what happens to dead player minor factions?

[clif9710]

I have been supporting a faction, went to join the squadron for it and found out that of the 7 members, none are active. Does FD ever go through squadrons/factions and kill off those that have not been active for some time? If nobody is active then nobody new can join from what I can tell because recruits have to be approved by someone already in the squadron.

[Dolphin Bottlenose]

The game is dynamic. If there is no resistance from that faction, other factions can push it back to its home star system. There is no reason for FDevs to go through the list to kill it. That faction still exists in the game, like all other NPC factions.

[Holeypaladin]

Minor factions aren't linked to players at all. Players may choose to support a faction after it is added in as a "player faction," or they can completely ignore it and watch it play out according to the BGS whims of everyone else. If a bunch of players support a faction for awhile and then stop playing, then it'll continue to operate according to the actions of other players who remain active.

A lot of people get very possessive when it comes to minor factions, but in truth, they don't actually belong to anyone at all. Every player is free to mess with every minor faction in whatever way they feel like, as it doesn't hurt any other player to do so (although it may frustrate them).

[Sighman]

There are quite a few PMFs that were from the Console side of things. When legacy and live were split, those console players only continued to affect the legacy galaxy.

Also, Inara no longer updates anything from legacy (to my knowledge). So if you look at a PMF like Green Earth Observer Syndicate, all the supporters are members of the squadron 'Green Earth United', and when you look at the member list they're all 'XB' for xbox.

Around my area, Green Earth has been losing stations and systems in Live for a year or more now. On Legacy, for all I know, they're expanding wildly.

[ZombieHunter]

Some player factions controlling certain systems within the game are permanent regardless of the BGS or active members. Some are not.

[MrSoul]

Originally posted by Holeypaladin:

Minor factions aren't linked to players at all. Players may choose to support a faction after it is added in as a "player faction," or they can completely ignore it and watch it play out according to the BGS whims of everyone else. If a bunch of players support a faction for awhile and then stop playing, then it'll continue to operate according to the actions of other players who remain active.

A lot of people get very possessive when it comes to minor factions, but in truth, they don't actually belong to anyone at all. Every player is free to mess with every minor faction in whatever way they feel like, as it doesn't hurt any other player to do so (although it may frustrate them).

Not sure if still way it works but in the past if you had over 10 people in your group you could fill out a form to request Frontier add your player group as an actual faction in game.

Many groups did, and many minor factions you see in game are in fact player factions.
https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Player_Minor_Faction#:~:text=Before%20applying%20for%20a%20player,closed%20in%20early%20April%202023.

Note the player faction "Yes" in blue on this page.
https://inara.cz/elite/minorfaction/34205/

When I started playing couple years ago it started me out towards where one of their systems is. I was so confused and just assumed devs had a "lol random" sense of humour until learning about player factions pretty recently lol

What I'd guess you're thinking of, is the possessiveness some folks take to their factions in powerplay. Which is probably just roleplaying for a lot of people.

[Holeypaladin]

Originally posted by Mr.Soul:

Originally posted by Holeypaladin:

Minor factions aren't linked to players at all. Players may choose to support a faction after it is added in as a "player faction," or they can completely ignore it and watch it play out according to the BGS whims of everyone else. If a bunch of players support a faction for awhile and then stop playing, then it'll continue to operate according to the actions of other players who remain active.

A lot of people get very possessive when it comes to minor factions, but in truth, they don't actually belong to anyone at all. Every player is free to mess with every minor faction in whatever way they feel like, as it doesn't hurt any other player to do so (although it may frustrate them).

Not sure if still way it works but in the past if you had over 10 people in your group you could fill out a form to request Frontier add your player group as an actual faction in game.

Many groups did, and many minor factions you see in game are in fact player factions.
https://elite-dangerous.fandom.com/wiki/Player_Minor_Faction#:~:text=Before%20applying%20for%20a%20player,closed%20in%20early%20April%202023.

Note the player faction "Yes" in blue on this page.
https://inara.cz/elite/minorfaction/34205/

When I started playing couple years ago it started me out towards where one of their systems is. I was so confused and just assumed devs had a "lol random" sense of humour until learning about player factions pretty recently lol

What I'd guess you're thinking of, is the possessiveness some folks take to their factions in powerplay. Which is probably just roleplaying for a lot of people.

I'm well aware of all this. However, just because a minor faction is named after your squadron, doesn't mean it belongs to your squadron. The squadron gains zero benefits from having the minor faction named after them, nor do they gain any liabilities. It doesn't belong to them, it's just named after them.

They closed applications for new player factions last year, I think. It was a pretty weird mechanic and a lot of people get way too possessive over these minor factions that they don't actually own... they merely support through BGS mechanics because they share the same name.

[clif9710]

Then the worst case for a player minor faction (or any minor faction?) is that it ends up in a single system and cannot be removed from there?

My guess is that when a faction falls to or near the bottom in influence within a system it is likely ignored.

[Holeypaladin]

Originally posted by clif9710:

Then the worst case for a player minor faction (or any minor faction?) is that it ends up in a single system and cannot be removed from there?

My guess is that when a faction falls to or near the bottom in influence within a system it is likely ignored.

Basically, they'll end up as a minor faction in their home system, as minor factions can't be removed from their home system. That's provided enough players actively oppose them in order to make them retreat from all other systems, which isn't very likely.

[Sighman]

Originally posted by Holeypaladin:

That's provided enough players actively oppose them in order to make them retreat from all other systems, which isn't very likely.

