Background

From AEDC’s very inception in December 2014 (3300), the stated goal of the group was supporting Alliance factions in the galaxy by promoting them to ruling status in systems. This BGS game play has been the focus of our activities, and we have grown and thrived as a group in discovering its mechanics, devising strategies and executing long-term game plans, while promoting BGS play in general and sharing information, guides, and test results with the wider BGS community.

From the beginning, then, we chose and supported particular procedural Alliance minor factions, well before players in the game were able to name their own player minor factions. By the time they became a reality, Frontier Development allowed us only one official faction as a group, and one of them did become one – and incidentally brought us to the Dangerous Games as one of the pre-selected finalists. But this did not change our game-style. To this day AEDC supports multiple Alliance factions as a group, and many more are supported by individual diplomats.

In the first years, it was rare to encounter any direct opposition in the BGS. Players and player groups were operating in a large bubble, which took effort to traverse, and as the community of BGS groups was small, and collectively experimenting and trying to work out the mechanics, nobody was in each other’s way. Conflicts between players groups were exceptionally rare during this time. The exceptions being major lore systems or Power Play related activity. Since AEDC had as a group abandoned practically all Power Play related BGS activity by Spring of 3302, this centered for AEDC then historically on the Old Worlds.

When however we started to encounter other player groups in the BGS – whether player minor factions or player groups supporting procedural minor factions – we resolved matters generally amicably by agreeing on boundaries and a first-come-first-right-to-rule principle, involving treaties and agreements that have held for years. As a group, we promote and encourage BGS play, not just for ourselves, but for the entire BGS community. Our main wish to Frontier is to let the lore be driven by the activities of the entire community, especially the interplay between factions and groups, rather than a disconnected top-down story-line. This would bring the galaxy so much more to life for all of us.

We understand the BGS is a shared galaxy, across modes. While the vast majority of us plays in Open most if not all of the time, we believe all modes are equally valid options to CMDRs playing the BGS, and in some cases changing modes is inevitable for game mechanical reasons. For example, more than a single combat wing on the same side of a combat zone in the same instance is an inefficient use of CMDR resources in the BGS. More broadly, the BGS belongs to the entire Elite:Dangerous community, whatever mode they choose to play in, not just BGS players. As all activities of all CMDRs in populated systems drive the states and influences in the BGS, whether they are aware of it or not, the result is a living, breathing, constantly changing populated bubble we all together create and influence.

BGS players have different reasons and goals. Some support minor factions allied with a particular super power. Others support a particular government type. Yet others play it for Power Play reasons, or play it to support a particular faction for a variety of reasons. We understand this is not just a shared galaxy, it is a contested galaxy. It has been from the start in major lore, Power Play relevant and other meaningful systems to the community, and the contested space is growing. With the large increase in player minor factions – by now over a thousand – and many near one another, vested interests of established BGS player groups (with or without Power Play motivations), as well as lore-heavy and emotional-historical ties (where players or player groups have spent considerable effort in the past), this inevitably leads to an increase in cases where players contest the same systems or area of space with irreconcilable conflicting goals that cannot be negotiated away. These situations can provide challenging but memorable and enjoyable opportunities for emergent game play, both by BGS and through direct player-to-player conflict in PvP engagements.

Definitions

Given our origins, we like to be precise about terms, and specifically why we prefer the term “player supported faction” rather than “player minor faction”.

Minor factions are any factions in the game that may be present in a populated system. There are the factions of the BGS. All of them have home systems. All of them have states and influence levels in the systems they are present in due to the various activities of all CMDRs in the game, through missions, mining, trade, smuggling, exploration data, bounty hunting, combat bonds, and criminal activity.

Player minor factions are factions in the game that exist because a player group requested it, met a set of changing and sometimes arbitrary interpretations of conditions, and were inserted into the game by Frontier Development. Like all other factions in the BGS, their states and influence are driven by player activity, and cannot be retreated from their home system. Their only unique feature is that no new player minor faction can be inserted in a system where one is already present.

