Powerplay Is PowerPlay dead?

[Calrissian]

Nothing has really moved in the standings in weeks if not a month or two! It just looks like all the Imperial ladies are giving Mahon "favors." ;-)

The Yuri Grom folks were HOT during the competition! What the hell happened?

Well, it is getting nice outside again. Did the steady player base drop?

 

[Flimley]

Some say that the powers have reached equilibrium. And so it's not profitable to expand territories. But I don't know much about it at all !

Flimley

 

[xondk]

Some say that the powers have reached equilibrium. And so it's not profitable to expand territories. But I don't know much about it at all !

Flimley

This does make a good bit of sense really.
But I doubt power play is dead, as such. at least in my book powers have advantages worth fighting for, and for spreading the influence.

 

[Dean Demon]

I wouldn't say that it's dead at all but it does need to be far more involving for most people as they just tend to ignore it, i've been in PP for 95 weeks !! The only reason i use it is because it's the only way to actually feel that something is dangerous in the game and it's also nice that there are enemies out there that want to end my suffering but i'm sure that FDEV will want to expand PP somewhat in the future afterall polictics can be a dangerous game but PP never really feels like you are making any difference.

 

[Calrissian]

Some say that the powers have reached equilibrium. And so it's not profitable to expand territories. But I don't know much about it at all !

Flimley

Hmmm. Equilibrium? I enjoyed the dynamics of it all but it seems that's stopped. What's the point if the players involved aren't willing to push the envelope for a better standing? Fortifying just to get that special weapon? Just undermining enough to get a PowerPlay check?

It's like the Imperials are content as long as they are ahead of the Federal Powers while they're taking their turns with Mahon in bed! The Federal Powers are just holding on after being BGS'ed by the Alliance with the Alliance also pimping the Imperial girls to undermine the Federal Powers. And the rest are just winging it. :-/

 

[Jenner]

I do wish more were done with PP. I'd be much more interested in it if were fleshed out.

 

[Calrissian]

I wouldn't say that it's dead at all but it does need to be far more involving for most people as they just tend to ignore it, i've been in PP for 95 weeks !! The only reason i use it is because it's the only way to actually feel that something is dangerous in the game and it's also nice that there are enemies out there that want to end my suffering but i'm sure that FDEV will want to expand PP somewhat in the future afterall polictics can be a dangerous game but PP never really feels like you are making any difference.

I was hoping for some PowerPlay changes in this update to make things more dynamic. I hope frontier is working on it.

Like....Why have a Dropship if there are no troop forces to insert or land at an objective? Could you imagine taking over territory and/or stations with troop movements and boarding parties!instead of propaganda?

 

[meneldil]

was it ever alive

 

[Infidel Deity]

On a respirator?

 

[Arkadi]

I think it's quite in the same situation as the whole game. It has bare bones and lots of potential but no meat to it.

It's the same for exploreres.

It's the same for traders.

It's the same for pirates.

It's similar for the BGS and PvP (but maybe it's a bit better there)


It's the same in most parts and edges of the game.

Lovecraft:

“That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.”

...

so to wind this useless response down to something:

Powerplay is: alive. it has plenty of players around. especially the empire is going strong. there is drama evolving in spite of poor mechanics. it could be much better. but it's for some people still the most engaging part of the game (compare to explorers who think jumping through an enormous universe of sameness is the most engaging part of the game... powerplayers are of the same kind... it's only a cycle of endless preparaion-expansion-fortification cycles...)

so not dead. not alive. drama? yes! solid and finished game? not really.. working? yes! satisfying: probably

edit: also for most powers it is possible to combine BGS and powerplay. There are only one or two powers (one is Hudson) that have such (censored) bad favorable systems that they can't help theire game with any BGS work really. That should be fixed...

 

[Calrissian]

I think it's quite in the same situation as the whole game. It has bare bones and lots of potential but no meat to it.

It's the same for exploreres.

It's the same for traders.

It's the same for pirates.

It's similar for the BGS and PvP (but maybe it's a bit better there)


It's the same in most parts and edges of the game.

Lovecraft:

“That is not dead which can eternal lie,
And with strange aeons even death may die.”

...

so to wind this useless response down to something:

Powerplay is: alive. it has plenty of players around. especially the empire is going strong. there is drama evolving in spite of poor mechanics. it could be much better. but it's for some people still the most engaging part of the game (compare to explorers who think jumping through an enormous universe of sameness is the most engaging part of the game... powerplayers are of the same kind... it's only a cycle of endless preparaion-expansion-fortification cycles...)

so not dead. not alive. drama? yes! solid and finished game? not really.. working? yes! satisfying: probably

Nice. I was going to join the Imperials (Torval) when she was finally ahead of Mahon (many cycles ago) but I saw that since then, they haven't been doing anything I've noticed except fortifying.

I've been really thinking about just turning the game off until Mahon is no longer in first place and see how long that will be! 3 female powers can't get along well enough to take down one male? I used to run about participating in the dynamics of the conflicts and wars all around human space but man it has been stale for about 6 weeks.

Where's these Aliens for better or for worst already? I'm tired of looking at "Snuggle Time with Mahon" from the Imperials.

 

[Arkadi]

that's the problem the most boring task is fortification ... so join the most boring faction for victory. You can also join the Kumo Crew with Archon Delaine and have some fun!

 

[Calrissian]

that's the problem the most boring task is fortification ... so join the most boring faction for victory. You can also join the Kumo Crew with Archon Delaine and have some fun!

I've been thinking about that too. Push corruption like the Mob! It's just that I was rather enjoying the "Mercenary" thing you know. I just flew about, and worked for the side/cause I believed in. Hasn't been as exciting with everything so content.

