The Open v Solo v Groups thread

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
Dear Lord, here we go with this victim complex nonsense again. what we want, is the dynamism and challenge, that working directly against other teams of players (powers) working on opposing objectives brings out.
.... and to force those who don't want to play that way to have to play that way to continue to affect what is currently, and always has been, content that players can affect from any game mode.

At its core, the removal of choice, in terms of each player's choice of game mode from which to affect mode shared game features, is what some PvP proponents seek to remove from players who choose not to play the way they want them to.

Perhaps unsurprisingly some of those who currently engage in those game features, with little or no interest in PvP, in a game where in the same instance PvP is an optional extra, don't see that as an acceptable change to their game.

If Frontier were to seriously consider such a proposal it would likely be better, for the player-base as a whole, for Frontier to create a duplicate galaxy for those players who want every player to have to play their way to affect the galaxy. The new galaxy would be a straight copy of the existing mode shared galaxy (initially at least, as they would diverge), available from a new mode choice on the launcher, i.e. Open-Only, and only affected by those playing in the new Open-Only mode. There'd need to be limitations on what could be transferred between galaxies though, to avoid trivial exploitation.
 
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and only affected by those playing in the new Open-Only mode
My guess would be that mode would be so empty they would soon be back here moaning.
Not to mention as soon as you have a set PvP mode the screaming for balance then comes in, one thing we know from gaming history is that PvP balance destroys PVE.

O7
 
Agreed but to have two separate rule sets for weapons/ships would take a separate development team like ESO had to employ, that's dosh away from main development.

O7
Just leave weapons & ships exactly as they are, no need to change things at all. All a new mode would do is give like-minded players their own little sandbox to enjoy playing in, without disturbing the neighbours.
 
Just leave weapons & ships exactly as they are, no need to change things at all. All a new mode would do is give like-minded players their own little sandbox to enjoy playing in, without disturbing the neighbours.
I like your optimism but you know that wont happen, real PvPers want a level playing field, there is a huge imbalance with CG modules, rank gated ships (hello Vette) and engineering, i can here the salt now.

O7
 
I like your optimism but you know that wont happen, real PvPers want a level playing field, there is a huge imbalance with CG modules, rank gated ships (hello Vette) and engineering, i can here the salt now.

O7
Tough (insert expletive of choice)...
All they should get is a playground where they can mingle in exactly the same manner as others who play the game, no special ships, modules, weapons, only what is available to everyone who is playing the game.
No 'special' perks, or advantage over the remainder of the playerbase, their actions have the same result as everybody else's, after all, if they are 'special' enough to have their own litter tray, they are already ahead of the game as they will only meet players who want to play with them!

ETA: I agree that the PvP community deserve their own mode to play in, with no block lists, naturally, and having exaclty the same effect on the game world as PvP does currently (after all, the exclusive playground is content enough), as this would guarantee that every other player they meet will actually want to play with them, it would be perfect, wouldn't it?
 
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If Frontier were to seriously consider such a proposal it would likely be better, for the player-base as a whole, for Frontier to create a duplicate galaxy for those players who want every player to have to play their way to affect the galaxy. The new galaxy would be a straight copy of the existing mode shared galaxy (initially at least, as they would diverge), available from a new mode choice on the launcher, i.e. Open-Only, and only affected by those playing in the new Open-Only mode. There'd need to be limitations on what could be transferred between galaxies though, to avoid trivial exploitation.

Those who want open only don't want this, because they know in their heart of hearts that it would be emptier than the current open mode.

They need those who don't want open only to play with them. Those who don't want open only don't need them.
 

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
Those who want open only don't want this, because they know in their heart of hearts that it would be emptier than the current open mode.
Some of those seeking Open only might be content with it - and the desires of those who want the whole player-base to play their way (or stop affecting existing mode shared game features) can be disregarded, just as they disregard the desires of those who would be affected by their desire to PvP-gate existing game content.
They need those who don't want open only to play with them. Those who don't want open only don't need them.
No-one can be forced to play with them, even if affecting one or more game features was restricted to Open.
 
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Powerplay is boring because it doesn't produce the tactical pvp scenarios it should do... This isn't just down to modes though, it's more to do with the size of the gameplay area and lack of enemy activity alert systems.

The game should do more to help defending players find opponents who are actively undermining within their territory. Imagine if a nation state had no way of detecting foreign incursions.. its not plausible, and results in stale gameplay once you've been doing the merit grind a few weeks.
I'm not interested in PvP and certainly wasn't looking for it while hauling prep in an unarmed, unshielded T6 for a month waaay back in PP1.
The unintuitive part had to do with the CC... stuff that I still don't understand.

