Powerplay 2.0 deep dive - Frontier Live 27th March

[Rebel Yell]

Interesting stream. It sounded like the importance of BGS governments in a control system wasn't important anymore, which would be good for some?

I think for all players doing BGS

 

[EddDoloroso]

Then they will have to do something about that blocking feature and instancing for sure.

That's why the open only thing being mentioned is so great. They wouldn't mention it if it wasn't possible. The fact that they mentioned it means that it's actually possible and should work greatly otherwise mentioning it and later seeing that wasn't possible would be a shoot in the feet.

 

[Disemboweled Ego]

They just asked for opinions on Open Only. Here we go.

A huge letdown in my opinion, if it's to be open only it should be designed around that in the first place instead of tacking open only on to a system built with various compromises for whatever the launch version will be.

Overall not super impressed by what they revealed:

• Does removing the control cap etc allow for more unbounded expansion/power sprawl?
• Getting rid of merit decay is ok, but what they showed looked an awful lot like weekly mission stuff from mobile games and with the recent prebuilt stuff the inspiration seems clear. That's meh.
• "We're still uncertain about the rewards" this late into development is concerning to me too.
• The battles around megaships sound nice, but installation scenarios and megaship missions are kinda jank and don't really have much in the way of unique mechanics and boil down to "scan/shoot the thing and hope the script doesn't break (it usually does)".
• The rank-based reward stuff and ARX for the top contributors is nice, but not something that motivates me to participate unless of course the P2W gets turned up to 11 and I need the free ARX to stay relevant.
• Looked like all BGS activities count towards helping your power, if this is modeled after the thargoid war I dread what the balancing of that will be like.
• Did they go into what the score/ranking amongst powers does beyond a larger territory giving you more friendly places where you get random buffs if you're pledged?
• Are there ways to keep systems neutral/independent?

 

[Lyamecron]

I got the impression the more you do for your power, the better rewards you get. I assume that meant that you'll get access to other powers equipment at some point so you don't have to leave them. Might be wrong..

A huge turn-off for me was the mandatory time commitment each cycle (at least as far as I understood it) to retain your rank - now you apparently just level up via doing things and your progress won't go down when you stop doing stuff... that really sounds like a good rework. If the powerplay modules are included in the tier-rewards, then I am very excited for it.

 

[Helmut Grokenberger]

I hope they get their data from the game telemetry, and not from who cries tue loudest and most often.

 

[Rubbernuke]

I think for all players doing BGS

I get the impression its more about spanking the system silly and causing chaos to make the silly locals see sense.

 

[Rebel Yell]

That's why the open only thing being mentioned is so great. They wouldn't mention it if it wasn't possible. The fact that they mentioned it means that it's actually possible and should work greatly otherwise mentioning it and later seeing that wasn't possible would be a shoot in the feet.

There shall be good instances and bad instances... who cares, at least we have the possibility to instance.

I don't see big difference from a CG crowded situation.

 

[vanFace]

That's why the open only thing being mentioned is so great. They wouldn't mention it if it wasn't possible. The fact that they mentioned it means that it's actually possible and should work greatly otherwise mentioning it and later seeing that wasn't possible would be a shoot in the feet.

Well, it would be better if they say HOW it is possible. Instancing is a pretty important aspect of it, and I frankly don't see how they can refactor that on in this stage of the game without practically exploding that thing into a caustic cloud.

 

[fennster]

Did they tease anything other than the name?

Arf basically said "and that's about it for this show........... Oh yeah the next variant is the Type 8". End stream.

 

[Bard Voronwe]

Well, we need a thread with the main features explained.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Arf basically said "and that's about it for this show........... Oh yeah the next variant is the Type 8". End stream.

The Monty Python ending technique.

 

[Vedmo]

A huge turn-off for me was the mandatory time commitment each cycle (at least as far as I understood it) to retain your rank - now you apparently just level up via doing things and your progress won't go down when you stop doing stuff... that really sounds like a good rework. If the powerplay modules are included in the tier-rewards, then I am very excited for it.

