Powerplay Idea: Excess Fortification becomes a Supply Depot

[Rubberboots]

A friend of mine (thanks, CMDR BadMagic!) suggested that it would be cool if you could create "supply depots," and it got me thinking that it would be really cool if excess fortification supplies were converted into a supply cache.

Here's how I envision it working:

Any supplies over the fortification trigger become available for pickup--free. These are supplies that have already been paid for, either through 30 minute timers or through fast-tracking. CMDR landing in systems that have been "over-fortified" would be able to pick up fortification supplies, and redistribute them to systems that need them.

This would reduce the frustration of powers staring at the "merit grind" systems that get wildly over-fortified every week (we all have them), and would also reduce the outrageous cost of fortification for the dedicated CMDRs who do it every week.

Thoughts?

 

[Ant_Solo]

I hate all these ideas. Grinders are going to grind, any mechanic designed to hand hold will stagnate Powerplay.

This idea will simply make it harder to undermine those powers that have a very large player base.

Also, it only works for half the powers, the other half bring supplies from the control systems to the HQ to fortify.

 

[Corrigendum]

Also, it only works for half the powers, the other half bring supplies from the control systems to the HQ to fortify.

This part unfortunately caveat kills this idea. There would need to be some mechanic that would overcome this issue, otherwise it's DOA.

stagnate Powerplay

I'm not so concerned about Powerplay becoming stagnated as I am about Powerplay stagnating the rest of Elite. Don't get me wrong, I have really enjoyed Powerplay, but I'm in a relative minority. Since Powerplay was introduced, the characters of Elite have stagnated. The fact players can now 'support' a given political leader should not mean that said leader has no agenda for his or her faction. Yet none have made any effort to guide followers for the past 7 months. But that's a rant for another thread...

 

[Rubberboots]

Also, it only works for half the powers, the other half bring supplies from the control systems to the HQ to fortify.

I always forget about this. Good point. Though perhaps if the other sorts ran out of supply once fortified... Anyway.

As for the rest, (not that it matters, because this one good point is sufficiently devastating but...) I don't think it would make any difference regarding the (already significant) gap between low and high population powers. Also... that's one of the issues with powerplay in general that I'd like to see them trying to fix. At some point they have to address the fact that some powers have really attractive bonuses and others have worthless bonuses...

[Edit:
I have to further comment...

Powerplay is ALREADY stagnant. Grinders will grind--sure--but good design doesn't *encourage* unhelpful grinding, which the current design does. Something needs to change.]

 

[Alexander the Grape]

If this is implemented, players would simply swap fortification between two useless systems, leading to infinite merits for free