I think it is pointless to discuss the reasoning behind the groups (I myself find it 'okay' that you can switch between single, group and multiplayer) and that every mode impacts the background sim and powerplay (this however, is complete nonesense in my opinion, it destroys every kind of strategical play and mass control).
Then I think you mistook what the game's multiplayer was about. Which, judging by interviews, dev diaries, and other sources, is to allow players to play together when they want, with who they want to play. Players were never meant to be able to prevent others from engaging in part of the content, for example by completely and successfully blockading a system or station.
In short: this is not like EVE, and was never meant to be.
An open PvE mode would further destroy the "dangerous" behind the "Elite:" tag. The galaxy is, by far, not dangerous.
IMHO, the galaxy is less dangerous than it should have been in large part because the devs have been misguided. They insisted in having far harsher consequences for defeat than in any previous Elite game, which in turn forced them to make this game far easier than any of the previous ones.
Kinda like the law of conservation of energy, but applied to how much frustration the game imposes on the player. The more frustrating an event is, the rarer it must be. When the devs made death in this game far more frustrating than in previous games, they had to make it far rarer, which in turn forces the game to be far easier.
That said, I think we all can agree that solo is the beginner mode, co-op/group the beginner mode for friends (and a good way to teach a friend the game) and open being the normal mode. Playing a multiplayer game how it should be.
Did you try to read this thread before posting? Even a little?
First, many people in this thread, perhaps even most, refuse the opinion that Solo or Group are beginner mode. Second, Group mode is as much a proper multiplayer mode as Open. Third, many people that purchased the game didn't get it for the multiplayer, at all; it both advertised an offline mode during most of its pre-order period and is, even now, sold as a single-player game too.
So, no. We definitely
can't agree that Solo is beginner mode. Like someone else would be prone to say, cobblers.
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Even when they play in Open? Are they still in the minority then? So what mode is the majority of the player base in then please, as you have the official figures to make that statement?
If ED follows the common pattern in this kind of game (by which I mean, games that can be played both solo and in group), then it's very likely that Solo is the mode with the majority of the player base. Given that there is no other PvE option readily available and officially advertised, I wouldn't be surprised if more than 80% of players were in Solo.