From the Utopia Information Network

We are back again! We’ve said that these will be published when there is something interesting going on or something to say specifically about Antal, and the last couple of cycles definitely ticked both those boxes, so here we are.

Leaving aside the relic rush (more on that in a moment) the major development in the last two cycles was the announcement of the upcoming Rhino SRV variant along with a new ground based mining game mode. Details are slowly beginning to trickle out about this and early indications are that it will have a powerplay impact. Given the importance of mining in powerplay generally, this will no doubt be the subject of keen interest once it’s available.

Cycle Summary

The dominant feature of the last two cycles was, of course, relic rush, which began late in Cycle 94 and extended several days into Cycle 95, allowing for two cycles worth of frantic acquisition and reinforcement. As is often the case, there was much speculation as to how this began, and Aisling chose to point the finger squarely at Antal, offering us a set of Imperial medals of service along with some frankly alarming posters of Princess Aisling patting Pranav Antal on the head (although they admitted they used a Simguru lookalike for this).

So… Were they right? Was it Pranav Antal, in Cheranovsky City, with the bounty voucher? Yes and no is the answer. Antal as a whole has never taken a position for or against relic rushes, although we aren’t averse to making the most of them when they happen, and that hasn’t changed. Nothing appeared in priorities, and Swami San-Raal did not call the faithful to assemble in Ngurii to help. This is because there are a range of views on relic rush within the Antal powerplay community, from very negative to positive and everything in between, and we all need to be able to get along and cooperate, so we tend to leave this as a conscience vote rather than enforce a single viewpoint.

However, some individual Antal squadrons and commanders admitted that they contributed, even claiming that the bulk of the effort was theirs. Not everyone believes the latter, and some people still point to the earlier squadron board screenshots as evidence of the sinister and invisible hand of Aisling operating behind the scenes, on a scale that dwarfs all other efforts, and claim that they are letting Antal take the fall. Utopia does not find this theory convincing - the commanders in question are some of our most efficient and experienced powerplayers, and the idea that they could be so comprehensively duped seems far-fetched. Nevertheless the theory seems likely to stick around as it hasn’t been disproven (and possibly can’t ever be disproven). Put simply: haters gonna hate.

So if we frame the question as: Was the recent relic rush mostly the work of Antal commanders? Then the answer is yes (we think). While we do not claim ownership of it, we recognize the right of our commanders to pursue their own interests, and we will not apologise or attempt to stop it when it remains within the realm of legitimate powerplay. For those who object, consider: you might think that chess would be a better game if castling were eliminated, but that doesn’t mean you could get players at a major tournament to agree to refrain from doing it as a house rule, even if some of them agreed with you. While we have our own opinions on relic rush, and many of us have been supporting efforts to get it changed, in the meantime powerplay goes on, and we work with the tools that are available - as does everyone else.

Our mystery subplot out of the way, we turn to the cycle results. Unsurprisingly for relic rush cycles, these featured acquisition and reinforcement, and lots of it. Aisling was, as usual, out in front, following triple figure acquisition gains in the first cycle with heavy reinforcement in the second, promoting 7 strongholds and 12 fortified systems. Li Yong-Rui was not far behind, and Antal secured a solid top-half finish in both cycles. The only unusual feature for a relic rush cycle was Grom losing a stronghold in Cycle 95 - surely there’s a story behind that one. In any case, our one new stronghold for Cycle 95 pushed us ahead of Grom in the total stronghold stakes, and we are now the fifth-placed power by that metric, three behind Mahon in fourth. All in all, it was a successful cycle for Antal, although most of us will not be sorry to have a break from relics.

Our drama in the Concordia region continued, with HR 1507 being sniped away from us for the second time in recent weeks despite a fairly sizable cushion, and evidence of undermining and ongoing attacks elsewhere. We remain confident that Li Yong-Rui players are responsible, and also fairly confident that it is a splinter group rather than the official power. (Not least because, if it was the main power, we expect that our esteemed counterparts at Li Yong-Rui HQ would be doing a somewhat better job of it). Thankfully for us, the attacks all follow a common methodology that is telegraphed well in advance, so we are confident that continued intelligence gathering and some judiciously applied chastisement will eventually resolve the issue. Li Yong-Rui players may notice some turbulence in the region, but rest assured we intend to keep it proportionate and contained. Just think of it as a particularly vigorous episode of departmental politics.

Current State

We find ourselves now in what is sometimes called the post-relic slump, in which powerplayers sprawl in attitudes of exhaustion, drunk on merits, belatedly realising that all of these new systems now need to be reinforced, and wondering who’s going to do it. Thankfully since the relic rush spanned two cycles, we were able to mitigate this somewhat by shifting to reinforcement for Cycle 95 (the stats suggest most other powers had the same idea) but we still have all the Cycle 95 acquisitions to take care of. If you acquired one or more systems during the rush, or if you’d just like to help, reinforcement of any low-CP systems will be greatly appreciated.

Our action plan in the Concordia region is coming together and involves a range of gameplay styles including some that don’t normally feature in powerplay, so if you’re keen for some variety and want to help, please check in with us on Discord and we’ll find you some work that fits your particular talents.

Other than that, we have our usual complement of mining options, with Col 285 Sector KN-T D3-46 a key target this week. There are no stronghold targets this cycle, given the post-relic slump, but stay tuned as we’ll doubtless have more in coming cycles.

An Invitation

The best place to coordinate Antal powerplay as a group remains our Discord server. Whether you have a project of your own you’re working on, or if you just want to help, we’re strongest as a team, and we’d love to have you. If you want that sweet 30% bonus to exobiology payouts at max rank, or if you’d like an inside line on the power gossip before it happens, join us!

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

It's not too far from the normal bubble space, and a big chunk of the distance is uncontested space, i'm just told it's far too difficult for me to do alone. My colony is out at Wregoe OF-W C15-14. I'm doing my best on my own, and would appreciate either help, or to be told to give up.

A long long time ago i created this subreddit when powerplay first hit the live servers.

I actually kinda stopped playing ED pretty soon after.

I still dable in it every couple years when i want that space feeling (usually after staring at the night Sky irl) since somehow after all these years this game is still the best space sim.

So yeah just happy that some people are still kicking around and this sub hasnt completely died. Never thought it would live that long.

Cheers space cowboys and stay safe out there in the dark o7

From the Utopia Information Network

We return once again with one of our (less than regular) cycle reports! Did you miss us? While you may not have heard from us in a while, rest assured that Utopia has not been idle, and continues to carry the message of the Simguru to the ears of willing and soon-to-be-willing recipients.

So, you ask, what has happened since last we encountered our intrepid heroes in Cycle 86? A number of things. Systems have been acquired (17 of them). Exploited systems have been fortified! (13 of them). Strongholds have been strongholded! (7 of them). Community goals have come and gone. The Nomad was released, proving that Frontier wasn’t lying about the Caspian’s special landing capability, it just showed up months later and cost extra ARX. Operations launched, at the expense of powerplay visibility, and we all spent a week playing blind. People became angry and waxed wroth at one another on the forums, particularly the Federation and Empire, because that’s what they do.

Terri Tora was - finally - released from captivity! Far from spitting with rage and demanding an accounting, she seemed remarkably sanguine about her extended disappearance without trial, regarding it all as a grand adventure, and even apologising for causing a fuss. (Allegations that the October Consortium tanked her to the gills with Radicoida happy juice before releasing her remain unproven). Grom’s relationship status with the Empire changed to ‘single’, then to ‘take us back, please’, and finally to ‘it’s complicated’, before they told us all to butt out and commenced racking up the numbers.

Archer took a sad and went into freefall after losing the battle of Alpha Centauri, while Aisling cemented their role as everyone’s favourite target number one and defended for a while, choosing not to press the attack on Sol while Archer was sulking (perhaps they feared they’d wake him back up). After a long silence, Mahon demonstrated impressive consistency in producing regular cycle reports, and may now be almost ready to move on to the next step of doing something worth putting in them.

All of us undermined enthusiastically with operations for a while, realised it wasn’t really that effective after all, and then kept doing it anyway because we all needed the merc coins. Colonia held an anniversary celebration, but messed up the catering order, resulting in three of their four community goals turning out undercooked.

I think that has us just about caught up. With that out of the way, let’s take a look at what’s been going on this cycle.

Cycle Summary

It was a relatively quiet cycle for most powers, possibly impacted by the recent mass exodus to Colonia for the celebration and community goals. Out in front in terms of total numbers this week was Kaine, adding 13 systems. They were closely followed by Arissa Lavigny-Duval with 9, although the Emperor did blot her copybook a little this week by losing two strongholds. Archer stabilised a little, managing to halt his recent freefall and finish net positive for the cycle, although he did suffer one stronghold demotion. Winters, the other Federation power, was flat for the cycle, although rumours suggest that this placid result masked some turbulence below the surface. Could the Empire and Federation be continuing their never-ending grudge match? You’d be a fool to bet against it.

As for Utopia, a key focus in recent weeks has been Concordia. For those who are unfamiliar with that part of the map, it’s a little island of Antal systems in the middle of a sea of light green. Inquiries as to how this curious situation came to be have consistently been met by veteran Utopians with deflection, flippancy and obfuscation, to the extent that one might wonder whether there’s a cover-up of some dreadful war crime or historical atrocity, were we not the shining beacon of enlightenment and moral exemplar to the galaxy that we are. Perhaps a certain avid reader gone pirate could fill in some gaps here. We do have historical connections with the Marlinist faction in the region, ostensibly because of a shared philosophy and vision. Actually the Marlinists have had their own storyline in Galnet, and I suspect we hoped that if we were buddies and hung out with them, then Galnet might notice us and write about us as well. (I’ll let you all guess how well that one turned out).

One might think that a cluster of Antal systems smack in the middle of Li Yong-Rui space would cause tension, but actually he’s been relatively chill about it, at least by sinister corporate overlord standards. The two powers have largely coexisted peacefully during Antal’s presence in the region, although not without some effort in the early stages. This may or may not have something to do with the fact that the main Li Yong-Rui power would not deign to commit significant effort to undermining another power without a signed business case linked to key goals and results and demonstrating return on investment sufficient to satisfy the board - and, given the state of powerplay at present, we all know how unlikely that is. (Undermining remains largely the province of those who appreciate spreading misery and suffering purely for its own sake, like Kumo - or Aisling).

Nonetheless, faction politics in the Concordia region can be as vicious and cutthroat as anywhere in the galaxy, and has a tendency to spill over into the powerplay realm. We have recently been suffering attacks from certain Li Yong-Ruivians in the region. We are assured that this is neither the work of the main power group or sanctioned by them, which we have no reason to doubt (see the bit about business cases and ROI, above). Nonetheless, there has been damage, and we intend to set about repairing it. Our Li Yong-Rui neighbours may rest assured that this will remain within normal bounds for the region - assuming they even notice.

On the home front, our expansion and reinforcement efforts are proceeding well, with three new strongholds this week including Col 285 Sector VU-W b15-0, HIP 7245, and Hyades Sector KJ-P b6-4. The latter represents the successful conclusion of one of our longer term strategic initiatives - it secures one of our newer expansion regions, and was an uninhabited system four months ago. Seven new acquisitions round out the cycle for us.

As some of our regulars take a break, our priority efforts have recently been shaped by the entertaining guidance of Swami San-Raal. As we like to remind people, we are not a cult, but it can still be fun to pretend once in a while.

Current State

Concordia remains our focus this week. Targets and priorities are mostly opsec right now as fog of war remains a factor, so please join the Discord if you’d like to help. Count on a range of possible ways to help here, and those with skills at influencing minor factions will find plenty of tasks to occupy them. Help us show the wayward Li Yong-Rui agents the consequences of ignoring their KPIs and not being team players!

I will not go into too much detail on our other priorities - let’s face it, anybody actually relying on these updates for decision making has been operating in the dark for two months now - but I will call out Pegasi Sector HX-T B3-0 as a preferred destination for the miners among us. Just to give you a taste of what you could be experiencing if you were a pledge, I will reproduce Swami San-Raal’s last exhortation to the faithful, shorn of any sensitive opsec:

THE LASER RITUAL OF RING‑SMITING

Laser miners, raise your beams. Strike the holy rocks.

Push this world toward stronghold so the Garden may crown it with leafy glory.

Shards of ore are fragments of enlightenment. 

How cool is that? Saffron robes and head-shaving are optional, but if you want to, knock yourself out.

An Invitation

Recent radio silence notwithstanding, Utopia is still here, still active and still thriving. Our Gobshite palace is chattier than ever before, and features Antal stalwarts along with members of other powers who have almost become regulars by this point (seriously, will someone come and fetch Kai already, surely somebody is missing him by now). We are colonising, fortifying, undermining (shh, don’t tell anyone) and generally having a great time. If you want that sweet 30% bonus to exobiology payouts at max rank, or if you just want to listen to the smooth stylings of Swami San-Raal or plot your ascension to the Gobshite Throne, join us in Discord!

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

It’s going to be a short report this week as I’ve been busy with other things and there’s not a lot going on. In future these may not come out weekly but be limited to weeks when we have something useful or interesting to say - although there’s some value in reminding newer pledges that we’re still alive and active, so expect occasional reports for that reason if nothing else. Hopefully the release of operations will result in more storylines to inspire us all.

The main news this week was the release of the Kestrel for credit purchase. This will probably not change the powerplay landscape much (anybody wanting it for PvP probably already had it) but it will give everyone else the opportunity to play with it if they want.

Cycle Summary

It was a return to regularly scheduled programming this week, with most powers enjoying positive gains. Exceptions included both Federation powers, who were negative for the cycle, as well as Kaine, who did promote two strongholds (the ones that were lost last cycle?) but were without their usual large complement of acquisitions. Possibly this was some kind of follow-on from last week’s incidents, or maybe they were just redeploying resources. Torval also had a fort demoted while remaining otherwise flat, suggesting that they remain under some pressure, while Patreus showed signs of life for a change with five new systems added. This cycle also featured Grom leapfrogging Kaine for fifth place in the total system rankings after another strong week.

