General Introduce a new way for players to support the Thargoids

[Vandal_Stormovik]

My request / suggestion is to have a means for players to interact with the Thargoid incursions which helps the Thargoids. This isn't a pie in the sky, because it has existed in the past.

Back at the end of 3302 I started a player minor faction which had a detailed backstory about how it was a cult of sorts that secretly worshiped a far god that created the Thargoids as the angels of this god. I thought it made sense and developed it quite a bit in the early days of ED. It was approved as a minor faction by Frontier Dev (called the Pleiades Concordat), with the background as described. This is long before the Thargoids arrived....its when they were just hinted at. Back when players could right independent posts for Galnet and in part build-out the story, two articles were published in Dec 3302 (the first by myself, and the next from BuckeyBall Race Club) which showed their first steps into the official universe. Since then the concept has continued to grow until Frontier Dev took the ball and ran with it in the Far God story-line. That's the background...now the proposal.

Since its inception, those who have supported the Thargoids have had methods to disrupt the activities leading up to and during the 1st thargoid invasion of this game. Whether it be defending barnacle sites or unidentified objects from predation by other players, or UA bombing at community goals trying to fight the Thargoids, or simple by hunting ships who are hunting Thargoids.

However, with the removal of UA bombing, and then a rewrite on the Thargoid encounter process, and then the reduction in community goals related to the Thargoids (or at least ones where we could take the opposing side and help the Thargoids), there is now very little left for us Far God worshipers to do to help the cause.

So, I am asking for some sort of mechanic (either something like the above, or something new) to be added which allows an avenue for Far God worshipers to affect the galaxy in some way that helps the Thargoids. This could be a Power Play faction of Far God worshipers (could even be based on the Pleiades Concordat for that matter), or a means to resist more clearly in the community goals, or a way to enter into the "hot zones" and not be harassed by Thargoids (like a friend or foe transmitter sort of like the conflict zone mechanic works, or as a purchasable only to a pledged cmdr.

Thanks for even considering this

CMDR Vandal Stormovik
Pleiades Concordat

 

[EdzUp]

Good idea the original Elite had ships which would fight alongside Thargoids so this would be a viable option to that, pledged Cmdrs would get the beacon which automatically marks them as hostile in all known space. This would make an exciting dangerous PP faction and one that would garner a lot of support and would reinvigorate PP which is just seen as bickering children in a playground.

 

[gorankar]

As long as pledging to the Goids makes one wanted in every human controlled system, I am for it. In return, perhaps give the goidpledged a system permit or three over in the currently system locked Col sector, complete with a few stations.

One big problem with this, is that it would require either weapon re balancing, or NPC difficulty balancing. Otherwise a few cmdrs could enter an AX CZ and wipe out, or cause to flee every AX outfit ship in the CZ as they would have little ability to defend against both goids, and human ships at the same time. Make AX weapons as effective against human ships as goid ships, or, make human NPC ships that come in on the side of goid hunters as tough and numerous as goid ships.

I am not against adding this game play, but it would be tough to balance.

 

[space voyager]

A plea to the Thargoid worshipers. Please don't help Thargoids by actively fighting alongside them against players defending Humanity. Sadly an anti--Thargoid ship is completely ineffective against Human ships so it really is NOT a fair fight.

Also, Thargoids are not real and destroying one will not impact the game universe, so your actions are only annoying. Unless this is your main goal, naturally.

 

[gorankar]

A plea to the Thargoid worshipers. Please don't help Thargoids by actively fighting alongside them against players defending Humanity. Sadly an anti--Thargoid ship is completely ineffective against Human ships so it really is NOT a fair fight.

Also, Thargoids are not real and destroying one will not impact the game universe, so your actions are only annoying. Unless this is your main goal, naturally.

Annoying as it is to be driven from an AX CZ or NHSS by some one in a PvP outfit ship, there are legitimate role play reasons for people to join a goid cult and try to mow down people killing their "angels" or "gods". The problem is implementation. I don't think any one is happy with the current implementation. Goidlovers have to hang out in supercruise and attack AX outfit ships coming of going from AX CZ's or NHSS, since the goids kill without regard for affiliation currently. As well as the problem of PvP outfit ship being at an extreme advantage over AX outfit ships. So, again, balancing all of this in any sort of lore friendly way would be a right pain, so like as not, Fdev will leave it as it is. Not sure I can really blame them for it either.

