- lawfuls trade with zoners, lawfuls do not trade with corsairs ( vanilla )
- zoners can purchase food from lawfuls and bring them to their freeport, where corsairs are allowed to dock and buy
- biodomes make stations self sufficient - and may even produce surplus
- freeports are usually closer than any other factions base which may be convinced to sell food to pirates ( not just corsairs )
the essential part is the availability of a site to buy food, not just the production. - and that availability extends to water/oxygen etc.
now what does that mean?
- the valuable part of a freeport is a hub where lawfuls and unlawfuls make trade - a link between two worlds that have no other place to achieve deals - not without tarnishing their conscience.
- so indeed - the biodomes may only be the flashy bits that stand out - but the VALUE of a station is the diplomatic ties. - that is what makes a freeport valuable too all that use it.
- once an unlawful faction indeed ensures a solid deal with a faction that "substitutes" this link between lawfuls and unlawfuls ( lawfuls being the only ones that really produce food in larger quantities ) - the freeport becomes irrelevant.
- leaves the question - what are "core" characteristics of a sirius-balance ... and what does it do if these "core" characteristics are overcome.
no one says "they cannot be overcome".... it is mostly about "is it beneficial for the faction balance if they are overcome"
all that is based on vanilla - but pretty much no faction in disco is vanilla anymore. zoners are not, corsairs are not, outcasts are not, - even gaians are not. ( well, i think bundschuh may still be ) - so re-evaluating and re-considering diplomatic characteristics may be something to look into .... but only from an elevated position which is also impartial and unaffected by favourism or dislikes.