Do you Powerplay?

[Perseus]

. . when I'm in another Power's system I'll get interdicted simply for being "Hostile"... It's just annoying TBH, so I might actually just leave my Power to stop this happening.

I agree that PP has a lot of issues and should be considered a work in progress but being interdicted because you're hostile to a power is an essential gameplay mechanic, especially in their territory.
I've been in Sol destroying Federal Logistics since thursday and I've seen 4 CMDRs. Not one of them was with Hudson. The NPC interdictions can be shaken, eluded or confronted as seen fit.
I agree with laurant. Operating in enemy space isn't dangerous or challenging enough and being hostile just isn't generating enough danger at the moment.

 

[Thoemse]

I did join and reach tier 4. Found out what a joke prismatic shields are and stopped.
I need a reason to do it other then seeing systems switch hands. If i was able to own a station and produce stuff like in eve i had a reason to fight for sovereignity.
Right now i don't see a benefit.

 

[NeilF]

I'd love to see a simple chart showing the total number of merits handed in each week, broken down by which type of tasks they were for.

Obviously a chart showing the number of players handing in (any) merits too would be interesting.

- - - Updated - - -

I did join and reach tier 4. Found out what a joke prismatic shields are and stopped.
I need a reason to do it other then seeing systems switch hands. If i was able to own a station and produce stuff like in eve i had a reason to fight for sovereignity.
Right now i don't see a benefit.

The thing is, I can't see how players could own a station. I can sort of imagine a player controlled Faction/Power running the ones in their systems in some fashion, but that's about it. It would come down to:-
- What aspects of a station should be controllable.
- If these controls improve the CR the station is make, what greater good does this do? ie: If you the Power/Faction can increase a stations turnover/profit, what can these additional money be used towards?
- How is all of this controlled? ie: There's 10,000 players in a Faction/Power... How/who controls what?


Personally I can't see granular control working. I'd imagine, it would (should?) come down more to auxiliary stuff being "aided" by players. ie: Improving system security. Help fend of opposing military action. Breaking up blockades. etc... This could controlled by the game simply automatically creating these tasks/goals as/when required.

 

[CaptainKremmen]

I agree that PP has a lot of issues and should be considered a work in progress but being interdicted because you're hostile to a power is an essential gameplay mechanic, especially in their territory.
I've been in Sol destroying Federal Logistics since thursday and I've seen 4 CMDRs. Not one of them was with Hudson. The NPC interdictions can be shaken, eluded or confronted as seen fit.
I agree with laurant. Operating in enemy space isn't dangerous or challenging enough and being hostile just isn't generating enough danger at the moment.

I reckon "enemy" status should be earned by Commanders' actions... power by power. If I've done something that specifically kicks a Power in the nads, they should switch from "don't care" to "kill that guy".

I also reckon that aggrieved Power should back up their "kill that guy" position by posting a big bounty on my head. Yes, that requires a degree of integration between Powers and BGS in terms of jurisdiction of said bounty. Good, I say.


So, to begin with, a newly pledged pilot hasn't annoyed any of the rival Powers. They can run gopher missions, leaflet/corruption trucking missions all day, and nobody cares... just another FedEx lackey.

But then the pilot in question goes off on a combat/privateer adventure in the name of their pledged Power. And everything changes. Each target Power will, if they get wind of these antics, put a price on the pilot's head. Then they are an ENEMY. Then they are in HOSTILE territory when flying through the rival Power region(s).


And bingo. Sensible, realistic mechanics, using existing Elite structure.

 

[Commander Debic]

I know this poll is not definitive for the whole player base but I think it sends a message to FD. PP isn't what was aimed at originally for ED so why not get back on the original version and stop trying to change it to something Elite never was.

 

[NeilF]

I agree that PP has a lot of issues and should be considered a work in progress but being interdicted because you're hostile to a power is an essential gameplay mechanic, especially in their territory.
I've been in Sol destroying Federal Logistics since thursday and I've seen 4 CMDRs. Not one of them was with Hudson. The NPC interdictions can be shaken, eluded or confronted as seen fit.
I agree with laurant. Operating in enemy space isn't dangerous or challenging enough and being hostile just isn't generating enough danger at the moment.

