Genuinely Don't Understand the Point of Powerplay

[xDreadnoughtx]

Well, I'm 6 weeks in and still enjoying it. A great deal.

That is despite the rigid board game like mechanics and lack of real colour.
The enjoyment comes from the community and interaction.

FD need to fix things before expansions.

No more expansions or major new introductions until....

1. Total overhaul of missions and bulletin board.
2. Total buff of exploration (something I have not done since Gamma and early release)
3. Oh God, I'm going to say something I never thought I would say but here goes....more player/group ownership....without messing it up for solo or of players of course

Edit....you know, the guilds word. Feel dirty

 

[Snarfbuckle]

Edit....you know, the guilds word. Feel dirty

Yes, I prefer the term "Player Factions"

 

[xDreadnoughtx]

Yes, I prefer the term "Player Factions"

Indeed. If PP has shown me one thing its that some players organise, even when the developers deny them the tools. Problem is that it could be so much better, but the path is strewn with cow pats from the devils own satanic herd (see Blackadder " Money"). I appreciate how important it is to ensure we don't end up with rampant "player factions" that impact those who don't want to get involved, but something could be done.....

 

[peter101cycle]

To the OP....

I feel exactly the same way - I don't see the point of PP either. I think I got involved for part of the first week and then literally quit.

To me, it's typical of Frontier (and this is a good and bad thing) - they come up with an idea and implement a straw-man version of it. Nothing fully formed, just an outline implementation that can be further added to later. Personally, I think PP in it's current form is a huge miss and I think they should have devoted the resources it took to develop into expanding and deepening the content that is already in-game. Whether or not PP is there to help with what eventually happens with the Thargoids when they come into game, I don't know - I can see Thargoids becoming a power and expanding their territory into the galaxy but that's a complete guess.

Fingers crossed for the August Gamescon announcement then - Frontier had better come up with something weighty as otherwise, it's not looking good for people maintaining interest in the game long-term. We need more things to do and more things that are better connected / embedded into what we've already got to play with! Not some glorified RISK type mini-game.

 

[Arithon]

I think that PowerPlay lacks that certain "something" to engage players.

Whether it's a sense of belonging to something or storyline and characterisation, I don't know. Personally I don't play much of RPGs and any role playing element added to Elite is lost on me. I don't want to name the space invaders, or know what motivates my blaster-gun, for me it's just a game.

Frontier created PowerPlay because of a loud minority who insisted they had to be able to influence the political landscape of the galaxy. It does that. Just not in a way a lot of people want to get behind.

For example, last night after having defected from Mahon on Friday (which has actually made the game a bit more exciting - I'm being pursued) I was attacked last night by an Anaconda. He attacked me in Aisling Duval controlled space. I took him down, but even though he fired first (and was Wanted as a result) I got 400CR for defeating a faction enemy that attacked me in friendly space. Had he been a pirate, I'd have got 28K at least. Risk / reward seems very skewed in PowerPlay. My ship sustained 294K damage.

On the other hand, I've been doing smuggling missions from three neighbouring systems around WAQ over the weekend and that's been great. I've got scanned and caught once (35K fine) but the cargoes have made me a couple of million per evening. A mixture of pirate-hunting and smuggling is very engaging.

So PowerPlay really needs refining to make it have more engagement, a more sensible balance of risk and reward (200CR for defending friendly space?) and a less grindy way of obtaining merits. Maybe add faction missions and expand the mission board?

My personal hope for 1.4 is a level of game integration and identity for player groups, so players can see groups like "The Fuel Rats" in-game, identify them in-game and contact them in-game. As well as being able to join and identify with any player created group. If that leads to player-created minor factions and eventually controlled systems / stations, we could see where that goes.

Frontier's weak-spot is that Elite, as a game mechanic, is more-or-less unscripted ad-lib. They have to come up with something that matches the general ethos of Elite, isn't a copy-n-paste of "game X" and works, when they have a million (or close to it) critics.

As long as we keep giving good ideas and suggestions about what they can do instead, that would be better, then they can correct mistakes and improve the game.

 

[Whiterose]

When I wrote this, I wasn't expecting so many people to agree with me. I was convinced there was something I was just missing. Guess I'm not the only one who thinks this way.

I tried PP for a while. Now, I cant see the point. I have unpledged. I remain loyal to the empire and will try to rank up in the empire, whilst ignoring the petty politics of PP. Its too chaotic, and I cant see the reason for all this expansion etc. I will have more fun messing around with the minor factions.

 

[Snarfbuckle]

I think that PowerPlay lacks that certain "something" to engage players.

honestly, I only think it lacks logic.

By taking the "simple" route and made all faction mechanics virtually identical including how they operate they have also removed the very soul and philosophy behind the factions.

