FD, if you can add modules to the tech brokers (like the recent CG), why not move Powerplay modules now too?

[Rubbernuke]

The recent CG for the missile rack demonstrates you (FD) can add modules to tech brokers 'on the fly' so to speak. So why not remove the albatross from Powerplay which is its modules and do the same (move them all to tech brokers)?

You could keep access for powers as it is, but duplicate the blueprint in human tech brokers so nothing is 'lost'.

It removes module shopping, one of the banes of Powerplay.

Most modules are one size- so for these you only have to add ten new templates for the human tech broker.

Aislings Prismatics come in all sizes, which might complicate things so here you might either go all in (and have 8 sizes) or maybe have a selection.

The other bonus is you'll get an instant uptick in people wanting tech brokers- some Powerplay gear is excellent

If doing it all at once is a bit daunting, you could do one a week.

 

[here_it_comes]

Quite a double-edged solution. Once modules aren't tied to PP, PP will become a relative ghost town overnight. The problem with the modules isn't necessarily that you need to engage in PP in some way to get them. It's that you are incentivized, and indeed forced, to play traitor monthly.

PP modules shouldn't be tied to any faction, they should be a pool of options for people who qualify with their faction monthly. If people could choose which faction they fancy and stick with it, without losing out on modules, things would be quite different. I would have never left Delaine.

 

[Rubbernuke]

Quite a double-edged solution. Once modules aren't tied to PP, PP will become a relative ghost town overnight. The problem with the modules isn't necessarily that you need to engage in PP in some way to get them. It's that you are incentivized, and indeed forced, to play traitor monthly.

PP modules shouldn't be tied to any faction, they should be a pool of options for people who qualify with their faction monthly. If people could choose which faction they fancy and stick with it, without losing out on modules, things would be quite different. I would have never left Delaine.

Powerplay should be played by people who want to play it, not pledge, wait 4 weeks and do the bare minimum and then go. The shoppers don't actually play anyway, so nothing is lost.

 

[Ethaidan]

Powerplay should be played by people who want to play it, not pledge, wait 4 weeks and do the bare minimum and then go. The shoppers don't actually play anyway, so nothing is lost.

Counterpoint - the modules should only be usable on faction specific ships (ie Prismatics only viable on Imperial ships), one type per ship (no iCourier with Prismatics & Imperial Hammers), and only available to rebuy for Cmdrs still pledged. This would also make module shopping way less attractive/viable, but continue to reward PP Cmdrs. Also, every rank gained with one Power should subract a rank from any enemy Power...

 

[Rubbernuke]

Counterpoint - the modules should only be usable on faction specific ships (ie Prismatics only viable on Imperial ships), one type per ship (no iCourier with Prismatics & Imperial Hammers), and only available to rebuy for Cmdrs still pledged. This would also make module shopping way less attractive/viable, but continue to reward PP Cmdrs. Also, every rank gained with one Power should subract a rank from any enemy Power...

There is certainly scope for restrictions and caveats. Personally what you describe should have been in the game from the start, such as being an Admiral and King at the same time while using rival superpower ships on each other.

 

[ebbrell]

My frustration is, having to buy items in power play In batches and having to pay money to fast track the purchase of the next batch.

Its a right pain in the a...s

 

[Rubbernuke]

My frustration is, having to buy items in power play In batches and having to pay money to fast track the purchase of the next batch.

Its a right pain in the a...s

This is the other advantage- a lot of people get caught out by Powerplay and how things unlock. With a broker its unlocked for good and then its a case of just getting credits to buy more.

 

[here_it_comes]

Powerplay should be played by people who want to play it, not pledge, wait 4 weeks and do the bare minimum and then go.

PP demonstrably is not designed well enough to interest anything resembling even a plurality of players. Until FD overhauls PP, the modules are the only reason the majority of players know it exists. You can protest, but it's true.

Either they fix the way modules are rewarded so that the majority of people who participate in PP, to whatever degree, aren't actively screwing it all up, or; they overhaul PP and make it worth playing beyond the modules. I vote the former just because it's simple enough to implement that I actually believe FD would do it. I would rather see the latter, but know better.

Counterpoint - the modules should only be usable on faction specific ships (ie Prismatics only viable on Imperial ships), one type per ship (no iCourier with Prismatics & Imperial Hammers), and only available to rebuy for Cmdrs still pledged.

