Cookoff Conflicts

In a rare corner of the universe, the Star Traders received the word of Shalun as oral history with no written record. Over time the details of Shalun law were corrupted, with truths plain and obvious to others lost over time. As a result these Star Traders practice a unique form of retribution justice focused on the field of battle... in the kitchen!

Types of Conflicts
Conflicts are categorized into types.

When Conflicts End
Whenever a Conflict ends, all of the Contacts on either side of the Conflict either suffer (if they are on the losing side) or get to take actions (if they are on the winning side.) Recipe Swaps and Beer Runs will grant benefits to Contacts on both sides, but typically one more than the other. Depending on the Contact type, a Conflict can also generate bonuses in addition to the free Contact actions.

The effects of such loss / actions include Influence gain or loss, causing Influence gain or loss to their allies and enemies, the death of a Contact, creating another follow-on Conflict, causing a positive or negative Rumor to an ally/enemy Contact's world, change a Contact Trait, etc. For example, if your Contact loses an Ingredient Sabotage, you might find an Embargo or Taxes Rumor popping up on his world.

It is impossible for a Conflict to end in a tie. When the Conflict ends with a perfectly balanced score, an secret fixed ordering will determine who won (but by the narrowest of margins.) De Valtos, for instance, loses all ties, while Zenrin will win all ties. The other factions fall somewhere in the middle of this ordering.

Conflict Duration
The length of Conflicts is controlled by the a number of factors. The game's current Era, the Contacts that start the Conflict, the Zones that trigger them, the Rumors that were active when they started, the Influence totals of the Contacts on both sides, the type of Conflict, the Factions that are involved and the size of the map all play a role.