Fair point... But in my case I'm not even interested in taking part in PP anymore - it's ill-conceived from the ground up IMHO, so I'm voting with my feet and not taking part - so the repeated interdictions are an annoyance for me. Hence me considering throwing away my next couple of weeks free salaries (as my merits decay) and just leaving now.

- - - Updated - - -

I know this poll is not definitive for the whole player base but I think it sends a message to FD. PP isn't what was aimed at originally for ED so why not get back on the original version and stop trying to change it to something Elite never was.

The frustrating thing is, some of the broader strokes of Powerplay are good IMHO:-
- Factionalising players. It's good to create groups of "hostile" players if they wish to play this way.
- Having the markets/politics of systems change (ebb & flow). It's lovely now stations politics and market prices/content change in interesting ways. eg: Black markets getting more profitable.

But all of that could have still been introduced in a far more simple fashion with less work... ie: There's no need for the player controlled board game back bone. And the current tasks are almost embarrassing IMHO. The effort should have gone into creating more intelligent deeper tasks. Not simply (lazilly?) re-using what we've had in the game since last year.

 

[Perseus]

snip

I couldn't agree more!
There should be a lot more sensible, meaningful dimensions to PP. Earning hostility would be craved by some and avoided by others.

 

[Kramster]

The frustrating thing is, some of the broader strokes of Powerplay are good IMHO:-
- Factionalising players. It's good to create groups of "hostile" players if they wish to play this way.
- Having the markets/politics of systems change (ebb & flow). It's lovely now stations politics and market prices/content change in interesting ways. eg: Black markets getting more profitable.

But all of that could have still been introduced in a far more simple fashion with less work... ie: There's no need for the player controlled board game back bone. And the current tasks are almost embarrassing IMHO. The effort should have gone into creating more intelligent deeper tasks. Not simply (lazilly?) re-using what we've had in the game since last year.

Agree, pre 'reveal' and given that they also said the mission system was receiving some love, I was expecting something along the lines of...

Fleshing out the existing major factions and requiring that naval rankings and ship ownership were reliant on siding with one of them with the option to remain independent at the loss of access to the faction ships.

Most new ships being faction based to encourage participation

The inability to hold a rank in more than one navy/faction

Faction based missions fleshed out and integrated into the community goals system. Expansion CG's that set up battles for systems between the existing factions and systems changing faction as a result, CG's were leaning this way nad I was hopeful it would begin to be given some consequence.

Special rates on fuel, ammunition, weapons and modules at faction shipyards and trade bonuses on certain goods.
Military grade 'special' modules and weapons along the lines of what PP offers but actually worth something.

All this could have been done without the need for a pointless additional 'political' layer, the games faction side of things needed work but adding more superficial layers and ignoring what was already there just broadsided me. I just never saw it coming and it took the wind out of my ED sails to the point I not only don't play PP but now have lost much of the hope I had for the ED I thought we would be getting.

 

[NeilF]

Agree, pre 'reveal' and given that they also said the mission system was receiving some love, I was expecting something along the lines of...

Fleshing out the existing major factions and requiring that naval rankings and ship ownership were reliant on siding with one of them with the option to remain independent at the loss of access to the faction ships.

Most new ships being faction based to encourage participation

The inability to hold a rank in more than one navy/faction

Faction based missions fleshed out and integrated into the community goals system. Expansion CG's that set up battles for systems between the existing factions and systems changing faction as a result, CG's were leaning this way nad I was hopeful it would begin to be given some consequence.

Special rates on fuel, ammunition, weapons and modules at faction shipyards and trade bonuses on certain goods.
Military grade 'special' modules and weapons along the lines of what PP offers but actually worth something.

All this could have been done without the need for a pointless additional 'political' layer, the games faction side of things needed work but adding more superficial layers and ignoring what was already there just broadsided me. I just never saw it coming and it took the wind out of my ED sails to the point I not only don't play PP but now have lost much of the hope I had for the ED I thought we would be getting.

