Thank you all for your comments. That you can avoid 90% of the downsides in Solo is indeed a fact - but I have to admit I really don't like that mode. Oddly enough, I tend to use it out in the black where there won't be any other CMDRs around to instance with anyway so I set solo mode to avoid the minimal lag of my game trying to. Returning to the game after my hiatus, I'm still part of a medium-sized PG, which does allow PvP it just doesn't allow a-holes. We achieve this by requiring two folks already in the group who know you IRL to vouch for you before you're allowed to join. If you're going to get crap about it down the pub next Friday, including the required "penance rounds," that's a more powerful disincentive to grief than anything FD could implement! That PG is where I spend the bulk of my game-time, and it DOES include CMDRs pledged to most of the powers. I've flown with a lot of them and I respect them - and I have to admit that putting a target on my back for a subset of those guys is a significant factor, because I know darn well that at least half of them are better PvPers than I'll ever be. "Git Gud" is indeed a thing, but "Gud" for an old fart who doesn't have the reaction time he used to tends to not be enough - apart from the rare-but-satisfying times when one can demonstrate that age and sneakiness can trump youth and enthusiasm.
Powerplay - change my mind.
- Thread starter DaveB
- Start date
You do realise that you can undermine just about anywhere?
See what happened in the Plieades...
I better check that system out.
In his case though, he seems to have a strong aversion to flying somebody else's flag rather than his own. Unless there's a very strong reason for him to get involved in PP, I think he shouldn't.
I couldn't find a reason to stay pledged after a week...
But then, I only bothered with a handful of PP1 modules over the years, and got rid of most of them as they didn't enhance my game.
I prefer to remain that independent pilot, free to play my own game, without being bothered which power controls my latest target.
Others in the squadron enjoy PP 2, so it really is down to the individual, deciding how much they wish the game politics to dictate their play.
I've always had a vague idea that I'd like to try out the packhound missiles. I don't feel that I need any of the other modules.
They are the only goody that I have more than 3 of - 5 of them on a Beluga is amazingly destructive, both to GPU & Beluga, but hilarious nonetheless!
My persona is also an Independent and I enjoy the most to play where my own story takes me. Someone else's rules and directions impede this. But sometimes you need to bend these rules/directions of someone else to get what you might want - so find a way to do it and roll with it until you're done.
After I came up with a few loadout ideas that looked like very fun - I considered to get the modules I need for them. The most fun were ideas with Pack Hounds and Concord Cannons, somewhat fun a couple with Prismatics. So IC the reason was simple - Get what I need to upgrade my ship for a specific use, OOC - give a solid
I did 50 Ranks, and for the whole time I was playing in Open. There was absolute Zero danger of any kind. Not even once I was interdicted or attacked by any NPC or a Player. Granted, LYR is not the most populated region (as I found out by playing there) and by the nature of having a ship build to do PP (fast, combat, no SRV, some cargo and limpets) I didn't have to visit any of the populated systems - there wasn't a high chance of getting in trouble in the first place.
Apart from the first week, Task list is optional (and it really is), but it is there and nagging in the background "Hey, do me and you'll progress more efficiently" - a constant downside of a system like that.
The whole thing, from a RP pov, doesn't make much sense as "just paint the system with a colour of your chosen Power" doesn't do it for me, and the rest of it is way too disconnected from the rest of the system is the game. The best way to view it IC, as I found, was to look at it as Mafia Turf Wars without thinking too much that these are the leaders of main factions and what comes out of it. Well, even doing a Mission Board mission for a Minor Faction has a better connection to the Game World. So that was how I went about the grind.
You see, when PP task list is generated - it takes into account the system you were in on a reset day. And I was in a mood to help peeps with some restoration. So I searched for acquisition systems in LYR that were in states that needed assistance in bringing settlements online, or are going in any of these states. This way, you get merits for completing restoration missions and extra merits for selling data to a Contact. Plus, every week I had tasks in systems I wanted, and to do what I liked doing to break the pace of Reactivation missions or combine with them - Bounty hunting, Holo-screens, Mega-Ships, Selling data, Uploading Malware.
With that - I took part in reinforcing, in acquiring new systems, in undermining - all of the aspects and main target goals of PP, and saw how my actions helped to paint the galaxy (or were a complete waste).
From a PP exclusive activities I do like Holo-screens hacking, getting/selling Power Data and uploading Malware. Kinda miss those. The rest - best enjoyed without Power Play, imo.
I did 50 Ranks, got Packs and Concords, didn't want Prismatics that much anyway, all in all my opinion about Power Play as a system:
List of chores is a very close flashback to the regular MMO troupes. Never liked it, don't need a curation in my play. But it is good that it's there for Players who might like it. Right now PP 2.0 progression systems looks like someone wanted to create a Battle Pass but couldn't and to extend it they used a Paragon system. So the end result is a Battle Pass without a Battle Pass with a Paragon System extension for a Battle Pass. BP is already a very boring system, the whole implementation makes it even more boring and also something that doesn't feel like Elite design.
I'm having way too much fun with Concords, more than I thought I would.
Contract with a corporation is done, my character moved on.
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Exactly this - those games where you have to "get on and do the dailies" in order to truly progress always turned me off. I game for relief from my day job, not to add to it - and the RL job actually pays me for it.
