I don't know if this goes against the grain of the game or if it is too far fetched but here it is. I have posted this in similar form in a different thread but this may be the right forum to post once more before I leave it alone.
My observation: Community goals are focal points for players and a stage for PVPers to do their thing. Often this PVP does not fit into any role and is fairly meaningless. You won't find many traders even in trade CGs because of fears of being attacked by PVPers.
I'm sure you can pick holes in the following but too much detail hides the general idea that I'd like to get across with this suggestion: PVPers can kill each other without penalty and can earn credits with it; traders, miners and explorers are protected by PVPers because it is in their interest to do so. CGs should be teaming with all sorts of players working together with PVPers shooting each other to their hearts content.
Main points
Some more details on "system supremacy"
Each day, the following statistics is collected continuously for each faction with such a mission within each system they have engaged in:
Live stats should be visible in-game so you can see what impact you are having. At any point in time the faction with the highest total value has 'system supremacy' and players who have accepted such a mission get a payout. The payout is calculated daily and proportional to the time supremacy was upheld during the day. A bonus is applied proportionally to the number of traders, miners and explorers who have visited the system and sold their goods there. The payout is then distributed to all participating commanders equally. It is in the interest of each faction to keep traders, miners, explorers and all other 'clean' commanders alive.
Maybe this can all tie into the BGS somehow.
My observation: Community goals are focal points for players and a stage for PVPers to do their thing. Often this PVP does not fit into any role and is fairly meaningless. You won't find many traders even in trade CGs because of fears of being attacked by PVPers.
I'm sure you can pick holes in the following but too much detail hides the general idea that I'd like to get across with this suggestion: PVPers can kill each other without penalty and can earn credits with it; traders, miners and explorers are protected by PVPers because it is in their interest to do so. CGs should be teaming with all sorts of players working together with PVPers shooting each other to their hearts content.
Main points
- Smack down hard on PVP murder of clean ships. Make it so inconvenient and expensive that murder and even shooting at clean ships becomes rare. Murder and piracy in anarchy systems is fine though. Clean ships in Open should feel (fairly) safe with a tolerable risk.
- Make PVP among PVP oriented players meaningful. Allow PVPers to join a minor faction and to pick up a perpetual mission to "establish system supremacy" (see below) for that faction with the objective to kill other commanders who have accepted such a mission for a different faction. The commander name is tagged with the faction name and engaging or killing an opposing commander does not incur murder penalties. Of course, this mission is only available in Open.
Some more details on "system supremacy"
Each day, the following statistics is collected continuously for each faction with such a mission within each system they have engaged in:
| Value of opposing faction player ships destroyed | |
| minus: | Value of the faction's own player ships lost |
| minus: | Value of all 'clean' commander ships not belonging to a faction destroyed within the system (by NPCs or otherwise) |
Live stats should be visible in-game so you can see what impact you are having. At any point in time the faction with the highest total value has 'system supremacy' and players who have accepted such a mission get a payout. The payout is calculated daily and proportional to the time supremacy was upheld during the day. A bonus is applied proportionally to the number of traders, miners and explorers who have visited the system and sold their goods there. The payout is then distributed to all participating commanders equally. It is in the interest of each faction to keep traders, miners, explorers and all other 'clean' commanders alive.
Maybe this can all tie into the BGS somehow.