I didn't hear them comment directly on power specific modules, but ya, you start off with some quests then get accepted to the power and earn merits that do not decay to increase ranks, which go up to 10. Once maxed, merits go towards earning a repeatable care package. Sounded like the 1-10 rewards were control system benefits, perhaps related to rebuy and trading discounts.

 

[DemiserofD]

I'm not averse to some parts of power play being open only, but I certainly hope they don't make all of it that way.

 

[Rainbro]

A huge letdown in my opinion, if it's to be open only it should be designed around that in the first place instead of tacking open only on to a system built with various compromises for whatever the launch version will be.

Overall not super impressed by what they revealed:

• Does removing the control cap etc allow for more unbounded expansion/power sprawl?
• Getting rid of merit decay is meh but what they showed looked an awful lot like weekly mission stuff from mobile games and with the recent prebuilt stuff the inspiration seems clear.
• "We're still uncertain about the rewards" this late into development is concerning to me too.
• The battles around megaships sound nice, but installation scenarios and megaship missions are kinda jank and don't really have much in the way of unique mechanics and boil down to "scan/shoot the thing and hope the script doesn't break (it usually does)".
• The rank-based reward stuff and ARX for the top contributors is nice, but not something that motivates me to participate unless of course the P2W gets turned up to 11 and I need the free ARX to stay relevant.
• Looked like all BGS activities count towards helping your power, if this is modeled after the thargoid war I dread what the balancing of that will be like.
• Did they go into what the score/ranking amongst powers does beyond a larger territory giving you more friendly places where you get random buffs if you're pledged?
• Are there ways to keep systems neutral/independent?

Basically agreed with everything (no more merit decay great though).

I think 2.0 does lean more towards supporting Open as an actual thing, but...either they put in more work to finish that off, or they don't and leave it in the same awkward state as 1.0.

 

[Spaceman-FXL5]

I get the impression its more about spanking the system silly and causing chaos to make the silly locals see sense.

Re-education not Indoctrination - love it!

 

[BV_Noodle]

It's not going to be just in open but they pulled out the monitoring clause.

 

[Spaceman-FXL5]

Well I'm all for Aislins b.m
Edit - in the power pictures on FC/Stations walkaround

 

[Rubbernuke]

A huge letdown in my opinion, if it's to be open only it should be designed around that in the first place instead of tacking open only on to a system built with various compromises for whatever the launch version will be.

Overall not super impressed by what they revealed:

• Does removing the control cap etc allow for more unbounded expansion/power sprawl?
• Getting rid of merit decay is meh but what they showed looked an awful lot like weekly mission stuff from mobile games and with the recent prebuilt stuff the inspiration seems clear.
• "We're still uncertain about the rewards" this late into development is concerning to me too.
• The battles around megaships sound nice, but installation scenarios and megaship missions are kinda jank and don't really have much in the way of unique mechanics and boil down to "scan/shoot the thing and hope the script doesn't break (it usually does)".
• The rank-based reward stuff and ARX for the top contributors is nice, but not something that motivates me to participate unless of course the P2W gets turned up to 11 and I need the free ARX to stay relevant.
• Looked like all BGS activities count towards helping your power, if this is modeled after the thargoid war I dread what the balancing of that will be like.
• Did they go into what the score/ranking amongst powers does beyond a larger territory giving you more friendly places where you get random buffs if you're pledged?
• Are there ways to keep systems neutral/independent?

I imagine a fair amount of the bonuses will be taken from PP1, and that the useless ones retooled- there are plenty of new things to give players since you have 8 years of change.

It seems that Powers can sprawl as they like, however long chains of systems are vulnerable to being cut off or isolated for power removal.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Re-education not Indoctrination - love it!

I certainly hope this now makes beating factions silly a thing and that violence is the universal language of progress

 

[Rainbro]

It surely wouldn't be allowed to happen, but it'd be funny if one power had some drastically better buff and the community banded together to just give them the entire bubble.