Some of my favorite builds would go out the window. Not only would this change encourage me to avoid PP, I would flat-out play less ED.

 

[Rubbernuke]

PP demonstrably is not designed well enough to interest anything resembling even a plurality of players. Until FD overhauls PP, the modules are the only reason the majority of players know it exists. You can protest, but it's true.

Either they fix the way modules are rewarded so that the majority of people who participate in PP, to whatever degree, aren't actively screwing it all up, or; they overhaul PP and make it worth playing beyond the modules. I vote the former just because it's simple enough to implement that I actually believe FD would do it. I would rather see the latter, but know better.

Some of my favorite builds would go out the window. Not only would this change encourage me to avoid PP, I would flat-out play less ED.

Your arguement makes no sense. The people who you say prop up Powerplay currently don't actually take part or drive anything anyway. They contribute nothing, and are invisible. Those who do want other modules who want to stay loyal have to either unpledge and indirectly work against the power they support, which is silly. No-one wins, and everyone has to do something they don't want to do.

I'm all for Powerplay to be reinvented but this would be a good start in divorcing blatant bribery (which has failed) and leave the feature to those who want to play it.

 

[here_it_comes]

Your arguement makes no sense. The people who you say prop up Powerplay currently don't actually take part or drive anything anyway. They contribute nothing, and are invisible.

I am one of those people, and I can tell you why. Why should I participate in PP, a mechanic meant to give a dynamic feel to the game where we all have an impact, when the economy is openly rigged, the politics are static, people can effect it from solo and deny you the ability to counter them with anything short of playing more hours, and there is absolutely no live narrative? FD leaves everything completely up to the imagination of players who are able and willing to gloss over the fact that the entire thing is a potemkin village.

Sure, 'we' contribute nothing, but your contributions are as meaningful as ours is with how PP currently operates.

Those who do want other modules who want to stay loyal have to either unpledge and indirectly work against the power they support, which is silly. No-one wins, and everyone has to do something they don't want to do.

Agreed. Worse than not helping, it actively incentivizes players to directly undermine the point of PP in the first place.

I'm all for Powerplay to be reinvented but this would be a good start in divorcing blatant bribery (which has failed) and leave the feature to those who want to play it.

If purging the majority of players from a section of the game is considered a 'win', sure. This would be a worse strategy than nuking PP, as it would only demonstrate openly that FD doesn't have the ability or care to actually correct it.

 

[Rubbernuke]

I am one of those people, and I can tell you why. Why should I participate in PP, a mechanic meant to give a dynamic feel to the game where we all have an impact, when the economy is openly rigged, the politics are static, people can effect it from solo and deny you the ability to counter them with anything short of playing more hours, and there is absolutely no live narrative? FD leaves everything completely up to the imagination of players who are able and willing to gloss over the fact that the entire thing is a potemkin village.

Sure, 'we' contribute nothing, but your contributions are as meaningful as ours is with how PP currently operates.

Which is affected by modules how?

Agreed. Worse than not helping, it actively incentivizes players to directly undermine the point of PP in the first place.

Its why they (modules) are better off elsewhere.

If purging the majority of players from a section of the game is considered a 'win', sure. This would be a worse strategy than nuking PP, as it would only demonstrate openly that FD doesn't have the ability or care to actually correct it.

You are getting rid of the randoms who are shopping. They don't actually do anything other than 750 random merits. It also means loyalists don't have to choose between keeping the elevated voting rights and getting modules, and wait a year to get everything. Everyone can get modules when they want how they want for the right reasons.

 

[askavir]

If purging the majority of players from a section of the game is considered a 'win', sure. This would be a worse strategy than nuking PP, as it would only demonstrate openly that FD doesn't have the ability or care to actually correct it.

Those players aren't really taking part in Powerplay, they're just collecting unlockables and most probably are hurting "their" own faction by taking actions that end up harming the faction in order to farm merits quicker, so they can later defect and chase the next module elsewhere. They couldn't possibly care less about the factions they're currently pledged to (which change every few weeks) and Powerplay needs them almost as much as Ethiopia needs famine.

Now I don't blame them though, as this is the completely obvious outcome of giving each power a special unlockable module. But while this remains a thing, powerplay can never even begin to be fixed. So I can only agree with the OP that those modules should be moved to the tech broker so that players still have a way to obtain them without ruining the game for the ones who would actually like to take powerplay seriously.

