Memory Machine Competition
The most significant ongoing competition in the Cosmos—and your source of Memory Fragments.
Overview
Four faction machines compete in synchronized 96-hour cycles called Great Syncs:
| Machine | Faction | Primary Sub-Factions |
|---|---|---|
| Scions Machine | Scions of Ogo | Neo-Yakuza |
| Prospectors Machine | Prospectors | Whisperers, Sercantos |
| Technomages Machine | Technomages | Trusonaries, Savant Acolytes |
| Mercantile Machine | Mercantile Alliance | Robed Pratorians |
Your goal: craft components, contribute them to your aligned machine, and earn Memory Fragments based on your contribution and your machine's final ranking.
Getting Started: The Memory Sink
Before you can contribute components, you must acquire a Memory Sink—an unlock item obtained through early missions. Without it, crafted components cannot be fed to machines.
Crafting Components
The Six Component Types
Each component draws power from different skill domains:
| Component | Base Power | Cost Multiplier | Skills |
|---|---|---|---|
| Machine Conduits | 100 | 1.0× | Pattern Recognition, Cybernetics, Information Gathering, Alliance Building, Tactical Planning |
| Machine Fuel | 150 | 1.5× | Bridge Tech, Reticle Navigation |
| Machine Cores | 200 | 2.0× | All 6 Intelligence skills |
| Contest Algorithms | 250 | 2.5× | Basic Combat, Advanced Combat, Tactical Planning, Specialized Weapons, Echo Interface, Cybernetics |
| Contest Negotiation | 250 | 2.5× | Negotiation, Political Strategy, Alliance Building, Crisis Management |
| Faction Interaction | 250 | 2.5× | Faction Relations, Cultural Adaptation, Network Building |
Cost Multiplier is relative to Basic Engine Part pricing (set by the homeostatic economy).
Component Grades
Higher grades multiply both cost and power:
| Grade | Power Multiplier | Level Requirement |
|---|---|---|
| Grade I | 3× | Level 1+ |
| Grade II | 6× | Level 10+ |
| Grade III | 8× | Level 20+ |
| Grade IV | 10× | Level 35+ |
| Grade V | 16× | Level 50+ |
Example: Machine Core Grade III = 200 base × 8 grade = 1,600 base power (before skill bonuses)
Power Score Calculation
Your contribution's final power is calculated as:
Final Power = Base Power × Grade × (1 + Skill Bonus) × Loyalty × Comeback × Alignment × Synergy × Variance
All Multipliers Explained
| Multiplier | Range | How It Works |
|---|---|---|
| Skill Bonus | 0-10% | Average of your relevant skills for that component type |
| Loyalty Tier | 1.0×-1.30× | Time spent aligned to current machine |
| Comeback | 0.90×-1.30× | Based on machine ranking when you contribute |
| Faction Alignment | 1.02×-1.10× | If your character faction matches machine faction |
| Synergy | 0.70×-1.00× | Balanced contribution across all 6 component types |
| Variance | ±5% | Random factor (NPCs have no variance) |
Synergy Bonus Detail
The system rewards balanced contributions across all six component types:
- Perfect balance (equal power across all types): 1.00× (no penalty)
- Heavily skewed to one type: down to 0.70× power penalty
This penalty is graduated—players with only 1-2 contributions face no synergy penalty. The penalty ramps up as contribution count increases, reaching full effect at 8+ contributions.
In addition to this contribution-time penalty, an imbalanced player also receives a diversity penalty on sync rewards (see Great Sync Rewards), reducing the MF earned at the end of each cycle. The combination creates a strong incentive to trade excess components on the marketplace and trade for missing types rather than contributing the same type repeatedly.
Faction Alignment Bonus
If your character's primary faction matches your machine allegiance, you receive an extra multiplier based on loyalty tier:
| Loyalty Tier | Alignment Bonus |
|---|---|
| Recruit | +2% (1.02×) |
| Operative | +4% (1.04×) |
| Agent | +7% (1.07×) |
| Commander | +10% (1.10×) |
Machine Allegiance
Declaring Allegiance
Before contributing, you must declare allegiance to one of the four machines. This doesn't have to match your character's faction—Echo Collective neutrality allows cross-faction participation.
