to defend, and general well being relies on strong preparation targets. The inherent problem in this is that Preparation tasks are above and beyond the most mind-numbingly boring and dull aspect of Power Play. And because of the way it works, saboteurs can force loyalist CMDRs to spend 800 million credits or more shifting 80,000 tonnes of the most pointless material in the entire game. While the proposed "logistics consolidation" will go a long ways towards solving the problem of a large surplus, it will change nothing about a dedicated fifth column effort.
Arissa Invicta
Last edited: