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Influence is a way for Factions to have control over a system. There can be up to 5 factions sharing the influence within a system.[citation needed] The first row in the system's faction list is the controlling faction for a system and always controls the controlling station, which usually the biggest in the system. It is possible for players to increase influence of different parties.

Factions

The factions within a system all share the influence in percentages. Government types vary depending upon the ideas of each faction; there can be anarchy, dictatorship and prison colony amongst other forms and directly correlate on what the factions focus on, such as trading.

Controlling Faction

Each system is ruled by a "controlling faction" which is determined by whichever faction owns the "controlling station" (usually the biggest) in the system.[1] The controlling faction also determines the system's economy state (economy type cannot change), its government type, and controls its system authority vessels.

Allegiance

Each faction owes their allegiance to one of the three major factions: Federation, Empire, Alliance or is listed as independent. Faction allegiance is displayed under the respective minor faction on the Reputation pages (located under the Status tab) by name and icon, and by icon only under the System Status page.

The system's allegiance is directly connected to the controlling faction's loyalty.

Influence

There have been numerous speculations on how the influence works and is still being figured but it is a lot easier to lose influence with a faction than to gain it.[2]

Population within a system does not directly correlate to the influence algorithm, but it should be some margin easier for low-population systems.[3] The amount of missions available of a specific faction is directly tied to the influence the faction has within the system but will be balanced by the developers.[4][5]

If a faction gets a majority within a system they have a chance of taking the system over given that certain thresholds are met during a civil war. One of the thresholds include that minor stations and outposts owned by the controlling faction will need to be taken over first before the system's controlling station can be taken over.[6] Another threshold is that the controlling station needs to be one of the stations in a civil war.[7] A civil war is the only way for a faction to become the controlling faction for a system.[7] The winning faction will be changing, or remain, the system's global faction to what the faction supports and changing the ownership of the controlling station.[7][8]

Gaining influence

There have been various tests to see what works and what doesn't. Here's a list showing what generates influence with a specific faction. Trading might raise the influence more than missions given that the player has a large cargo.[citation needed] The missions on the Bulletin Board vary in effects by completing them, some missions with alternative routes may give the opposite results.

To increase a faction's influence players should focus on performing the following tasks:

  • Completing missions for a faction
  • Trading with faction owned stations or outposts
  • Turning in bounty vouchers[9]
  • Turning in combat bonds[10]
  • Selling exploration data[11]

For those wanting to get a minority faction into power there's a valid strategy to decrease the influence of the leading faction by performing any actions from the following list:

  • Completing a mission's alternate option given through Unidentified Signal Sources
  • Abandoning or failing missions accepted from a specific faction
  • Doing charity missions (this shows the faction is weak to the other factions)[citation needed]

Unlike regular missions, Charity Missions denote that a faction is weak compared to other factions and require donations.  These missions are denoted by a hand icon with a medical cross and often reward reputation gains but no monetary reward.

Bounty Hunting within a system will reward influence to the controlling faction.  This is good if you're attempting to strengthen the dominant faction within a system.  However, if you're attempting to improve the influence of a smaller party this will prove to work against you.

States

A minor faction can only be in one active state at a time, but it can have several pending states.[12][13] A system can have one or more active states due to the system containing one or more minor factions each having their own state.[13] A pending state that has "critical" status will be the next state unless there is a rapid change in player activity.[14]

Boom

Boom states start when there are increases in wealth and standard of living. While active it increases the wealth of the system and benefits of trade missions completed for the minor faction.[15]

Generally a boom state will continue for 3 weeks or until its accrued "boom value" is spent.[16]

Outbreak

Triggered by low level standard of living and development level. Decreases standard of living while active. Medicine trade missions are more effective, combat missions and actions provide no benefit to the minor faction.[15]

Lockdowns

Are triggered by low security and development level for system. Increases security level while active and loses wealth for the same period. Bounty hunting for the minor faction has a greater impact.[15]

Checkpoints are only spawned when the controlling minor faction is in a lockdown state.[17]

Civil Unrest

Is triggered on decreases of security and standard of living. While active it continues to lower security and standard of living for the system. All combat missions and actions for the minor faction are more effective.[15]

Creating civil unrest can be done by importing prohibited items to a station.[citation needed]

War

War is triggered by an invading minor faction reaching a high enough influence level. Decreases standard of living, wealth and security for the system while active. Influence changes only apply to the involved parties and are only applied from combat missions or actions.[15]

Civil War

The only known way to change a system's controlling faction.

Triggered by changes in influence between competing minor factions or when a single minor faction reaches a high enough influence level. Standard of living and security level is decreased while this state is active. Generates Conflict Zones and only combat missions or actions provide any benefit to the minor faction.[15]

Civil War can not be triggered by a faction with less than 5% influence in a system, however any minor faction above 5% can start a civil war with a minor faction below 5%. If a minor faction has greater than 70% of influence a Civil War will automatically start between the minor faction and the controlling faction.[18]

If one of the current effects on a faction is Lockdown while trying to cause Civil War one can do bounty hunting to reduce the Lockdown time.[19]

After a civil war is triggered there is a cooldown of 3 days before another civil war can occur.[20] Civil wars can only occur between two minor factions at a time.[21] Upon the conclusion of a civil war the most valuable space station is transferred from the losing minor faction to the winning minor faction and thus can cause the system's controlling minor faction to change.[22]

Expansion

When a minor faction's influence reaches a high enough level they will enter a state of expansion. This state will decrease wealth while active and increase development level at the same time. The minor faction who obtained the expansion state will be added to the minor faction list of a nearby system.[15]

While the expansion state is active missions will begin to appear in a nearby system to allow the expanding faction to build their influence in the new system.[citation needed]

Trivia

See Also

  • Factions - Information about the major and minor factions, ranks and reputation.
  • Events - A list of events that are ongoing or has happened within the universe

References

  1. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=71327&p=1526930&highlight=#post1526930
  2. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?p=1455273#post1455273
  3. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=11&p=1526005#post1526005
  4. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&p=1532191&highlight=#post1532191
  5. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&p=1532493&highlight=#post1532493
  6. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=7&p=1522843#post1522843
  7. 7.0 7.1 7.2 Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=4&p=1517533#post1517533
  8. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=71327&page=75&p=1526898#post1526898
  9. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=43&p=1692222#post1692222
  10. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=71327&p=1592481&viewfull=1#post1592481
  11. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=103448&page=2&p=1610363#post1610363
  12. Michael Brookes,https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=36&p=1641690#post1641690
  13. 13.0 13.1 Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=48&p=1708279#post1708279
  14. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=42&p=1691321#post1691321
  15. 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 15.4 15.5 15.6 Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&p=1691696&viewfull=1#post1691696
  16. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=35&p=1640171#post1640171
  17. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=40&p=1664775#post1664775
  18. Michael Brookes about civil war influence rules
  19. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=71327&page=144&p=1665470#post1665470
  20. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=40&p=1753928&viewfull=1#post1753928
  21. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=52&p=1746447#post1746447
  22. Michael Brookes, https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=97577&page=55&p=1755639#post1755639
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