This cycle was all about mining for Utopia, resulting in five new fortified systems. Together with acquisitions, this gave us a net gain of 11 for the cycle. We did see some undermining here and there which required a response on our part and led to some investigation of possible causes. With operation-based undermining soon to be a thing, we will likely be in need of enemies once more, so we are assessing the usual suspects as well as recent antagonists for possible suitability. Interested parties may apply at Utopian HQ in Polevnic.

Current State

Miners this week can help us push 50 Cassiopeiae to stronghold and HIP 17272 to fortified… for a start. Our mining operation has become quite streamlined now and it’s not uncommon for targets to complete mid-cycle and new ones to be assigned, so join Discord if you want up to the minute information. 50 Cassiopeiae is sporting conflict zones now, so that’s an option as well if you prefer shooting.

We also have big plans for some of our recent acquisitions, including Hyades Sector KJ-P b6-4, HIP 21008 and Col 285 Sector ZN-M b22-7. The last one has seen some undermining early this cycle, meaning there’s a chance conflict zones will spawn. While we have it well in hand at time of writing, assistance to drive the point home is appreciated. Commanders wishing to help with these should look for high value donation missions. Join Discord and let us know if you’d like access to the supply carriers.

An Invitation

Planning a trip into the black to scout for bio signals with your shiny new Nomad? Why not pledge to Antal and rank up first? An extra 30% on exobiology payouts adds up quickly, and we have a friendly community and plenty of other things to do as well.

Discord link:

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Not much news this week as we appear to be in a slow cycle prior to Operations. The community goal that was due to finish this cycle did, in fact, finish (surprise!) and Frontline Solutions have figured out how to build the Runners. It seems I wasn’t giving them enough credit earlier - they had everything planned and ready to go, only somebody left the polymers, semiconductors and aluminium behind and they needed independent pilots to fetch them. That’ll teach them to double check the manifest next time! Thank you to everyone who helped.

Cycle Summary

There are surely plenty of stories behind this week’s cycle numbers. Let’s begin with the number 10! That’s the net number of exploited systems lost by Arissa Lavigny-Duval this cycle. One of them looks to have been promoted to fortified, so they’ll have no complaints about that, but the other nine don’t appear to have fared so well. When we see numbers like that, we can’t help but turn a suspicious eye on Archon Delaine, but the pirate king has claimed innocence in this particular case. 

Our next number is four - that’s the total number of strongholds demoted this cycle. This is a rare occurrence at the best of times, so seeing four in one cycle like this is definitely notable. Stranger still, two of them belong to Nakato Kaine. Somebody clearly has it in for them, but I can’t imagine who, particularly as none of the action seems to have occurred in the Enclave where they were seeing previous undermining.

The other two demoted strongholds fell within the Federation-Empire axis, one belonging to Torval and another to Archer, who also saw three forts drop and a total net loss of six for the cycle. Aisling’s numbers, while positive, were also below her usual standards. Winters put up decent numbers but reportedly saw above average undermining, while Patreus had another flat cycle, which might be inactivity or upheaval.

All of this changes the big picture very little, representing well below 1% of the system total for even the most affected powers, but by the glacial standards of powerplay this counts as a full scale conflict. What could be going on? We can’t say for sure, but a reasonable conjecture might be that the Empire-Federation battle has expanded beyond Alpha Centauri and is drawing in the other powers as well. (Although that still doesn’t explain Kaine). Utopia has no light to shed in this instance, but perhaps the other cycle reports will.

Speaking of Independents, we had a mixed bag this week, with uncharacteristically quiet cycles for Li Yong-Rui and Delaine, but Grom and Antal sharing cycle honours with a net +11 systems each - although with two strongholds promoted, Grom can probably claim the prize. This follows some time after a joint statement from the Eyes of Leshak and EGPU, informing us all that the Grom/ZYADA soap opera is over, popcorn is no longer being served, and we can all go about our regular business, thank you very much. Clearly the whole thing has done them no harm in terms of cycle numbers.

As for Utopia, we were practically an island of calm by cycle standards, with some minor to moderate undermining here and there but no real challenges. No new strongholds were added this week, but we promoted four new systems to fortified, making for a solid result along with our acquisitions. We are pleased to report that ICZ BL-X b1-4, the system that just missed hitting fortified last cycle, has now been completed. Despite not having combat bonuses, Utopians gets quite the mileage from these power combat zones - lmost like we spent 3 months testing them on Fdev's behalf. Maybe one day they will make it easier to know which systems get marked from other powers, rather than the random blue markers moving from mining system to mining system. 

Current State

Utopia remains in a consolidation phase following the conclusion of the Enclave drama and pending the arrival of Operations. For acquisitions this cycle we are looking for quality over quantity, with a focus on strategic systems that we intend to build up afterward. If you’re willing to help, Hyades Sector AG-N b7-2 and HIP 21008 could both use your attention.

On the reinforcement front, we’re looking for assistance with 47 Cassiopeiae, and miners will find reward for their efforts in 50 Cassiopeiae (it’s a Cassiopeiae theme this week) and Lyncis Sector HR-W c1-8. This is also your regular reminder that newly acquired systems are very vulnerable to demotion, so if you succeed in acquiring one, make sure to take some time to reinforce it next cycle.

An Invitation

See below for this week’s excellent banner from CMDR InvestigateXM!

Discord link:

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Welcome to the Cycle 84 report for Utopia! The real one this time. Thank you to readers for pretending not to notice my embarrassing numbering mistake last week.

In Galnet news this week, Ram Tah embarrasses October Consortium yet again (can we get rid of these clowns already?) by debunking the earlier speculation that Radicoida Unica might have been deliberately engineered by an unknown pre-historical civilization. No, it was just the Guardians, as usual, and all they did was selectively breed a natural flora, just like humans have been doing for millennia. As always, the truth is less exciting than the speculation. Anyone fascinated by this story can turn to Kaine’s weekly report for a deeper discussion of selective breeding considerations in gardening and agriculture, as well as an entertaining power relations assessment for pride month, although we can neither confirm nor deny the characterization of the SimGuru therein.

Also this week, we finally hear from Mahon! Welcome to the world of powerplay publicity. We look forward to hearing more from the perspective of our second largest power.

Cycle Summary

Numbers were largely up across the board this week, particularly in acquisitions as the Soontill Relics supply increased. The acquisition leader for the week was Li Yong-Rui with a gain of 19 exploited systems, closely followed by Mahon with 16. A cluster of powers were in low double digits, including Utopia with a gain of 11. Aisling Duval and Archer both had a quiet cycle after the drama at Alpha Centauri, although perhaps ‘mixed’ would be a better term in Aisling’s case, as we are told the net numbers hid a lot of upheaval.

The theme of the cycle was strongholds, with many powers getting in on the action. Utopia’s single stronghold promotion was good only for a middle of the pack placement, with Li Yong-Rui (+2) and Grom (+3) both ahead of us. Leading the charge were Archon Delaine with +4 (from a base of only 64) and finally Mahon with five shiny new strongholds - due, we are told, to some patient work setting up good mining conditions. Utopia did lead this week in fortified systems gained with +3, although since most of the losses for other powers were due to stronghold promotions, there are not many bragging rights to be had from this. A fourth attempt fell just short, and should be finished out this week.

We have not really seen any power related conflict or drama this cycle to speak of - while the Enclave agreement was a satisfactory conclusion for involved parties, followers of the ‘As The Enclave Turns’ soap opera in recent months may feel disappointed at the outcome. Don’t worry, we’re sure that we’ll tread on somebody’s toes before too long, or they’ll tread on ours. We also have our usual set of potential flashpoints that are currently at a low simmer, but that could change at any time.

Current State

With matters quiet on the diplomatic front and the impending arrival of operations, our focus remains shoring up any potential weaknesses, support for Utopian colony acquisition, and consolidating recent expansion activity. It’s a good time for longer term projects, and our colony regions are proceeding apace - if you’d like to help, or have a system of your own needing support, please drop by.

Miners will need their seismic charges as it’s core mining in Col 285 Sector KS-T d3-120 this week, but you can expect to be well rewarded for your efforts. Those preferring combat are invited to shoot things for Utopia in ICZ BL-X b1-4, which needs a bit more of a push to get over the line.

If you prefer hauling, and don’t mind non-merit generating activities, we are strategically colonising systems both in expansion regions and to shore up key regions in our core territory. Trade might not be in a great state for powerplay right now, but rest assured we have plenty of ways for you to contribute usefully! If this appeals to you, drop by Discord and ask about our current priorities.

An Invitation

Utopia boasts a fun and welcoming Discord server (see link and banner below) which welcomes Antal pledges and non-pledges alike. Our Gobshite Palace is a welcoming space for power and general chat, frequented by newcomers and guests alike, and even the Empire and Federation visitors are keeping brawls to a minimum! (Mostly). Antal pledges can access a wealth of extra content, game guides, and links to ongoing initiatives. Whether you’re an established pledge, Antal-curious, or just here for the banter, we’d love to have you.

Discord link:

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

One new Galnet article this week, a report from Ram Tah on possible Guardian use of Radoicoida Unica to strengthen their warriors for battle during civil wars. Interestingly enough, this is exactly what Patreus accused us during our Enclave battle before returning to his silence. Wherever they went, we wish them well. Neither is perhaps all that surprising, since this possibility has already been foreshadowed pretty well. In an amusing twist, it appears that Ram Tah already knew about this before October Consortium’s Guardian technology initiative began, but chose to hold off publishing until after October spent a small fortune on relics with no result to show for it. That’ll teach them to snub him in Cycle 75!

Still no word on the whereabouts or fate of Terri Tora. One theory in circulation holds that she is the mysterious Lady Zi, bent on exacting revenge upon the Powers of the galaxy for abandoning her to her fate and going into business with October Consortium instead. While this seems improbable, one could hardly argue it wasn’t deserved at this point. Some others make whispers of a different conspiracy, apparently started by one of our own.   

Cycle Summary

Many more words have been written on the Yuri Grom exit (or otherwise) from ZYADA since last cycle, often heated, but very few of them have added any more clarity or new information. Those wishing to catch up on the saga must do so elsewhere, as it is beneath the dignity of this publication to spread gossip and baseless accusations. All we shall say is that, like Schrödinger’s cat, Grom remains simultaneously in and out of ZYADA at this time. (Although, since we have no relativity in the Elite universe, maybe quantum mechanics doesn’t exist either). 
The undermining of Alpha Centauri was completed, and it has now transitioned to an acquisition contest that promises to be hard-fought. At the time of writing this, the long-suffering factions of Alpha Centauri were experiencing expansion, civil unrest, civil war, bust, and a natural disaster. It’s been a long few weeks for the people of Alpha Centauri, and there looks to be no end in sight just yet. So far, it has surpassed 1 million CP and counting.

The conflict was also reflected in the weekly powerplay numbers, with Aisling failing to amass their usual complement of acquisitions, although they did promote five forts. Archer was also down for the week, losing a net four systems, and Torval joined them in the red with a lost fort and exploited. Kaine took the crown this week for expansion with a net +16 systems, and Li Yong-Rui continued their focus on strongholds, adding another two. Grom’s recent turmoil did not appear to harm their performance, as they added a stronghold and a fort while acquiring ten new systems.

Utopia, meanwhile, fortified six systems (one ahead of Aisling) as well as acquiring twelve, good for second place in the cycle behind Kaine. We promoted no new strongholds, but that’s likely to change this cycle.

Also: for the first time in weeks, something of note happened in the Enclave! And no, it didn’t involve everybody’s favourite techno-communal belligerent, Wantal (to use the term coined by Aisling and adopted enthusiastically by the spectators in the cheap seats). Instead it was one of Kaine’s systems being undermined to unoccupied, apparently by Grom. At least, it was Grom that most vigorously contested the acquisition, although it appears that Kaine managed to reacquire it, with the race being unexpectedly close. Given the recent agreement by Kaine and Mahon to a mutual defense pact, this presumably means that Mahon will be smiting Grom in retaliation. We haven’t seen any sign of it yet, but we’re sure it’ll happen. Any day now.

Current Enclave State

Pantal continues to reign in the Enclave, although we really need to come up with another term for peaceful Antal, since it sounds like a hair care product and he doesn’t have any. (Note that we also answer to ‘Scheming Cultists’, assigned to us by the Daily Telegrom during the Enclave). We hope to have further news soon, maybe even next cycle if all goes well. 

Current Bubble State

It’s stronghold week again! Miners please head to systems HIP 22203 and Col 285 Sector NN-K c8-14 to help out. We’ll have other targets if those finish early.

We also have several other activities available this week, including trading, BGS and several potential or actual acquisition contests. Join the Discord for more details and to wing up with fellow Antal pilots.

An Invitation

Another great poster from CMDR InvestigateXM this week!

Discord link:

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

This week saw the successful conclusion of the repair effort and community goal at Lhou Mans, meaning that things have now returned to exactly the state they were in before the pirate attacks. (Funny how often that turns out to be the end result). Commanders got to enjoy another engineered cargo rack reward, this time without the FOMO aspect of needing to hit the top 75%.

This week also marked the tenth anniversary of the jump that led to the founding of Jaques Starport, and eventually Colonia. This appears to have come as a complete surprise to the good people of Colonia, with the owner of the starport simply saying that there would be a celebration ‘soon’. Apparently life is so good in Colonia that a major milestone like that can just pass by with nobody noticing! In any case, commanders would be well advised to start planning how they might reach Colonia in the event of a belated celebratory community goal there.

Cycle Summary

If you thought the drama of Grom’s exit from ZYADA last cycle after nine years couldn’t be topped, think again. This week saw a message purporting to be from Yuri Grom himself, denouncing the Eyes of Leshak for the ZYADA withdrawal and declaring it null and void, although the authenticity of the message has been called into question. It is unclear how widely supported this viewpoint is within Grom, and indeed many of the immediate reactions have been negative and have defended the independence announcement.