Take Archon Delaine, the self made pirate warlord who rules over his merry band of nomadic pirates.

While pirates enjoy influence over local markets like anyone else in order to function like a criminal organisation like the mob wwhy does he care about having a fixed HQ? Why do we try to take over territory to spreada influence REGARDLESS of territory taken?

Pirates like to stay UNDER the radar and not all out war so why should they CONTROL systems and impose their "political" will on major faction systems? Especially since LAW ENFORCEMENT still function in those systems (albeit at a lowered efficiency).

Would it not have been better to exploit the very pirate character theme of the faction and have Archon Delain focusing on taking over other criminal organisations to further his criminal empire and widen his power base.

His goal would be more logical to focus on control of Anarchy pirate heavens and control them and not every law abiding system as well.

If anything his greatest strength would not be the CONTROL of a system but rather EXPLOITATION of a system, because that is what criminals DO.

His fortification mechanics should not be from "A" HQ since he is nomadic in nature so all Anarchy systems he control can ferry/smuggle supplies to each other.

This makes Archoin Delaine weaker in TERRITORY but more flexible in fortification of those systems he DOES own and can truly be a "terror of the spacelanes" by having a HEAVY bonus on the exploitation of neighbouring systems.

 

[Kramster]

I think it was a bit of a rush job - the UI screens are the only place you can really 'touch' PP and it's really just a set of statistics driven from a log of player activities ... meh

Except they got so excited about it I don't think they saw/see it that way.
They were really proud of it when they announced it which doesn't fill me full of hopeful optimism

 

[Snarfbuckle]

Except they got so excited about it I don't think they saw/see it that way.
They were really proud of it when they announced it which doesn't fill me full of hopeful optimism

And I get it why they ARE excited, it's a GOOD idea, but terribly implemented.

They MIGHT be able to improve the current design but I think it would be healthier in the long run to change the whole mechanics around merits, ranks and rewards.

 

[Commander William Diffin]

I haven't played ED since before the update due to connectivity issues, and having only just updated to 'Powerplay' it leaves me utterly cold. Obviously the op's question is rhetorical. There is no point to Powerplay. It has no relevance to Elite canon. Studying the game mechanics is a hopelessly dull and fruitless exercise, as is reading players' explanatory forum posts that go on for pages and which ultimately make no real sense at all. And the whole lame fiasco is entirely carried by a few cardboard-cut-out Dallas characters that look like they were created by and for the under-12 age group of players, in a game where the average age of players is 40, and more players over 60 than under 25. The only question left to ask is why have FD tacked this puerile rubbish onto what was a viable version of Elite for massively-multiplayer? I can only assume FD were trying to break into the children's market, having already taken all the grown-ups' money.

FD have made a big mistake trying to appeal to very young players. This is a game for adults, and demands a certain level of sophistication. Powerplay can't conceal the fact that we're still all playing the same handful of uninspired simple missions with no real variety at all, and it is entirely superfluous to the game. Powerplay should be scrapped altogether, and replaced with a sophisticated mission generator with at least fifty different mission types. Like assassination missions where the ship is expected at a particular time and location. Like exploration missions. Investigating distant worlds from which mysterious transmissions have been detected. Or whatever. Bombing missions. Taxi missions. Rescue missions. Racing missions. Alien missions. Missions for unique special trade or equipment items. Missions with a none-too-obvious twist. Patsy missions. And if FD want to encourage player interaction they should incorporate bulletin boards at space stations which players can post their own missions on. Maybe it would give the devs some ideas; obviously they have less imagination than most of the players.

 

[Synthetic Frost]

I might choose Asiling Duval. She looks like Morena Baccarin, who played my favorite characters in Stargate, Firefly, and Batman.

 

[drhay53]

The problem is that it was never "sold" as an MMO in the Kickstarter but only that it had multiplayer support (that is, you could add friends) and when they implemented the always online drm for "background simulation" and limited wings it's starting to grow TOWARDS an MMO.

But it will never be an MMo unless they go away from P2P solution and use proper server structure to ensure cheaters are not having an easy way of blocking things - still, that is for the PVP section of the game.

PVE on the other hand should easily be able to be fleshed out if nothing else so we can properly communicate in game and drop in the same instance.

I totally understand your point, but this half-and-half thing they're doing isn't working.

I'd just be happy if FD and the players admitted that whether they like it or not, the game is currently heavily-based around group-intended gameplay, "guilds" in everything but name, and yet the game has no tools to support it. So, let's admit what we have, finally, and then decide how to proceed. If we admit it's gotten too group-oriented, then let's back away. If we admit that group-oriented is the way to bring in money for future development, and really, the best way for a modern game with a 10 year vision to really even stay around (this is my opinion here), then let's admit it and move forward.

