General Please never have a pre-scripted event interfere with a pvp activity (like powerplay) ever again

[Gl9k]

I am going to pour my heart out here because this is an issue I am passionate about as of late. Can we please not have to go through a situation in powerplay like we just had in Sol and the surrounding systems at the end of the thargoid war.

At the time of writing this the players for one specific team (Archer) are feeling the fallout from the loss of control of some of our most heavily fortified systems due to a pre scripted and unavoidable event (that being the titan Cocijo moving to Sol and thargoids taking the surrounding systems). Opportunistic powers have already started attempting to seize control of the lost systems and while we might be able to fight them back eventually it really puts our team on the back foot at no fault of our own but because of some pre scripted event.

When playing a gamemode like powerplay where it is team vs. team it really ruins the fun and the integrity of the competition when one team ends up getting singled out by the developers (and that may not have been their intention but that is sure what it feels like as I see no thargoids in Achenar or Alioth forcing them to lose important core systems.)

Please for the sake of the integrity of powerplay do not have these types of things happen. It should not happen in sol. It should not happen in Achenar and it should not happen in Alioth (not in a way that affects powerplay)

 

[Mr.ziPPeR]

It does really feel like a stab in the back from FD to have all this powerplay bubble erased for a scripted event, and not giving us a chance to prevent this.
We are talking millions of merits erased with a magic wand and weeks of efforts and coordination sent to the dumpster.
And now the vultures come feasting.

 

[MrAustenM]

Couldn't agree more. It seems very disingenuous to pump up the new Powerplay system and get people involved again, then erase an entire faction's efforts and expect them to still be enthusiastic about Powerplay. That is not letting the playerbase steer the course of gameplay...

I'm honestly all for a good and honest fight for the sol bubble, it makes the gameplay interesting to see which superpower can prevail. But by completely erasing Archers fortifications that's unfairly tilting the scales.

 

[DemiserofD]

I disagree. Without random events like this, things will rapidly hit a stalemate, just like before.

Take solace in the fact this sort of thing will hit all powers relatively equally over time. It's your turn this time, but next time, you'll be the ones able to take advantage of your opponent's sudden weakness.

 

[Tifu]

I disagree. Without random events like this, things will rapidly hit a stalemate, just like before.

Take solace in the fact this sort of thing will hit all powers relatively equally over time. It's your turn this time, but next time, you'll be the ones able to take advantage of your opponent's sudden weakness.

I think it's only fair that all the other Powers get hit by something as cataclysmic as Cocijo's Sol invasion. And we all know that the Thargoid emergency isn't really over - just paused for the holidays

 

[DemiserofD]

Absolutely. I think it's inevitable that thargoid invasions will eventually happen, though likely on a smaller scale. They seem to understand how to attack us now, too.

I wouldn't be surprised to see some sort of recurring thargoid attacks going on, like you are guaranteed to lose one system and then it expands every week similar to the invasion but smaller scale.

And the thing would be, other powers could stop attacking to help fight the thargoids - OR they could amp UP their attacks, to take advantage of the moment of weakness.

 

[MrAustenM]

Take solace in the fact this sort of thing will hit all powers relatively equally over time. It's your turn this time, but next time, you'll be the ones able to take advantage of your opponent's sudden weakness.

To your point, if this exact same situation happened at for example the Alliance or Imperial capitals, I don't think there's even anyone within range to even contest those systems. So there wouldn't be much chance for getting even for the Feds.

 

[St0rmFury]

The Mahons send their regards.

 

[Nowski]

One way the story could go from here:

• players work hard and put Sol into "contested" state
• Archer notes the attempt to seize the prize, dials up his sabre-rattling talk and escalates hostilities
• retaliation and re-retaliation follow
• Powerplay's cold war turns hot, twelve-sided open warfare ensues (or four-sided if superpower loyalty prevails)
• humanity enters a self-destructive phase, billions die, colonists flee the bubble in horror
• much cackling over a well-executed plan is heard at Goid Central

 

[Kayvan]

While I have no horse in this race and certainly no love lost for Archer, I agree that the situation is very unfortunate. I don't even see the reason why all those PP points should be lost. And exploiting this effect is a pretty underhanded move by the opposing powers (AD if I got that right).

As an Alliance supporter, I would prefer to see FD restore the pre-invasion PP scores, not only for the Core but also the other Titans' regions.

 

[Ian Doncaster]

Please for the sake of the integrity of powerplay do not have these types of things happen.

This basically comes down to "the bubble should be off-limits to Thargoid activity"

but also the other Titans' regions

The other Titans were set to avoid anything of any sort of importance and landed in areas which no-one wanted in PP1 ... and were long gone by the time anyone might have started claiming it in PP2, so weren't really relevant. Indra poked briefly at some fringe Powerplay systems (LYR, I think?) but never seriously enough to matter and the effects of that are long over now.

I suppose the question is also:
- does it matter that the Thargoid Titans occupied systems controlled by PMFs, sometimes for years? The BGS game is unofficial and only loosely supported by Frontier but players still take it seriously.
- is the current Christmas Treasure Hunt an anti-Patreus plot?

And exploiting this effect is a pretty underhanded move by the opposing powers (AD if I got that right).

There are five Powers in range of some or all of the systems around Sol; AD is certainly looking the most successful of them right now.
(If you wanted to do something about that, all of AD's attacks are being coordinated from the Baker system and require it to have Stronghold status to be in range)

 

[serakfalcon]

There are five Powers in range of some or all of the systems around Sol; AD is certainly looking the most successful of them right now.