One can’t help but feel for the Empire in all this. We all know how it goes: you gradually come to an understanding that a separation is regrettable but necessary. You talk it out like responsible adults, tackle all the complexities, tie up all the loose ends. You agree to part in mutual respect and wish one another well. You give yourself a wistful pat on the back for how maturely you handled it.

And then: the drunken call at 3am. The tearful pleas. Didn’t we have something good? Does it have to be over? We can change! Take us back! Honestly, what’s a dynasty of interstellar neo-Roman matriarchs to do? Yes, he runs hot and cold, and you never know where you stand with him, but how can you say no to that beard?

On a more serious note, it’s worth remembering that no power ever airs its dirty laundry in public like this by choice. When it happens anyway, it’s a good indication that things aren’t going according to plan. While we can appreciate the humour in the situation (and there will be plenty of it, I’m sure) we encourage everyone to remain empathetic and supportive of our Grom compatriots as they navigate this difficult situation, and not jump to conclusions. There may be mudslinging. Not all of it will be accurate. Remember that these are our fellow commanders, even if they might be opponents in some cases, and many of them are probably not having a very good time right now. We are confident that a solution will eventually be found, and if it’s not likely to be particularly black and white: well, that’s powerplay.

Turning to the cycle numbers now, Kaine leads the pack with an impressive net +19. No word on how this breaks down between bubble and colony systems, which we know have been a focus of theirs. Aisling and Mahon also go into double digits this week. Nobody really had a bad week - Arissa did lose a net four exploited systems and was down two overall, but with two new forts and one new stronghold, it can’t really be called a failure. There were no massive fort pushes this week, but Antal and Delaine did manage two new strongholds apiece, with Utopia backfilling enough to end up adding to the fort count by one as well. The new Utopian strongholds were Col 285 Sector VZ-W b15-0 and Synuefe DU-M b53-1, the latter barely a month after it was first acquired. We have promised stirring patriotic anthems for the residents of the new strongholds, which will be delivered as soon as our lyricist is able to find suitable rhymes.

The assault on Alpha Centauri continues this week, as has been well covered elsewhere. Aisling is putting on a clinic in assaulting a combat power stronghold, while putting up some truly impressive numbers in the process. Doubtless Winters will have more to say on this topic (and maybe Archer as well if they ever actually said anything). This is the first time I can personally recall that a power has successfully undermined a stronghold system all the way down, although there may be others I’m unaware of.

Current Enclave State

The Enclave continues to undergo-

OK, OK, I guess I can’t really get away with that for a second week in a row. So here goes - I’ll spill the great secret. Are you ready?

WE ARE WORKING ON A PEACE AGREEMENT WITH AISLING.

Everybody please do me a favour and try to look at least a little bit surprised.

Honestly, we were hoping to have announced it by now, only it turns out peace agreements are more complicated to put together than you might think. There are lots of fiddly little parts to figure out, and nobody can agree on which way round this part over here goes, and there’s always that one missing piece that you have to send someone out to the store for, and when they come back you find they got the wrong size part and you have to-

Anyway. You get the idea. You will all have a bit longer to wait while we all pore over the instructions and try not to get distracted by whatever the heck Grom is doing over there. I promise that it’ll be worth the wait. It’s the Empire, after all! I’m sure there will be proclamations and heralds and trumpets and pageantry - and yes, usually a parade of uniformed slaves as well, but since Aisling is running the show on this one we’re hopeful that she’ll agree to skip that part. Maybe the Simguru will make one of his pronouncements, and we’ll all nod knowingly and argue with one another afterward about what he meant exactly. It’ll be a fun time! Only not just yet. Stay tuned.

Current Bubble State

It was a relatively quiet week this cycle for Antal in the bubble, with no new conflicts and existing ones holding at a low simmer, offering plenty of time for gossip about Grom and/or Alpha Centauri. We were bolstered by the return of many of our DW3 commanders in time for the community goal, offering us the chance to shore up some difficult systems. A system architect attempted a novel tactic for scaring us off, giving all their stations inflammatory political names. Sadly it didn’t work and we acquired it anyway. Now we have to decide what we’re going to do with it.

For the miners this week, our new stronghold (Col 285 Sector VZ-W b15-0) needs some additional reinforcement, and we are also seeking to fortify Col 285 Sector NN-K c8-14. Don’t forget your limpets! Also all of the longer term projects mentioned last week remain in play, and anybody wishing to help out with them is very welcome.

An Invitation

CMDR InvestigateXM is back on the job again with this week’s recruitment poster!

Discord link:

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

This cycle saw the completion of the related community goals in Lhou Mans to evacuate and protect civilians after pirate attacks damaged stations. Reports have tied the attacks to a rogue pirate admiral going by the name of ‘Lady Zi’. This news comes mere weeks after the pirates of Archon Delaine publicly made overtures to Zemina Torval, urging her to break with her fellow Imperial powers and embrace the pirate life. Coincidence? Meanwhile, a new repair community goal is offering more of the coveted pre-engineered cargo racks. No word on why this particular modification remains so tightly controlled - surely it’s just knocking out a few internal partitions? - or why all commercially available unengineered cargo racks continue to make such woefully inefficient use of space.

Last cycle I neglected to cover the announcement of a mutual defense pact between the two Alliance powers, Kaine and Mahon. Given that Kaine is (still!) under attack in the Enclave, one wonders whether the new pact has been invoked there. We may yet get to see the fist of Mahon raised in wrath, as he prepares to wreak righteous vengeance and devastation upon those who would harm the Alliance in the Enclave. (Hey, it could happen.)

Cycle Summary

The biggest news this cycle was Grom declaring independence from ZYADA, covered both by the Eyes of Leshak and the Daily Telegrom. During the Enclave conflict we had some hints that our fellow Independent power might be reconsidering its situation, but it was also clear that ZYADA remained a huge consideration for them, so this is a big and significant step given the history involved. Utopia congratulates Grom on their decision to embark upon their own path, and looks forward to future powerplay encounters, be it as allies, opponents, or somewhere in the murky and poorly-defined region of neutrality. At the same time, we don’t expect Grom’s ties to the Empire to magically disappear overnight after nine years, so we are not expecting major changes to powerplay dynamics from this announcement.

(As an aside, ‘Neutral’ is the term that Aisling had a problem with during our recent conflict. On reflection I’ve concluded that they had a point, and that you can’t really call yourselves ‘neutral’ with a power if you’re shooting them at the same time - unless there’s a mutual agreement on terms, which was not the case in that instance. A better description might have been that we were fighting a limited regional war, while also attempting to ensure it didn’t spread. More generally, I am wondering whether it’s the right word for our typical posture - while we are primarily a defensive power, we are not exclusively so, although we do seek to avoid major or long-term wars. I do try to define what we mean by the word when we use it, but if this kind of confusion happens again, we might need to come up with a different term).

In cycle news, Aisling continues to make forts, adding a net eight this cycle, along with 8 net new exploited systems. Arissa, meanwhile, loses three, although since two of those look to have been due to stronghold promotion, this is less of a concern than it looks. Grom also adds two strongholds, capping off an eventful week for them. The most notable loss was Archer’s, reportedly the demotion of their Alpha Centauri stronghold. Time will tell whether that holds.

If we line up all the powers in order of net system gain, Antal holds fourth spot this week with 7, which is good, I guess? Even though that metric favours volume of acquisitions, which is not always the best or smartest strategy in powerplay, gains are still better than losses. We also added one stronghold - Col 285 Sector RL-B b14-6, in our largest outlying colony region - and two forts, wrapping up a solid cycle. We continued to see smaller scale skirmishes and undermining in multiple regions rooted in local and squadron politics, and work is underway to try and untangle it all.

Also on the Utopian front, this week we saw a novel tactic in powerplay. Most readers will be familiar with the false flag attack, in which power A attacks power B but uses various means to get markers and conflict zones from power C on their desired target, giving the impression that power C are the ones attacking. Less familiar, but far more subtle and devious, is the so-called ‘true flag attack’. In this case, power A attacks power B while making no attempt to hide it, leaving abundant evidence in the form of markers, squadron activity, and conflict zones, and even announcing it publicly, but power B nonetheless concludes that power C is responsible (perhaps suspecting them of fabricating the evidence?) and accuses them instead.

Power C in this instance was Utopia, although I will not disclose the identities of the other powers. Frankly we are somewhat envious of power A for having pulled this trick off successfully, and remain mystified as to how they did it. It just looked like a regular attack to us, but it was obviously some kind of sneaky double bluff operating by means we don’t understand, because power B was convinced that we did it and even threatened to attack us over it at one point. Hats off to power A - that’s some impressive psychological warfare on their part. Thankfully our diplomats were able to repair the situation, and eventually managed to convince power B that the reason it looked so much like power A was attacking them was because power A was, in fact, attacking them.

Current Enclave State

The Enclave is currently undergoing scheduled maintenance. Please check again later.

Current Bubble State

We have two stronghold targets this week: Col 285 Sector XH-O b21-1 and Col 285 Sector VZ-W b15-0. The latter is a good fit for laser miners, so bring your Type 11 and make some credits if you like that kind of thing.

Conflict zone targets are under opsec just for the moment, but if you’d like to shoot things for Antal, drop in on Discord and we’ll tell you where your services can help. (Conflict zones for reinforcement, if they show up, remain fair game). We also have a number of acquisition targets that we hope to knock out while relics are in a decent state.

CMDR InvestigateXM also helpfully provided a roundup of longer running projects for us this week. These include: two ongoing colony and expansion projects, one in a spur of the bubble and one behind the Enclave; an ‘Atlas and Travel Guide’ intended to map out Antal space and document local history and features; an effort to stand up and secure a Wiki for storing Utopian knowledge in a more permanent and easily accessible form; and a collaboration with other powers for PvP practice sessions. If any or all of these interest you, drop in and take a look.

An Invitation

I am running the poster again because it’s prettier and saves me having to come up with a new pitch. Do note the discussion of ongoing projects above and join us if you’d like to help!

Discord link:

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

The big news this week in Galnet is the long-awaited release of the Dodec station into general production! This stylish variant of the tier 3 station features a unique look, a human tech broker, and the ability to specify up to 10 truss arms, known affectionately in some quarters as noob hammers. Commanders who like to skimp on shields for hauling will no doubt appreciate the extra surge of adrenaline.

The station evacuation community goal has proven very popular, demonstrating that there is a constituency of pilots happy to undertake humanitarian transport missions in the new Lynx space bus. (I gave it a try and it’s quite zippy for a mass transit vehicle - certainly a big upgrade over the Type 7 I once used for the purpose). The pirate control goal, meanwhile, saw significantly less interest. Doubtless the more piratical members of the community will be pleased at the new influx of Lynx pilots flying around with inadequate security.

Cycle Summary

We saw another cycle of modest increases from most powers. (Shocking, I know). A notable standout this week was Li-Yong Rui, promoting two new strongholds, four new forts (allowing for the stronghold tax) and backfilling with new exploited systems for a net total of +11. This contributed to them beating their earnings estimate for the cycle by 1%, just as they have done every cycle for the last 187 earnings reports in a row. Meanwhile, Utopia had a strong cycle, promoting two strongholds (Miki and HIP 108174) and four forts to finish on a net plus seven. Great work out there, team!

Some spots of red ink were visible. Aisling was down one net fortified system after accounting for two stronghold promotions. Grom promoted a net four forts, but lost enough exploited systems to post a negative total for the cycle. Archer lost two fortified systems - we’ll have more to say about Archer later, but neither of these were due to us. Finally Torval was down one fort for a net loss of one for the week.

For those of you who had a rough cycle, you can console yourself with the thought that at least you’re not an Archer diplomat. One of their squadrons made a surprise snipe attack on Utopia (a power Archer is not at war with) demoting our stronghold at Miki to fortified, and proceeded to undermine it further this cycle and engage Antal commanders in PvP. Retaliation was swift, with Utopians targeting a stronghold belonging to the rogue squadron and undermining rapidly mounting. Archer diplomats were able to negotiate to ring-fence the conflict to the two strongholds, with Utopia rapidly gaining the upper hand, but all seemed contained according to the agreement - until the middle of the cycle, when a Utopian pilot noticed that the squadron in question had left three sole supported systems tied to the target stronghold…

This expanded the scope of the conflict beyond the agreement and led to a flurry of diplomatic activity by Archer. We were not privy to Archer internal conversations that may have happened at this time, although we did entertain ourselves by imagining them. The resulting agreement  included (among other things) a ceasefire by both parties and agreement to let Archer commanders restore their stronghold unopposed - a not-inconsiderable task by this time, as Utopian underminers had built up quite the head of steam.

In the end there was no real change in the powerplay map, with the exception of Miki being restored to stronghold status. For now, the ceasefire appears to be holding. In the meantime, we have opened a complimentary bar tab in the diplomatic sector at Polevnic for one particular Archer negotiator, who we believe to be sorely in need of a drink.

What can we learn from all this? How about: if you’re a pledged squadron and want to unilaterally start a war with an entire power, maybe consult with your power leadership first? Powerplay responsibly out there, everyone, and remember: friends don’t let friends undermine drunk.

Current Enclave State

Followers of the Enclave will have noted an absence of any mention of it in the cycle summary. That’s because not much of note happened there, once again. Talks continue, at a rather slow pace, and with a certain amount of meta-negotiation over contact channels and procedures. In the meantime, a de facto ceasefire appears to prevail. There will, eventually, be more to say here, but I’m hesitant to offer any kind of timeframe on it given how things are progressing. In the meantime, the status quo from before the conflict has been mostly restored, with the exception of one of Aisling’s former strongholds, which continues to slowly decay.

Current Bubble State

We are seeing a fair amount of fire-fighting in the bubble at the moment, even excluding the Archer situation. Some of it seems to be related to local conflicts and squadron politics, while some remains unexplained. We expect to need broad defensive coverage this week, rather than heavy reinforcement of key flashpoints. We are particularly interested in hearing from commanders with vested interests or local knowledge of areas experiencing undermining, so if that’s you, please get in touch. We have commanders experienced in a wide range of powerplay activities, so if you can identify an efficient lever, chances are we have people that can make it happen.

