Wastage of activity analysis, Aisling and Archon Delaine

[Straylight0]

Hi, I thought I would do a one-off analysis to see how much effort was being wasted in purposeless powerplay activity and compare some factions! I wanted to see if some groups were working more efficiently than others and how bad the blind-grinding is.
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Wastage is defined as:
Fortification over 100%
Preparation or Expansion more than double the trigger or nearest opposing score
Prep spent on systems without the CC to expand into
I am not including defeated expansions and preps, or failed fortifications
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I also looked at undermining done against Delaine.
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Shortcomings and notes;
I have an early bed-time, so the data is from considerably before end of turn (gathered from 10pm)
I haven’t gone through preparation systems outside of the top 10
I’m not making judgement about prep spent on “bad” systems
I don’t have the time or dedication to do all factions, I just did Aisling and Archon as I had a feeling they would contrast... and they did!
I worry I might be missing something with Preparations, as it’s hard to see if anyone else is prepping a given system. If not, all you seem to need are 100 points to prepare it...
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The results:
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Aisling Duval Faction
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Preparation wastage: 301,751 = 99.6% (!)
Expansion Wastage: 138,394 = 55.6% (only one was being seriously opposed)
Fortification Wastage 116,079 = 35%. One system was fortified to 1,338%--think how many other systems could have been fortified with the 62,300 points spent on it!
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Total wastage = 63.3%
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Archon Delaine
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preparation wastage: 35,201 = 94%
Expansion wastage = 0 (Of course they are under heavy opposition in expansion)
Fortification wastage: 9,949 = 14.6 % (Interestingly, most fortified systems were only slightly over 100% except for 34 Pegasi, which was fortified to 273%. Are people waiting around there for something and fortifying as they wait?)
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Total wastage = 33.6%
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I also looked at undermining for his systems: there were 153,057 points wasted=51% (Of course, given it does not register until checked in [stupid IMHO] this can be harder to keep track of) Note that the most over-undermined at 740% was Ngbato, close to Aisling's forward base of Kelin Samba
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Conclusions
Aisling was wasting nearly two-thirds of her effort, nearly twice as much as the Archon: 63% to 34%. Not that this seems to have done her much harm this morning!
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Whatever other sins Delaine may be guilty of, disorganisation isn’t one of them. Secondly, let us hope that Aisling is not as dumb as some of the people working for her (or DO hope that, lol). Also, half the effort put into undermining the Archon is getting wasted, at least as regards the larger powerplay picture.
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But I am not actually comparing like with like here; Delaine is a much smaller faction under pressure. Were things different, his players might be expanding systems to 10,000%, and putting a lot of prep into systems he doesn’t have the CC for. Aisling, however, faces little opposition and player groups are fighting to prepare different systems.
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However, it is a notable point: a faction under pressure may become inherently more efficient, and bigger factions may wind up being their own worst problem.
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Are people simply merit-farming, are they unaware of how to play, is it disagreement and infighting, is there any truth to internal sabotage? Can’t answer that one...

 

[BoingZebadee]

I noticed that Aisling actually had 234,000 wastage in fortification as of midnight GMT on Wednesday. Also will post a question on reddit to you and GN about the fortification with a load of figures, might enhance CC at a better rate than last weeks round!

 

[Brucolac]

- snip -

...Are people simply merit-farming, are they unaware of how to play, is it disagreement and infighting, is there any truth to internal sabotage? Can’t answer that one...

From personal observations I would say in order:
1) merit farming
2) unaware or simply don't care, they just follow the top lists on the UI (or look for the closest spot in the map)
3) sabotage by rival factions boosting bad systems. It's probably not as hard as it sounds, because all you need to do is get a bad system into the top 10 list at the start of day one, then players in category (2) will do the rest of the job for you.

 

[Vertexico]

It seems to me that this is the biggest problem with Powerplay. The ignorant/grinding masses put most of a power's effort into expanding or overfortifying unimportant systems, with a UI that ignores Overhead in its estimates. I don't see any way that all powers won't inevitably fall into turmoil if the system isn't changed. Why should someone get the same number of merits for fortifying a system with 8000% fortification as a system with 20% fortification? The incentive doesn't match the result at all. Why should they even be able to fortify such an overfortified system...?

