How about a new Powerplay mode?

[Dread Quixadhal]

What if we had a Powerplay mode where you can only attack or be attacked by people who have pledged to a power other than your own?

My biggest issue with moving Powerplay to Open is the gankers and griefers who don't care about Powerplay at all, but just want to go after the easy target of a freighter hauling propaganda to fortify a system.

While I still think there are pure PvE activities that could be done in Solo, I'd accept the risk if I knew the only people coming after me were actually trying to play for THEIR faction, rather than just attacking me for the LULZ.

 

[ZeroAi]

What if we had a Powerplay mode where you can only attack or be attacked by people who have pledged to a power other than your own?

My biggest issue with moving Powerplay to Open is the gankers and griefers who don't care about Powerplay at all, but just want to go after the easy target of a freighter hauling propaganda to fortify a system.

While I still think there are pure PvE activities that could be done in Solo, I'd accept the risk if I knew the only people coming after me were actually trying to play for THEIR faction, rather than just attacking me for the LULZ.

+Rep

I'd honestly be quite disappointed if PowerPlay became Open only.

Why take something away from Solo and PG players which they paid good money for and was promised them?

PP going Open only would also require console players to now have a paid subscription to access content that they were told was included without the need for an online service.

And honestly, many of the PP rewards benefit non-PvPers...

So yeah, if they want to make PP more about PvP they should split it off as a new or separate thing without taking features away from existing customers.

 

[Quantis Trap]

Don't think it will happen and not sure if I like the idea, but +rep for the thought anyway.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

"Go after a cargo ship hauling propaganda."

That isn't griefing. That's playing Powerplay.

Get good.

 

[Leo Sagan]

"Go after a cargo ship hauling propaganda."

That isn't griefing. That's playing Powerplay.

Get good.

No need : combat log for the win.

 

[Deleted member 110222]

No need : combat log for the win.

Ah, advocating cheats now are we?

I may use memes too much, but at least I follow the rules. You are not.

 

[Schlack]

What if we had a Powerplay mode where you can only attack or be attacked by people who have pledged to a power other than your own?

My biggest issue with moving Powerplay to Open is the gankers and griefers who don't care about Powerplay at all, but just want to go after the easy target of a freighter hauling propaganda to fortify a system.

While I still think there are pure PvE activities that could be done in Solo, I'd accept the risk if I knew the only people coming after me were actually trying to play for THEIR faction, rather than just attacking me for the LULZ.

So the griefers will be excluded from this mode by............?

 

[Dread Quixadhal]

So the griefers will be excluded from this mode by............?

Unfortunately, it wouldn't prevent griefing.. but it would make the griefers assigned to a power. *IF* the devs were clever, they could assign bonuses for people going after challenging targets, and penalties for going after easy ones.

Since people like to use other games as examples, I'll use vanilla WoW. Back at launch, they had intended to implement a dishonor system to mitigate high level people ganking "lowbies". The idea was that you'd accrue dishonor points for killing anyone 5 or more levels below your own (PC or NPC guards). Get enough of them, and you lose access to your own faction cities and services, and become kill-on-sight to everyone. It was described in the printed manual, but never implemented. Mostly because the PvP people whined too much.

Instead, they pushed battleground instances and essentially sucked all the fun out of open world PvP, since people who liked doing it got better rewards for being in battlegrounds, leaving only the griefers out in the open world.

How does that apply to Elite? Well, if you hunt down somebody in their Propoganda Wagon Type-7 with your Anaconda, and blast their leaflets into the next system, you aren't really very heroic, are you? I mean sure, if they were in YOUR faction's system trying to undermine, you did the right thing and stopped them... but if you were in THEIR territory preventing them from fortifying, well... all is fair in love and war, but it's not going to win you any honor points for glorious combat.

Now, here's the thing. If we want to pretend the various factions are like real-world factions, they'd care about more than just numbers. They'd also care about public image, and being able to spin things to show how they are RIGHT and their opponents are scum. Blowing up a defensless freighter in their own territory is a low blow, and would be seen as such by all the powers and their followers.

So, if *I* were in charge your faction, and you obliterated that Propoganda Wagon, I'd secretly applaud your actions, but publically denounce you and exact some form of punishment to demonstrate that MY faction believes in law and order, yadda yadda. Maybe you'd get a nice extra cash reward but also a demerit that would count against your rank.