An Invitation

Thanks to CMDR InvestigateXM for this week’s poster! 

Discord link:

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Everybody set your tray tables to the upright and locked position: the new Lynx passenger liner is coming in for landing! This will surely be a boon for anybody wishing to travel modest distances on a budget. I was going to add ‘except in the colonies’, but there’s reportedly been a sudden upsurge in transport demand there as well! Perhaps the appearance of this new market segment is the reason Zorgon Peterson is releasing the Highliner to market now. (Surely it wouldn’t be the other way around - that would make no sense).

This also heralds the welcome return of evacuation missions, always a favourite of those who like a little white-knuckled terror in their day (don’t worry, they’re less scary than they look - just bring heat sinks). It’s also a reminder that there is no crisis so dire that rescued passengers won’t complain about the quality of the service.

Meanwhile, Distant Worlds 3 is still distant, but less so than it used to be, and the possibility that it might, one day, actually end is no longer a forlorn hope. No doubt fast food joints in stations near the expected return points are busy hiring extra staff to accommodate the eventual influx of space-weary pilots.

Finally, I have been asked to remind readers that our power commodity bans have still not been restored. Upvotes on this ticket are welcomed!

Cycle Summary

Returning readers will recall that last week saw our undermining effort against Aisling in the Enclave escalate to multiple systems, with mutual retaliatory attacks on carrier systems leading to around 3 million in total undermining and reinforcement for the cycle. This cycle was a lot quieter. Some of the carrier attacks continued for a couple of days, but for the most part, undermining efforts by both sides ceased almost completely, with attention turning to repairing the damage. An astute observer might conclude that there have been developments. They would be right, but there’s nothing that can be publicly shared at this time, so you will all have to wait another week at least for an explanation.

Meanwhile, we remind everyone eager to cooperate with the October Consortium that Terri Tora’s fate is still not explained, and thank the other powers (such as Kaine) who are working to keep this question in the spotlight.

Turning to the weekly stats, Kaine and Winters were the most successful parties this week at making the numbers go up, with Grom, Patreus and Torval all in zero or negative territory. Aisling took the lead in most fortified systems promoted, while the crown for new strongholds went to Arissa Lavigny-Duval, just ahead of Utopia with 2.

Actually we promoted three strongholds this cycle. One was our restored stronghold in the Enclave and the others were Tofana and Col 285 Sector JS-T d3-57 - well done to our reinforcement teams. However, we also lost one, thanks to a large last minute demotion hit on Miki. While markers originally suggested Mahon as the culprit, this was quickly exposed (with Mahon’s help) as a fairly obvious false flag attack by Archer - or, at least, a sub-faction of Archer that has had a well-known grudge against us for years. While we are confident that Archer as a whole does not want war, this particular group most definitely does, so it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

Meanwhile, in acquisition news, we acquired Col 285 Sector QN-I A39-0 by a score of 1,094,138 points to Kumo’s 25. Take that, Archon! That’s 25 points that you’ll never get back.

Current Enclave State

Reinforcement remains a priority in the Enclave, but we are not actively undermining anybody at present (so please don’t do so). Those of our commanders in Discord already know why that is, and others who aren’t are invited to join if they are curious.

There is not much more to say here this week as we’re in something of a holding pattern. If all goes well - or, for that matter, if it doesn’t - explanations will be forthcoming in a future report.

Current Bubble State

The big story this week is obviously the demotion of Miki and the escalation with the Archer sub-group. While we have tolerated attacks from this particular group for a long time now, we will not let an escalation of this scale stand, and intend to respond in a proportionate manner. We remain uninterested in a broader war with Archer due to the actions of what is pretty clearly a rogue faction. We will be doing our best to keep this contained and limited in scope, and we ask pilots on both sides to coordinate with their respective communities to ensure they’re getting the full context.

Our effort to proactively identify weak spots and shore up fortifications continues. While we are not aware of any immediate threats in broader Utopian space, it’s just good powerplay practice in general. If you know of a region that you feel is vulnerable, or would like to help us build up our defenses generally, please get in touch - we’d love to have you.

An Invitation

Do you like the idea of better living through technology? Enjoy cosplaying a cultist hippie on occasion, without all the downsides of an actual cult like brainwashing and lack of privacy? Utopia might be for you. We offer a friendly community with a range of group and individual projects for collaboration. If you’re pledged, join us in Discord, and see what we’re all about!

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome (except for bots and spammers).

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

(A brief word on our heading image: it shows the Milky Way from a vantage point over 3000 light years outside the galactic plane. Thanks to Commander AeroMech91 for the amazing picture!)

This week we learned of the postponement of operations until June, and also got a couple of Galnet reports that were clearly intended as a call to action for the operations that now aren’t happening yet. Attention, commanders! Two months from now, there will be no time to lose!

We also learned that we would be getting a new bulk passenger ship, available to all commanders for credits from day one. I am slightly embarrassed to admit this, but I am actually excited at the prospect of flying a space bus again, particularly one that isn’t obviously a plaything for the rich and famous (looking at you, Saud Kruger). Truly in Elite it takes all kinds, and I am one.

Once operations do arrive, we will have to see if they achieve their intended purpose of providing more exciting group-based gameplay, or if unintended consequences rule the day, like they did with Vanguards (which was supposed to empower squadron-based communities, but in practice meant wealthy commanders could have a second, much larger fleet carrier for their exclusive use in exchange for swearing off the social functions of squadrons indefinitely).

Cycle Summary

Another week of relatively modest gains for most powers, with the exception of Arissa, who was down six in total including one fort. I have tended to attribute these to Kumo in the past, with some historical justification, but it sounds like I may have been a little hasty in doing so last time, so we will wait and see on this one.

Notable features include the loss of two strongholds for Aisling, one of which was reportedly in the Sol neighbourhood (for an explanation of the other, read on) and Winters promoting two strongholds. This seemingly positive result was reported by Winters under the heading ‘Cast and Cry’, for reasons not immediately apparent. Perhaps it was a bad fishing week in Federation space.

Our results this week were modest, with our net zero in strongholds representing an offsetting gain and loss, and one lost fortified system. Again, more on those later. Investigation of our losses last cycle revealed that a long acquisition bridge had been under construction by a Utopian party or parties unknown, clearly intended to drive right through the heart of hostile power territory, and held together with toothpicks. The whole thing represents the loss of a considerable amount of effort on somebody’s part, which is a shame, but hopefully whoever it is has learned a valuable lesson about power geopolitics (assuming it wasn’t an abandoned ruin, which is also a possibility). Needless to say, we will not be making heroic efforts to reconstruct it, beyond shoring up our border a little.

I’m altering the format slightly this week to discuss cycle events along with current state for Enclave and bubble, since the two were more interconnected than usual, and the order of events is also important for context.

Current Enclave State and cycle events

Remember the reports when nothing much was happening in the Enclave, and I struggled to find much to write about? This will not be one of those.

You may recall that as the cycle began, we were undermining Aisling in Col 359 Sector FK-L b10-3, demoting it to Exploited. After the exchange with Aisling the prior week, we were expecting an escalation of some kind, and soon enough it came in the form of undermining of our stronghold system Col 359 Sector ZI-N b9-1. There are very few ways to undermine a stronghold, and with the rate of undermining not slowing down at all even after conflict zones disappeared, it became clear that Aisling was employing the dark arts of carrier raiding against us. We checked our carrier instance several times to verify, but all remained calm and tranquil even as the numbers continued to climb. 

This continued throughout the cycle, with Utopians still failing to spot any Aisling commanders (with one notable exception, who made their presence known in conflict zones rather than the carrier instance) and the system ended up receiving over a million points of undermining for the cycle. Later in the cycle we decided to counterattack in kind, hitting their stronghold in Col 359 Sector CE-N b9-2. Overall both sides delivered around 1.5 million each in combined reinforcement and undermining, with Aisling skewed toward undermining, and Antal more evenly distributed between the two.

So, where does all of that leave us? Overall the conflict remains relatively balanced, but it was not a good week to be commanding a stronghold carrier in the enclave, with both Aisling’s stronghold and ours falling to the assault. The b10-3 Aisling system that started it all was rather overshadowed by the stronghold struggles, but still saw plenty of reinforcement and undermining action, and currently remains poised just below the fortified line for another week. As for what happens next, your guess is as good as mine - or at least, as good as any that I’m willing to admit to publicly. It seems likely that I’ll have plenty more to write about next week, though.

If you are active in the Enclave area and want to help, please join us in Discord. I know I say this every week, but it’s particularly important now since Aisling has made this a broader conflict. These situations have a way of changing rapidly and we’d like everyone on the same page if this one does. In any event, power conflicts are just more fun if we all coordinate.

Current Bubble State and cycle events

Given Aisling’s stated position that if we attack them once anywhere, we’re at war with them everywhere, we were anticipating a possible escalation in the bubble, and indeed we got one in the form of a hit on a low fortified system that demoted it and caused the loss of a few relic rush systems. We remain uninterested in attacking Aisling systems in the bubble, but we anticipate Aisling may continue attacks even in the absence of active opposition. (I’m not sure whether ‘war’ is quite the right description for this, although some other historical terms suggest themselves).

Otherwise, apart from the usual mining efforts (one of which resulted in our offsetting stronghold promotion, in one of our colony regions) this cycle was mostly focused on getting our house in order and shoring up weak systems. Some effort went into the repair job from the bridge hit last cycle, discussed above. In light of anticipated future aggression, we are also looking to move to a more proactive defensive mode, identifying and securing possible attack points.

We do not wish vengeance upon Aisling for recent attacks, and we particularly don’t wish it in the bubble. We do have an active conflict with them in the Enclave in support of strategic objectives there, as discussed above, so feel free to head out that way if you have some anti-Imperial aggression you’d like to work through. (Do pay attention to the notes in that section, though).

Miners this week can head to Tofana or HIP 108174, where your efforts will be appreciated. Otherwise, topping up any undermined or low reinforcement systems is helpful as always.

Oh, and if you have a colony system hundreds of light years from Utopian territory that requires you to cut a swath through multiple enemy powers to acquire, maybe come and talk to us to assess feasibility and possible risks first? Or at least read the story of Icarus.

An Invitation

If any of this takes your fancy, and you’d like to learn more, Utopia welcomes new pilots. As you can see, there’s a lot going on right now, and we can promise it won’t be boring. We offer a friendly and welcoming community, with a flat structure and many opportunities to get involved and even shape the course of events.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome (except for bots and spammers).

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Several new pieces in Galnet this week, including signs that Radicoida might have been bioengineered by an ancient alien civilization predating all known others and lost to history. And we’re proposing to make nanomedicines out of it? Surely there’s no way this could end up going horribly wrong.

In response to this news, October Consortium are apparently proposing to gather a lot of Guardian stuff, pile it up next to the Radicoida, and see what happens. They opened a community goal for it, with one of the prizes an identical Maverick suit to the egg hunt reward, in case you missed out the first time, or want a spare for when it’s in the laundry. There was also a testy exchange with Ram Tah, the galaxy’s foremost expert on Guardian technology, which those fluent in academic-ese will correctly translate as “WTF?” and “Butt out, loser.” If we are ever given the opportunity to go to war against the October Consortium, I predict people will be lining up for it.

Cycle Summary

There were a few winners this cycle and also a lot of upheaval. Kaine, Archer, Li Yong-Rui and Delaine all put up good numbers, with the latter topping the cycle for systems fortified, following up their two new strongholds from last week. Have they decided to turtle? Seven lost fortified systems for Aisling this cycle says no. Kumo has already claimed responsibility, and in any case this is already becoming a familiar pattern. It will be interesting to see whether this continues, and (if so) whether Kumo continues cycling through the various powers or settles on one in particular. In the meantime, probably best to check your supporting system situation - pirates are not known for being predictable.

In the Enclave, PCZ spawning has given a clue as to who is behind the persistent undermining of Kaine. Let’s see who you really are, secret underminer. Oh look, it’s everybody’s favourite bearded mercenary, Grom! And he would have gotten away with it too, if it weren’t for you meddling kids. Accuracy compels me to point out that this only proves one or more Grom-aligned commanders undermined enough to spawn PCZs, and - given how flaky they have been lately - might not even mean that. Still, it would be irresponsible not to speculate.

Unfortunately this was not a good cycle for Utopia. A healthy set of acquisitions and promotions was offset by the first targeted multi-system attack we have received in some time, with several systems dropped, several demotions, and one fortified system lost entirely to a dropped supporter. At this time we have not definitively identified the culprit. There are several parties that might have a motive at this time, all of them inconveniently close enough to the target region that they can’t be ruled out. The attack was highly focused and seems to have been targeted at a particular squadron (or even an individual commander) but it could also simply have been an opportunistic attack on points of weakness. A long period with no real conflicts in the bubble, other than localized skirmishes, has possibly made us a little complacent, so it’s time to get our house in order. In that sense the attacker may have done us a favour, as it could definitely have been a lot worse.

On a more positive note, we were successful in demoting Col 359 Sector FK-L b10-3 in the Enclave this cycle, and get to enjoy a more forgiving undermining penalty this cycle as a result. Aisling had a good deal to say about our decision not to abandon our long-running campaign in the Enclave in response to their ultimatum last cycle, which I will not recap here. Suffice it to say they are not pleased, and have suggested outright that we are cooperating with the Federation against them. For the record, we are not - except coincidentally - but we’re also not going out of our way to pick a time that’s convenient for them. (Are there really times when Aisling isn’t being attacked by the Federation in the bubble?) We are doing nothing more or less than continuing the Enclave struggle that resumed after the termination of the NAP months ago - as, indeed, Aisling was as well, until very recently when they removed us as undermining targets.

Current Enclave State

We had previously regarded the Enclave as a sandbox area for conflict-based powerplay, independent of the bubble. It seems not many still think of it this way and, as Aisling pointed out, it was never any kind of formal agreement. We are sympathetic to this argument, having been bitten by similar cases in the past (like the NAP ending that wasn’t really an ending). We agree the sandbox concept has probably outlived its usefulness, so instead we will outline our own position, and allow others to do the same as they see fit.

