(I apologize if this has already been covered in a devlog or something I missed, but I don't remember this topic being discussed in detail)
Most theoretical large player groups in Starbase can be roughly sorted into one of two groups: nations/states and organizations.
A group styling itself as a nation is fairly concrete conceptually. Such groups would be concerned by things such as controlling territory, resources, etc. as well as denying those things to rival groups/preventing rival groups from encroaching on their claims. The bare minimum requirement for someone to be, at least nominally, a member of such a group is to live within it's established borders and follow it's established rules (whether they do so willingly, or under threat of punishment). The area a group like this controls is determined by how much it is physically able to manage and control, and is arguably its main metric for success.
Comparatively a group that styles itself as an organization is much more nebulous. Using the example of a corporation specifically, these groups would be more concerned with the members that make them up (and the infrastructure said members own/operate) than with more external things. In most cases there's no passive membership as you'd have to deliberately join, and subsequently be expected to contribute in whatever capacity you applied for, but otherwise they're not inherently limited by location or distance (A company can have branches in multiple countries). Territorial control isn't a huge concern, as you don't necessarily have to "own" a location to have access to it or operate in it.
My question is how much, if at all, sieges will take this dynamic into consideration as far as capturing stations goes. Obviously in the case of stations that function as military bases that question is easy: The victor kills the previous owners and takes all their stuff. However if stations can essentially become space cities, then that can allow for a little more nuance in the situation. While there are certainly people that would (and I have no problem with this being an option) happily burn said cities to the ground, there are plenty of reasons why a new regime wouldn't want to purge the entire population of the station they just captured. Baring any patriotic loyalty to their former leaders, there's also likely normal station denizens willing to submit to their new leaders if they're allowed to continue life as usual.
If a faction or group is a corporation, then it doesn't really matter to them who technically "owns" the space they occupy as long as they're allowed to continue working unmolested. Another player faction could "take over" their area and business continue on as usual. Similarly group claiming the location a corporation's factory exists in doesn't necessarily have to (or even want to) take over or destroy said factory as long as it's current occupants submit to it's authority in whatever capacity is required (taxes, contributions to a war effort, etc.)
tl;dr: To what extent can a faction exert a hegemony over another faction without it requiring active or zero-sum conflict, and to what extent will living in a larger player station associate you with the owner/how will you be affected by a station being captured in a siege as an normal citizen.
Most theoretical large player groups in Starbase can be roughly sorted into one of two groups: nations/states and organizations.
A group styling itself as a nation is fairly concrete conceptually. Such groups would be concerned by things such as controlling territory, resources, etc. as well as denying those things to rival groups/preventing rival groups from encroaching on their claims. The bare minimum requirement for someone to be, at least nominally, a member of such a group is to live within it's established borders and follow it's established rules (whether they do so willingly, or under threat of punishment). The area a group like this controls is determined by how much it is physically able to manage and control, and is arguably its main metric for success.
Comparatively a group that styles itself as an organization is much more nebulous. Using the example of a corporation specifically, these groups would be more concerned with the members that make them up (and the infrastructure said members own/operate) than with more external things. In most cases there's no passive membership as you'd have to deliberately join, and subsequently be expected to contribute in whatever capacity you applied for, but otherwise they're not inherently limited by location or distance (A company can have branches in multiple countries). Territorial control isn't a huge concern, as you don't necessarily have to "own" a location to have access to it or operate in it.
My question is how much, if at all, sieges will take this dynamic into consideration as far as capturing stations goes. Obviously in the case of stations that function as military bases that question is easy: The victor kills the previous owners and takes all their stuff. However if stations can essentially become space cities, then that can allow for a little more nuance in the situation. While there are certainly people that would (and I have no problem with this being an option) happily burn said cities to the ground, there are plenty of reasons why a new regime wouldn't want to purge the entire population of the station they just captured. Baring any patriotic loyalty to their former leaders, there's also likely normal station denizens willing to submit to their new leaders if they're allowed to continue life as usual.
If a faction or group is a corporation, then it doesn't really matter to them who technically "owns" the space they occupy as long as they're allowed to continue working unmolested. Another player faction could "take over" their area and business continue on as usual. Similarly group claiming the location a corporation's factory exists in doesn't necessarily have to (or even want to) take over or destroy said factory as long as it's current occupants submit to it's authority in whatever capacity is required (taxes, contributions to a war effort, etc.)
tl;dr: To what extent can a faction exert a hegemony over another faction without it requiring active or zero-sum conflict, and to what extent will living in a larger player station associate you with the owner/how will you be affected by a station being captured in a siege as an normal citizen.