Keep doing cheese actions, and you lose rank in your faction for poor judgement, or have to work extra hard doing non-cheese things to work them off...

Just an idea.

 

[Cheese Helmet]

What if we had a Powerplay mode where you can only attack or be attacked by people who have pledged to a power other than your own?

My biggest issue with moving Powerplay to Open is the gankers and griefers who don't care about Powerplay at all, but just want to go after the easy target of a freighter hauling propaganda to fortify a system.

While I still think there are pure PvE activities that could be done in Solo, I'd accept the risk if I knew the only people coming after me were actually trying to play for THEIR faction, rather than just attacking me for the LULZ.

A freighter hauling fort supplies is only an easy target if you ignore your defense and dont learn how to high wake. Just because you build your haulers like cardboard glued with spit doesnt mean thats the only way.

 

[Cheese Helmet]

So the griefers will be excluded from this mode by............?

What exactly is a griefer to you? If youre in a power you are declaring "i consent to being attacked by enemy power commanders"

 

[Lateralus]

What if we had a Powerplay mode where you can only attack or be attacked by people who have pledged to a power other than your own?

My biggest issue with moving Powerplay to Open is the gankers and griefers who don't care about Powerplay at all, but just want to go after the easy target of a freighter hauling propaganda to fortify a system.

While I still think there are pure PvE activities that could be done in Solo, I'd accept the risk if I knew the only people coming after me were actually trying to play for THEIR faction, rather than just attacking me for the LULZ.

You're not a ganker or a griefer if you kill an enemy player working against your power.. that's literally the entire point of the feature. Don't pledge to a power if you don't want enemies, its really that simple.

 

[Sterling MH]

"Go after a cargo ship hauling propaganda."

That isn't griefing. That's playing Powerplay.

Get good.

Nah, unless you did it in the freewinder, you're a scrub. U aren't gud, ur ship is. Take it away and you're running scared.

 

[Sterling MH]

Ah, advocating cheats now are we?

I may use memes too much, but at least I follow the rules. You are not.

Well you DO keep trolling for it, in the hope that you can get them banhammered. Passive aggressive is usually a go-to for the carebears.

 

[Vardaugas]

Make open PvE with PvP flags. You can flip the flag when docked. PvP flag is mandatory when pledged to a power or with notoriety. Then we can safely retire solo and PG.

Or we just leave it as it is with every mode being an equally valid choice.

 

[Sterling MH]

Make open PvE with PvP flags. You can flip the flag when docked. PvP flag is mandatory when pledged to a power or with notoriety. Then we can safely retire solo and PG.

Or we just leave it as it is with every mode being an equally valid choice.

Well, not quite. The P2P needs work to minmise and optimise the traffit so updates happen with good order and low lag.

You're not a ganker or a griefer if you kill an enemy player working against your power..

Since nothing stops a ganker signing up for PP,this is patently false. The difference isWHY they signed up.

A man signing up to be scout leader is not a pedo, but a pedo might decide to sign up for a scout leader.

 

[Dread Quixadhal]

Make open PvE with PvP flags. You can flip the flag when docked. PvP flag is mandatory when pledged to a power or with notoriety. Then we can safely retire solo and PG.

Or we just leave it as it is with every mode being an equally valid choice.

If they took a tip from Star Wars Galaxies, they could have you sign up for a faction and play as overt or covert. SOME powerplay actions could only be done as overt (PvP enabled), others could be done covertly (PvP not enabled). For it to make sense though, you'd still need to prevent people in their own faction from attacking each other, and probably also not allow anyone to participate if they aren't aligned with someone.

 

[Schlack]

What exactly is a griefer to you? If youre in a power you are declaring "i consent to being attacked by enemy power commanders"

Sorry you misunderstand. I have no difficulty with pvp of any kind, except the trolly stuff like ramming at stations etc. I was making a point, badly as it turns out, that a powerplay only mode wouldnt change a damn thing.

This whole open solo debate annoys me as its based on abstract worst and best case thinking without reference to how the game is designed.

 

[5AnaHalfHatsize]

How about a new Powerplay mode?