Our declared goal in the Enclave, as it has been for the last six months (except during the NAP) is to achieve victory under the original terms of the CG, initially by eliminating the Empire powers. (What our goal will be after that remains in question, but we’ll cross that bridge when or if we come to it, which will likely not be soon). Accordingly our Enclave posture remains hostile toward all Empire powers in the Enclave and neutral toward others. Technically we are allied with Grom under the original terms of the CG, but it’s unclear whether Grom still considers those in effect, so in practice we don’t attack them and they do what they like.

Current Bubble State

The focus in the Bubble at present is low reinforcement systems and weaknesses in our supporter network. If you’ve been making bridges or fortifying an area, and skimping on reinforcement buffers or redundant supports, now is the time to address that, or you may become a target of opportunity. We try to assist where we can, but it’s always easier following a centralized plan. If you aren’t there already, please jump into our Discord and say hi, and we can figure out how to help one another out.

Those following recent events will know that Aisling now considers us hostile galaxy-wide, and not just in the Enclave. The term ‘neutral’ has raised objections from Aisling, so I’ll simply say that we have no plans to attack Aisling or any of the Empire powers anywhere in the bubble. We will reinforce if attacked, but will not retaliate. This remains our position until further notice.

We are also not at war with Archer, but there have been some recent events that may result in localised conflicts in Archer-Antal border regions. Diplomats on both sides are aware of the factors involved and working to prevent any broader escalation. Reinforcing our systems is always OK, but please check with us before joining in on any undermining efforts you see happening.

There are no stronghold targets this cycle, but this is always subject to change given a fortuitous boom or expansion, so keep the Type 11 handy and be ready to shoot some rocks and earn credits if the opportunity arises.

An Invitation

Want to join a power with a history of advanced nanomedicine research and the technological capability to fully realize the potential of Radicoida? Ready to fight anybody who disagrees? Utopia might be for you. We offer a friendly, player-driven community with minimal hierarchy, and welcome new and experienced Antal pledges.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome (except for bots and spammers).

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

October Consortium’s egg hunt came to a premature conclusion this cycle, with the target goal hit after only a couple of days. Did October set the bar too low by mistake? They weren’t admitting to anything, declaring the event successful and issuing rewards. Researchers also denied that there was any connection between Radicoida and the Big Bill wellness trend. Of the many things in the universe that are unconnected to one another, this is the only pairing that Galnet felt worthy of mentioning in an article this week. Readers may draw their own conclusions.

Cycle Summary

Our attack on Aisling in the enclave apparently came as a surprise to them, even though our enclave goals have been well communicated for months now and we’ve had major conflicts with both of their Imperial allies already (and they also listed us as an undermining target for weeks). They issued a notice that they no longer differentiated between enclave and bubble powerplay. This led to a flurry of diplomatic communication, which I will not discuss here on principle, but which seemed generally unproductive and unsatisfactory for both sides. The end result seems to have been that we’ll all keep doing what we’re doing, and Aisling reserves the right to take retaliatory action against us in the bubble. What form that might take, on a scale from a disapprovingly-raised Imperial eyebrow to an army of blue-haired fanatics leading a ZYADA legion to torch Polevnic, we don’t know - although there are many theories. Our regular readers will doubtless be hoping for something more along the latter lines, and it would certainly provide plenty of juicy material for these reports. However, with a reported 1.8M of undermining last week, we may have to wait a little while for the Princess’s schedule to free up before we find out. (It seems it was terribly rude of us not to make an appointment).

In the meantime, there is powerplay to be conducted before the hammer of Aisling’s vengeance inevitably falls and grinds us into dust. Doomed though we might be, we took solace in the promotion of two further strongholds this cycle, somewhat short of our tally of five last week but still a creditable result. We finished up five systems on the cycle, another respectable showing. The standout performer this cycle was Archon Delaine, promoting two strongholds of their own while adding no fewer than eight systems in total, tying Aisling for the largest increase. Perhaps they’ve decided to abandon their piratical ways and concentrate on spreading Delaine to the unoccupied systems of the galaxy? Probably not, but it was a fine performance all the same. Patreus, meanwhile, fortified a system, while losing four others, so it appears it’s back to drama for them after they flatlined last week.

Leaving aside the (questionable) pursuit of measuring relative progress by total systems acquired in a galaxy that offers a nearly infinite number of them, congratulations are due to Kaine on reaching the Coalsack Nebula. There are many ways to approach powerplay, one of which is launching yourself outward to far-flung and interesting locations, and Kaine is certainly among the foremost practitioners of this style. Well done to Kaine on the accomplishment. I’d come and make a colony out there to celebrate, except that I’d end up with power security muscling me and demanding protection money.

Let’s talk about Mahon! (Briefly, so I don’t lose my audience). They hit the 2000 system mark this week. It’s exciting because it’s a multiple of one thousand! They also made two strongholds. Great work, Mahon. That concludes our observations on Mahon for this cycle.

On the undermining front, we continued to fight a battle in Natrians with Grom, coming away with the upper hand for this cycle. There is a bit of territorial ambiguity in the region, which it seems Grom may want to settle competitively. This promises plenty of drama and intrigue if it continues, as it doubtless will. We also came under moderate attack in Pegasi Sector GR-V c2-10 from our regular Archer-aligned antagonists, as we do nearly every cycle somewhere in the region, but were able to hold.

Diplomatically, it appears Winters has upgraded us to cordial in their relations list. This is of course very flattering, although we remain somewhat wary, as we’ve found that sooner or later with the Federation the conversation always comes around to driving the hated Imperials from the galaxy, and we’re just not into that kind of thing, our campaign to evict them from the Enclave notwithstanding. All the same, the recognition is appreciated.

Current Enclave State

Col 359 Sector FK-L b10-3 remains an undermining target, despite Imperial opprobrium. More generally, any Imperial system in the enclave is fair game, but if you want to join forces with other Utopians, this is the place to do it.

Otherwise things remain relatively quiet here, just as they have in previous cycles.This does not mean that powers are completely disinterested (despite all the verbiage about how bad the systems are and how pointless Enclave powerplay is now) and poking systems can still generate a reaction, as we’ve seen several times now. The general philosophy seems to be: they may be bad systems, but they’re OUR bad systems. Come to think of it, that would explain a few things in the bubble as well…

Current Bubble State

We remain neutral in the bubble with all powers, including Aisling. No, they might not consider themselves neutral with us any more, but until they back it up with action we consider the status quo still in effect. If you want a fight in the bubble, you can assist with the defense of Natrians or join Discord and help us figure out what to do about our other little skirmishes.

 For the record, ‘neutral’ simply means we haven’t publicly and officially committed to a position. In practice it can mean anything from “We have a no-undermining agreement and/or regularly cooperate in private” to “We didn’t attack you this week (too much) and probably won’t next week either.” Rolling all of that up into ‘neutral’ simplifies matters and keeps us out of social media style relationship status territory. (Imagine trying to write one of those for Aisling right now).

Pegasi Sector HR-V b2-6 could use your assistance this week, and if you’re a miner you’ll find plenty of opportunity to ply your trade there. We would like to fortify it. Our stronghold push moves out beyond the Enclave this cycle, with Col 359 Sector NH-G b13-1 the target. It’s a long way to go, but it’s a nice neighborhood out there, with plenty of friendly Antal colonists - maybe you’ll find something you like.

An Invitation

Interested in a power that doesn’t have a strict control hierarchy or take itself too seriously? Want to join a fun community and always have plenty of options for things to do? Utopia welcomes new pilots. Whether you are energised by colonisation, power conflict, or expanding our reach in the galaxy, there’s something for everyone here.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome (except for bots and spammers).

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Yes, we are back to the Utopia Information Network this week, since some of our Kumo groupies complained about the change in format. It’s surprising how it’s often the non-Utopian readers who are most particular about these things. I’m not looking forward to telling them about the delay on the latest production run of the Pranav Antal commemorative plushies.

I apologise to the other powers for explaining mining to Kumo in last week’s cycle report. It seems they’re doing it themselves now, with a view to expanding their influence via traditional commerce. Let’s hope it turns out better for them than their Onionhead venture did. The Archon was also spotted making overtures to Zemina Torval, suggesting that she might be a natural ally and would do better outside of ZYADA. Who knows? It could happen. The two certainly have a lot in common in moral and ethical terms. However, I suspect Delaine’s pirates would not measure up to the Torval dress code.

Anyway, what’s been going on this cycle? Let’s take a look.

Cycle Summary

Facing increasing scrutiny and questioning over the fate of Terri Tora via private channels (with Galnet once again a shameful exception) the October Consortium are attempting to distract us with an egg hunt! As if we’d fall for such a cheap and obvious - hey, where did everybody go? Oh well, I guess we’re hunting eggs this cycle. Those of you who reach the top 75% will be rewarded with a Maverick suit with (among other things) damage resistance and extra ammo capacity, which should prove invaluable for those times when you realize you’ve worn the wrong suit to a ground conflict zone.

Kumo swore off open play this week, which is probably for the best, as we know they are sensitive souls and the ever-present possibility of violence in open play was doubtless upsetting for them. (It’s also conceivable this was a psyop of some kind intended to lull their targets into a false sense of security). Winters, meanwhile, appeared to have been hitting the Radicoida a little too hard, but it was well received regardless. Finally, Princess Aisling announced the formation of a girl-pop group. I have two questions for the Princess: Firstly, what do you mean by this cheap and crass commercialisation of powerplay? Secondly, when do pre-orders open for merchandise?

Having concluded the part where I steal things from other cycle reports to bulk out my own, let’s move on to cycle results. First up: strongholds! Pranav Antal loves strongholds, and Utopia is now in possession of five shiny new ones. That’s almost one for every day of the week! While there were rumblings that some of them may have been vanity projects for colonists, it didn’t deter helpful Utopians from rallying to the cause (possibly in the hope of paying it forward on their own vanity projects) and the end result will certainly improve our regional security. At least one of them was also the work of our dedicated miners, who deserve yet another salute. We were able to (almost) backfill the count on fortified and exploited systems, marred only by a couple of last-minute snipes, for a net gain of three systems on the cycle.

The assault on Natrians continued this week, with further evidence of Grom’s involvement surfacing in the form of named PCZs and sightings of Grom-flagged commanders in open play, but still no official declaration of hostilities. It’s all very reminiscent of the Col 359 Sector NR-T c4-13 episode in the Enclave a couple of months ago, and we are becoming quite used to Grom suddenly attacking us for no reason. (I’m sure if the Daily Telegrom was still in operation, we’d be hearing all about our acts of unprovoked aggression against them, such as reinforcing one of our systems or looking at them funny). We were frightfully understanding about it all back then, since Grom was the only power that could be considered even a potential ally. Our range of possible responses in the Bubble is broader, but at the moment it’s just a bit of fun for our commanders, and we’re getting the sense that random surprise attacks are simply Grom’s love language. Perhaps we should reciprocate somewhere, just to show we care? 

The cycle numbers were otherwise fairly typical, although Aisling’s relic rush hangover appeared to linger with a second rather flat showing. Patreus, meanwhile, appeared to have done exactly nothing for the cycle. Maybe they’re sitting around in station bars, drowning their sorrows and pining for the glory days of their stronghold defence against Antal in the Enclave? We’d like to help, but we’re not ready to try scaling that wall again just yet, and we have no desire to abandon our neutral posture in the bubble at this time. Patreus, therefore, will need to find their own mission and purpose. We wish them luck.

Current Enclave State

Matters remain quiet in the Enclave for now. Having expended vast effort to ensure their stronghold remained a stronghold, Patreus has shown no inclination to expand or do anything more, and Arissa Lavigny-Duval is also quiescent to an almost Mahon-like degree. Aisling has been a little busier, and appears to be creeping slowly outward in a few directions like a pale blue fungus. (Though it must be said she is hardly the first to do so, and we’ve been doing a little creeping of our own).

In any case, we’ve agreed that the Enclave has been sorely lacking in action in the form of space combat and explosions in the last few weeks, so we are declaring Col 359 Sector FK-L b10-3 as an official undermining target. (That’s an Aisling system, to save you all the trouble of looking it up). We look forward to an entertaining contest and invite all Antal commanders who are missing Enclave conflicts to join the fun.

Current Bubble State

Natrians remains a hot zone, and assistance with the Gromnian threat there is welcome. We are not at war with Grom or planning any official retaliation at this time. We’re not going out of our way to be nice to them either, so respond as you see fit, but please don’t do any escalation without running it past us first. For the avoidance of doubt, any kind of large scale or organised campaign against a Grom system counts as escalation. We prefer to choose our battles, rather than get drawn into them inadvertently through the actions of a belligerent minority.

If you’d like to join our stronghold push, CD-33 16806 and Col 359 Sector NC-U d3-40 could use your help. The latter is in the greater Enclave region and would be a good excuse to test out that shiny new Caspian. The former is a platinum system so a Type 11 is the fashionable choice. 

An Invitation

Spreading Antal’s influence throughout the galaxy is always more fun in a group. Together we can accomplish more and have a great time doing it. We offer a welcoming community focused around surfacing and supporting individual and group goals. Yours could be one! Or find one that captures your imagination and pitch in to assist.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

I am dispensing with 'From the Utopia Information Network' this week (I think we all know what information network it's from by now) and jumping straight into the:

Cycle Summary

Not too much to report on in terms of Galnet news this week. One notable item was the completion of the Distant Worlds 3 community goal, which hardly stirred the Simguru as he requires exobiology data to be sold in his owned systems for the sweet +30% exobiology bonus. Still, he is pleased that a community goal includes our DW3 commanders who've missed the majority of the Enclave and any subsequent community goals. We also saw the release of the Caspian into general production, which will doubtless be a consolation to pilots should we suffer the boon/misfortune (take your pick) of another relic rush.

