General Bounty Hunting/PVP having meaning?

[Venan]

I started this game relatively recently and I've been loving the experience except when I'm exploring options for pvp I run into a bit of a wall. I like the concept of bounty hunting where the news shows the top 5 bounties nearby of players and this even applies to power play too, so that's really cool. Whenever I explore the option, it seems like most PVP though is condensed to verys pecific systems and indulging in bounty hunting caps the reward at 2mil if you succeed in killing a player. The other means of obtaining credits are more lucrative and I get this is probably in place to prevent trading or some kind've exploit like I've seen in other games but I can't help but feel like there's missing potential here. I like how powerplay is turning out and introducing organic, somewhat meaningful pvp into the game but overall it seems like PVP is just a case of "if you want I guess" and has no value. This makes the crime and punishment aspect of it also a bit mundane in the long run outside of applying to trespassing or general PVE functionality.

I've explored options in the game and I think ultimately I'm trying to find an area where PVP is more organic than premade or setup via requesting it through a discord or something. With solo play being constant and only incentivizing players ot be safe and play by themselves... There's actually very little reason to actually use the "MMO" aspect of the game in any way? Engineering let's you build a ship that'll help you deal with 99% of the problems you'll face in combat and solo play + instancing isolates players even further. Maybe this is just a futile post but I'm wondering if bounty hunting at the very least can receive some TLC or improvements can be made to encourage player interaction than to deter it? I really love the concept of the whole galaxy being your oyster to explore and do with as you please whether you make a positive or negative reputation for yourself by the decisions you make but it really seems like a lot of my decisions don't have a lot of meaning because ultimately I don't really see players, or have reason to play with them or against them... or do anything with them? My influence in power play to promote saving on costs of ships for my power is viable to promote pvp but if pvp doesn't do anything at the end of the day, why am I influencing the system for a function that no one cares to engage in? For the sake of a benefit in the act of engaging in powerplay pvp?

I feel like I'm caught in a loop, not a gameplay loop, but rather stuck trying to find where the game can lead organic pvp that has value and meaning to engage in actively. A reason to be accumulating credits, to need to do activities as a result of taking risks. I feel coddled in a way.

 

[aRJay]

There are issues for organic interactions of any sort with other players.

The first is that there are way more places players can be than there are players so meeting anyone is rare.

The second is where players are and how good their internet connection to the game is can mean several players can be in the same location and not be in the same instance as each other.


To the best of my knowledge you are right about the bounty cap being an anti farming device.

 

[Venan]

I think if there's enough goals in line within each other that players meeting naturally in the same system could be feasible. X item sells for the best at X location so you see people trading/mining it there. Some form of incentive to make illegal activities like piracy rewarding enough to warrant the warrant(lol). Maybe even some active notifications on dangerous players nearby that have a bounty and their presence raises in lightyears the higher their bounty/notoriety? That way players instinctively see an area that's becoming populated. Could even make the claim of a bounty transfer to another player so it encourages some competition to claim a high bounty.

I can't argue the nistancing problem as internet connections are always gonna vary and if their solution is specific instancing to help that... I only know chasing wakes helps you connect to someone but that's about it from what I can tell?

 

[madmongoose]

My influence in power play to promote saving on costs of ships for my power is viable to promote pvp but if pvp doesn't do anything at the end of the day, why am I influencing the system for a function that no one cares to engage in? For the sake of a benefit in the act of engaging in powerplay pvp?

There's currently some fundamental balancing issues with Powerplay that make pvp flare ups relatively rare. Among them, acquiring new systems and reinforcing them is more rewarding per hour than attacking enemies, and both activities are time consuming. Especially with colonization it will take years to gobble up the new systems. On top of that, because the attacking side fights at a disadvantage a battle will typically need to kick off with a bomb, and most bombs have now been disabled. A coordinated attack like the battle for Sol will take thousands of player hours that 1) is a huge investment in coordination time to get players to show up and 2) drags the two sides of the conflict down compared to the powers that don't participate and 3) heavily favours certain powers that still have active universal bonuses, unlike financial and social powers that are most affected by pods, rares and the stupid square root decrease in trade profit per ton

 

[gorankar]

PvP is very optional. Even in open. It really is, as you said, a "there if you want it" sort of thing.
The P2P networking and the huge play area makes it very difficult for coop play and even more problematic for PvP.

 

[Venan]

I'm hoping vanguards and future updates help alleviate this because what's the point of multiplayer if there's no one to play with?