I'm going to give LYR a try for a week or two, for much the same RP reasons as yours. The 5 initial tasks look like I can crack them out in a single play session without problems. I'm just back from the black with a bunch of data, and the carrier admin system I ended up parked in was his. He thinks data is tasty so we'll see where it goes.
I confess, I had visions of doing a "missile boat" loadout for my corvette with those, just to give the "You just aggro'd an Aegis cruiser" effect
As near as I understand, you've pretty much need to map a Earthlike, Terraforming Candidate, or Water World for it to actually "count," thanks to merits being generated per body, rather than per system, and there's a certain value threshold you need to cross. Simply turning in millions of credits worth of exploration data doesn't suffice.
Personally, I've skipped this weekly assignment unless I've actually been out exploring the previous week. In fact, I've skipped most weekly assignments unless they have good synnergy with my overall strategy.
Kind of the whole point of powerplay is you're expected to no longer be independent. You're saying "I'm pledging my support and loyalty to this power" and at that point you're no longer an indie.
I've seen plenty of people mention a threshold on per-system or indeed per-body exploration data for it to count for merits, but I can't seem to find any definitive values for such a threshold. (Apparently there isn't even clarity about whether it's per-system or per-body.)
This seems pretty wild, but then again this is how FD roll
Oh, before hitting the "post reply" button, I found this post: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threa...elp-record-complete-data.629868/post-10518867
which (based on plenty of data gathering by the poster and others) appears to indicate that it's a per-body threshold at something in the region of 680k credits.
The other point is to be active. To be social with other players and really be involved in the success of your pledged power. That's why it was created, because the rest of the game was/is casual and almost all without any sort of player agency.
It's weird for someone who already knows the way they want to play is conflicting with a particular (totally optional) game mechanic to then be surprised that that game mechanic isn't behaving the way they want it to.
but that would just about summarize ED's entire history. So maybe it's more weird to think that ED players would play in the lanes provided that they prefer and to just ignore what they dont without trying to force all those things to be what their particular way of playing demands.
Splitting the servers (and with that - certain balances) between "casual" players and "hardcore" players would solve a lot of these issues. But fdev giving up on their 1 shared galaxy for every single different type of player is about as likely as atmospheric planets and ship interiors getting released next month.
If that's directed at me, for asking an honest question and actually (if you'd read the thread) deciding - as a result of the feedback I'd got - to give PP2 a try even though PP1 left me completrely cold, then it's going to do one thing.
At this point I'd love to know which power you're aligned with. So I can undermine it in solo mode.
obviously at you, but posts like yours are hardly unique here. if you qualify your 'honest question' with something directly opposed to the intention and spirit of the game mechanic in question, how honest do you expect anyone to consider it? it's as honest as asking people to convince you to play in open in all the popular choke hold systems while saying that you have no desire to play potential pvp.
but feel free to undermine in solo. not sure how that is any different from how almost all undermining has been done in pp since it was released. it doesn't matter. how and what you do in the game only really effects your own enjoyment. Which is why it's weird to go against that and try and force yourself to play something that isn't going to be fun for you. play the parts that align with how you like to play and give up on trying to convince anyone (even yourself) that the parts that don't can be changed (they won't).
@DaveB
I too am an independent pilot. I do mainly Smuggling, piracy (npcs), wetwork etc. All the while maintaining a unique anarchy system that's almost unflippable. It only has 1 large orbital, no ground assets.
I'm helped thankfully by a few cmdrs who've taken up residency. But essentially I'm alone.
I prefer it that way like yourself.
But unlike you I embrace the empire. I want their presence felt. It just ticks a box for me.
So I'm making it so, cos we're out on the periphery I'm having to leap frog their influence towards us.
So I cracked on with it. Currently 106 and rising.
The local area that i know really well has it's own little Tiger economy. Which I maintain with alot of bgs activity.
Having a Power (ald) locally means l perhaps falsely think they have my back. Well we'll just have to wait n see.
Meantime I'm crafting out our little empire to my exact specifications.
Powerplay 2.0 is a welcome addition.
Let's hope it gets better.
Meanwhile Fdev! I've got about 6000 rares sitting on my carrier, can you pull your finger out and make it so!
o7 happy
new year cmdrs
I too am an independent pilot. I do mainly Smuggling, piracy (npcs), wetwork etc. All the while maintaining a unique anarchy system that's almost unflippable. It only has 1 large orbital, no ground assets.
I'm helped thankfully by a few cmdrs who've taken up residency. But essentially I'm alone.
I prefer it that way like yourself.
But unlike you I embrace the empire. I want their presence felt. It just ticks a box for me.
So I'm making it so, cos we're out on the periphery I'm having to leap frog their influence towards us.
So I cracked on with it. Currently 106 and rising.
The local area that i know really well has it's own little Tiger economy. Which I maintain with alot of bgs activity.
Having a Power (ald) locally means l perhaps falsely think they have my back. Well we'll just have to wait n see.
Meantime I'm crafting out our little empire to my exact specifications.
Powerplay 2.0 is a welcome addition.
Let's hope it gets better.
Meanwhile Fdev! I've got about 6000 rares sitting on my carrier, can you pull your finger out and make it so!
o7 happy
new year cmdrsThanks, that explains it.
A hint in the game text would be nice. I'm sure there isn't one; after my first failure I read it really carefully.