Strongest rival research[]
It seems the n_Strongest_Rival_Faction variable is decided after completing this quest, and that the game decides this based on:
- n_Faction_Strength_VTC
- n_Faction_Strength_RDC
- n_Faction_Strength_Principi
- n_Faction_Strength_Huana
After playing around on a new save, these variables seem tied to quests and killing leaders. However, there may be other events that change them. I'll keep searching for more!
--KFrisson (talk) 02:38, 14 March 2021 (UTC)
- Very nice! I love a good overview table! I'd say you have most of them, cept for a couple that I've just found (double-crossing the VTC after the powderhouse, completing all bounties for a faction) - I'll add these shortly. Macklin (talk) 05:43, 14 March 2021 (UTC)
- Thank you so much for adding them! --KFrisson (talk) 13:12, 15 March 2021 (UTC)
It also seems that if there is a tie, the Principi wins out and becomes the strongest rival. I had VTC 5 and RDC 5, with the Principi on 4 when I finished The Coming Storm, and the Principi are now blockading the entrance. -- Kapten Teo (talk) 10:51, 16 April 2023 (UTC)
Thanks so much Kapten Teo, this inspired me to dig a little deeper. Here's what I uncovered:
If not allied, the single faction with the highest strength is the rival. Any outcome where two or more factions have the highest strength (including 0), the game defaults to Principi as the strongest rival.
If allied with Huana, VTC, or Principi, of the factions that remain, the single faction with the highest strength is the rival. Any outcome where two or more factions have the highest strength (including 0), the game defaults to Principi (if allied with Huana or VTC), or VTC (if allied with Principi) as the strongest rival.
With the Principi as an ally, there is another conditional check that occurs in Deadlight Donjon where RDC is the default, but I can only find scripts that trigger the aforementioned check, both of which occur in Balefire Beacon. Right now I'm going with the assumption that the VTC default is the only option.
If allied with the RDC however, any outcome where Principi doesn't have a higher strength than VTC results in the VTC being the strongest rival, otherwise Principi is the rival. The Huana's faction strength is effectively ignored here. There's another condition that triggers in The Brass Citadel which has the opposite result, but I can't pin down when that occurs. The one I mentioned before occurs while you're in Imperial Command immediately after speaking to Hazanui Karū.
As for where and when these occur, it almost always coincides with the beginning of The City Lost to Time and the end of The Coming Storm, and in the associated factions HQ. If you didn't align with a faction, this will occur at Ukaizo Harbor, immediately upon entering the area.
Here's the exact conditions (or at least how they would be expressed in C#)
When allied with no faction (n_Allied_Faction == 0)
if (n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_VTC &&
n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_RDC &&
n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 1; // Huana
}
if (n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_Huana &&
n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_RDC &&
n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 2; // VTC
}
if (n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_Huana &&
n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_VTC &&
n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 3; // RDC
}
if (n_Strongest_Rival_Faction == 0)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 4; // Principi
}
When allied with the Huana (n_Allied_Faction == 1)
if (n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_RDC &&
n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 2; // VTC
}
if (n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_VTC &&
n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 3; // RDC
}
if (n_Strongest_Rival_Faction == 0)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 4; // Principi
}
When allied with the VTC (n_Allied_Faction == 2)
if (n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_RDC &&
n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 1; // Huana
}
if (n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_Huana &&
n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 3; // RDC
}
if (n_Strongest_Rival_Faction == 0)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 4; // Principi
}
When allied with the RDC (n_Allied_Faction == 3)
if (n_Faction_Strength_Principi > n_Faction_Strength_VTC)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 4; // Principi
}
if (n_Strongest_Rival_Faction == 0)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 2; // VTC
}
// Alternate (doesn't seem to be used)
/*
if (n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_Principi)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 2; // VTC
}
if (n_Strongest_Rival_Faction == 0)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 4; // Principi
}
*/
When allied with the Principi (n_Allied_Faction == 4)
if (n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_VTC &&
n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_RDC)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 1; // Huana
}
if (n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_Huana &&
n_Faction_Strength_RDC > n_Faction_Strength_VTC)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 3; // RDC
}
if (n_Strongest_Rival_Faction == 0)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 2; // VTC
}
// Alternate (doesn't seem to be used)
/*
if (n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_VTC &&
n_Faction_Strength_Huana > n_Faction_Strength_RDC)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 1; // Huana
}
if (n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_Huana &&
n_Faction_Strength_VTC > n_Faction_Strength_RDC)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 2; // VTC
}
if (n_Strongest_Rival_Faction == 0)
{
n_Strongest_Rival_Faction = 3; // RDC
}
*/
And here's a series of tables of the possible outcomes given the above conditions:
| When allied with no one (n_Allied_Faction == 0)  = Has highest strength
| |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| n_Faction_Strength_ | n_Strongest_ Rival_Faction | ||||
| Huana | VTC | RDC | Principi | ||
| 4 (Principi) | |||||
|
|
4 (Principi) | ||||
|
|
3 (RDC) | ||||
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
2 (VTC) | ||||
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | ||
|
|
1 (Huana) | ||||
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | ||
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | ||
|
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | ||
|
|
|
|
|
4 (Principi) | |
| When allied with the Huana (n_Allied_Faction == 1) = Has highest strength
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| n_Faction_Strength_ | n_Strongest_ Rival_Faction | ||
| VTC | RDC | Principi | |
|
2 (VTC) | ||
|
3 (RDC) | ||
|
4 (Principi) | ||
| 4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
4 (Principi) | |
|
|
4 (Principi) | |
|
|
4 (Principi) | |
|
|
|
4 (Principi) |
| When allied with the VTC (n_Allied_Faction == 2) = Has highest strength
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| n_Faction_Strength_ | n_Strongest_ Rival_Faction | ||
| Huana | RDC | Principi | |
|
1 (Huana) | ||
|
3 (RDC) | ||
|
4 (Principi) | ||
| 4 (Principi) | |||
|
|
4 (Principi) | |
|
|
4 (Principi) | |
|
|
4 (Principi) | |
|
|
|
4 (Principi) |
| When allied with the RDC (n_Allied_Faction == 3) = Has highest strength
| ||
|---|---|---|
| n_Faction_Strength_ | n_Strongest_ Rival_Faction | |
| VTC | Principi | |
| 2 (VTC) | ||
|
|
2 (VTC) |
|
2 (VTC) | |
|
4 (Principi) | |
| When allied with the Principi (n_Allied_Faction == 4) = Has highest strength
| |||
|---|---|---|---|
| n_Faction_Strength_ | n_Strongest_ Rival_Faction | ||
| Huana | VTC | RDC | |
|
1 (Huana) | ||
|
2 (VTC) | ||
|
3 (RDC) | ||
| 2 (VTC) | |||
|
|
2 (VTC) | |
|
|
2 (VTC) | |
|
|
2 (VTC) | |
|
|
|
2 (VTC) |
A lil bit needlessly complicated, but that's Deadfire for ya! I will try my best to summarize this on the quest page. Macklin (talk) 21:29, 16 April 2023 (UTC)