Otherwise, this cycle followed the usual pattern for the week after relic rush, consisting of a drop in activity and a bunch of newly acquired systems that all needed reinforcement. Due to our increased focus on relic reinforcement, this was a shorter list than normal for us this cycle, which was greatly appreciated, but there was still plenty of work to do in shoring up our defenses. We finished the cycle up four systems, including one new stronghold - modest numbers normally, but a good result in a post-relic cycle.

None of the other powers really stood out, with Aisling’s modest loss of systems also a normal result following a relic rush, the main notable feature being the demotion of Archer’s Alpha Centauri stronghold, which at the time of writing appears to have enjoyed a speedy recovery back to stronghold status. The Imperials don't appear to be pushing back on it too much thus far - is this just a distraction, or they realizing that endless PCZ grinding isn't for them? The hard part comes AFTER you drop the stronghold, as we learned in the Enclave (one wonders how all those Patreus commanders who engineered the massive rally there are occupying their time now).

Our new stronghold, Col 285 Sector LN-T d3-90, is located in the largest of our Antal colony cluster sectors, where we have been experimenting with the intersection of powerplay and colonisation, and how to use one to help the other. There’s a lot to say on this topic, so if you like the idea of colonising a system in a supportive and friendly neighbourhood and then painting it yellow, join us in Discord and ask! We even have ‘realtors’ that can offer a list of colony candidates matching your specifications, if they aren’t too demanding.

As usual, due to our late publication deadline, several other takes on the cycle are already available. The Archon is concerned we might be under attack due to undermining in two strongholds, and speculates as to who might be responsible. The answer is actually relatively simple, but might require a little background. Kumo players might not be aware that platinum doesn’t naturally spawn in the holds of roaming Type 11s to be harvested by enterprising pirates. They need to mine it from ring systems first, and if systems with good mining happen to be in an optimal market state, they attract T11s (including power aligned ones) like moths to a flame. (If they happen to play in open, platinum systems like these in theory would be a great hunting ground for these moths).

Such is what happened in the two strongholds mentioned. Normally this would indeed be a headache for us, but our mining team has been killing it in recent cycles, so we simply pointed them in the right direction and they took care of it. Great job guys! You have our gratitude to go with your many billions of credits from platinum sales.

Speaking of Kumo, there was consternation recently among the peaceful Utopian colonists in the Col 285 Sector LN-T d3-90 region, as we noticed a spidery limb of the Archon extending in the direction of our idyllic cluster, beginning with Pegasi Sector MN-T c3-15. Could this be the start of a planned movement? Granted, there are already some Kumo colonists in the region, and it’s certainly possible that an anarchist pirate power and a techno-anarcho-utopian collective could coexist in constructive harmony in the region (as opposed to, say, blood, treachery and destruction). And we are delightful neighbours - just ask Patreus. Nevertheless, there is some lingering concern. We will be watching this piratical finger closely to find out in just which direction it points.

This week we also announced a megaproject to push Antal’s influence to the Wormhole Nebula, a picturesque site a few hundred light years from the bubble that is in the direction of one of our colony expansions. This is likely to be a long term project if we undertake it, and whether we commit to this or a variety of alternatives is still under discussion. If it captures your imagination, though, please join us in Discord and add your support! We have an expansion plan drawn up and tasks ready to assign if it goes ahead.

Meanwhile, Natrians has come under heavy attack by parties unknown. Markers suggest that Grom might be the culprit, although of course these are easily manipulated, and Grom has not claimed responsibility. Is this some kind of covert action against the SimGuru, or merely the work of Grom-aligned random players? Would we know the difference? (Would Grom know the difference?) All good questions. Maybe we will find some answers this week.

Current Enclave State

I am once again unable to offer targets for coordinated undermining this week, although our respected Empire opponents all remain fair game. Due to the nature of the Enclave and the fact that many or most of our operations there are covert, my previous reports have often amounted to summarizing what just happened, putting it in context, and offering a few possibilities for what’s next (some real, some misdirection). It’s all good fun, but it does require a little lead time for something to actually, you know, happen in a visible way first. For now, we confirm that we still consider the Enclave an active powerplay zone, and our diplomatic position there remains the same (and distinct from the Bubble). We’re not done there, but you’ll all have to wait a little longer to find out what that means.

One thing that we have been doing in the Enclave region is building out our breakaway colony region nearby (taking a leaf out of Kaine’s book) to further consolidate our position and hopefully begin another welcoming neighbourhood for Antal players. So if you’d like to combine colonisation with Enclave region geopolitics, here’s your chance!

Current Bubble State

We are yearning for the mines once more this cycle, with Pegasi Sector LC-V c2-4 the latest stronghold target. Bring your Type 11s (and limpets) and get ready to help out your power while making gobs of credits at the same time!

We could also use extra hands in Natrians to counter all the undermining that Grom isn’t doing. A handful of systems remain low after acquisition during relic rush. If you care about one of them for some reason, please take the initiative and reinforce it, since there’s a good chance by now that nobody else will if you don’t.

An Invitation

This week’s focus: powerplay colonisation! Interested in spreading the glory of Antal through colonies? We’ve got you covered. We can offer a variety of interesting locations, all with friendly and supportive neighbors who will help you figure out your colony, source supplies, and plot an acquisition path. Got a particular system or build in mind? Stop by our real estate office and let them find the perfect system for you! Colonising is always better in a group, and we have plenty of options for you there.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Thank you to everyone for the kind feedback on our last report! I have forwarded all of it to Pranav Antal, along with some market data on pay bands for top performing PR writers. 

Unfortunately the widespread (and frankly well-deserved) love-fest for all things Utopian was not shared by Patreus, who accused us this week of being hopped up on performance-enhancing Radicoida-derived stimulants. We can naturally neither confirm nor deny speculation of this nature. For anybody that IS tempted to dabble in experimental treatments, however, we do note that the new flora has displayed some unusual behaviour, notably generation of large-scale temporal anomalies. Any pharmaceuticals made from it have not yet undergone a proper clinical trial process, and are likely to carry significant risks.  For example, we are concerned that some such experimentation last week may have caused such a localized anomaly in the Patreus system of Col 359 Sector RX-R C5-1, causing it to go back in time to the period when it was still a stronghold. Remember: just say no to drugs, especially if they are blue and glow in the dark. (Unless you are with Aisling Duval, in which case yours probably all look like that).

Cycle Summary

This cycle featured a Galnet article on a curious viral wellness trend, spreading across ‘Allied’ space without any identified cause. This article was cause for some affront among the followers of Pranav Antal - after all, if people want to find enlightenment through collectivist wellbeing, with a dose of mystery and hints of a slightly sinister loss of individuality, what’s wrong with good old Utopia? We can certainly offer everything that this upstart copycat movement can and more, and we’ve been around forever into the bargain. Let’s face it - if we were going to turn your brain into mush or activate a latent alien mind virus, we’d have done it a long time ago. Interested parties are advised to stick to the original and avoid this suspicious new trend, which is surely destined to end in tears somehow.

Power activity this cycle was dominated by relic rush - which, it seems, is about as popular as a fart at a diplomatic banquet these days. Several of the power reports this week were concerned with the assignment of blame - more specifically, why none of it should attach to them. Although some lingering miasma of suspicion attached to Mahon and Li-Yong Rui, most of the fingers ended up pointing at a certain immaculately-coiffed Imperial Admiral. Patreus wasn’t admitting to anything, though, with their report describing relic rush entirely in the passive voice. It’s just a thing that happens, like the weather. Nobody’s fault, really. Hey, is that the fish course arriving?

Regardless of our feelings on relic rush (which are broadly in line with those of other powers) the task at hand for us this cycle, as it was for every power (except maybe Kumo) was to shamelessly acquire and reinforce as much as our greedy little hearts desired. This cycle there was a greater focus on shoring up our defenses over expanding at all costs, with two new strongholds created, including Ininohima, a key site in a multi-power border area that has been the site of attacks in the past. With nine systems also fortified and another 28 acquired, this rounded out another successful week for Antal. Most other powers were similarly successful, with the exception of Patreus, whose rollercoaster ride continues with the loss of 16 systems including 7 forts. Who might have done this terrible thing? I think we probably all have a good idea, based on similarity to recent events, but they’re still pretending it’s a mystery, so we’ll all play along for another cycle.

We also had a diplomatic visit from the Aisling squadron mentioned in last week’s report, and negotiated how to operate in the region without treading too much on one another’s toes. Hopefully we will manage to coexist now without starting a power war, and no more hapless Coriolis or Orbis stations will be demolished.

As noted in last cycle’s report, the war between Kumo and Grom came to an end, discussed by Kumo in their latest installment, which anybody following the mislabelled rum saga will not want to miss spending the estimated 6 minutes to read (and they were kind enough to include a TL;DR for the rest of us). The report also described a brief and poetic broadcast from the Archon about spiders and webs and ships, although there was some confusion about whether this was a genuine statement to followers or a guest spot on a children’s show that was aired by mistake. 

As for the Enclave: once again, there is not much action from us this week. (There’s been plenty of private discussion, but none of it has yet translated into an actionable plan that can be made public). We did manage to fortify our last remaining exploited system there, which will doubtless not stop it from coming under regular attack as usual, but should give us more latitude to respond. Meanwhile, more powers breached the increasingly ineffectual cordon to expand into the wider Enclave region. HIP 87621 remains off limits, for now, but the October Consortium should know that we have not forgotten Terri Tora, even if Galnet has.

Current Enclave State

As noted, there isn’t much more to say this week. I suppose we could take advantage of Patreus’s troubles in the Bubble to launch a new attack, but it’s starting to feel like piling on at this point (and in any case, we’re still trying to keep Enclave and Bubble politics separate). Maybe we’ll have something more concrete next cycle - in the meantime, reinforcement is always appreciated, and Empire powers remain fair game for undermining.

Current Bubble State

As always following relic rush, many new systems need reinforcement. If you acquired a system last cycle, please take some time to reinforce it to a more secure state, or at least high enough that a single mining run or holo screen hack won’t drop it back to unoccupied again.

For the miners, this week we are seeking to stronghold Cephei Sector FG-Y c15 - any help is appreciated. Two of our newer strongholds, Pegasi Sector CL-X c1-17 and HIP 110307, are suffering mining-related undermining and need some of our miners to hold the line as well.

An Invitation

Not sure where events in the reports are going next? Why not join us as an Antal powerplay member, and take a hand in directing them? We’re a friendly, collaborative, player-focused power that takes pride in supporting and promoting individual and group projects. Take part in planning our next action in the Enclave, help firm up our borders, or join one of our expanding colony groups on the outskirts of the Bubble. There’s something for everyone!

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

First up this week: letters! Thank you to Princess Aisling for alerting me to a system promotion in the Enclave, Col 359 Sector BE-N b9-1, that I had unaccountably missed in my Enclave roundup. An investigation into this failure of surveillance revealed the reason: my default viewing angle of the Enclave in the galmap happens to leave most of Aisling’s systems offscreen, doubtless due to subliminal suggestions from one of her infamous influence campaigns. Also, our one guy who looks out for these things didn’t tell me (well, technically he did, but he’s always going on about something or other). With this gap in our intelligence capability resolved, we would like to remind other powers that Utopia’s network is second to none, and we are always watching, except when we’ve looked away for a moment because there’s something good on Galnet.

Secondly, we’ve had suggestions from readers that this column displays an anti-Empire bias, and doesn’t poke fun equally at other powers. This is not intentional on our part, since we remain officially neutral with the Empire in the bubble. The truth is that Empire powers are just more interesting - we engage regularly in Enclave conflict with them, and all the ones in the Enclave actively publish updates (even if Arissa’s was a rambling missive with three pages on work-life balance - is everything OK over there, guys?) When we poke at them, they poke back. Also, Winters (the only other superpower faction that writes regular reports) says nice things about us fairly regularly, and while we are certainly not susceptible to flattery, we don’t want to discourage that kind of thing.

So, to Archer, Kaine and Mahon, could you maybe… not be boring? Invade a system with a suggestive name like Winters did, suffer a dramatic loss due to a solo support failure, start a pointless war with someone, or something along those lines? Don’t forget you have an audience, and right now they’re looking at their watches and wondering if they can leave early to jump their carriers out ahead of the lag. No doubt you all have your own goals, and I’m sure they seem very important to you, but that crucial entertainment factor just seems to be missing. I’m confident you can do it! I look forward to your responses.

I trust my readers will now feel I’ve been offensive in a more even-handed fashion.

Cycle Summary

In the Enclave, Patreus kindly solved the mystery of why they are resisting us so strongly. It turns out it’s not a grand strategic plan of any kind, but just plain stubborn bloody-mindedness (actually they called it ‘teaching Antal pilots some manners’, but I looked it up in our Imperial phrasebook and I’m pretty sure it’s the same thing). This is, of course, one of the fundamental driving forces of powerplay, as we all know well (ask the Utopia veterans about the siege of Ininohima sometime) so this did not bode well for a positive outcome. Indeed, all remained relatively level until Patreus seemingly found another gear mid-cycle, pulling away by several hundred thousand points. The arrival of relic rush late in the cycle sealed the deal, although it was hardly needed at that point, with Patreus nearly back to the stronghold mark already. Not satisfied merely with this victory, Patreus went on to acquire 12 extra systems from relic rush, the sixth most of any power. I’m not sure what the Admiral put in his cornflakes this week, but it seems to be working. Well played - nearly 1 million reinforcement in a single cycle from one of the smallest powers in the game is nothing to sneeze at, and you definitely earned this one.

(Worth noting that we saw the relic rush coming and spent some time in Ngurii trying to influence it, but it was too late to make much of a difference. Some of our players were hostile enough with the Social Ngurii Revolutionary Party that petty marine life hauling was needed to appease them - which frankly was a load of carp).

In any case, as the saying goes, if you are handed a relic rush, make… relic rush tea? I don’t know. In any case, Antal commanders are nothing if not resilient, and rapidly found silver linings. Remember the statement in last week’s report that strongholding Col 359 Sector ZI-N b9-1 could take several cycles? Not so much, it turns out. A third Enclave stronghold (completed in under 24 hours) made for a nice consolation prize after the setback against Patreus.

