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Author Topic: Faction Expeditions  (Read 7351 times)

Destructively Phased

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Faction Expeditions
« on: November 17, 2018, 05:26:35 PM »

1st things first, a question for Alex, are these supposed to occur earlymid game? Is the players first colony supposed to trigger the reaction I'm about to describe? If yes, then ignore the rest I probably should have built my fleet more before building a colony.

So, just had my first faction expedition to try and put down my operation, which, fair enough, was earning me a fair amount of credits ~150,000 a month, with a single colony.

The fleet dispatched to take care of my colony came from the Diktat severly outclassed my own forces. It contained 2 Conquests, and at least 3 Falcons, more destroyers than I had ships, to put this in context, I only had 3 collossus MkIIIs as my largest ships (namely as they can serve as great people carriers and 3 wings is on par with a Mora).

It feels a bit out of touch for what was a mining colony, at the literall (bottom) edge of the sector. The fuel costs alone should have made whatever bueracrat in charge wince at the idea, let alone the supplies burn for dealing with hyperspace storms. Hell, I'd expect to see them torch Umbra in that fashion before turning that sort of force at the sector edges.

Basically, the question boils down to, should the Diktat be sending the Lionguard to a colony on the edge of the sector?
« Last Edit: November 17, 2018, 05:42:00 PM by Destructively Phased »
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Alex

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #1 on: November 17, 2018, 09:43:00 PM »

It depends on what fraction of the market share you've got, compared to theirs, if they're one of the top share-controllers in the Sector. Once it gets beyond a certain threshold, it's expedition time.

(In-fiction wise, maybe it's not economic to put down your specific operation, but the object lesson to *everyone else* is certainly worth it. You let one mining operation keep going in peace, all of a sudden you've got 10 more on your hands.)
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Schwartz

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2018, 11:50:48 PM »

Had 3 or 4 of these expeditions so far, and I was able to kill 'em. They're not easy but they're doable.

What really irks me are these Luddic Path Cells that pop up. Had one pop up just now, and immediately they have a Battlestation in a neighboring system. They don't run out of deathballs to defend the system (and hyperspace) either. Are you not supposed to take these out? Because this seems like a bit much.
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Modest

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2018, 12:01:32 AM »

As far as I am concerned, factions attacking player's colony are happening way too often. It is litelary expedition after expedition with expedition in betwen of expeditions for the sake of expedition. Really... Too much. Too much. Once more - too much. I think there should be some kind of "cooldown" in game. Like if expedition happened and got repulsed,  then next expedition (from ANY faction) can happen only after like 3 months. And if it succeded then only after some time after its effect faded off. Because in my personal opinion main problem is that they force me to be back in system on time (no, I am unable to spare that amount of money for constant bribes - I am glad you are superior player and all that, but I am not - sorry for me being *** compared to you), which means constant running with little to no time to do anything usefull/lucrative.

But that is only my opinion - I might be just not "GIT GUTTED" eoungh to deal with problems in 0.9 and in week or so will think diffrently.
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Schwartz

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2018, 12:05:38 AM »

Fair point. They do happen in quick succession for me too. Always having a 40-50 day deadline does not allow you to stray too far from home.
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Algro

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2018, 03:38:16 AM »

I'm having similar issues but without the ability to defend my own colonies (4 wolves and their support).

In my case specifically, I have 100+k income with the best stations and patrols possible. But when expeditions come, EVERY other faction cames, the result ends with the defense fending off 3 factions (This is when the station goes boom and a resulting 59-day fix) and others disable of the mega-port for 160 days and any other that makes the expedition feel happy. The result is 160 days of -100k income (First month). Once the port opens up, it happens all over again.

It has gotten better for me with a nano forge bringing higher quality ships to the rescue, but it can be quite harsh for a beginner.
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Mr. Nobody

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #6 on: November 18, 2018, 11:35:18 PM »

Quote from: The game itself
The RNG might know you are playing a pirated copy (paraphrased)
I have not noticed any of the problems people are referring to
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On the left half of the Bell curve

Goumindong

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #7 on: November 19, 2018, 12:56:21 AM »

I also find the expeditions a bit too frequent. They also should escalate. And additionally there seems to be “cleanup problems” when you don’t personally defend.

