Therein lies the fundamental issue - this game has always offered direct PvP as an "optional extra" and Frontier themselves set the "difficulty" of the game - that there are players who exceed the capabilities of NPCs is undoubted, similarly with their choice of ship, loadout and Engineering, however Frontier almost certainly won't recalibrate game difficulty based on apex predators....
.... remembering the "un-fun" experienced by a significant proportion of the player-base with the bugged NPCs at the 2.1 release.
In a previous discussion topic, when the subject of the relative difficulty of the modes cropped up, Sandro had this to say:
I'll break it down from my experience:
* * *
Solo / PG:
Fortifying-
Task: move item
x to either your capital or move
x to your control systems a set amount.
Opposition is minimal and down to a few random pirate interdictions. Unless you fly in an unshielded cardboard box there is no risk at all of NPC based destruction. You do this over and over until you reach 100% fortified and then move onto the next system. Here, the only opponent is time constraints and the undermining bar going up. People complain of grind?
Solo forting is self imposed grind.
Undermining-
Task: fly to a rival control system and kill as many PP NPCs as you can.
Opposition are non mil spec ships in SC or at Navs. With an appropriate PvE ship you can mow down as many as you like as engineered ships have shields a mile thick and have destructive weapons far beyond NPCs you face.
Prep-
Task: take item
y to system
z to move z up a list. Here you are in competition with other powers and other commanders who might want other systems nominated. Unless you fly in an unshielded cardboard box again there is no risk at all of NPC based destruction. You do this over and over until Thursday morning and see if you 'won'. 5C players can use Solo with impunity to cause misery to powers (mitigated by consolidation but not 100% effective).
Open:
Fortifying-
Task: move item
x to either your capital or move
x to your control systems a set amount.
Opposition is active and dangerous, and you also have a few random pirate interdictions. You have to have decent ships and skills to evade hunters after you- running shieldless for more space can cost you everything. So do you run fast, or do you use thick shields?
Here players can use Engineered effects and PP weapons on you too....Solo / PG players never see nearly 50% of weapons or effects used on them. So, do you convoy in wings? Is that hollow square after me?
When you have 700 cargo to protect, things get very, very tense.
Undermining-
Task: fly to a rival control system and kill as many PP NPCs as you can.
Opposition with other players out to stop you, it becomes a game of cat and mouse where you risk destruction from wings of engineered ships not unlike yours. Wings get bonuses for undermining which makes them more efficient though. So, do you risk holding onto your 10k merits for that snipe (that could tip the balance?) or do you cash in regularly? Do I fly into a control systems capital and blockade (or inbound fortifiers)?
Patrol-
Open only:
Task: stop undermining activity, stop hostile BGS manipulation and respond to attacks on your ships. Using tools like Discord and Reddit scramble to meet emerging threats.
Prep-
Task: take item
y to system
z to move z up a list. Here you are in competition with other powers and other commanders who might want other systems nominated. In Open you can see who is doing this, and if you are legitimately prepping you can be intercepted and destroyed to tip the balance.
Chat-
Task: finding misguided players in space (who do not read Reddit, Discord or FD forums) and finding out why they are prepping system x, or fortifying system y. Several times I've flown out and found errant commanders and brought them on board.
* * *
Now, based on that very brief description what looks and plays better? What fits the 'paramilitary attack' concept better? Who is taking more risks and facing more danger?
There is a huge disparity in what a player has to face in Solo / PG compared to Open. People can shoot at you, and with weapons and effects
you never see in Solo. In Solo you chase a status bar in 30 minute chunks. I can sum up Open Powerplay players (and Open players in general) like this:
“All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies, and whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, prince with the swift warning. Be cunning and full of tricks and your people shall never be destroyed.”
― Richard Adams, Watership Down
But instead I'll quote myself- this is the reality of Powerplay:
London Blitz:
"Hello? Is that Hugh Trenchard?"
"Its three in the morning, Winston. What do you want?"
"Well Hugh, I need to find out who is bombing London. Do you know?"
"What do you mean Winston? I can clearly see bombers over the city from my window."
"But who is sending them, Hugh? We really need to know."
Battle of Britain:
"Winston, we are under attack! Huge waves of bombers are over us! Our country is being blown apart!"
"What do you mean? Its a sunny day Attlee. I can't see any bombers in the sky at all."
"But, can't you see them sir? Look at the smoking ruins around us!"
"Clement, have you been on the gin again? Under attack from invisible ghost planes?"
