Powerplay Why are Solo and Private Groups allowed to influence Powerplay?

[Martin Schou]

Here's a parallel question - why are solo and private players allowed to affect the outcome of CGs? CGs are subject to far more danger than PowerPlay, and they often have a very large effect on the game. Obsidian Orbital for one, the Wyrd tantalum request is another obvious one.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Here's a parallel question - why are solo and private players allowed to affect the outcome of CGs? CGs are subject to far more danger than PowerPlay, and they often have a very large effect on the game. Obsidian Orbital for one, the Wyrd tantalum request is another obvious one.

For the same reason: all players experience and affect the single shared galaxy state, regardless of game mode or platform.

It's the same with Faction influence, trade, exploration, etc.

 

[Tataboj]

And you can influence ANYTHING else. PP was added later to the game, and it is based solely on interaction between players. The thing you posted was also probably made before PP. It is fine that you get merits for what you do, but if you play in solo, then you clearly don't want to be bothered with multiplayer aspect of the game.

 

[Robert Maynard]

And you can influence ANYTHING else. PP was added later to the game, and it is based solely on interaction between players. The thing you posted was also probably made before PP. It is fine that you get merits for what you do, but if you play in solo, then you clearly don't want to be bothered with multiplayer aspect of the game.

Not necessarily - we can all choose which game mode to play in whenever we want to - and some players do seem to play in more than one game mode.

 

[Tataboj]

Here's a parallel question - why are solo and private players allowed to affect the outcome of CGs? CGs are subject to far more danger than PowerPlay, and they often have a very large effect on the game. Obsidian Orbital for one, the Wyrd tantalum request is another obvious one.

Yeah, has any single CG failed? I don't recall a single one. It's almost impossible when there are all the solo players that can't be stopped, and recent both Empire and Federation ship building would make for great battles.

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Not necessarily - we can all choose which game mode to play in whenever we want to - and some players do seem to play in more than one game mode.

And when you play in solo, then you clearly don't want to be bothered with multiplayer aspect of the game. If you want to, you go to open.

 

[Robert Maynard]

And when you play in solo, then you clearly don't want to be bothered with multiplayer aspect of the game. If you want to, you go to open.

Not wanting to be bothered by other players does not equate to not wanting to affect the galaxy. If Frontier had required everyone to play in Open to affect the galaxy then they would have advertised and designed the game that way - they didn't do that however....

 

[Tataboj]

And you can influence ANYTHING else. PP was added later to the game, and it is based on interaction between players. The thing you posted was also probably made before PP.

 

[Robert Maynard]

And you can influence ANYTHING else. PP was added later to the game, and it is based on interaction between players. The thing you posted was also probably made before PP.

Powerplay was indeed added later in the game - and as DBOBE himself said in the AMA, it's for all players in all modes.

While some players assume that Powerplay should be able to be prosecuted as a PvP exercise, it simply wasn't implemented that way.

Why should we engage in Powerplay if our work in 'open play' is nullified by players in "Solo"????

For fun

That said, it could be worth thinking about reducing the impact that solo & group players have on the political simulation.

Unlike community goals, Powerplay is a swinging balance - ie solo players are also balancing solo players.

 

[Tataboj]

To be clear, I don't think it should be a PvP exercise. But if there was implemented some kind of an influence penalization for being in solo, many exploits would have been solved. Players in solo of course have it also easier than those in open.

 

[Mephane]

Sure saying that it is something that is and always has been is an explanation, but it hardly addresses the key failings this implementation leads to.

This is a dead horse but you have to accept that what you regard "key failings" is for other people a "key strength" of the design and implementation.

 

[Cosmos]

It seems like with power play you should have several goals. Obviously a person will gravitate to their preferred role, whether it be miner, transporter, bounty hunter, etc.

Power play is all about the interaction between both the player and the environment, PvE, and players versus other players, PvP. Obviously PvP is instanced and cannot be fully enforced but given enough time and a focused destination PvP interactions will happen and have an effect on things.