 

[Bigmaec]

If in an AX vessel you should be in a heavily armoured and shielded vessel.
Under this circumstances it's totally viable and possible to simply jump away.
While I actively hunt thargoids I think it's annoying the plot is railroaded and I fully understand the wish of thargoid friends for gameplay that favors them.
It's a game after all.
I had several run-ins with HALT and all were thrilling and interesting encounters.

 

[Azmuth Divarchchron]

Considering that humans started this war and that thargoids have only ever been acting in retaliation and self defense i am in full support of finding a way to support the thargoids

 

[space voyager]

Annoying as it is to be driven from an AX CZ or NHSS by some one in a PvP outfit ship, there are legitimate role play reasons for people to join a goid cult and try to mow down people killing their "angels" or "gods". The problem is implementation. I don't think any one is happy with the current implementation. Goidlovers have to hang out in supercruise and attack AX outfit ships coming of going from AX CZ's or NHSS, since the goids kill without regard for affiliation currently. As well as the problem of PvP outfit ship being at an extreme advantage over AX outfit ships. So, again, balancing all of this in any sort of lore friendly way would be a right pain, so like as not, Fdev will leave it as it is. Not sure I can really blame them for it either.

All true. Except that I don't see the balancing part as such a pain - just make Thargoids vulnerable to the same weapons as Humans. Solves everything. Or, if this is such a problem, introduce new weaponry that affects both without synthesis.

If in an AX vessel you should be in a heavily armoured and shielded vessel.
Under this circumstances it's totally viable and possible to simply jump away.
While I actively hunt thargoids I think it's annoying the plot is railroaded and I fully understand the wish of thargoid friends for gameplay that favors them.
It's a game after all.
I had several run-ins with HALT and all were thrilling and interesting encounters.

Yes, heavily armoured and shielded, except that the best moment for the T-gankers to attack is - as gorankar wrote - after you get out of the NHSS. Usually a lot of those defences are gone at that moment, sometimes you're running for your life from the T already. Though I did get a NHSS visitor several times, attacking me with the Thargoid. All I can tell you us that there is NOTHING more beautiful than a Thargoid-lightning-lit ganker's ship. I destroyed the ganker by ramming him afterwards. This was the only time I ever destroyed another commander.

That said, I would absolutely love to see a Thargoid-friendly gameplay. A way to interact with them and have missions to and by them.

 

[Ouberos]

I've long advocated leaving the Xenos alone. This includes the Guardians too and I don't have any Guardian tech on my ships for this reason (Rumours that I just can't be bothered with understanding the grind are totally unfounded)

I have succesfully defended an Anarchy port I called home once against Thargoids and was on the Gnosis during its infamous invasion attempt (#neverforget) but I wouldn't consider myself a Thargoid killer (Only ever killed scouts and never farmed barnacles myself). If they leave me alone I will leave them alone.

I do like an RP centred play style and I for one support this initiative.

Please FD show some interest in what your players are creating.

 

[Vandal_Stormovik]

A plea to the Thargoid worshipers. Please don't help Thargoids by actively fighting alongside them against players defending Humanity. Sadly an anti--Thargoid ship is completely ineffective against Human ships so it really is NOT a fair fight.

Also, Thargoids are not real and destroying one will not impact the game universe, so your actions are only annoying. Unless this is your main goal, naturally.

As mentioned in the original post, this decision to make a Thargoid worshiping faction predates the introduction of Thargoids to the game. It has always been a heavily role-play based group and had even amalgamated with HALT for a time while they were active. They went inactive because of the changes to the game play made it very hard to support the Thargoids without just being gankers. While attacking an anti-Thargoid ship may be seen as an unfair fight by some, it is no different then a player that strips off shields to fit more cargo, or the person who runs an people-hauler with no armament and then pleas that it was unfair when the pirate (player or AI) jumps them.

I think though that the whole point of this recommendation is to provided dedicated mechanics that allow for supporting the Thargoid cause while making those same players vulnerable to getting attacked on sight by anti-xenos players. Personally, I prefer the Power Play faction option. I am willing to see my own player minor faction morph into a PP faction if it means a way to support Thargoids legitimately. I don't like to be only left with what others presume as ganking as a way of resistance. I always use text macros to indicate my intentions prior to and during an attack.

