⚔️ Contested Systems Table

🎯 What is the Contested Systems Table?

This table shows all systems where multiple powers are competing for control during expansion phases. These systems are not yet controlled by anyone - they're up for grabs.

Main Purpose:

• Prioritize which contested systems are worth fighting for (high ACQ scores)
• Identify low-value expansions that should be abandoned to save resources
• Track progress vs opposition to determine if you're winning or losing
• Find systems with mining/strategic value worth securing

📋 Column Breakdown

Understanding what each column tells you:

⚔️ How to Use This Table

1. Focus Resources on High-Value Targets

Sort by ACQ Score (descending) to see the best expansion opportunities:

• Score 8-10 (Green): Excellent targets - allocate maximum resources here
• Score 6-8 (Gold): Good targets - worth contesting if you have the CC
• Score 4-6 (Blue): Average - only pursue if other priorities are covered
• Score 2-4 (Orange): Below average - consider withdrawing to focus on better targets
• Score 0-2 (Red): Poor - abandon these, possibly opposition snipes/blocks

2. Identify and Abandon Bad Expansions

Sort by ACQ Score (ascending) to find systems to abandon:

• Low scores + Isolated (0 coverage): Likely opposition snipes to waste your resources - abandon immediately
• Low quality + High cost: Not worth the CP investment - let them go
• Opposition blocks: Systems with zero coverage deep in enemy territory - these are traps

3. Monitor Progress to Predict Outcomes

Check the Progress Bar to see who's winning each contest:

• Green dominating (60%+): You're likely to win - maintain pressure
• Close contest (45-55%): Could go either way - add merits if high value
• Red dominating (60%+): Opposition winning - consider withdrawing unless critical
• Updates over time: Compare snapshots to see momentum shifts

4. Find Strategic Mining Systems

Filter by Rings and Hotspots to identify mining opportunities:

• Pristine Metallic + Platinum hotspots: Prime mining territory
• Monazite + Refinery economy: Synergy bonus (+25 points) - excellent target
• High "Rings in Range": Gateway to mining cluster - win this to access many ring systems

5. Assess Defensive Viability

Sort by Coverage to see how defensible each system is:

• High coverage (3-5+): System is well-supported, easy to defend after winning
• Medium coverage (1-2): Some support, but may need future fortifications nearby
• Zero coverage: Isolated systems - even if won, they'll be hard to keep and vulnerable to undermining

🎓 Understanding the ACQ Score

The ACQ Score for contested systems considers four factors:

Quality (40% weight - most important!)

• Population (0-50 pts):
  • <100k = 0 points (tiny outposts)
  • 500k = 7 points (small stations)
  • 1M = 10 points (medium stations)
  • 100M = 30 points (large stations)
  • 1B+ = 40-50 points (major population centers)
• Economy (0-50 pts):
  • High Tech = 50 pts (best)
  • Industrial = 40 pts
  • Military = 35 pts
  • Extraction/Refinery = 25-30 pts
  • Service/Agriculture = 10-15 pts
• Mining (0-100 pts): (Base Ring + Hotspots) × Reserve Multiplier
  • Base Metallic Ring: 50 pts
  • Platinum hotspot: +20 pts
  • Monazite hotspot: +15 pts
  • Reserve Multipliers: Pristine 2.0×, Major 1.0×, Common 0.5×, Depleted 0.1×
  • Example: Pristine Metallic + Platinum = (50 + 20) × 2.0 = 140 (capped at 100)
  • Economy synergies: +10 to +25 pts (e.g., Monazite + Refinery = +25)

Acquisition Potential (25% weight)

• Number of quality systems within 15 LY that could be exploited
• Systems that open up new territory score higher (gateway systems)
• Considers total quality of nearby systems, not just count

Coverage (20% weight)

• How many fortified/stronghold systems are nearby to support this acquisition
• Formula: Strongholds × 0.4 + Fortified × 0.2
• 2-3 supporting systems reach maximum score
• Zero coverage significantly hurts the score (isolated expansion)

Progress (15% weight)

• Your current merit advantage over opposition
• Dominating (60%+ and 20% lead) = maximum points
• Winning = high points
• Close contest = medium points
• Losing badly = low points (consider abandoning)

📊 Example Scenarios

Scenario 1: Perfect Acquisition Target

Scenario 2: Snipe/Block to Abandon

Scenario 3: Strategic Mining Gateway

Scenario 4: Average System - Situational Decision

🎯 Advanced Strategy Tips

1. Coordinate with Allies

• If both you and an ally are contesting the same system, check who has higher coverage/better support
• The power with better defensive position should win it
• Communication prevents wasted merits fighting each other

2. Timing Matters - Last-Minute Pushes

• Opposition may wait until late in the cycle to dump merits (hiding their intent)
• Check progress regularly in the final 24 hours
• Be ready to respond if opposition makes a late push on high-value targets

3. Consider Total Expansion Load

• Each expansion costs ~750,000 CP if won
• Winning 5 systems = 3.75M CP cost next cycle
• Make sure your treasury can handle it - better to win 3 quality systems than lose 5 mediocre ones to turmoil

4. Use ACQ Scores to Plan Prep Targets

• High ACQ systems (8-10) that you didn't win this cycle are great prep targets for next cycle
• Building fortification coverage near high-value expansion targets improves future ACQ scores
• Long-term: Use ACQ data to guide where you build your defensive network

🔍 Tooltips Available

Hover to reveal additional details:

• ACQ Score (hover): Shows full component breakdown including:
  • Progress score
  • Coverage score
  • Quality breakdown (Population, Economy, Mining)
  • Acquisition count and quality
• Copy button (hover): Click 📋 to copy system name to clipboard

Note: Ring details, hotspots, and exact merit counts are visible directly in the table columns - no hover required!