Agreed! Why it didn't fall (more) into the existing local Factions I don't understand. ie: Neighbouring systems (to a system controlled by a Power) get a new Faction affiliated to the Power, and they offer tasks/missions to improve that Power's standing in the system. Once they get strong enough, they take control of it etc.

So you can simply help support/take over systems for a Power as long as you're signed up to them, and you do the appropriate tasks/missions for them...

The idea of the whole background player controlled board game giving players supposed control of the Powers is just bizarre IMHO and I just do not see how they can ever get it to work in any constructive way. The Powers should automatically decide their goals/objectives, and players should simply be able to help achieve them.

I suspect the mechanic is here to stay and FD will bend over backwards trying to keep it, and get it working. I suspect we'll more and more rewards/controls put in place to try and get players to use it constructively. But most players don't really care if systems of little/no concern to them moves from one Power to another, hence FD are fighting a losing battle IMHO.

 

[TheDude1972]

For me personally PP is useless, I make so few hours that rank 1 is even hard to sustain. I'm guessing seeing this poll that a lot of other players don't like the degradation of your work. Maybe someday FD will get it to a point that it's actually fun to do, but I hope they don't keep forcing it because this kind of behavior is what drives your customers away. And since they condemned themselves to online only they need income to keep this game alive.

I truly hope this big coming announcement is actually something really good or they'll just see their player base shrinking.

This is just my personal opinion (and experience). Nothing more, nothing less

 

[Thoris]

I have reached the second rank in PP (the one for 100 merits). However the silly "can collect and deliver low amount of x every 30 minutes" has pretty much killed my interest in ranking up, and paying to speed it up is a big no no to me.

I won't go on a rampage and kill enemies to earn merits. I am a law abiding commander, and "hostile" NPCs are (usually) not criminals and thus no legal targets. As long as this is not changed, this way of earning merits is closed to me.

I will most likely remain pledged (I like the idea of standing for a certain ethos), but given the above problems I won't take part much in PP anymore.

 

[LeetNoob]

Technically I do, so I voted yes. However i have not done one power play related activity and not earned one merit as yet.
I pledged solely for the prismatic shield, so on my forth week i will grind 750 merits, buy the shield, then unpledge in the most dishonorable of circumstances.
I’m ashamed.

Edit: Wow, just looked at the results. 82% don't play? I knew a lot didn't but I didn't expect 5 to 1.

 

[Heater]

No, As I seen no point in it, in it's current state. I cannot find a reason to join any of the powers.

 

[Sir SaiCo]

Im sorry, but no, i do not powerplay.

I am a married man with a young family and free time is a very precious commodity. I only get to play for about 5 hours a week. So with the massive grind to keep merits up, powerplay is just not worth the time or effort that is involved.

There are too many other things that are more enjoyable to do with my time in game.

 

[jadefriendly]

the numbers are pretty damning - though as pointed out, Frontier do not view this as a representation of the player base - just the (very vocal) forum
it's also hard to invest so much time and energy then admit you're on the wrong path. easier to throw good money after bad, as it were.

 

[noodle]

It holds little interest for me in its current form. I don't even understand how different figures within the same government can control different territories. Am I missing something?

 

[ozrix84]

It holds little interest for me in its current form. I don't even understand how different figures within the same government can control different territories. Am I missing something?

It's similar to USA, except the states wage war with each other for some reason

 

[noodle]

It's similar to USA, except the states wage war with each other for some reason

But then you'd have numerous states within the Federation, surely? Hang on... no, it just doesn't make any sense, does it?

 

[ozrix84]

But then you'd have numerous states within the Federation, surely? Hang on... no, it just doesn't make any sense, does it?

That's the way I understand it, might be wrong tho.

What a guy.

 

[Sandmann]

But then you'd have numerous states within the Federation, surely? Hang on... no, it just doesn't make any sense, does it?

You're laboring under the misapprehension that powerplay was intended to make sense.