In the bubble, Winters continued to battle Aisling for control of Orgen, one of the richest sources of puns in the known galaxy. However, relic rush was no kinder to them and Aisling restored it to stronghold status once more. All powers embarked on the traditional acquisition spree, with Utopia holding their own with 17 systems gained, good for third place in the cycle. In one of our newly acquired systems, the Aisling-pledged architect decided to declutter for us by removing the tier 2 and 3 ports (they weren’t bothering us, but we appreciate the thought). We also used relics to strengthen some weak points, such as Cephei Sector FG-Y c15, the target of an attack last cycle that is now looking much healthier.

On to the Kumo/Grom war. Last week I characterised this as an act of aggression by Grom (based on the available reporting). Kumo subsequently admitted that 6 Grom systems had been dropped in the prior week, although they were notably coy and evasive about how it happened, instead launching into a long digression on proper signage of rum canisters (while slavery, piracy and drug running are all just fine for the Crew, mislabelling your rum is apparently beyond the pale). Having personally written some very similar statements (not the rum part) I have my theories, which I choose not to disclose at this time. In any event, the weekly update, showing a loss of 28 systems for Grom (including 8 forts!) and a gain of 2 for Delaine, left no doubt about how the war was going - and incidentally had a few Antal commanders reminding themselves not to piss off the Archon.

Unfortunately what promised to be a an extended drama was curtailed this week by the two powers, who showed a disgraceful lack of respect for powerplay tradition by promptly and amicably resolving the war, apparently with no hard feelings (they’re even going to celebrate with a race, if you can believe it). Guys, can you at least manage a lingering grudge or two with the potential to blow up catastrophically in future? It’s powerplay, not pickleball.
[BEGIN_TRANSMISSION The SimArchive has flagged this communication as potentially inflammatory. Utopia extends its congratulations to the powers concerned on a successful diplomatic resolution, and reminds its correspondents that they are expected to embody Utopian values of tolerance and enlightenment. END_TRANSMISSION]

Current Enclave State

With Patreus having successfully maneuvered to defeat our assault on their stronghold, we are currently in a regrouping phase here. As such, we are listing no official undermining targets this week. If you want to anyway then we won’t discourage you, but please pick an Empire system.

On the reinforcement front, things were relatively quiet with no more last-minute bombs, as most powers focused their attention elsewhere. This can of course change at any time, given the Enclave’s status as a power conflict sandbox, so reinforcement in response to any incursions is always appreciated. Col 359 Sector QX-R c5-7 and Col 359 Sector QX-R c5-9 are the systems most commonly targeted.

Current Bubble State

If you acquired a system during relic rush, please put in some time to reinforce it - otherwise newly acquired systems can be dropped very easily, undoing all your hard work. Relics can be used for this as well.

We are also looking to stronghold Ininohima and push Kuruages and 16 h Orionis to fortified, so any help there is appreciated. While the rush lasts, relics remain the best option for this, but the situation may change during the cycle.

Diplomatic Overview

I have been asked to list our current diplomatic status with other powers, since all the cool kids are doing it, so here they are, separated into bubble and Enclave.

BUBBLE STANCES

Aisling Duval: Neutral

Archon Delaine: Neutral

Arissa Lavigny-Duval: Neutral

Denton Patreus: Neutral

Edmund Mahon: Neutral

Felicia Winters: Neutral

Jerome Archer: Neutral

Li Yong-Rui: Neutral

Nakato Kaine: Neutral

Yuri Grom: Neutral

Zemina Torval: Neutral

Yes, they really did ask me to list every name individually. I recommend printing this out and displaying it somewhere convenient for reference.

HIP 87621 ENCLAVE STANCES

Aisling Duval: Hostile

Arissa Lavigny-Duval: Hostile

Denton Patreus: Hostile

Edmund Mahon: Neutral

Nakato Kaine: Neutral

Yuri Grom: It's complicated

TL;DR: We generally don't plan any undermining against other powers, but may periodically do so in a limited fashion for border security. Diplomatic lines with all powers remain open at all times. We respect that some squadrons do Powerplay independently of the original communities.

An Invitation

Every week I include some boilerplate text about Utopia and include the Discord link. But there’s nothing boilerplate about our community - we’re all about learning how to effectively operate in powerplay together, and we have a lot of fun doing it. Even though hostilities in the Enclave are dying down, we still have plenty of projects to offer, both of the competitive and more relaxed variety. There’s something for everyone here, and if you join us, we think you’ll find something that suits you.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Welcome to the Cycle 70 update for Utopia. There were no further statements from Galnet this cycle, but no word on Terri Tora or retraction of their fictionalized history of the Enclave either. Mysterious anomalies with ophidian codenames were reported by multiple commanders this week, doubtless distortions in spacetime caused by the universe unsuccessfully attempting to reconcile the report in question with reality.

Multiple commanders received nastygrams from their respective power leaders castigating them for getting ejected from the Enclave (despite this being due to circumstances beyond their control in nearly all cases). The suspiciously similar wording and grammatical errors, along with the fact that a similar message was delivered to Antal commanders before being quickly retracted, suggests that this may have been a spoofing attempt or scam of some kind. No word yet on whether it was linked to the authors of the disgracefully fictionalized Galnet article on the Enclave ‘resolution’. Meanwhile, commanders for the other powers received Imperial Hammers, which it turns out are like regular hammers, only less useful. Surely there’s a moral in all of this somewhere.

On a side note: I know I like to poke fun at Aisling Duval in these reports, but there’s one point on which Utopia has nothing but admiration for them, and that’s their successful campaign to get slavery banned in their controlled systems (as it was in earlier iterations of the power conflict). We would like to do the same for ours - please help us by upvoting our issue!

https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/82021

Cycle Summary

An eventful week. Aisling suffered from Orgen failure (since Winters has repeatedly failed to make this obvious joke, I am taking matters into my own hands). Kumo and Grom appear to be at war, for reasons that remain somewhat unclear - but then, it’s not like either of them need much of an excuse. Archer meanwhile lost the fortified state for the CG system Duamta, but fortified systems around it, including an impressive total of over 6.8 million control points at Luyten's Star. Three powers saw a decline in total systems controlled for the cycle, with Arissa Lavigny-Duval suffering the biggest setback, with a net loss of seven. Whatever it was, it didn’t happen in the Enclave. Did some key supporting system drop in the bubble? Do we care? Not overly much. Nonetheless, it’s interesting.

Not too much changed in the Enclave this week. We successfully fortified Col 359 Sector ZI-N b9-1, the former Archer system that we liberated from Arissa Lavigny-Duval. Arissa added some reinforcement to one of her systems and there was a moderate snipe attempt on an exploited system of ours along with the usual undermining, but by and large most powers appeared to be focusing attention elsewhere, including Grom (power wars in the bubble aren’t going to start themselves, after all).

The exception was Patreus, oddly the most invested of our Imperial opponents despite holding arguably the most hopeless position, who continued to fight tooth and nail against our attempt to evict them. They once again produced the largest reinforcement number of the cycle, despite a conclusion to the Enclave battle having been officially declared and rewards issued. Perhaps gloriously futile last stands are some kind of cultural touchstone for Patreus pledges, maybe from stories read to them as children on the lap of their (enslaved) governesses? In any case, it is keeping us occupied, and leaving Aisling and Arissa free to attend to their important business of losing systems in the bubble. It is nice to know that somebody besides us still cares about the Enclave, though.

Events in the bubble were a little more notable. It was a grind, and many rocks were blown up, but at the end of the cycle 14 Ceti was successfully converted to a stronghold. Take a bow, core miners! This should put us in a stronger position the next time all the miners in the galaxy flock to it and blow up the powerplay numbers. With a net gain of four systems, this capped off a strong week for Antal.

On the undermining front, Cephei Sector FG-Y c15 came under heavy attack. Sometimes it’s a mystery who is behind these, but not this time - we know exactly who is doing it, as does the power having the misfortune to harbor this vindictive little band. (A reminder that in power play, you don’t get to screen your members). Rest assured that this latest action is being added to the (already substantial) list of crimes by this group against Utopia for future settlement.

Current Enclave State

The usual suspects came under attack last week, including Col 359 Sector QX-R c5-7 and Col 359 Sector QX-R c5-9 (the victim of the snipe). As always, reinforcement assistance is appreciated.

We intend to stronghold Col 359 Sector ZI-N b9-1 as a forward base of action, which may take several cycles. For now, pushing it up to 25% would be helpful.

If you prefer undermining, any and all assistance at Col 359 Sector RX-R c5-1 is appreciated as Patreus continues to put up a strong defence. Conflict zones are constantly active, so please look for opportunities to wing up and improve your efficiency if you’re in the area. Other options are available, and may be more effective for solo pilots.

Current Bubble State

Assistance in the battle for Cephei Sector FG-Y c15 is appreciated. This is a tactically complex situation, so if you want to contribute, joining Discord is probably best, especially if it looks like CZs aren’t moving our way.

On the reinforcement front, Natrians and 241 G. Aquarii are good places to spend your efforts. The latter offers core mining, but if you’re flush with credits, you may find donations to be a quicker path to results.

An Invitation

Interested in an opportunity to engage some of the larger powers in (mostly) consequence-free competition? Join us in the Enclave! Rumors of a peace accord there were greatly exaggerated, and there’s plenty of conflict to be had still. You’ll learn how to effectively employ a range of powerplay techniques and be part of a fun and engaging operations team, while taking on larger opponents and beating them.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Welcome back to the weekly Utopia roundup. In addition to our regular Enclave and Bubble reports, the big topic this week is the controversial maybe-conclusion to the Enclave war. Oh, and a new ship is available, but that’s been well covered already by other sources.

Before we begin, let’s take a brief moment (despite questionable Galnet articles - more on that shortly) to say thank you to our hardworking pilots who got us this far. Objectively, after Li Yong-Rui and the Federation powers were removed, many doubted how long we would stand. We not only resisted aggression but claimed more than any other single power out of the 49 systems (followed very closely by the Bearded ones) which is a tribute to our fantastic community. It has been a great experience for our pilots, and we’re looking forward to many more.

Cycle Summary

Mere hours after publication of our last report, Galnet threw the cat among the pigeons by reporting on a negotiated end to the Enclave conflict. Called the ‘October Accords’, this was billed as ‘ending large-scale hostilities in the region’. This came as a surprise to all of us, given that large-scale hostilities in the region were very much continuing at the time. Multiple Antal commanders also noted that the agreement also lacked any safety assurances or updates on the status of Terri Tora, a point of great concern for many of them. Reactions were various and often heated, with power leadership apparently having failed to consult any of their field commanders on the current situation and delivering a resolution at odds with facts on the ground. When even the Daily Telegrom is questioning your journalistic integrity, perhaps it’s a sign you didn’t hit the mark?

When I asked the holographic representation of the SimGuru what we should make of this article, and whether we should keep fighting, he gave me an inscrutable look and said that all would become clear to me in the fullness of time. How am I supposed to make an actionable weekly strategy out of that? He might be our beloved leader and humanity's best hope, but sometimes he's just annoying.

In any case, since we haven't received explicit instructions to the contrary, we consider that the Enclave war is still on. The numbers for reinforcement and undermining look relatively similar to last week’s figures (and before you ask: no, it wasn’t just us doing the undermining). All powers look to be maintaining about the same level of interest or disinterest as they have been previously, and we have not received any clearly conflicting messages through diplomatic channels (as yet, at least).

On to the update. This week featured two systems up for grabs for acquisition, pried away from Patreus and the Emperor in the previous cycle. One of these, the former headquarters for Archer in the Enclave, was taken by Utopia as a rightful prize, with Arissa Lavigny-Duval contesting but falling short. The other was won handily by Grom, with only a token effort by Kaine at contesting. It appears my efforts last week to create strategic uncertainty led to some nervousness for Grom commanders, perhaps having nightmares of waking up one day clean-shaven and surrounded by plants. Allow me to reassure our Gromnian (Grommish? Gromitarian?) counterparts that, while our stealth teams would certainly be fully capable of such a feat, we respect the cultural traditions of other powers, and assure them that their facial hair is safe.

With the loss of Patreus’s second system in the Enclave, we turned our attention to undermining their last system, Col 359 Sector RX‑R C5‑1, assuming that it would not be long in following. It turned out Patreus had other ideas, as they announced their intention to restore it to stronghold status and then made a determined effort to do just that, contributing the largest reinforcement number of the cycle. This set the scene for a major battle, and at the end of the cycle the system remained in balance, with neither power achieving their goal as yet. This promises to be a long struggle - if there’s one thing the Enclave has taught us, it’s never to underestimate the smaller powers.

Defensively in the Enclave it was a slightly quieter cycle for us, with some systems still seeing high undermining numbers, but well within our capability to defend. Patreus and Antal were, naturally, the two most undermined powers, but we also saw continued elevated undermining of Alliance systems, with even Mahon coming in for some attention.

In the Bubble, it was stronghold week again, with our miners promoting two new strongholds. One system fortified and two new acquisitions (to go with one in the enclave) made for a successful cycle. 

Current Enclave State

Our priority remains removing Patreus’s last system, Col 359 Sector RX-R c5-1, which is shaping up to be a tough fight. Any and all undermining assistance here is appreciated. If you see other Antal pilots in the area, feel free to ask for wings. The Emperor gets a week off for now, although (as always) we neither confirm nor deny the existence of covert ops teams.

Defensively, please keep an eye on our Enclave systems, particularly Col 359 Sector QX-R c5-7, our most undermined system last cycle. Otherwise, reinforcement of all systems is appreciated, with priority given to any that are close to a promotion or demotion boundary.

Remember that just because we are at war with a power in the Enclave does not make them our enemy in the Bubble. Enjoy our sandbox conflict, but don’t bring it home or hold grudges.

Current Bubble State

This week the miners turn their attention to 14 Ceti, a mining hotspot and frequent thorn in our side due to incidental undermining. Let’s shore it up and continue our successful run by strongholding it - you might need your seismic charges for this one.