To put credit where it's due, Grom is looking to take two systems and LYR is on track to take Sirius. AD may have put in a lot of work but it's anyone's game right now. Even Granny Torval has her own claim in progress.

Arguably, AD is getting the most attention because if we win we will be much more difficult to dislodge.

 

[Tifu]

To your point, if this exact same situation happened at for example the Alliance or Imperial capitals, I don't think there's even anyone within range to even contest those systems. So there wouldn't be much chance for getting even for the Feds.

Actually that's not quite true. I can't speak of the Imperials but there are real tensions within the Alliance. If this was PP 1.0 then I would agree with your statement. Now, who knows?

 

[Quint87]

I am going to pour my heart out here because this is an issue I am passionate about as of late. Can we please not have to go through a situation in powerplay like we just had in Sol and the surrounding systems at the end of the thargoid war.

At the time of writing this the players for one specific team (Archer) are feeling the fallout from the loss of control of some of our most heavily fortified systems due to a pre scripted and unavoidable event (that being the titan Cocijo moving to Sol and thargoids taking the surrounding systems). Opportunistic powers have already started attempting to seize control of the lost systems and while we might be able to fight them back eventually it really puts our team on the back foot at no fault of our own but because of some pre scripted event.

When playing a gamemode like powerplay where it is team vs. team it really ruins the fun and the integrity of the competition when one team ends up getting singled out by the developers (and that may not have been their intention but that is sure what it feels like as I see no thargoids in Achenar or Alioth forcing them to lose important core systems.)

Please for the sake of the integrity of powerplay do not have these types of things happen. It should not happen in sol. It should not happen in Achenar and it should not happen in Alioth (not in a way that affects powerplay)

I play powerplay and I could only imagine picking up the pieces after.. sorry for your loss..

Fdev if you can make this right in anyway.. do it..

 

[Rubbernuke]

Actually that's not quite true. I can't speak of the Imperials but there are real tensions within the Alliance. If this was PP 1.0 then I would agree with your statement. Now, who knows?

Is it still heated out of interest? The only tension most people think of in the Alliance is Mahons trouser elastic...

 

[Kira Goto]

I disagree. Without random events like this, things will rapidly hit a stalemate, just like before.

And, as Ian also said, it would basically just make the Bubble completely off-limits to any Thargoid events, or certainly interesting ones while there are fringe systems which remain unoccupied.

If Frontier don’t want to simply outright restore Powerplay control to the Sol sphere (and it doesn’t appear like they are), then the best way I see things going is the Archer players have a hidden boost to take Sol back thanks to being there prior.

… and, with strong risk of setting off some flames here, I think we’re slowly beginning to move past the point in time where the different features in Elite just happily sat side by side and barely would interfere (or interact?) with each other in a notable way. There will naturally be some opposition to this but it might also result in something that feels more alive than everyone playing in their own sandbox with BGS, Powerplay, Thargoids… etc.

 

[Jmanis]

… and, with strong risk of setting off some flames here, I think we’re slowly beginning to move past the point in time where the different features in Elite just happily sat side by side and barely would interfere (or interact?) with each other in a notable way.

100% this.

I'm reminded of the time when some BGS groups would have genuinely got their nose out of joint if one of their supported factions got invaded by Thargoids. I think there's a valid debate to be had about the design decisions underpinning PP's implementation in conflict with FD's ability to progress the story in meaningful ways... but tbh, in a game like this, FD's ability to shape the world as-needs should never be hostage to their own design because players happen to play it.

Again... think there's fair debate to be had about that as a design decision in general, but FD should have full creative remit over their own galaxy and story.

 

[Gl9k]

I disagree. Without random events like this, things will rapidly hit a stalemate, just like before.

Take solace in the fact this sort of thing will hit all powers relatively equally over time. It's your turn this time, but next time, you'll be the ones able to take advantage of your opponent's sudden weakness.

The problem is that the random event was not random but pre planned and was against a faction who did not have time to build up their core after being put in this compromised position by all the 5C prevalent in the original flawed 1.0 system. How do we even know that Fdev intends to continue having the goods disruption work the same way and be even handed against all the powers?

It's like a new team sport were introduced and then the referee comes and starts scoring against one of the teams.

 

[Gl9k]

100% this.

I'm reminded of the time when some BGS groups would have genuinely got their nose out of joint if one of their supported factions got invaded by Thargoids. I think there's a valid debate to be had about the design decisions underpinning PP's implementation in conflict with FD's ability to progress the story in meaningful ways... but tbh, in a game like this, FD's ability to shape the world as-needs should never be hostage to their own design because players happen to play it.

Again... think there's fair debate to be had about that as a design decision in general, but FD should have full creative remit over their own galaxy and story.

The difference is that BGS factions are restored as they were once the goids are gone. Much less devastating (I should know. My squadrons faction and the Brazilian league of pilots were both in the path of Taranis) and after the titan showed up there were steps we could take in order to avert a thargoid incursion into our systems.

Believe me that if this happened to any other power in a way that compromised them to their rivals they would be the ones making posts like this. Instead the titan came exclusively to Archer space, screwed him over, and then died so that the thargoid war as we know it is over and only the federation loses.

 

[Tifu]

Is it still heated out of interest? The only tension most people think of in the Alliance is Mahons trouser elastic...

Quite heated. Reorte isn't the only system that Mahon lost or is losing. That whole area has become quite fluid.

Correction: it was Orrere, not Reorte that was the first system in that area that Mahon lost