PP2 underming is more interesting and feels more relevant, but again I wouldn't be looking for PvP doing it as again I'm looking to slip through unnoticed.
Whether defending PP players can identify which systems and facilities appear vulnerable and are likely to attract underminers is another question.
A chess board doesn't tell you your opponent's next move you have to anticipate it.

(All of the above was done in Open for the record)
 
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They don't want a fair game that's fun for all to play; they want unwilling targets.
That's all it has ever been about, not being happy with willing PvP encounters, as they lose those.
They need forced targets that don't shoot back.

These have always been gross over generalizations, so broad that apply to almost no one, barely useful even as a strawman.

Whatever it is, people should care less about what other players do or don't do and just play their game.

It's one thing to not dwell on what one cannot change, but quite another to ignore the actions of others In a shared, multi-player only, game. How people and/or their characters are allowed, not allowed, and/or required to interact, define significant aspects of this game. Those parameters cannot be ignored when talking about anyone's subjective ideals for a game like this.

If this were a single-player game, then sure, nothing anyone else did would matter, but it's not, and never has been.

At its core, the removal of choice, in terms of each player's choice of game mode from which to affect mode shared game features, is what some PvP proponents seek to remove from players who choose not to play the way they want them to.

Constraints define a game. Anyone desiring any change is going to want to modify, remove, or impose constraints.

Perhaps unsurprisingly some of those who currently engage in those game features, with little or no interest in PvP, in a game where in the same instance PvP is an optional extra, don't see that as an acceptable change to their game.

Not perhaps. Obviously and inevitably.

one thing we know from gaming history is that PvP balance destroys PVE.

No we don't.

real PvPers

"Real PvPers" is a no true Scottsman fallacy and an over generalization at the same time.

All a new mode would do is give like-minded players their own little sandbox to enjoy playing in, without disturbing the neighbours.

It wouldn't do this, unless it was a separate game, not just a separate mode.

I agree that the PvP community deserve their own mode to play in, with no block lists, naturally, and having exaclty the same effect on the game world as PvP does currently (after all, the exclusive playground is content enough), as this would guarantee that every other player they meet will actually want to play with them, it would be perfect, woiuldn't it?

If by 'perfect' you mean bad and broken. Probably not better for most purposes than the extant Open mode, even for the most rabid Open Only advocates. Indeed, suggestions like this sound like little more more than thinly veiled anti-PvP spite that would solve almost no one's complaints while presenting a false option. Not saying that I think this was your motive, but were I to design a suggestion that I think would do nothing other than jerk around Open only advocates, it would be this.

One can choose this hypothetical mode, which offers nothing other than the absence of block, while subjecting everyone involved to the same shared BGS and PP systems along with the same perverse incentives that make Open less viable. Those with a vested interest in engaging with such mechanisms would still be forced to choose between two bad options...one that gives them even less, opportunity for the direct PvP fix they want, and ones that that provide better sets of rules for abstractly metagaming the galaxy. Many of those that badly want to experience direct PvP feel compelled to leverage other modes to stay competitive.

Those who want open only don't want this, because they know in their heart of hearts that it would be emptier than the current open mode.

They need those who don't want open only to play with them. Those who don't want open only don't need them.

I don't think this is at all reflective of the group you're referring to. I strongly suspect the majority of the Open only advocates that have commented in this thread have views much more closely aligned with mine, than with the bizzare notions you have.

Personally, I would happy play an Open-only version of this game, but only if it didn't share anything with any other mode. Otherwise, it only does what you think some people want, which is useful to almost no one.

I'd have no use for those who didn't want to share a single mode with my CMDR and I wouldn't want them contributing to the galaxy via other modes, because that separate is itself an imbalance in favor of those in those other modes. That's the overriding issue Open-only PP advocates, and others, have. It's not a lack of targets, it's a way to bypass the constraints they want to play by, that's problematic.

The infinitesimally small fraction of gankers that somehow can't find seals to club is a common strawman and scapegoat for the 'open only' or 'PvP' inclined individuals in this thread, but that's all it is. The people you're actually talking about aren't here and might not even exist as a meaningful group.
 
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Dear Lord, here we go with this victim complex nonsense again. what we want, is the dynamism and challenge, that working directly against other teams of players (powers) working on opposing objectives brings out.
The royal "we" again. Ok let's think about this how many people are in the PG's of Mobius ? Notice the plural so there are many so we can take those numbers of people are not interested in PvP at all so we aren't talking the odd person here.
Also not many new people frequent the forums as well Fdev have really tried their best to go away from this so they don't engage as much with the players. So in the end we have two sides both not moving on their stance trying to change the others ( which we both know won't happen)
 
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I don't think this is at all reflective of the group you're refering to. I strongly suspect the majority of the Open only advocates that have commented in this thread have views much more closely aligned with mine, than with the bizzare notions you have.

