Or it's more likely, that in trying to appeal to everyone, they made it less appealing to the actual target audience for it and the feature suffered (hence the need for 2.0 since 1.0 failed due to the fact it was designed for open and then that decision was backpedaled). Also it's actually not a system where players can choose to engage others in pvp, as you acknowledge right after. If a powerplay group sees undermining is actively occuring, or competition for acquisition of a new system is happening, they in fact, cannot choose to engage those others in pvp, and that's always been a huge turn off for those who actually otherwise like the mode, and would like it to improve.
The Open v Solo v Groups thread
- Thread starter Ozric
- Start date
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Which needs a definition of "actual target audience" in the context of a game where in-the-same-instance PvP is entirely optional whereas affecting game features does not depend on whether one plays among other players.
Also, is there a link to where it was stated that Powerplay 1.0 was "designed for open and then that decision was backpedaled"?
As mentioned in the quoted post "(where those other players have also chosen to make themself available for PvP)" and "what it is not is a feature where any player is forced to make themself available to be shot at - and never has been". Powerplay offers consensual PvP, i.e. both sides of the desired engagement need to choose to play in Open - and players can't force PvP on players who choose not to play among them.
If powerplay can be played in solo and pg than it in fact does not offer consenual pvp at all.
It does not offer it. The baseline function of the game is what offers the player to do open, solo, or pg. Powerplay does not change that decision, and has no mechanics to even create an incentive for open. Powerplay as a feature offers nothing of the sort.
Yes it does, thousands of players choose to do it PvE.
It's a choice you don't like, but in essence it's "I want to play Elite Dangerous this way, you want it that way, oh well". As stated from the day one by FD when they were (and still are) selling us their product.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
It absolutely does offer consensual PvP, i.e. both players / sides need to choose to be available for it.
If one player / side could force the other player / side to present themself to be shot at then that would not be consensual - as the targeted player / side had no choice in the matter.
The problem, for some players, is that the game does not allow them to force others to engage in PvP against their will.
.... which is perhaps hardly surprising in a game where all players affect mode shared game features and playing among other players is optional.
Once again, powerplay does not offer this. The base game does. If powerplay were to offer this it would have to be something exclusive to the powerplay feature.
Spare me the moralizing.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Then it's a case of "agree to disagree" - as pledged players can very obviously engage in PvP with other players pledged to opposing Powers in Open when they encounter them.
They sure can, but it's not a feature enabled by powerplay. Remove powerplay from the game, and nothing about your argument changes. Hence, powerplay does not offer that.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
It offers it as much as the rest of the game does - which is why the argument does not change, as it does not need to, i.e. Powerplay is a mode shared game feature, like the rest of them, where players may choose to play in Open and may encounter other players who may oppose them.
Which means powerplay as a feature does not offer consenual pvp.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
The whole game offers consensual PvP, i.e. players can choose to play in Open and players in Open can choose to shoot at anything they instance with - it's an inherent feature of both multi-player game modes.
If a player does not want any player to be able to shoot at them they can play in Solo (or a Private Group with carefully vetted membership). If a particular player becomes sufficiently annoying then they can be blocked.
I'm aware. And?
What was the target audience? Thousands of folks do PP, only a small fraction do PvP.
O7
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
If PvP can be imposed when one side does not want to engage in it then it's non-consensual.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Therefore the argument that Powerplay does not offer consensual PvP doesn't stand up.