Procedural minor factions are factions in the game that Frontier Development inserted by themselves. They typically have the name of their home system included in their name, but that is not always the case.

Player supported factions are any minor factions in the game that are consciously supported by a player or player group through BGS activity. This may be a player minor faction or a procedural minor faction. It is identified either by player groups publicly stating they are supporting it, or through deliberate movement in the BGS: That is, actively capturing assets and systems, defending itself during armed conflicts or elections, and/or expanding to others systems. Activity and movement noticeably different from random BGS movement.

Since the majority of player minor factions do not own a single asset in their home system, nor rule a single system, we consider these factions either abandoned, or simply inserted to have a presence in the game, with no BGS ambitions. Therefore, we prefer to speak of player supported factions to make a clear distinction.

AEDC’s position on player supported factions

As we encourage BGS play among the Elite Dangerous community, we readily provide information, guidance, and occasional active support to those involved with player supported factions when asked. As we are an Alliance focused group ourselves, this primarily is extended to Alliance groups but anyone who asks will receive answers to BGS questions, situations, scenarios and recommended tactics and strategy Generally, when one of our player supported factions encounters another player supported faction, we go through the following identification process: Is this a known player supported faction we already have a relationship with or know who to contact? If so, get in touch If the supporting player or player group is not known, conduct an out-of-game internet search for any sign of player support. Should this succeed, get in touch Observe the BGS states and movement of the faction over weeks. Is there any focused activity, over several BGS state cycles? Are conflicts between factions being won by the suspected player supported faction in ways that suggests conscious activity, rather than a random passer-by? Does the faction gain influence in ways well beyond to be expected given its BGS states? When a faction has been confirmed as a player supported faction (including when no associated player group has been identified), we consider the system claimed on a first-come-first served basis. That is, AEDC will not challenge a player supported group already present in a system to which an AEDC supported faction expanded. Should, however, the player supported faction make no conscious attempt to take control of the system, and no contact with a supporting player group can be made, we will. Should a player minor faction be present in the system for a long time, and the associated player group has been dormant as well, we do not consider the faction to be a player supported faction, but rather an acceptable target, until we are made aware to the contrary. Player minor factions that are inserted into the game into AEDC player supported factions systems are contacted where possible to understand their intentions, and whether a relationship can be worked out. However, attempts to take the system from the AEDC supported faction should be expected to be resisted. Our preferred method of conflict resolution is through mutual agreement of borders and territory, and future areas of expansion. AEDC has a long history of treaties with various player supported factions that have held for years, and cross allegiances. Treaties and relationships are maintained through contact where necessary, and active collaboration where treaty terms are in jeopardy through unintended BGS movements. AEDC abides by treaties and agreements. We don’t forget those who break treaties. Alliance systems under attack from player supported factions may find those systems defended by AEDC. While this is unlikely to actually occur in the majority of cases, as space is big and we cannot be everywhere nor even be aware of the threat, it is always a possibility. Systems controlled by AEDC supported factions, core Alliance system and major lore systems are watched and vigorously defended, even beyond system control changes. These systems include Alioth, Lave and Leesti, as well as systems of player supported factions of our Alliance allies. There are consequences to where player supported factions operate in the galaxy. Fringe systems get little traffic, and therefore unlikely to see much random traffic, let alone direct player opposition. Systems near super power capitals, important lore systems, high populations systems, with crucial rares or gold-mine mission opportunities can be difficult to manage from a BGS perspective simply through high random traffic, but are also far more likely to see a higher concentration of player supported factions, and therefore a high potential for contested ground. Those who prefer to play the BGS unopposed are advised to find an area of operations that suits their style of play and ability to put in the effort to achieve their goals. Should conflicts arise between player supported factions, we fight them in the BGS. AEDC understands we are playing in a shared galaxy, where control of systems is determined by BGS activity. We do not deliberately seek out confrontational BGS play – although we understand a number of our past actions have been provocative – but enjoy the challenge should they arise as opportunities for emergent game and role play.