Any powerplay bonuses and rewards should provide an incentive for players to remain with their factions, not stab them in the back. They could start by updating the salaries to the current economy levels. Those rewards should scale with positive actions, like obtaining merits in a way that doesn't harm the own faction.

There is so many things that can be done besides the direct salary... In areas controlled by the power loyal members could have discounts in ships and modules in areas controlled by the faction, discounts when purchasing goods in the commodity market, extra leniency by the authorities, rebuy discount when killed inside the power area of influence, slightly higher mission rewards, etc etc. it would not only reward them, but give them an incentive to expand their territory and defend it.

 

[here_it_comes]

You are getting rid of the randoms who are shopping. They don't actually do anything other than 750 random merits. It also means loyalists don't have to choose between keeping the elevated voting rights and getting modules, and wait a year to get everything. Everyone can get modules when they want how they want for the right reasons.

You know, the majority of people doing the minimum and not being an active 'loyalist', is how real life actually works. Attempting to suit PP to the loyalists and cutting out the rest is literally the same as elites trying to cut the plebs out of the social game because they don't deserve to have a piece of the pie for not playing the game the way it suits the elites. Swap 'elite' for 'loyalists'. It's the same.

Ideally, PP would accommodate both. Both would be able to engage in PP and feel reason to do so. Removing either subset of players from PP would ruin it.

 

[Rubbernuke]

You know, the majority of people doing the minimum and not being an active 'loyalist', is how real life actually works. Attempting to suit PP to the loyalists and cutting out the rest is literally the same as elites trying to cut the plebs out of the social game because they don't deserve to have a piece of the pie for not playing the game the way it suits the elites. Swap 'elite' for 'loyalists'. It's the same.

Ideally, PP would accommodate both. Both would be able to engage in PP and feel reason to do so. Removing either subset of players from PP would ruin it.

750 merits every four weeks is really keeping a power solvent.

Powerplay should work by an aggregate majority smoothing out the bumps. However thats not whats happened- its only the loyalists taking the time to expand correctly, BGS right, and intelligently attack. The vast, vast majority of shoppers do none of that. They contribute nothing to the power, don't do the BGS for the power- nothing. Loyalists put in the hours and keep the power running and are the people you want.

I'm all for Powerplay to appeal to everyone but we both know how Powerplay kills expectations.

 

[lemon407]

How about this for a suggestion.
Once you reach max powerplay rank for a faction, you can buy a blueprint which then unlocks that factions powerplay module permanently at a tech broker, at which point you can then slip into which ever other one you wanna do, or out of the powerplay all together.

It still sets a barrier for you to have to "Work" for (lets be honest hauling around materials is not that hard) and gives a reward for your efforts.

 

[Speedcuffs]

How about this for a suggestion.
Once you reach max powerplay rank for a faction, you can buy a blueprint which then unlocks that factions powerplay module permanently at a tech broker, at which point you can then slip into which ever other one you wanna do, or out of the powerplay all together.

It still sets a barrier for you to have to "Work" for (lets be honest hauling around materials is not that hard) and gives a reward for your efforts.

But surely people would then be blueprints shopping?

 

[lemon407]

But surely people would then be blueprints shopping?

Yeah but then once you get to max, bam, your done, you odnt need to keep bouncing around if you need more of the other module

 

[Rubbernuke]

How about this for a suggestion.
Once you reach max powerplay rank for a faction, you can buy a blueprint which then unlocks that factions powerplay module permanently at a tech broker, at which point you can then slip into which ever other one you wanna do, or out of the powerplay all together.

It still sets a barrier for you to have to "Work" for (lets be honest hauling around materials is not that hard) and gives a reward for your efforts.

Thats a nice idea- however what that would do is a) make a load of people moan at having to do 10,000 merits, and make people dump 10k merits randomly somewhere. I'd suggest once you unlock it at Rank 3 it then unlocks it for a broker to limit the collateral damage.

 

[Speedcuffs]

Aislings Prismatics come in all sizes

So do some of the Guardian goodies, but they're only one blueprint. I think they could do this.

I'm not really doing PP stuff, but I do appreciate how annoying this is from PP folk and module shoppers points of view.
Bang them in tech brokers.

 

[Rubbernuke]

So do some of the Guardian goodies, but they're only one blueprint. I think they could do this.

There is always one