Rise to Power - who should the Explorer Community support?

Cula-Ta · Apr 16, 2016

As a community we can significantly influence who become the first Player Created Power. Details here https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=243226

We're still to find out which groups will be in contention, but once published it would be useful if the Explorer Community came to a consensual agreement over who it would be best to back in order to further our own goals.

As soon as the 5 contenders have been confirmed I will post here in order to forward the discussion.

Ian Doncaster · Apr 16, 2016

Wouldn't we need to agree on what our goals are first, before we can determine whether any of the potential new powers might be able to help with them?

Jackie Silver · Apr 16, 2016

Black Birds are hostile and obnoxious IME (a "we name this system unto ourselves" brigade), so not them. Any group whose response to ships arriving nearby is to interdict and shoot are no friends to explorers.

Perhaps we should be forming a group ourselves in readiness for the next occasion, but it always feels like we (as explorers) just aren't the sort of bunch to diligently toil away in a single system for months on end in the hope of forcing our influence on the neighbours.

marx · Apr 16, 2016

To be honest, doing exploration and doing PowerPlay are almost mutually exclusive, so I don't think it would matter much. Maybe that will change if favour is introduced, but I don't really see many, if any, explorers doing regular fortification or undermining.

Greytest · Apr 16, 2016

depends on the bribes really...

Chrystoph · Apr 16, 2016

I found that my willingness is curtailed by the lack of multiple "account" capability. I am unwilling to buy the game twice, and, without multiple save, my participation is confined to exploration right now.

I expect that is the case for many.

Cula-Ta · Apr 16, 2016

Ian Doncaster said:
Wouldn't we need to agree on what our goals are first, before we can determine whether any of the potential new powers might be able to help with them?

I'm not sure that's relevant.

Jackie Silver said:
Black Birds are hostile and obnoxious IME (a "we name this system unto ourselves" brigade), so not them. Any group whose response to ships arriving nearby is to interdict and shoot are no friends to explorers.

I agree, there are some we definitely wouldn't welcome which is all the more reason to back those that may offer us some benefit...

Perhaps we should be forming a group ourselves in readiness for the next occasion, but it always feels like we (as explorers) just aren't the sort of bunch to diligently toil away in a single system for months on end in the hope of forcing our influence on the neighbours.

They are being formed I believe. The Candy Crew is one from Distant Worlds that are looking at playing the background sim whilst also setting exploration goals.

marx said:
To be honest, doing exploration and doing PowerPlay are almost mutually exclusive, so I don't think it would matter much. Maybe that will change if favour is introduced, but I don't really see many, if any, explorers doing regular fortification or undermining.

I agree, but we might just want the backing of a large group in the future...

Greytest said:
depends on the bribes really...

This is more like it! If we have ambition to build stations far from civilized space then we'll likely need a hand, would be nice to be able to call in a favour from a large group...

There are groups with philosophies that might appeal, for instance those who police Eravate ADEL'S ARMADA, those that target pirates (and those even more despicable) GHOST LEGION, those that are use to moving large amounts of freight over long distances HUTTON TRUCKERS...

I'm sure there are plenty more.

C-T

newman1702 · Apr 16, 2016

I explore to get away from that sort of stuff, so I don't much care which. I guess I'll echo Jackie's sentiment to a degree and just say, go with the least douchey group

Mengy · Apr 16, 2016

marx said:
To be honest, doing exploration and doing PowerPlay are almost mutually exclusive, so I don't think it would matter much. Maybe that will change if favour is introduced, but I don't really see many, if any, explorers doing regular fortification or undermining.

Exactly. Power Play didn't really add anything for explorers. In fact I purposefully don't participate in it solely because of the increased interdictions when pledged to any power, that's the LAST thing I want when returning to the bubble with millions in exploration data.

If there was a neutral faction in Power Play, one you could pledge to that didn't make all of the other factions want to kill you on sight, a faction dedicated to peace and exploration, then sure, I'd join it happily. Even better if it granted any bonuses or perks for us too. OR, if we didn't lose all of our hard earned data on death, like we keep materials on death, then sure I'd gladly take part. But as it is in the game now taking part in PP just ain't worth the risks for explorers, at all. Power Play is geared completely towards the pew pew crowd, like most of the game is.

Goose4291 · Apr 16, 2016

Until we know what perks, upgrades or influence bonuses they'll offer its a moot point as to who should support whom.

Alex Brentnall · Apr 16, 2016

Support the Fuel Rats...

I joke, in honesty I don't think they'd be in the running and I don't think they would want to be.

As above, least douchey or remain aloof and uninterested and simply show all powerplay factions the exhaust trail as we disappear into the black.

AJW · Apr 16, 2016

I think that it could well be a mistake for explorers as a group to align with a specific faction as this could well result in other factions becoming more hostile, negating any possible benefits. If individuals want to work for a specific group, fine - but don't claim to be doing it on the behalf of anyone else.

askavir · Apr 16, 2016

As explorer, I only support Sirius and Canonn Interstellar

Sirius is already a power (indirectly), and Canonn aren't going to participate.

As a multi-role player, I'll have to check the options first. But I will only support groups which either add to the game lore, or contribute positively to the ED community.

Cdr Voorheez · Apr 16, 2016

I reflect what has been said regarding the 'I explore to get away from body-politik' sentiment. I couldn't care less to be honest and will always firmly remain in the independent, no master, fly my own routine highest bidder ethic.

Basically I am out for myself and support factions like Canonn and Children of Raxxla (which are quasi political agree).

Chrystoph · Apr 16, 2016

The thing that I find frustrating in the BGS/PP aspect of the game is that factions like Institute for Galactic Exploration and Research (IGER) are forced into the same model as anyone else, whereas IGER's expansion would be more along the lines of opening branch or regional offices, more like a university or research corporation.

Of course, the systems they are most likely to establish new branches in are the ones that are not currently inhabited.

EUS · Apr 16, 2016

As an explorer, none.
From a philosophical standpoint, our findings, and data, and our way of life is not to be politicized.

Ziljan · Apr 16, 2016

We should enter as the Explorers of DW. There are some thousand of us. More than any other group in the game. And we also have broad support outside our immediate group. If we register our own faction and time our data dumping just right, we could claim a few systems of our own.

gooddoc · Apr 16, 2016

No, not interested in this PP rubbish!!

My data gets spread across which ever systems I want to increase my rep to Allied.

iain666 · Apr 16, 2016

Cdr Voorheez said:
I reflect what has been said regarding the 'I explore to get away from body-politik' sentiment. I couldn't care less to be honest and will always firmly remain in the independent, no master, fly my own routine highest bidder ethic.

Wot he said.

Power play factions are that thing that has some in game menus I never look at...

Mengy · Apr 17, 2016

The really sad thing is that I'd kind of like to take part in some of this Power Play stuff. Unfortunately the risks and downsides for explorers just aren't worth it, the positives just aren't enough. We are really the only group punished so harshly for death in combat with regards to time, effort, and credits lost upon destruction.

Like most everyone else I'm looking forward to the Thargoids popping up some day, but then let's be honest, which one of us will be looking to get into firefights while 20,000 lys out in space and carrying a couple dozen million credits worth of data? I mean we are practically going to have to choose what we want to do when we go into deep space: either explore and avoid combat, or kill bugs and forego exploring. Because doing both is a recipe for disaster and heartache.

And that's really what also makes Power Play so unreasonable for so many of us. Sometimes I really wonder if we'd just be better off from a fun factor point of view if we didn't lose exploration data upon death, or if we at least had some mechanic to safeguard against it. It would really free us up to play in many more ways.