What factors influence the "system category"? e.g. "Empire Bastion"
The system category is decided by what is constructed in it- specifically starbases, colonies, and mining/research stations. As far as I can tell, it uses a prioritised list and picks the highest priority description that can apply.
The system description will be the first possibility from this list:
- Empire Homeworld: The homeworld of the founder species of the empire
- Empire Capital: The capital of the empire
-
Starbase Title: The title of the starbase in the system, based on its most built module. This is either:
- Trading Hub (Trading Hubs),
- Empire Bastion (Weapons),
- Shipyard System (Shipyards), or
- Naval Base (Anchorages).
I haven't checked how priorities work in a tie, since I rarely mix modules.
- Empire Colony: The system contains one or more colonies but no starbase modules (either an outpost or a starbase with nothing built)
- Research Outpost: The system contains one or more research stations, and has at least as many research stations as mining stations.
- Mining System: The system contains two or more mining stations and has more mining stations than research stations.
- Frontier Outpost: None of the above.
So far I see,
- Naval Base = Anchorage. Build lots of Anchorages
- Trading Hub Build lots of Trading Hub
- Shipyard System Build lots of Shipyards
- Research Outpost System has more than average Research
- Mining System System has more than average Resources
- Frontier Outpost System has less than average everything
- Empire Bastion System has more than average Weapons
- Empire Colony System has Pop (whether Planet or Habitat)
- Empire Homeworld Self-evident
- Empire Capital If you've moved your capital from your homeworld.
Anyone please update if I'm wrong