Custom Factions: maximum number? performance issues?

[Legacy_henesua]

               I am creating many custom factions for each area of my module so that I can get fine grain control over how each group would treat another.

Right now I have 31 new factions on top of the 5 built in factions (PC, Hostile, Commoner, Defender, Merchant). I've got factions like Worgs, Wolves, Goblins, Fey, Shades, Bullywugs, Domestic Herbivores, Wild Carnivores, Arnheim City, Arnheim Forest, Arnheim Bandit etc...

Its been helpful as I generate complex relationships, but I've just entered a new area of the module, and can see adding yet another 5-10 depending on how fine grained I want to get with particular groups in this area. And I have yet to create the city which could have 10-20 special factions if I include various foreign groups, and city guilds etc....

One of the reasons for this is it enables me to give certain PCs special reputations with particular groups - secret societies, gangs, villages etc.... The downside is complexity and I wish I had simply mapped out all the factions before I started....

So I am wondering how many factions others have created for their modules. Has anyone noticed problems once factions reach a certain number? In otherwords, is there a threshold for factions that when crossed leads to problems? What is it?

Even if there is no threshold do factions affect performance at all?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Leurnid]

               I am only guessing, but it seems that the total number of factions is going to be less a factor than how many faction interactions are occurring simultaneously, and even then, that seems like it would be light-weight faf math.

I am curious to find out if it does have an impact though, I crave ecosystems with complex relationships between species and social groups...be it predation in the wilds or town with roaming toughs that engage in lively animosity, ala Montague v Capulet.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_kalbaern]

               I currently use 72 factions on my own PW. The only issues I've seen is where one faction is allied with another, i.e., attacking one makes another an enemy even if normally indifferent. this seems to persistist across the module even if those other factions weren't spawned in anywhere at the time. I've also noticed that a DM possessing a creature and attacking or being attacked by a PC can force a global effect even if all your factions are set as local.

Other than the above, well thought out factions are pretty fun. Nothing like being low level and fleeing from a troll, only to have some goblins appear and decide they dislike the troll more than they dislike you. '>