 

[bitstorm]

In the case of Aisling, might it indicate that people are just doing it for the Prismatics. i.e. They do not give a monkey's about supporting the power itself.

 

[stummies]

Unless they add the ability to group and coordinate effort IN GAME nothing will change. Beyond a small subset of players most will not read the forums, most will not research and look for info on external sites... which of course can be viewed by anyone including competing factions making it impossible to surprise other powers with any kind of large scale coordination.

None of that matters though because FDev have set their arbitrary line and don't want groups. If they want to run/develop a game with their hands tied that's on them.

 

[Vertexico]

Unless they add the ability to group and coordinate effort IN GAME nothing will change. Beyond a small subset of players most will not read the forums, most will not research and look for info on external sites... which of course can be viewed by anyone including competing factions making it impossible to surprise other powers with any kind of large scale coordination.

None of that matters though because FDev have set their arbitrary line and don't want groups. If they want to run/develop a game with their hands tied that's on them.

This is the complaint that I've seen a lot, and it is totally true, better in game communication is needed to salvage PP. However, I think the merit-grinding problem will only be marginally affected. As long as the reward is the same for a one-hop route as a multi-hop route to an outlying system, they will stick with the closeby system and waste tons of potential fortification and preparation. A chat channel or something informing them of what will help the power most is just about as easy to ignore as a subreddit and forum thread.

 

[Straylight0]

My humble suggestion: Where a system is fortified/undermined to 100% it should stop receiving materials after 2 hours, res pockets or NPC undermine targets should disappear, etc. Same for preparation or expansions more than 100% or 10,000 above trigger or nearest opposition.
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Of course, this would amplify the ability of larger factions to engage their player base (at least the ones that care) so that itself might make them less likely to address the problem.

EDIT: res pockets etc would empty of the type of target that has become redundant

 

[Vertexico]

My humble suggestion: Where a system is fortified/undermined to 100% it should stop receiving materials after 2 hours, res pockets or NPC undermine targets should disappear, etc. Same for preparation or expansions more than 100% or 10,000 above trigger or nearest opposition.
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Of course, this would amplify the ability of larger factions to engage their player base (at least the ones that care) so that itself might make them less likely to address the problem.

Yeah they need to institute some sort of similar change. I saw another idea posted on reddit this morning of a multiplier. Like fortifying a 10% system gives a 9 merits/ton or something like that.

 

[Bortas]

Yeah they need to institute some sort of similar change. I saw another idea posted on reddit this morning of a multiplier. Like fortifying a 10% system gives a 9 merits/ton or something like that.

That's a good idea. It's not possible to get rid of pure merit farmers, so channeling their efforts onto a path that makes sense for both, them and their power, is a promising approach.

 

[CMDR DoubleSkulls]

My humble suggestion: Where a system is fortified/undermined to 100% it should stop receiving materials after 2 hours, res pockets or NPC undermine targets should disappear, etc. Same for preparation or expansions more than 100% or 10,000 above trigger or nearest opposition.
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Of course, this would amplify the ability of larger factions to engage their player base (at least the ones that care) so that itself might make them less likely to address the problem.

EDIT: res pockets etc would empty of the type of target that has become redundant

I'm not sure I agree with this. Surely the ability of the factions to coordinate their efforts better than their competition should be rewarded? In games comms/notice boards etc would just be faciliating the comms. Somethere where for example only rank 5 could post, but everyone could read, as a minimalist bulletin board doesn't feel massively difficult and would achieve the purpose.

 

[Mikalus]

I noticed that Aisling actually had 234,000 wastage in fortification as of midnight GMT on Wednesday. Also will post a question on reddit to you and GN about the fortification with a load of figures, might enhance CC at a better rate than last weeks round!

Pegasus gets over fortified because of a smuggling route.
I think Delaine is organized in part becaus there's less players working for us. We have a very clear couple of boards that we point people to with our targets. I've found the Delaine players very helpful with this.
But mainly I think we have less players and therefore less disorganization.