I'll just repeat myself: Guilds are in the game. If that's not what you want, then you're wasting your time arguing against the mere concept. We're way past concept and into implementation.

 

[tomalus]

When you cant add proper gameplay you add grind.

 

[DNA-Decay]

A Noob's POV:

There are a number of player groups that are working the Background Sim.
The Code, CTRL, RoA, AEDC, Interstellar Communists etc etc etc - yeesh there's heaps
The player group needs to have an in-game power to support.

The player groups have leaders who spend time figuring out strategy for the background sim.

PP in-game is less than perfect.
However it gives the player groups a means to organise their CMDRs activities and to have some genuine outcomes.

My recommendation:
Join a Player Group and work with them to achieve something in PP.
Playing PP by yourself is like voting. It's a drop in the ocean.
Playing PP with a Player Group feels like it could make a difference.

 

[drhay53]

Most player groups working the BGS are not involved in PP in any way.

 

[Ben Ryder]

"Okay, so... I'm not a new player. I've been playing the game since the Alpha phase last year, and I've built up quite the sum of ships and credits since launch. I know how the game works, and I understand the mechanics of Powerplay. I just don't understand the point of it"

There is no win in power play. It's about as meaningful as fuel scooping. I really enjoy power play.

 

[fleetstreet]

Repeat after me:

Politics are not cool
Politics are not cool
Politics are not cool.

Even religion isn't cool, unless it's Jedi and then it's cool, because super powers.

I agree with the solo viewpoint. It's everyone sitting in their individual cockpits, flying around, shooting others in their cockpits. It's just not that social, even with your friends in wings. I hope the August announcement is planet landing, or space dock interiors. We need to get out, stretch our legs and explore some places which aren't too repetitive. PP is just hero worshipping, working for the man and joining your local political party. Not a lot of that makes sense in the vastness of space.

 

[medwyn]

I haven't played ED since before the update due to connectivity issues, and having only just updated to 'Powerplay' it leaves me utterly cold. Obviously the op's question is rhetorical. There is no point to Powerplay. It has no relevance to Elite canon. Studying the game mechanics is a hopelessly dull and fruitless exercise, as is reading players' explanatory forum posts that go on for pages and which ultimately make no real sense at all. And the whole lame fiasco is entirely carried by a few cardboard-cut-out Dallas characters that look like they were created by and for the under-12 age group of players, in a game where the average age of players is 40, and more players over 60 than under 25. The only question left to ask is why have FD tacked this puerile rubbish onto what was a viable version of Elite for massively-multiplayer? I can only assume FD were trying to break into the children's market, having already taken all the grown-ups' money.

FD have made a big mistake trying to appeal to very young players. This is a game for adults, and demands a certain level of sophistication. Powerplay can't conceal the fact that we're still all playing the same handful of uninspired simple missions with no real variety at all, and it is entirely superfluous to the game. Powerplay should be scrapped altogether, and replaced with a sophisticated mission generator with at least fifty different mission types. Like assassination missions where the ship is expected at a particular time and location. Like exploration missions. Investigating distant worlds from which mysterious transmissions have been detected. Or whatever. Bombing missions. Taxi missions. Rescue missions. Racing missions. Alien missions. Missions for unique special trade or equipment items. Missions with a none-too-obvious twist. Patsy missions. And if FD want to encourage player interaction they should incorporate bulletin boards at space stations which players can post their own missions on. Maybe it would give the devs some ideas; obviously they have less imagination than most of the players.

I wish...

 

[Snarfbuckle]

I might choose Asiling Duval. She looks like Morena Baccarin, who played my favorite characters in Stargate, Firefly, and Batman.

From a pure gameplay POV the only onee really profitable from the start is Li Yong-Rui.

-15% cost for all modules
-Has the only COOL PP module "Macross" style Pack Missile launcher
-5-20% reduced insurance cost in Controlled/Exploited system depending on rank.

Considering that ship modules are the most costly items in the game this is THE best bang for your buck in powerplay.

 

[Synthetic Frost]

From a pure gameplay POV the only onee really profitable from the start is Li Yong-Rui.

-15% cost for all modules
-Has the only COOL PP module "Macross" style Pack Missile launcher
-5-20% reduced insurance cost in Controlled/Exploited system depending on rank.

Considering that ship modules are the most costly items in the game this is THE best bang for your buck in powerplay.

I said that mostly out of tongue-in-cheek humor, since the whole joke of the thread was that there really isn't hardly any easily accessible history about any of the characters, so I was going to choose a political leader with all the merits of a highschool popularity contest.

But either way, money isn't much of a concern to me at this point in the game anymore.... Those Prismatic Shields though. Seeing as how I primarily fly an anny, a Python, and a vulture... Those are looking nice.