Yeah, how about a shut [TF] up about power play mode?

Where people stop talking about a mode that is as about as exciting as trading - only without the exciting bits.

Edit: and moderators remember their ability to shutdown valid discussion by moving threads into quiet areas of the forum never to be seen again.

O wait, they just did.

 

[Dread Quixadhal]

Yeah, how about a shut [TF] up about power play mode?

Where people stop talking about a mode that is as about as exciting as trading - only without the exciting bits.

Edit: and moderators remember their ability to shutdown valid discussion by moving threads into quiet areas of the forum never to be seen again.

O wait, they just did.

That's fine...

How about some useful suggestions of how to make more of the playerbase happy, other than "suck it up and learn to PvP, n00b!", and "you can't do powerplay unless you want to fightfightfight every moment you're logged in!"?

If the moderators don't want people talking about things, they can keep moving things around, and the devs will develop their features in a vacuum with the idea that everyone's happy, and then wonder why people stop playing after it goes live.

 

[rxay579]

Unfortunately, it wouldn't prevent griefing.. but it would make the griefers assigned to a power. *IF* the devs were clever, they could assign bonuses for people going after challenging targets, and penalties for going after easy ones.

Since people like to use other games as examples, I'll use vanilla WoW. Back at launch, they had intended to implement a dishonor system to mitigate high level people ganking "lowbies". The idea was that you'd accrue dishonor points for killing anyone 5 or more levels below your own (PC or NPC guards). Get enough of them, and you lose access to your own faction cities and services, and become kill-on-sight to everyone. It was described in the printed manual, but never implemented. Mostly because the PvP people whined too much.

Instead, they pushed battleground instances and essentially sucked all the fun out of open world PvP, since people who liked doing it got better rewards for being in battlegrounds, leaving only the griefers out in the open world.

How does that apply to Elite? Well, if you hunt down somebody in their Propoganda Wagon Type-7 with your Anaconda, and blast their leaflets into the next system, you aren't really very heroic, are you? I mean sure, if they were in YOUR faction's system trying to undermine, you did the right thing and stopped them... but if you were in THEIR territory preventing them from fortifying, well... all is fair in love and war, but it's not going to win you any honor points for glorious combat.

Now, here's the thing. If we want to pretend the various factions are like real-world factions, they'd care about more than just numbers. They'd also care about public image, and being able to spin things to show how they are RIGHT and their opponents are scum. Blowing up a defensless freighter in their own territory is a low blow, and would be seen as such by all the powers and their followers.

So, if *I* were in charge your faction, and you obliterated that Propoganda Wagon, I'd secretly applaud your actions, but publically denounce you and exact some form of punishment to demonstrate that MY faction believes in law and order, yadda yadda. Maybe you'd get a nice extra cash reward but also a demerit that would count against your rank.

Keep doing cheese actions, and you lose rank in your faction for poor judgement, or have to work extra hard doing non-cheese things to work them off...

Just an idea.

Some of that sounds like some legit PowerPlay modifications (better rewards for more challenging targets, certain actions being dishonorable like attacking non-combatants). Better rewards would need to balanced carefully to avoid inflation.

PvP combat "for fun" is a choice players have to make. PowerPlay is something that has to be done whether the conditions are optimal or not; asking someone to stand down from PowerPlay because they're too strong to play is a pretty rough sell.
If you are amongst high-level CMDRs (or alone) in a system and there are only low level targets acting against your Power's interest, how are you supposed to stop them?

Having the game keep track of dishonorable actions could help CMDR PowerPlay leaders keep their groups in check. The current system for undermining is entirely based on combat ships cruising an opposing system and attacking opposing power aligned targets, often trader-type ships. Are you proposing a wholesale change in that mechanic or do you have other specific ideas on that?
It's pretty uncommon for anyone to support attacking relief organizations like the Red Cross and medic's are often allowed to do their jobs, but I think it's pretty common for supply lines to be attacked.

I'm not sold on a whole new PowerPlay mode though. Sounds like a pretty big undertaking that would take away from other areas of the game.

Don't take me wrong here, anti-griefing is a good thing and some of the new C&P mechanics try to address that, but it's kind of hard to have a computer judge a person's intent.