Oh - yes-yes =)
Double the profit -
two friend joining opposing forces and killing each other in strongholds (PG) - rain of merits
Or even simpler case - a commander with an alt.account
Farming Npc’s at stronghold carrier’s
- Thread starter Arkman07
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- ascendancy elite powerplay
Double the profit -
two friend joining opposing forces and killing each other in strongholds (PG) - rain of merits
Or even simpler case - a commander with an alt.account
I don’t think it would be as bad as you’re making it sound. It’s still just one kill, then the dead commander would spawn back at their home station and have to fly all the way back for another kill. Sounds grindy and you could probably make more merits some other way.
The current NPCs at Strongholds are being exploited much more easily for many more merits.
I have a strong suspicion that in general case any PvP activity of similar kind could be transformed into exploit. If someone didn't find as much grindy killing npcs why repetitious killing of friend(s)/own alts for "a lot of" merits will be any different? (with 0-priced rebuys and - probably - spawning back at that very stronghold carrier).
Anywhere that PvP and ranks/rewards are involved always ends in 'rigging'.
ESO was a prime example where factions had alts/friends on an opposing side to exploit rank increases.
PvP should be kept as far away from PP2 as possible.
O7
Id suggest "unstructured PvP" as a qualifier to that. Structured PvP works, it's why titles like COD and such work. It's a contained activity for which balance can be applied.
Unstructured PvP, particularly where the mechanics aren't a first- class consideration to all activities, and the activities structured around that concept.
People always point to games like EVE and go "look! Unstructured PvP can be successful!" but are blind to the idea that in reality, there's an enormous amount of transparent structure to it... it's not a switch to flick and go "job done!".
Unstructured PvP in ED was always an afterthought, and continues to be so. It's impossible for it to be a meaningful commponent of Powerplay without a total rework of, well, the entire game. We're well past that point now though.
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at the very least, SLFs shouldn't count for merits.
Hell, killing the power security at stronghold instances specifically could be turned down. The reward for taking out power security at a stronghold should be that there's less power security on your back while you do the things that actually pay you merits (the comm towers and stealing cargo, like you mentioned) - which could even be buffed to compensate.
One of the biggest issues of the pre-3.0 BGS (particularly before the C&P rework that added notoriety and ATR) was that murdering authority ships summoned more authority ships for you to murder - murdering them therefore became a spammable goal, rather than an obstacle to achieving said goal.
I mean, when the problem of "all kills are equal" was never solved for massacres and massacre stacking, is it any wonder SLFs count the same XD
One day kill rewards will get balanced with difficulty.
SLFs should count for something, just not what is current- say 1 or 2 merits is acceptable.
No, it should be turned up along with refactoring the security- spec ops wings present plus extra incoming really. That way high volume / high value / weak ship farming becomes high value / low volume / strong NPCs that actually make people have to work to either avoid them or wing up. The other is making targets of opportunity within this melee (sort of creating random assassin missions) with dignitary ships, captains etc. I suggest this here: https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threa...fleets-by-using-combat-zone-mechanics.629336/
It was a goal that would have been better if they used post 2.x hot ships, kept the notoriety and bounty levels and had spec ops rather than ATR. In fact I'd say its not spammable because eventually you will be forced to withdraw since eventually the instance gets clogged with VM3 and 4s which (if its medium or high sec, or lockdown) are too much trouble to attack for the time you have. In tight high sec or lockdowns (in 2.x but especially now) going after security is not optimal because the TTK is too short- you look for the softest targets and get them- for example NPCs out of fuel or convoys.
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yes, just increase x2 pp rewards for open game
Yeah that would also do it. Something that makes them an actual challenge rather than a mindless skeet-shoot. The merit rewards should reflect the difficulty and the time taken, one way or another.
There is some major balancing issue about the stronghold fleet yes, and as already mentioned, the SLF kill giving more merit and less bounty than killing a normal powerplay ship is a primary concern, at this pace the fortified only gonna become the meta given how stronghold having a fleet are easy to undermine.
In fact I honestly wonder if the dev did have tested stronghold fleet defense in a fully engineered ship sometime
Stronghold fleet should represent a real challenge for a full wing, which is absolutely not the case atm.
Speaking of undermining, I have even more concern for this https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/67329 and given that I see one very specific power capable to produce more than 50k undermining merit PER system update in most of the enemy stronghold system arround its space, I have very little doubt that this exploit has been mass used.
And I just saw one with nearly 80k undermining merit dropped in one system update, a new record...
And please FDev, next time that you are making an update of this scale, do an open beta as I'm sure the community will do a fabulous job into finding bugs and balancing issue, don't let the beta testing work to streamer, there primary job is to entertain (and most of them simply focused on the Mandalay, not PP 2), they are not beta tester...
In fact I honestly wonder if the dev did have tested stronghold fleet defense in a fully engineered ship sometime
Stronghold fleet should represent a real challenge for a full wing, which is absolutely not the case atm.
Speaking of undermining, I have even more concern for this https://issues.frontierstore.net/issue-detail/67329 and given that I see one very specific power capable to produce more than 50k undermining merit PER system update in most of the enemy stronghold system arround its space, I have very little doubt that this exploit has been mass used.
And I just saw one with nearly 80k undermining merit dropped in one system update, a new record...
And please FDev, next time that you are making an update of this scale, do an open beta as I'm sure the community will do a fabulous job into finding bugs and balancing issue, don't let the beta testing work to streamer, there primary job is to entertain (and most of them simply focused on the Mandalay, not PP 2), they are not beta tester...
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NPC strength is relative, for a lot of builds killing SLF is more difficult than killing anaconda, imperial fighter is extremaly hard to hit
beams pretty much delete them
LR fixed at extreme ranges (take advantage of microgimbal), or else just use regular gimbals and get close. Something with a big distro and is relatively fast (like a krait) can pop them very quickly.
Omg has anyone here actually done this? I have, I've gone to an enemy stronghold carrier, shot a carrier hangar thingy and out pops half a dozen slfs alongside half a dozen vipers, pythons, vultures etc. The slfs are easily dispatched using packhounds. High ammo oversized. Rails long range once i withdrew to coax more out. But l was alone and it wasn't long before shields went down & my python ll had to withdraw. Made about 4k merits in about 15 minutes of frantic fighting. My wing partner (my wife) kept dying so it's not easy.! Yes it's probably easier if your winged up with 3 or more of you and your all very good pilots. But saying it's a cakewalk just isn't true. Solo or just 2 of us.
I cannot speak for those who wing up 4 or more I'm sure that would be far more effective.
The slfs drop 72 merits the other ships just 40 which is daft!
The 2 tactics of pulling from long range (6km) or staying tight against one of the support carriers both are effective.
But stack this effort up against the same wing spamming rares, and l know what choice I'd do.
I cannot speak for those who wing up 4 or more I'm sure that would be far more effective.
The slfs drop 72 merits the other ships just 40 which is daft!
The 2 tactics of pulling from long range (6km) or staying tight against one of the support carriers both are effective.
But stack this effort up against the same wing spamming rares, and l know what choice I'd do.
Yes, I built a version of the Corvette for this, it copes well with fighters in solo-mode.And that precisely why the current balancing exploit to generat insane ammount of undermining merit on SLF use... seeker missile and packhound
I finally took my vette to stronghold carrier, and get ATR-ed after around 15? minutes, happily l-waked with 8% integrity on my shield gen, reverberting lasers lack sense of humor, guess I did something wrong?
It's planned by FDEV, when solo/PG is removed from the game.
You know it's posts like this that will be referenced by future players as "I've read that Frontier is planning to remove modes!" fact, right? You're naughty.