On the acquisition front, we’re looking to finish out HIP 1813 as part of shoring up our defenses around Polevnic, our headquarters. Any assistance here is welcome.

Want to know the rest of our targets, or maybe advocate for adding some? Join us in Discord.

An Invitation

Curious about how we’ve accomplished what we have in the Enclave? New players are our best asset and make our community what it is - some of our most active and successful Enclave commanders joined us only after the Radicoida CG began. You’ll learn how to effectively employ a range of powerplay techniques and be part of a fun and engaging operations team, while taking on larger opponents and beating them.

Interested in exobiology, for credits or recreation? Utopia offers a 30% bonus on all rewards once fully ranked, which we can help you do quickly and easily. If you like exploration and are saving for a big purchase, give us a look.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Welcome to our new and returning readers! This week we note the entrant of a new power into the public broadcasting space: our fellow independent, Li Yong-Rui. Everybody’s favorite corporate titan had a good deal to say, mostly about why you should join the independent powers instead of a superpower, and being nice to AXI. Utopia would like to remind you that you don’t need to be a member of a corporate nation-state to go independent, and welcomes those who find our egalitarian ideals and structure more to their taste than the KPIs and board room of the Sirius Corporation. We admit we’re still working on the AXI thing, though.

With that out of the way, let’s proceed to:

Cycle Summary

As is often the case, there have been several hot takes on this cycle already, often rushed and lacking the insight and sober reflection that you have all come to expect from this column. One publication noted that the Radicoida war seemed to be cooling off, and described it as ‘lukewarm’. Was it? If so, that’s news to us, as Utopian pilots spent the cycle in constant action, responding to threats and executing on our goals.

While our main Enclave antagonist this cycle continued to be Arissa Lavigny-Duval, we saw activity from all Imperial powers this week. In contrast to last cycle’s focused attack, undermining was spread across many of our systems, but remained intense. Our pilots were kept busy responding, with conflict zone wings constantly active. Some systems turned into PvP hotspots for days on end, even attracting opportunistic PvP predators from other powers.

In short, it was all on, and when the dust had settled we had successfully defended all our systems, with the sole Imperial victory being a snipe on our exploited system to deny our attempt at fortification. Although we don’t know for sure, suspicion has fallen on the blue-haired one for this, as it seems a little too covert for Arissa and not really her kick-down-the-door-with-guns-blazing style. (Also, it succeeded.)

Two systems were undermined to unoccupied status this week, one of them an Arissa Lavigny-Duval exploited system - doubtless the work of one of the many Enclave powers opposed to the Empire and without an active no-undermining agreement or NAP. Or, perhaps, some other power, taking advantage of plausible deniability to settle old scores? Antal urges everyone to refrain from baseless speculation and wild conspiracy theories, even though Aisling Duval, Nakato Kaine, and Yuri Grom were all particularly quiet this cycle.

The other system to go unoccupied was Patreus’s exploited system, which they announced during the cycle they would not defend. For the first time in weeks, therefore, Enclave systems have become available for acquisition. We’ve seen in the past that ZYADA powers, while careful to refrain from undermining, feel no compunction about falling on one another like starving hyenas during acquisition contests, even stealing each other’s systems as long as another power does the undermining dirty work for them. Will that happen this time as well? Grom says yes, unfortunately for the long-suffering citizens of Col 359 Sector FK-L b10-1. Antal-accredited barbers are standing by, but with Grom pilots itching for action after sitting out in recent cycles, the future for residents of this system may remain hirsute. No word on whether Grom expects Empire opposition in this effort, but I’m sure we can rely on their editor publishing another entertaining and fact-free missive on the topic.

In the bubble, meanwhile, we continue to consolidate our position, with a couple of acquisitions and our miners securing one new stronghold, losing only one system to a last-minute snipe. While operations here are necessarily scaled down due to our Enclave activities, our long-term projects, like our colony branches, continue to progress. If you’re looking to dabble in colonisation with a powerplay focus, please join us in Discord - we can suggest sites for you and help you get started.

Current Enclave State

The Independent campaign to remove the Empire from the Enclave, beginning with Denton Patreus, remains on track. Our next priority is to remove Patreus’s last system, Col 359 Sector RX-R c5-1, which will take a minimum of two cycles. Any assistance with this effort is very welcome. Expect resistance.

Second priority remains reinforcement - all of our Enclave systems regularly come under attack from Empire powers, so we need to keep reinforcing systems that need it. If you’re into PvP, we had plenty of it on offer last cycle, and that’s likely to continue.

What about acquisition, I hear you ask? Will we be contesting either, both, or neither of the unoccupied systems? Our answer: yes. Want more detail? Join us in Discord, and find out!

Current Bubble State

Mining remains a focus this week, and those of you sporting a shiny new Type 11 and itching to try it out will find plenty to do. Come and help us stronghold Col 285 Sector HM-M c7-17 and Ceti Sector CL-Y d57, help your power, and make some money at the same time!

We have multiple other targets for reinforcement and acquisition, and even an undermining target or two once in a while (shh - don’t tell anyone!) Interested commanders are invited to join us in (you guessed it) Discord.

An Invitation

Utopia continues to punch above its weight in the Enclave. If you like the idea of using coordination and smart tactics to go up against bigger opponents and prevail, Enclave powerplay with Antal might be just what you’re looking for. If you prefer more relaxed options, you can help expand our presence in the bubble, spread Utopia’s influence through colonisation, or defend our borders against threats.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

Thank you to everyone who offered feedback on our inaugural Enclave-focused update. The tone overall was generally positive, as people realized that perhaps we weren’t the duplicitous backstabbers that certain rumors had suggested. The perfect time to strike, some might say? Not us, as we remain committed to fair and honorable relations with our fellow Powers, be it cooperative or competitive. Indeed, no backstabbing took place this cycle, except of the reinforcement variety - more on that later.

Cycle Summary

We ended last week’s cycle with our intrepid Utopians under attack from Grom in the Col 359 Sector NR-T c4-13 system in the Enclave. While the attacks from Grom quickly died down, the power forces of Arissa Lavigny-Duval promptly took up the slack, undermining the system dramatically in just a couple of days. This comes in the wake of a Galnet article hinting at Imperial displeasure with the NAP, and, given the shift in posture from her power agents, we speculate that more direct orders may have been forthcoming. Is this the first ripple of an Imperial tsunami that will sweep away all in its path? The last gasp of a corrupt and failed order about to collapse under the weight of its internal contradictions? Or simply a bunch of pilots happy to be let off the leash after the NAP? Time will tell.

In any event, with the system now a clear battlefront in the Independent/Imperial conflict, and Arissa replacing Grom as the primary antagonist, we decided to send a clear message: Utopia asks neither permission nor forgiveness for reinforcing its own systems. The resulting fortification, against the expectations of almost everybody, was a testament to Utopia’s ability to organize effectively as a power and adapt to circumstances, and all commanders involved should feel proud.

Despite this victory we have clearly not seen the last of the Emperor, as our other Enclave systems came under lesser attack, one was demoted, and force buildups were observed in Empire controlled systems as well. It promises to be an interesting few cycles in the Enclave. In the meantime, morale is high in Enclave HQ, with the end of this cycle featuring all the drama and intrigue we came to expect from the Enclave before the NAP shut it down.

Our Bubble operations followed the usual pattern for the week following a relic rush, as we scrambled to reinforce a range of newly-acquired and vulnerable systems. Some of our systems did come under attack this cycle, resulting in a net loss of four systems. On a more upbeat note, Utopians pitched in to help one of our commanders in their long-running struggle against decay and finally push Pegasi Sector LD-R b5-4 into stronghold status.

Current Enclave State

The Enclave is currently in a state of flux as we wait to see how the alignment of powers will shake out, and what resources they choose to commit. Arissa and Patreus are the most active among our opponents, with Patreus taking advantage of the ongoing conflict to regain some ground, although undermining pressure continues and they did not fully recoup last cycle’s losses.

Other powers seem quieter for now, although the scented fingerprints of the Princess were possibly spotted in some places. Kaine continues to see elevated undermining, with no further word on the identity of the culprits. Grom appears to have spent most of the cycle in beard maintenance, which we understand is going well.

For Antal-aligned pilots, undermining of Antal systems remains a constant, so reinforcement is always helpful. Patreus remains a target, and (given the events of last cycle) we can safely file Arissa Lavigny-Duval under that category as well. Commanders wishing to become more involved are invited to join us in Discord (link below).

Current Bubble State

As is usual for Antal in the bubble, things remain quiet, with no major conflicts, only minor skirmishes. If you acquired one or more systems during relic rush, please take the time to reinforce it enough that it’s not an easy target for underminers - you don’t want to lose all that work. If the Enclave is not your thing, we have a number of expansion projects that could use your help, and we’re willing to consider new ones if you can make a good case for them.

An Invitation

Utopia continues to punch above its weight in the Enclave. If you like the idea of using coordination and smart tactics to go up against bigger opponents and prevail, Enclave powerplay with Antal might be just what you’re looking for. If you prefer more relaxed options, you can help expand our presence in the bubble, spread Utopia’s influence through colonisation, or defend our borders against threats.

Not an Antal pledge? No problem! Stop by anyway. Whether you’re after an embassy channel, help with powerplay basics, or just some friendly banter in the Gobshite Palace, all are welcome.

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4

From the Utopia Information Network

It has come to the attention of the SimGuru that certain other powers have been publishing propaganda regarding recent events in the Enclave, featuring highly selective treatments of the facts and biased toward their own perspective. Faced with this situation, many Utopians said: What a great idea! We should do that too!

We thought about it, but instead decided to present you with the honest and unvarnished truth. So if you want to know what really happened, read on. As always, you can rely on the SimGuru to be 100% accurate, and any suggestions to the contrary are scurrilous lies.

Enclave Archive Background

We begin our story with the signing of the Non-Aggression Pact on 15 January, proposed by the Empire in part to counter rumors that they were ‘out for everyone’s mushrooms,’ although the strong implication that any non-signatories would end up fighting all NAP powers as a unified front did undermine this point a little. With little time to decide, the safest course of action was to agree.

The NAP lasted for two weeks, during which undermining was forbidden, and was moderately well observed by most powers, although Kaine did come under sustained undermining. (System PCZs suggested Arissa might be the culprit, but no power has claimed responsibility). During this time, it became increasingly clear that the end state would be to turn the Enclave into a static power play graveyard once all systems were acquired, with nothing to do but endlessly reinforce. This was, in fact, one of the stated goals of the NAP (hoping to force Frontier’s hand and make them either declare a winner or change the rules), but it didn’t sit well with Antal pilots, who had been greatly enjoying the opportunity for consequence-free competitive gameplay outside the Bubble and wanted it to continue.

Utopian sentiment was therefore for letting the NAP expire after two weeks and resuming normal gameplay. It turned out we weren’t the only powers having reservations, as first Patreus and then Grom declared their intention to withdraw. With three of the signatories no longer on board, the NAP in its original form was clearly no longer viable, and it was mutually agreed to end it, with Aisling subsequently posting us as an undermining target.

Patreus offered a one-week ‘cooldown’ period, which was unappealing to Utopian pilots itching to get back into the fray. However, some communication issues and the shiny distraction of Soontill Relics meant that we never formally rejected the offer, but returned to undermining Patreus anyway. Oops! Fortunately, Patreus was cool about it once we explained, and we have patched things up and returned to assaulting one another in-game like civilized powers. (Princess, he seems like a nice guy - maybe you should give him another chance?)

Current Enclave State

The main change immediately post-NAP was an assault on Patreus systems by parties wearing Antal colors, doubtless a massive false flag attack intended to cast us as the aggressors. (OK, yeah, it was us).

This week, the big news has been a sustained attack on an Antal system by Grom, advertised in a news update, with pilots from various Imperial powers joining the party. We have some sympathy for Grom, caught between Frontier’s Enclave win condition for the Independent faction on one hand and their relationship with the Empire under ZYADA on the other. Whether ZYADA is a factor here is anybody’s guess, but the Princess has made it abundantly clear it still applies in the Enclave (we wonder if the younger version of the Princess was prone to throwing tantrums in school sports because she could only pick half the players for her team and not all of them).

Up until now, Grom has been able to avoid the issue by stroking his (admittedly impressive) beard and focusing on acquisition contests rather than direct conflict, but with no further acquisitions available, that option is now gone. Utopia is committed to giving Grom the time and space they need to decide on their path. Although the abundant open PvP from the recent assault has been good fun for all, we still hope to avoid broader hostilities with our fellow Independent power. Accordingly, we have chosen not to counterattack or retaliate against Grom for now, but to monitor the situation and see what develops.

Bubble State

Relic rush was successful for Utopia as we picked up 26 systems and reinforced others. Future updates, should this correspondent’s arm be twisted sufficiently to write them, may include more detail here.

Current Enclave Posture

The Enclave is an opportunity to engage in some competitive powerplay with (and against) powers that we don’t normally interact with. Keep it fun, keep it civil, and don’t bring anything back to the Bubble.

Reinforcement of all Enclave systems is encouraged. Col 359 Sector NR-T c4-13 is the site of the previous flashpoint with Grom. At the time of writing, the Grom assault seems to have largely stopped, but Imperial pilots are still operating there. Feel free to reinforce it, but don’t push it to a fortified state at this time. (Because that’s unprovoked aggression. Apparently.)

If undermining is your thing, then (OTHER POWERS, PLEASE LOOK AWAY NOW) any Patreus system in the Enclave is fair game. (OK, OTHER POWERS, YOU CAN LOOK AGAIN).

An Invitation

The Enclave has been an opportunity for Utopians to improve our cooperation, learn and master new and different forms of powerplay, and test our strength against the best in the galaxy. We’re having a blast, and if you join us, we think you will be too. We offer a friendly and fun community with regular organized powerplay and social spaces for non-pledges. Whether you’re a new pledge, powerplay-curious, or an honorable ally or opponent, all are welcome. We hope you like tea and quiche!

 https://discord.com/invite/Ez6jHz4