I think this rather strange role and portrayal of pvp within the game has been created by this unusual mode system to begin with. That's also why we have this division into minmaxed pve/pvp ship builds. And divisions among the playerbase. But doing otherwise would have required much more hands on approach in balancing game features on the other hand.
Do "purple-haired heroes" scare everyone into Solo?
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Frontier chose to create a game where PvP is optional - unsurprising given that all previous games in the series have been single player.
The PvP / PvE division in the player-base will exist in any game where PvP is optional - and if PvP is not optional then players who don't enjoy PvP would likely avoid the game entirely.
Very true. Especially the last part. Force people into PvP and you reduce your playerbase. Massively. And people who don't play also don't buy expansions, new skins and ship kits.
Outfitting for PvP costs plenty of credits (not that much of an issue nowadays), but most of all it costs time and space. It takes a significant time better spent in whatever you prefer over PvP. More importantly, it sacrifices module and utility slots, ie. cargo space and such, making whatever you're wanting to do that much less efficient and more time-consuming, so it's a double time sink.
Seriously, if you want to survive anything but the trivial lone ganker, you'll need engineered armor, several hull reinforcement modules, 1 or 2 module reinforcements, the biggest shield you can fit, and at least one shield booster. This means that you'll need at least a Python to have anything left for what you set out to do with your ship.
Now, how would these "PvP heroes" feel if the non-combatants had a similar power over their freedom to outfit their ships and play in whichever way they please?
If PVP'ers went after each other there would be balance, it gets unbalanced when they go after noobs, explorers and poop-haulers.
Its like with PVE combat you pick your level of challenge/balance.
Some interesting observations and conclusions here:
forums.frontier.co.uk
Some interesting PvP / C&P observations
This weekend was my first serious "study" of PvP at a CG on PC, and it's been months since I've PvPed on PS4. I observed a few things, performed a few experiments, and came to a few conclusions that may be right or wrong. I'm sharing these for discussion. First thing I noticed is that when...
Well, I think there are two root causes to this:
1) Due to instancing, time zones and what not, finding other PvPers is much harder than finding a random soft target.
2) A lot of "PvPers" have no interest in a challenge, they get a kick of beating weaker opponents and/or the salt they inflict. Very sad, yes, but such is the internet!
Point one is made worse by the fact that the game doesn't do much (witness the "popularity" of PP) to encourage, facilitate or reward actual consensual PvP play. Which in my opinion is one of the biggest problems with the game mechanics.
You have this division because the 'gankers' want to play with the non-PvPers for entertainment. They need them. No one needs the 'gankers'. They add nothing of value to the game of the people they're bothering. People playing as pirates are in a similar position. I'm sure a few would prefer to run into a player pirate than not run into a player pirate, but this discussion indicates most would like to avoid them. I'm sure some security researchers would like to run into a website that's trying to put a virus on their computer. Most try to avoid it.
Add value to bothering with them. The current state proves few are willing to do it for entertainment.
Yep that's the bottom line and it highlights the futility of the whole open only anything argument.
It has to be fun or people will opt out, if you get your kicks from spoiling the game for as many other players as possible then they don't have fun. You'll end up having to demand people are forced to play with you because nobody will ever do it willingly.
So instead of blocking people with purple hair, I should start blocking people with zig-zag stutter contrails!
I am a bit miffed that I get ZERO Arx for successfully evading a PvP gank (or NPC attack for that matter), but I am rewarded six Arx for dying... The Arx reward system is seriously unbalanced and screwy IMO. Tthe irony is that the biggest reward for Arx is quickly killing as many weak player ships as possible! Ten per pop!! This seems proof that Frontier fully endorses griefing and ganking.
Then why not come prepared instead of switching to solo?
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I have to agree with many here in regards to the annoyance factor of running a blockade. For all the complaints the FSS gets, I actually hate the interdiction "minigame" a hundredfold more than any other ED minigame, at least when on the receiving end half-a-dozen times between star and station. No amount of preparedness can make that fun IMO.
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Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Why play their way?
Why weren't you prepared to catch me when I was flying in Open?
I play in Private Group 100% of the time nonatter what activity I am doing in the game.
I have to deal with people all day at work and I really dislike dealing with random people and their annoying agendas. I used to be a people person but people ruined it for me.
So when I get off work my time is spent exclusively with people I know.
Maybe I’m weird, but I have zero interest in whatever some random string of text in a (any online) game wants to do and consider everything which isn’t a friend I know to be simple A.I. with varying degrees of sophistication.
I have to deal with people all day at work and I really dislike dealing with random people and their annoying agendas. I used to be a people person but people ruined it for me.
So when I get off work my time is spent exclusively with people I know.
Maybe I’m weird, but I have zero interest in whatever some random string of text in a (any online) game wants to do and consider everything which isn’t a friend I know to be simple A.I. with varying degrees of sophistication.
B- b- b-b-but... Muh eLiTiZuM!!!!11!!!!11
I have no problem with that, especially with the networking issues ED suffers. This thread is aimed more at folks starting in Open and then all disappearing to Solo once a few gankers appear in the system. Personally I'd like to see more Open-only CGs (which is not the same as making all CGs Open-only), since in some regards Open is the neglected game mode when everyone can opt-out of it for everything. After all, Open in 99% of the galaxy is solo, so it would be nice if 1% of the Bubble was truly Open and only Open.
ps - I spent many months in Mobius and almost a year in Solo, so I'm not an Open-only for EVERYTHING fanatic.
I agree, this can get tedious, if you don't have the intention to fight. But "dancing" in SC can be fun, trying to avoid interdiction.