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[Urist]

So I've gone on my monthly starsector binge and decided to try a few unmodded runs, still as fun as I remember, so that's good.

The one thing that did strike me was that while we have some very well fleshed out factions as is, it feels like the universe is still a little too homogeneous.

Yes you have the diktat and Hegemony who are technically embroiled in a civil war and the TT corp are almost like a shadow power (small but ludicrously wealthy). I also love the Delian League vibe from the Persian League but I feel like there's something missing.

Specifically it feels like the whole galaxy is pretty much stacked up against the Hegemony (this is a similar issue with many mods) and while this does make sense in that they're technically the power in the galaxy I always feel like they should have some more natural allies.

One idea that springs to mind is another mega-corp that is allied to the Hegemony in the beginning. In my head one thing that would work would be some kind of "shipyards" entity that produces low-mid tech ships in huge quantities, they'd only need a couple of worlds and could help to explain how the Hegemony remains relatively powerful despite the opposition arrayed against them.

I think more factions that aren't interested in "dominating" the sector but simply exploiting its remaining resources or propping up larger factions could make for some interesting gameplay, especially as the player can have more impact on the sector (targeting a mega-corp producing Hegemony ships could indirectly weaken the hegemony front line, for example).

It could also help to bring the sector alive a bit more. Having independent entities that have set up vast mining networks, or specialize in exploratory missions to bring back salvage could help to add variety and life.

That being said I understand that more is not always better and anything that is created would need to  be very well fleshed out in terms of the lore of the sector

[Igncom1]

I also love the Delian League vibe from the Persian League but I feel like there's something missing.

So in that comparison would the Hegemony be Sparta, or Persia?

And I suppose the Hege does have a natural ally in the Luddic Church like it did during the first and second AI wars, matching the League and the Corporation equally. But I suppose that is a tenuous alliance.

The Diktat is however a wild card at the centre of things, allied to the league but only because it can't stand against the full hegemony alone. If they could shift alliances when needed to keep the balance of power in check they could easily be the deciders for the whole sector.

As for the hege it's self, each colony it possesses is supposed to be semi-automatous state or territory due to the nature of it being a Hegemony. I'd love to see some internal sub factions at work there. The same where it applies for the other factions too. The independents in particular are basically the strongest in game faction right now when really they aren't united at all. The "independents" is more of a catch all term then a literal faction but that isn't displayed all too well. With some independent worlds even having lore that states that they are simply unrecognised factions in their own right.

[Embolism]

The Ko Combine was slated to be a second coporation-polity at one point (its flag is still in the files), but got scrapped (presumably because it wasn't big enough). Its homeworld belongs to the Hegemony so I guess it kind of fits your idea of a Hegemony-allied corp.

Otherwise there's a few independent worlds that could conceivably become their own polities (New Maxios springs to mind). In fact you could probably dissect the Independents and Pirates into their constituent parts and call them minor factions, though whether they'd have meaningful influence outside of their systems (i.e. to play a part in the Sector's politics) is a problem.

[TheDTYP]

I'm going to go ahead and hijack this: there's some mention in the lore of a group called the Antis Movement that seems to be a rebellion or an underground group against the Hegemony. I wonder if we'll ever see them.

Also, it would be great if there were other factions in the uncharted system. If we, the player, can build one, presumably others can, too? Or even just a forgotten Independent or pirate-filled planet or system if Alex doesnt feel like building more factions. Would be interesting to see how small markets interact with the [REDACTED].

[Embolism]

The Antis Movement is already represented by pirates, or at least the Askonian branch of it is. Given its major presence in the Sector is against Sindria (probably since before Andrada's takeover) I don't think it's specifically aimed against the Hegemony.

[xenoargh]

The Ko Combine sounds like a mod that should happen, but who knows; I wasn't expecting the League at this late date 

[Sarissofoi]

I would like to see some vanilla expansions with some more core(or little outside core) systems and some minor factions using just vanilla or SSP ships.
Or even vanillasation of some mods with their fleet composition vanillazied.

BTW How much work would be spliting prates and independent into smaller entities with the same setup but with different diplomacy?
Like few pirates factions that are either allied or friendly/sympathetic to each other but have some(different) ties to major factions?
Like some pirates are on pretty good terms with PL that supply them ships against Hegemony etc.?

[Midnight Kitsune]

I would like to see some vanilla expansions with some more core(or little outside core) systems and some minor factions using just vanilla or SSP ships.
Or even vanillasation of some mods with their fleet composition vanillazied.

From what I have read and heard, Alex "vanillazing" mod ships would be a legal pain in the ass for both Alex and the modder. It just isn't worth it

[Embolism]

Not to mention the vast majority of mods don't follow StarSector's idea for ship design and factions... innovation is supposed to be stagnant and all factions are meant to be pulling from whichever Domain designs suit them best (there are only a few possible exceptions and even then it's ambiguous whether they were designed before or after the Collapse); rather than having their own set of unique ships.

Aside from a select few, most mods would not be a fit for StarSector Vanilla (nothing against the mods themselves obviously, just stating a fact); and of those that are most of them are kitbashes.

[Sarissofoi]

That is not what I mean by vanillasation. I think we have a little misunderstanding gentlemen.
By vanillasation I mean taking a mod say DM and purge most of the assets(I mean DM ships are too asthethic for SS) and replace fleet compositions and armory by vanilla(and S&WP) assets(with little white paint).
I mean SS could use some smaller high tech(with some mid line) faction that have some nice explorations(modified vanilla assets) vessels.
And nobody say that Alex or mod makers would have to do this. I know one guy who actually could do this(you will not guess who).

What I personally find troubling in mods that they add multiple new weapons, fighters and mods that bloat it too much for my taste. Often ships that all either too OP or look to strange(again for my taste).
I would gladly see some more paint jobs(and even did some but my skill are rather low and GIMP isn't that great tool for that) or variants instead.
So vanillasation would add some new areas to core system, new factions, some new versions of existing vessels and more paint jobs(plus fleet compositions and changes in diplomacy). Still some factions are just not fit for it.
To be honest even vanilla expansion mods like SWP, Underworld, Stop Gap, Dissamblese have similar problem when used all at once.

[xenoargh]

There's already a system that exists if you want to give ships new paintjobs; the .SKIN files allow for that (and a few other things, like built-in Hull Mods and different Weapon Slot types).

[Sarissofoi]

There's already a system that exists if you want to give ships new paintjobs; the .SKIN files allow for that (and a few other things, like built-in Hull Mods and different Weapon Slot types).

Yeah I know but thanks.

[xenoargh]

Well, that means that with a minimum of work (using EZ Faction to populate some Systems, a little text-editing to add the new Factions, and a minimal time investment in doing simple color-swap work on the sprites) you can do this and make something for the community.  We're not talking weeks of work here, if you just want a few new variations floating around

On my end, I'd rather see ship designs that were unique to each Faction, rather than endless color variations that don't differ significantly in other ways, personally.  I get that a lot of modded content adds "clutter", in the sense that there's new stuff that may be OP / UP or otherwise not feel like a good fit, but that's another issue entirely.

[Sarissofoi]

Thanks for tip about EZ faction. My main gripe was that I don't know code and that is why I was going for borrowing systems from other mods.
Will try to do something. Will post if it will looks not to terrible.
Cheers.