I'm pretty sure underneath it all they know it would be emptier than current open.

And if people want open only, they are going to have to expect in a separate universe situation they are not going to get the experience they want, unless everyone agrees to stick to a few core systems or something.

You'd be effectively playing Solo on an open only server 99% of the time unless you flew to the hotspots, where the gankers would be desperately waiting.

That's what you want?
 
It wouldn't do this, unless it was a separate game, not just a separate mode.
Yes, it would, just as the PG & Solo modes permit others to play as they wish.

Although creating a separate and cut-down version of the game devoted to PvP activity, and making the main game a PvE centric one is a great idea, thanks!
If by 'perfect' you mean bad and broken. Probably not better for most purposes than the extant Open mode, even for the most rabid Open Only advocates. Indeed, suggestions like this sound like little more more than thinly veiled anti-PvP spite that would solve almost no one's complaints while presenting a false option. Not saying that I think this was your motive, but were I to design a suggestion that I think would do nothing other than jerk around Open only advocates, it would be this.
By perfect I mean exactly what I indicated.
Naturally, I'd expect criticism by those who disagree, which is fine.
it's a way to bypass the constraints they want to play by, that's problematic.
That is problematic - if a group of players wish to place constraints on a game that was designed from its very inception to permit all of its designed activities to be enjoyed, or not, by each player, by choice, the constraint requests already invalidate the game design and should be immediately rejected.
Again, such a blanket response will be criticised by some, regardless of its actual validity.
 
You'd be effectively playing Solo on an open only server 99% of the time unless you flew to the hotspots, where the gankers would be desperately waiting.

That's what you want?

That's exactly what they want. They patrol Jameson's and Deciat, and all this argumenting here for deeper-this-more-dynamic-that is basically "I want moar victims yaarrr!"
 
That's exactly what they want. They patrol Jameson's and Deciat, and all this argumenting here for deeper-this-more-dynamic-that is basically "I want moar victims yaarrr!"

Well, i was replying to Morbad who doesn't seem to want to specifically get ganked or gank people, I understand he wants more player on player interaction, but i suspect open only wouldn't provide that (if a separate sever... and maybe not even if FD got rid of PG/solo).
 
I'm pretty sure underneath it all they know it would be emptier than current open.

I'm sure they do.

This would be a problem for some, but generally a lesser problem than the alternatives. The overriding issue for most Open-only types is the perceived interference of those who can 'hide' in or escape to other modes. Forcing the entirety of the current population into Open, were the underlying mechanism of the game able to support this, might be seen as the ideal solution, but the next best solution wouldn't be a self-imposed exile to a PvP subset of the same game where the interference of those in other modes is still there...it would be a separate game where there are no other modes.

And if people want open only, they are going to have to expect in a separate universe situation they are not going to get the experience they want, unless everyone agrees to stick to a few core systems or something.

You'd be effectively playing Solo on an open only server 99% of the time unless you flew to the hotspots, where the gankers would be desperately waiting.

That's what you want?

The nature of BGS and PP conflicts tends to create choke points where relatively few CMDR could have the experience they're looking for, if the only way to oppose one's foes was to meet they where they are (and the only way to avoid them was to not be around when they were). Most of us rarely encounter other CMDRs outside of hotspots as it is and many of those encounters are functionally the same window dressing that NPCs are, partially due to the chilling effect of knowing that most of those encounters can be opted out of at any time, making many engagements even more of a waste of time.

Yes, it would, just as the PG & Solo modes permit others to play as they wish.

PG and Solo don't enable those using them to ignore influence on the game's setting from other modes.

Open-only advocates aren't looking for another way they can directly fight like-minded CMDRs, they have two modes that do that already. They are looking to exclude the influence of those they cannot directly oppose, and any incentives/temptations that would cause themselves to avoid Open in favor of the abstract bucket filling the game currently sets up as the more optimal path.

By perfect I mean exactly what I indicated.
Naturally, I'd expect criticism by those who disagree, which is fine.

Your proposal was completely redundant and will appeal to almost no one that spends half a second considering what it would and would not change.

if a group of players wish to place constraints on a game that was designed from its very inception to permit all of its designed activities to be enjoyed, or not, by each player, by choice, the constraint requests already invalidate the game design and should be immediately rejected.

A subset of players don't enjoy the designed activies anywhere near as much as they could because of overly loose constraints that result in the most abstract and PvP avoidant option being mechanically the best option.

And all suggestions are immediately rejected. I don't believe there is any changing of Frontier's road maps to account for player desires, popular or otherwise. The only motive Frontier has is profit and to maximize profits they are going to consult accountants and statistical trends, not any degree of player praise or complaint. The only meaningful opinions, from a business perspective, are reflected in sales.
 
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