 

[Bigmaec]

Yes, heavily armoured and shielded, except that the best moment for the T-gankers to attack is - as gorankar wrote - after you get out of the NHSS. Usually a lot of those defences are gone at that moment, sometimes you're running for your life from the T already. Though I did get a NHSS visitor several times, attacking me with the Thargoid. All I can tell you us that there is NOTHING more beautiful than a Thargoid-lightning-lit ganker's ship. I destroyed the ganker by ramming him afterwards. This was the only time I ever destroyed another commander.

That said, I would absolutely love to see a Thargoid-friendly gameplay. A way to interact with them and have missions to and by them.

If I am heavily damaged by a thargoid, I high-wake out instead of low waking. The chances of meeting a HALT vessel if you choose your destination beforehand are very slim. If you low wake in a known AX battlefield, with HALT CMDRs ambushing you in supercruise, I guess you did something wrong.

 

[Florenus]

The problem I see with many things mentioned in comments (OP does not seem to suggest such things as Thargoid given missions or joining their fleet) is that would mean that humans are able to communicate with Thargoids and understand eachother.

I would prefer Thargoids to remain alien - not some faction you could join.

At least now, when someone plays as Thargoid supporter, it has a non obvious side to it. You need to accept that Thargoids don't care about you and if you're helping them, you're doing it for your own reasons, not because of rewards.

 

[Vandal_Stormovik]

No, I'm not suggesting that there should be an actual mechanism to ally with them. That just doesn't make sense to have in-game. I love it when I "save" some Thargoids from a human AX and then have the Thargoids immediately attack me. To stay in role-play, I go pacifist on them and just try to run away....sometimes spectacularly failing and getting killed by the Thargoids. I have no problem with the Thargoids being oblivious to the humans that seem to help them out. I am suggesting a faction / mechanic that allows a player to be labeled as pro-Thargoid and work against the efforts to defend against them, which provides something interesting for them to do.

 

[Nasc]

As long as pledging to the Goids makes one wanted in every human controlled system, I am for it. In return, perhaps give the goidpledged a system permit or three over in the currently system locked Col sector, complete with a few stations.

As a bonus, that could give an extra area of stations/bases etc to trade for people 'neutral' in the conflict. Flip side of that being any specific weapons/ships and what have you are unavailable.

 

[Nadreck]

While I'm not opposed to the idea of letting players support the Thargoids, the Thargoids themselves are supposedly isolationist and xenophobic (though strangely selective in their agression). Hard to imagine them trusting and working with humans.

I suppose an analogy would be a conservationist working to protect lions, tigers, sharks, cobras or whatever. The creatures they're protecting don't really appreciate the loyalty of the conservationist, it's a one-way relationship.

However, other conservationists would. So maybe that's a way forward: renounce humanity and pledge to the Far God, and you become hostile throughout known human space. But friendly to other Far God supporters, who have hidden bases for you to operate from (possibly in systems locked by the Pilots Federation). The Thargoids are intelligent enough not to attack such bases, even if they don't fully understand why humans based there only attack other humans.

As you gain the equivalent of Naval ranks, Far God hackers disable the permit-locks to open up more systems, and the Thargoids themselves start to realise that you are not a threat and won't attack you. But nor will they let you use their facilities, ever.

 

[Vandal_Stormovik]

I like it

 

[Drelthar]

If guardian weapons were a bit better Vs humans (relative to engineered human weapons) this would be ace.

Guardian weapons aren't "bad" against human ships, it's more that engineering of weapons makes them look bad.

 

[Bryan K]

I get the feeling the Thargoids don’t want help from any humans. They likely see us as vermin, just as most of us see them as overgrown bugs. It’d be a bit immersion breaking to see them accept human traitors, imo.

 

[Bigmaec]

I get the feeling the Thargoids don’t want help from any humans. They likely see us as vermin, just as most of us see them as overgrown bugs. It’d be a bit immersion breaking to see them accept human traitors, imo.

Human factions offering missions for them though... religious fanatics are in the year 3306 propably, too.

 

[Bryan K]

Human factions offering missions for them though... religious fanatics are in the year 3306 propably, too.

True, if anything humanity got dumber in the intervening centuries.