Loyalty Tiers
Sustained allegiance earns increasing contribution multipliers:
| Tier | Duration | Multiplier | Special |
|---|---|---|---|
| Recruit | 0-13 days | 1.00× | No comeback bonus |
| Operative | 14-41 days | 1.05× | 2 protected switches (Protected = bonus tier preserved; if you are an Operative on Machine A and switch to Machine B, your status as an Operative is not changed-) |
| Agent | 42-83 days | 1.15× | — |
| Commander | 84+ days | 1.30× | Maximum loyalty reward |
Important: Recruits do NOT receive comeback bonuses. You must reach Operative tier (14+ days) before trailing-machine bonuses apply.
Switching Allegiance
Switching machines resets your loyalty tier to Recruit—except:
- Operatives get 2 protected switches that preserve their loyalty tier
- Use them strategically for comeback opportunities without losing progress
Memory Fragment Cost: All faction switches (including protected switches) cost Memory Fragments:
- Base cost: 50 MF for the first switch in a month
- Escalating cost: +15 MF per additional switch that month
- Formula:
50 + (monthly_switch_count × 15) - Monthly switch counter resets every 30 days
| Switches This Month | MF Cost |
|---|---|
| 1st | 50 |
| 2nd | 65 |
| 3rd | 80 |
| 4th | 95 |
Protected switches preserve your loyalty tier but still require MF payment. If you lack sufficient MF, the switch is blocked.
Sub-Faction Operatives
You don't compete alone. AI-controlled sub-faction operatives contribute to machines alongside players.
How NPC Counts Scale
NPC operative counts are based on total player power contributions:
- Target: NPCs provide ~20% of total power
- Floor: 50 operatives per faction
- Cap: 500 operatives per faction
NPC Personality Types
| Type | % of NPCs | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Loyalist | 60% | Values loyalty tier highly, rarely switches machines |
| Opportunist | 25% | Chases comeback bonuses, frequently switches |
| Strategist | 15% | Balanced approach, moderate switching |
NPC Grade Distribution
NPC component grades depend on their sub-faction's influence level:
| Influence | Grade Distribution (I/II/III/IV/V) |
|---|---|
| High | 20% / 25% / 30% / 18% / 7% |
| Average | 40% / 30% / 20% / 8% / 2% |
| Low | 55% / 30% / 12% / 2.5% / 0.5% |
High-influence sub-factions contribute more Grade III-V components, significantly boosting their machine's power.
How Sub-Factions Gain Influence
Sub-faction influence is directly shaped by player activities across two domains:
| Influence Source | How Players Affect It |
|---|---|
| Territorial Control | Combat mission outcomes in Reticle zones shift territorial dominance between sub-factions |
| Location Influence | Signals intelligence operations—players issue orders to local operatives who complete reconnaissance, sabotage, and information-gathering tasks |
The feedback loop: Your combat missions and intel operations determine which sub-factions gain influence → higher influence means better NPC component grades → better grades increase machine's competitive power.
This creates meaningful stakes beyond individual rewards: overall operative success during combat and sigint operations, helps specific sub-factions dominat, which strengthens the entire faction's Memory Machine performance -- and ability to generate rewards (amount of memory fragements availalbe to feed to attractors)
Learn more about sub-factions →
Memory Fragments
What They Are
Memory Fragments (💠 MF) are an essential operating currency distributed after each Great Sync. Unlike Data Shards and Forge Points which power the Forge Engine economy, Memory Fragments are required for a wide range of core gameplay operations — from loading your Forge Engine to switching faction allegiance to crafting components and using consumables.
Memory Fragments are not optional. Without a steady supply, operatives lose access to basic economic functions like shard loading and engine maintenance. Consistent participation in the Memory Machine competition is the primary way to sustain your fragment balance.
For full details on earning, spending, and managing fragments, see Memory Fragments & Attractor Modules.