So to allow Private groups or Solo players to affect the outcome of Powerplays without directly involving themselves in PvP interactions seems really counter intuitive. You are basically letting someone vote on a war they will have seen no part of.

Furthermore it diminishes those players who wish to engage in power plays by involving themselves in PvP. By allowing other users to effect the outcome of a PP while subverting all instances of PvP means that players who are attempting to effect a PP through PvP are made useless. Ultimately it causes any instance of PvP to become pointless, something done only for preference but not for effect.

What is the reasoning here?

The bottom line here is that Frontier are heavily against PvP and so have given players a plethora of ways to opt out. It comes down to an ideology of David Braben and how he views games and what he considers is enjoyable and what is not. In theory this sounds great because it gives people a choice but in practice its problematic and there has been an ongoing row about the different modes for several years.

The reality is that we affect the game state, and are rewarded, by interacting with it rather than other players. Open play offers no benefit to the player and imo is largely, and dissapointingly, a novelty. Indeed, solo and private group are more beneficial to play in if we want to achieve in game goals that reward us; path of least resistance and all..

It has been said be the lead designer that all modes are equal but that is untrue given the point I just made. Sandro has also suggested there might be a slight bonus for PP to encourage folks to play in Open although at the moment its just talk and we shall have to wait and see if anything comes of it.

 

[Lestenio]

Everyone pays the same price for the game and none of the expansions are marketed as 'open only'. I'd be somewhat annoyed if I bought a season pass and found it only covered some content.

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The bottom line here is that Frontier are heavily against PvP and so have given players a plethora of ways to opt out.

Really? They seem pro PvP to me. Everything is heading towards adding PvP weapons and contnet with little love for solo

 

[Cosmos]

Really? They seem pro PvP to me. Everything is heading towards adding PvP weapons and contnet with little love for solo

I'm not sure I understand your view. All the content they've added is available and useful for playing the game in solo. How has solo not recieved any love?

 

[Soopyyy]

Undermining is kind of silly given the ability to perform but not defend against it. The whole thing just seems really pointless after a while. Especially given we can't actually defeat any power.

 

[Robert Maynard]

I'm not sure I understand your view. All the content they've added is available and useful for playing the game in solo. How has solo not recieved any love?

As one example we have Wings but we still don't have NPC Wingmen (which were discussed in the DDF quite some time ago) - and these would, of course, be of benefit to all players in all modes....

 

[Cosmos]

Undermining is kind of silly given the ability to perform but not defend against it. The whole thing just seems really pointless after a while. Especially given we can't actually defeat any power.

Yeah it does feel a wee bit pointless I agree. Like an endless game of risk that no one ever wins.

As one example we have Wings but we still don't have NPC Wingmen (which were discussed in the DDF quite some time ago) - and these would, of course, be of benefit to all players in all modes....

Wings is primarily there for people to play with their mates. ED is still very much a singleplayer experience, one which we can play with our friends. Players fighting one another has zero impact upon the game and as such is just for folks amusement.

 

[Lestenio]

I'm not sure I understand your view. All the content they've added is available and useful for playing the game in solo. How has solo not recieved any love?

Wings, multi crew are a couple of examples
You are saying that the devs hate PvP, yet engineers to me at least is more toys for PvP. I guess it comes down to perspective and expectations.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Wings is primarily there for people to play with their mates. ED is still very much a singleplayer experience, one which we can play with our friends.

While the game lacks NPC Wingmen, of course - there is no way to Wing up in Solo. However, NPCs form Wings in all game modes - and players in Solo do not have the option to mitigate risk by forming a Wing of their own (as players in Open and Private Groups do).

 

[babelfisch]

Powerplay is PvEvP with the option of direct PvP. Forced PvP is not part of the core game design, it never was and never will be.

 

[Robert Maynard]

Powerplay is PvEvP with the option of direct PvP. Forced PvP is not part of the core game design, it never was and never will be.

Indeed - the three game modes and mode mobility make this fairly self evident.