Over the past weeks and months some large player groups have aligned against the other large player group on the left in the Inara link below. It seems the object is to force them to retreat from all their systems. (The summary shows they're being pushed out of six systems right now.)

There have been 25-30 simultaneous wars in their systems for weeks now, and it's still hotting up.

Nothing to do with me, I just heard about it. But I wanted to point out that 'isn't very likely' is incorrect.

https://inara.cz/elite/minorfaction/38378/

[TªG÷Şлдҝε]

In reply to OP my fleet has been split up due to console not being part of live anymore! Our main leader is console and his carrier is still in our main system and he tells me it should of decommissioned by now! Another player faction has muscled in and took over the system but I managed to take it back on my own with other randoms that seem to catch on trying to help give the main control back. Just today i noticed 4 carriers from the opposing player faction muscling in again and it's sad i can't really get backup from our console members. I will defend our main system but as for expansion we won't expand like we did when everything is linked.

[Holeypaladin]

Originally posted by Sighman:

Originally posted by Holeypaladin:

That's provided enough players actively oppose them in order to make them retreat from all other systems, which isn't very likely.

Over the past weeks and months some large player groups have aligned against the other large player group on the left in the Inara link below. It seems the object is to force them to retreat from all their systems. (The summary shows they're being pushed out of six systems right now.)

There have been 25-30 simultaneous wars in their systems for weeks now, and it's still hotting up.

Nothing to do with me, I just heard about it. But I wanted to point out that 'isn't very likely' is incorrect.

https://inara.cz/elite/minorfaction/38378/

Fair enough, more likely than I thought. But considering how many "dead" factions there are, they've got their work cut out for them.

As for the answer to the original post... what happens to these "dead" player factions? Well, the simple answer is: It's up to the remaining active players to decide how to influence them, whether negatively or positively.

[Planewalker]

Originally posted by ZombieHunter:

Some player factions controlling certain systems within the game are permanent regardless of the BGS or active members. Some are not.

Correct.

Originally posted by Mr.Soul:

Not sure if still way it works but in the past if you had over 10 people in your group you could fill out a form to request Frontier add your player group as an actual faction in game.

Yes they stopped taking application around a year ago by now.
-later emphasized that player agency is a top priority so my take is they are reworking it.
(an ingame option instead of having to approve applications would lessen the workload)

Originally posted by Sighman:

Over the past weeks and months some large player groups have aligned against the other large player group on the left in the Inara link below. It seems the object is to force them to retreat from all their systems. (The summary shows they're being pushed out of six systems right now.)

CEC exploited the anarchy bug to take over a ridiculous amount of systems all the while professing to be about "peace and cooperation", which they are not.
They invaded so many systems taking over every single settlement and base in systems.

Had it not been for their exploitation of the anarchy bug they would not have been able to expand so ridiculously fast. -and now they are throwing their minor allies under the bus.
In short they are not to be trusted whatsoever because they don't mind exploiting the game or their allies. (they chose dictatorship because it closes BMs and it's who they are)

Originally posted by Holeypaladin:

Basically, they'll end up as a minor faction in their home system, as minor factions can't be removed from their home system. That's provided enough players actively oppose them in order to make them retreat from all other systems, which isn't very likely.

OP this is your answer: PMFs can't "die", only be relegated to minor roles.

[clif9710]

Regarding BGS, if a player goes into combat where both sides are NPC only (no players other than the one) will it be a certainty that the side with the lone player will prevail (assuming he/she is able to at least make one kill and not be killed).

I assume there is a random factor that decides npc vs npc contests, so a player would have to overcome this factor if it happened to favor the opposition.

[Holeypaladin]

Originally posted by clif9710:

Regarding BGS, if a player goes into combat where both sides are NPC only (no players other than the one) will it be a certainty that the side with the lone player will prevail (assuming he/she is able to at least make one kill and not be killed).

I assume there is a random factor that decides npc vs npc contests, so a player would have to overcome this factor if it happened to favor the opposition.

Well, in a war, one player needs to win at least one combat zone over the period of a one week war, in order for a faction to win a war.

If no player interferes throughout the entire duration of a one week war, the results will be tied, and nothing will change. At least, this is what I have observed.

Originally posted by Planewalker:

CEC exploited the anarchy bug to take over a ridiculous amount of systems all the while professing to be about "peace and cooperation", which they are not.
They invaded so many systems taking over every single settlement and base in systems.

Had it not been for their exploitation of the anarchy bug they would not have been able to expand so ridiculously fast. -and now they are throwing their minor allies under the bus.
In short they are not to be trusted whatsoever because they don't mind exploiting the game or their allies. (they chose dictatorship because it closes BMs and it's who they are)

I did get the impression that Anarchy factions had a lot of advantages when it comes to BGS (such as a lack of System Authority vessels to kill, a lack of "clean" ships to kill, plenty of "massacre civilians" missions to undermine their competition, and benefiting from black markets as well as normal trade), but what exactly is this "Anarchy bug"?

[Planewalker]

Originally posted by Holeypaladin:

but what exactly is this "Anarchy bug"?

It's honestly a bit too involved to describe here but they lost all inf and got near extinct.
-almost all "pirate hunting" onfoot/ship targeted them which exacerbated the issue.
(it has been fixed and mitigated somewhat but anarchy factions in the game have none to few advantages other than "free hunting", which is...eh; smuggling missions have been added/buffed along with small other things few people have noticed so it's not all bad)