I think I'll wait for this Soleme business and then decide after. My Anaconda (Corvette Cruiser Class) can pretty much do a bit of everything in the game. Maybe it's a good time to try some different careers.

- - - Updated - - -

I think the biggest fail of PP is that it lures unorganized solo players into quite obvious activities that in fact tend to hurt the activities of those from the same power who know what they're doing. If FD would have only half of their efforts that went into the presentation (the only convincing part of PP IMO) put into a better explanation of what's actually going on on the PP front pages in game and, even more important, into logical and intuitive gameplay, it would be in a much better shape now. Don't even start about the bugs...

It's still possible to get some fun in PP but joining one of the closed forums of the power of your choice is mandatory. It's a while ago but I would be surprised if that has changed in the meantime.

It isn't perfect for sure, but it does make things interesting as long as a struggle for supremacy is there. That struggle seems to have left IMO with Mahon wearing a green pimp hat!

 

[Calrissian]

Hehehe okaaaay
Seriously, if the 'struggle for supremacy' (as in gaining more territory which is what a new player certainly thinks it is all about) leads to unwanted costs and usually has to be avoided, something is utterly wrong with the whole concept of PP.

Measures need to be in place but I totally get what your saying. I really don't think Frontier planned on this whole 5c business I believe it's called. I didn't expect PowerPlayers to be so wrapped up into accounting (Counting CC's) than thinking like generals in taking territory for staging and/or resources.

The accounting bit is the reason costs are such an issue. I for one would gladly take a deficit in CC's for a place that my group/faction could routinely mine Low Temperature Diamonds from! ;-) Perhaps I should be more understanding of folks that haven't served in the military in retrospect.

 

[Calrissian]

Where you mentioned it, as far as I know these 5c activities were never quite clear if they were intentionally (obviously to hurt an opposing power), done by player who thought they would help their own power by doing the obvious (as suggested by the PP front pages) or just by players who were min-maxing with their personal profit in mind.

I think this puts the finger into the whole nonsense. At one point their was a discussion with one of the developers and some ideas were hurled around how to lower the negative effects from 5c, not sure if that ever led to some results. Whatever, if FD would now completely remove PP from the game I would always remember it as the colorful furuncle with the widest gap between promise and delivery in an otherwise beautiful, albeit not flawless game.

I really would like to play such a game, if I only could find it behind the shiny tapestry.

I trust that they're working on it but I still don't think they expected it. ED is a great game. I just wish the teased elements would be presented regularly already. The "Game of Thrones" seems to have been pruned.

On a lighter note, may I present....Edmund Mahon

[video=youtube;wN0xK6bgQkQ]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wN0xK6bgQkQ[/video]

 

[fergal]

Nothing has really moved in the standings in weeks if not a month or two! It just looks like all the Imperial ladies are giving Mahon "favors." ;-)

The Yuri Grom folks were HOT during the competition! What the hell happened?

Well, it is getting nice outside again. Did the steady player base drop?

Mahon, Torval, Sirius, Antal, Patreus, ALD, Aisling and Grom players won't attack each other.
Thats whats going on with PP.
When 8 out of the 11 Powers are effectively at peace with each other, you get not much happening.

 

[Calrissian]

Mahon, Torval, Sirius, Antal, Patreus, ALD, Aisling and Grom players won't attack each other.
Thats whats going on with PP.
When 8 out of the 11 Powers are effectively at peace with each other, you get not much happening.

Are you kidding me!? 8 Powers against the Federation and Archon Delane? Then It's not a game anymore. Power Play IS dead! The Federation and the Archon must have all the badass people to warrant 8 powers to unite against them. Lol!

I can't believe that 8 powers are being pimped by the Alliance! I thought it was just 3! Lol.

Thinking more about this, 8 powers to beat 3 and 2 of those 3 are still in 5th and 6th place. Looks like Antal, Patreus, and Grom got the short ends of the stick. Yong-Rui backed down from the 3 Imperial ladies, and those ladies are Mahon's Angels.

 

[fergal]

Are you kidding me!? 8 Powers against the Federation and Archon Delane? Then It's not a game anymore. Power Play IS dead! The Federation and the Archon must have all the badass people to warrant 8 powers to unite against them. Lol!

I can't believe that 8 powers are being pimped by the Alliance! I thought it was just 3! Lol.

Thinking more about this, 8 powers to beat 3 and 2 of those 3 are still in 5th and 6th place. Looks like Antal, Patreus, and Grom got the short ends of the stick. Yong-Rui backed down from the 3 Imperial ladies, and those ladies are Mahon's Angels.

The 8 aren't all attacking the other 3, those 8 aren't attacking each other.

Mahon, Torval, Sirius and Antal don't attack anyone (at least thats how its looked from the outside)

Those 4 powers are just "neutral" generally.

Grom seems to be trying to stop Delaines expansions, and ALD seems to be attacking Winters/Hudson.
Outside of these 5 powers, I'm not sure what the other 6 are doing, there is still a lot of fortifying going on.

 

[Calrissian]

Now that I think this all through, I'm not at all against a brand new flower power movement! <PEACE>

Cool music Mr. Calrission... [heart]

Well, it's easy to talk about peace when your on top, standing on the backs of others, and looking down at them. ;-)

Maybe this is a better representation of the Alliance.........Edmund Mahon Xerxes
[video=youtube;1NV9DSykTbo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1NV9DSykTbo[/video]

 

[Ben Ryder]

Subset of

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php/337040-Just-for-Fun-Elite-Dangerous-is-dead!