On top of this the luddites are prrobably overfunded.  They are more of a late game threat than mid game and it’s too difficult to neutralize them. This makes their terrorism just something you have to deal with until you’re latefame rather than something you can avoid or mitigate.
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TaLaR

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #8 on: November 19, 2018, 01:16:05 AM »

Has anybody tried to go on the offensive? Does inflicting damage on sending faction help to reduce their ability to attack you?
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Elijah

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #9 on: November 19, 2018, 01:48:04 AM »

Has anybody tried to go on the offensive? Does inflicting damage on sending faction help to reduce their ability to attack you?

That's a good point if attacks are determined by the market share!

For example, the Diktat is a major producer of fuel. If the player is trying to compete in fuel production, can we demolish his production main planet to reduce their attacks?

Also, has anyone tried to do the "bad" bombing, the one that destroys the colony?
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Algro

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #10 on: November 19, 2018, 10:19:00 AM »

It seems the expeditions come because you have too much of the market share, the expedition is here to decrease your presence in the sector for their own profits. At least that's what I think because it can also be the drug trade thing everyone's doing (I know you do drug trading, the great majority of it too in the sector).
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Megas

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #11 on: November 19, 2018, 10:41:55 AM »

Has anybody tried to go on the offensive? Does inflicting damage on sending faction help to reduce their ability to attack you?
That would be the logical thing for me to do if they refuse to leave me alone.  Unfortunately, I have not progressed far enough to try that option.  For factions that constantly send wave after wave of bad guys like in Space Invaders or Galaga, they have basically declared war, and the only way to make them stop is to bomb them into the stone age.

I would like to conquer the sector, but if they have a death wish and want to pick a fight while I mind my own business because I make too much money, I have no problem sending them to an early grave and taking the good stuff they leave behind.
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Goumindong

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #12 on: November 19, 2018, 01:36:08 PM »

Another option: let me know if this should be it’s own thread

Currently there are three ways to deal with an expedition

1) Blow them up

2) pay them off

3) expend political capital

Well, there would be a fourth, “comply with demands”.

When you comply with the demands of the faction in question you get a slight reputation bump (1 to 2) on a per month basis and your production capacity and inputs fall in synth to meet the remanded production limit. You could then spend your reputation to allow you to buy a commission (you would pay tariffs to the commissioner faction) or to overproduce later (by paying off inspection fleets with reputation)

This is similar to paying them off but probably will produce a higher reduction in income. It would also give ways to deal with/become a pirate/Luddite. Luddites could demand you only produce low tech stuffs and cease tech mining. Pirates could demand a limit to patrols. (IE if you don’t patrol the warp lanes we won’t raid your shipping... only the other guys shipping). Both would like you more but would instantly jump right back to hostile once you reverted your policies. (That is just the way pirates and terrorists are)
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Megas

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #13 on: November 19, 2018, 01:52:39 PM »

I just cannot win.  I get max colony skills to get enough money to support my colony, and now the Diktat wants to set my colony on fire because I make too much Heavy Machinery.

Looks like I will Tech Mine and rack in the profits.  If I will be invaded, I guess it is time to crank up the money.  This is starting to feel like the first 0.7 version where everyone gets angry the moment I get favorable relations with one faction.  That first 0.7 version was not fun.

Either that or start over.
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TJJ

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Re: Faction Expeditions
« Reply #14 on: November 19, 2018, 02:29:36 PM »

My home system with 2 planets (size 9 & 7), both defended with High Commands (supplied by 2 pristine nanoforge powered Orbital Works) has become so inundated with Expeditions, that the expeditions themselves have started fighting one-another!





Apparently salvage is big business!

« Last Edit: November 19, 2018, 02:33:52 PM by TJJ »
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