I was playing online for my first time a few days ago, and one of my planets randomly dropped in loyalty for no seemingly apparent reason. I was hoping you guys could help me make sense of things.

 

The planet in question was around 75% loyal, so it was not too surprising that it would drop in loyalty, but the drop was fairly large and quick (immediately down to 48% or so).

 

It occurred in a sector that, in general, favored me. I had two other planets that were strongly in my favor (80% or more), and none of them favored my opponent. The only negative thing that occurred in that sector was when I lost a shipyard to sabotage, but that occurred at least 30 days before the drop.

 

My friend assures me that he had no ships or agents operating in that sector at all. The only major incident that occurred around the same time was when my friend's diplomat died because my capital ship detected him above a neutral planet, but that was in another sector.

 

My ships were not hovering in blockade around the planet.

 

That's all I can remember for now- my friend has the game saved on his computer, so I can get more details later.

 

----------- EDIT-------------------------

Something similar happened this second game. I think I must have just left a fleet in orbit and didn't have enough influence for the blockade to help my support. I was prepared this time though.

Did you accidentally bombard one of the planets in that sector and destroy a civilian facility? That'll drop loyalty, but it should be for every planet in the sector.

Did you accidentally bombard one of the planets in that sector and destroy a civilian facility? That'll drop loyalty, but it should be for every planet in the sector.

 

No I definitely didn't do that. If I had accidentally bombarded, there would have been a message left as a record.

 

I think it I must have just left a fleet in orbit and since I didn't completely win the planet over, it must have had enough Imperial support that the planet slowly decayed towards the empire.

*Shrug* Maybe, but I don't really remember that ever happening to me in my games. I got a little gain in support when I liberated a planet via bombardment and then took my fleet out of orbit (enough to make it barely neutral, or barely in my favor at best), but I don't recall a decrease in support from a fleet moving in.