Reward Breakdown
Rewards are heavily weighted toward meaningful contribution — showing up earns a token amount, but the bulk comes from how much you actually put in.
| Component | % of Target Reward | What Drives It |
|---|---|---|
| Base Participation | 20% | Awarded to all contributors — just for showing up |
| Machine Ranking | 30% | Your machine's final placement (1st–4th) |
| Contribution Power | 50% | Your personal contribution relative to the machine total |
The takeaway: Half your reward is directly tied to contribution power. A player who contributes one component earns far less than a player who contributes consistently throughout the sync. Participation alone won't sustain your fragment economy.
Ranking Multipliers
| Machine Placement | Ranking Bonus |
|---|---|
| 1st Place | 100% of ranking pool |
| 2nd Place | 60% of ranking pool |
| 3rd Place | 30% of ranking pool |
| 4th Place | No ranking bonus |
Fragment Needs Vary by Playstyle
Not every operative needs the same fragment income, but all active operatives need fragments:
- All players: Forge Engine operations (shard loading tax, engine part costs), consumable usage, component crafting, and allegiance switching all require MF
- Attractor operators: Face additional recurring fragment costs each sync cycle (20–85 MF depending on tier) for lottery eligibility
- Minimal players: Even basic economy participation requires fragments for shard tax and part loading
Players who neglect Memory Machine participation will find their Forge Engine operations increasingly constrained.
What Fragments Are For
| Use | MF Cost | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Shard Loading Tax | 0.5% of shards (max 8) | Tax on every shard load to your Forge Engine. Requires Memory Sink. |
| Engine Part Loading | 1 MF per part | Cost to apply each engine maintenance part. Requires Memory Sink. |
| Component Crafting | 10–20 MF by grade | Manufacture components for the Memory Machine (Grade I: 10, II: 12, III: 14, IV: 17, V: 20) |
| Allegiance Switching | 50+ MF | 50 MF base + 15 MF per additional switch that month. All switches cost MF, including protected switches. |
| Skill Redistribution | Varies | 1 fragment per 10-20 XP depending on transfer type |
| Consumables | 10–20 MF | Briefing Dossier (10), Cryptographic Hint Module (10), Briefing Analysis Module (15), Time Dilation Module (15), Efficient Crafting Module (20) |
| Attractor Feeding | 20/50/85 MF per sync | Feed cost per sync cycle for Basic/Advanced/Elite Attractor Modules |
| Attractor Crafting | 300/800/2,000 MF | One-time cost to craft Basic/Advanced/Elite Attractor Modules |
Strategic Considerations
Component Selection
- Focus on components matching your strongest skill domains
- Work with other players to maintain balanced conributions to your machine
- Higher-base-power components (Algorithms, Negotiation, Faction Interaction) cost more but contribute more
- Grade matters enormously: Grade V is 5× more powerful than Grade I
Timing
- NPC participation occurs multiple times during a 96 hour sync cycle and can shift standings
- Contribute when your machine is trailing for maximum comeback bonus
Long-Term vs. Short-Term
- Loyalty compounds: Commander tier (84+ days) gives 1.30× on every contribution
- But comeback bonuses are immediate: 4th place gives 1.30× right now
- Operatives' 2 protected switches let you chase comebacks without losing loyalty progress
Diversification
- Balance is critical: component type—synergy is required to avoid penalties
- Balance contributions across all six types for maximum power
The Bigger Picture: Synchron Seasons
Individual Great Syncs (96 hours each) roll up into Synchron seasons (8 syncs, ~32 days). The faction that wins the most syncs in a season becomes Synchron Champion, and all their contributors receive a substantial Faction Victory Bonus.
If your faction doesn't win, strong individual performance can still earn Elite or Runner-up consolation rewards for the top 25 non-winning contributors.
Your loyalty tier persists across seasons—Commander-tier players carry their 1.30× bonus into every new Synchron.
Learn More
- Great Sync Cycles — Timing, rewards, and the mystery
- Skills & Skill Checks — How skills affect component power
- The Homeostatic Economy — Earning Forge Points for crafting