If they really want to do this, then they should be paying other players for the privilege. After all, you pay for entertainment, and it's usually not cheap!
Make Solo Powerplay PvE dangerous (targeted interdcitions using existing mechanics)
- Thread starter Rubbernuke
- Start date
If they really want to do this, then they should be paying other players for the privilege. After all, you pay for entertainment, and it's usually not cheap!
Its quite simple Robert- NPCS (and / or players in Open) need to be capable of affecting your play in Powerplay so that you have to be careful. The system I describe ramps up NPC resistance the more you do, so that those who are moving the most are targeted the most- its only you setting your own difficulty.
This is not some veiled grudge against Solo players, of whom I used to be one in my early Powerplay years.
It never was anything about "PvP na-na", its the repetitive nature of a weeks shoot or haul micro mission, over and over and over.
If that is the case, why are you rallying against it? If most people want a PvP mode why are people who don't play the feature or ever going to dictating anything?
Because interdiction is a player skill determinant system. Whilst that is the case, success always needs to be possible. Putting a player into a skill determinant system but secretly making it so that no amount of skill can ever lead to success is terrible game design.
Its not if you know fat ships are a risk, as then you either fit more armour or fly something smaller. However I would prefer FD actually finesse interdiction so that it is more representative- until then interdiction has to be failable, otherwise, whats the point of it?
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Given that some of the players complaining about lack of challenge are in their G5 murderboats, it seems that the challenge posed by NPCs would be targeted better based on the capability of the ship that the player chooses to fly - that way everyone faces an appropriate challenge.
That might not be the intent - however that would seem to be the outcome.
Because even if i dont play it now, i might play it in one month for example. Or two.
And i dont want to play on someone else terms. I want to blaze my own way in whatever mode i chose with no penalty whatsoever. In the pure ED spirit.
As far as i'm concerned it is rather ok-ish now. Granted it could be improved but, not in a mode-only fashion.
However...
The only mode change i would agree with, would be the complete overhaul i mentioned early
That is a PVP only PowerPlay - with absolutely no PVE whatsoever in it. Everything in PP should be dictated by PVP kills.
But mixing it with PVE then offering bonuses for PVE in Open - that's just another desperate call for give me weak targets to shoot at
Yeah, but it has to also not be unwinnable for certain ships, and making the AI meaningfully better would do that to the less agile ones. Y'know, where do we draw the line. Which ships are and aren't allowed to play the interdiction minigame?
And with resistance based on effort, you can- if you want to be a Powerplay ace you can, just be prepared to fight for it with NPCs that scale to your efforts. This is across all modes, so you can do it in solo, work as a group or go into Open.
Logically a rival power would look for who is doing the most, and target them. So if you are an ace, you cop the heat.
Its simpler and less speculative- can ED do what you say, know your ship and generate an equal yet opposing NPC? It seems odd when things like ATR are in the game, which don't scale and just 'are'.
You are right in that its a fine distinction- its having large ships be vulnerable enough so they have to run non meta setups, and that if they do get pulled, they have to have the chops to live for a LW or HW.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Logically a rival Power can deploy a vast number of NPCs to swamp any players that have the temerity to oppose them - but they don't - because it's a game that is meant to be winnable at least some of the time by, I would suggest, most, if not all, players.
ATR would seem to be there specifically to deal with persistent criminal behaviour.
NPCs need to be able to modify player behaviour, otherwise each run (as it is now) is identical. I have never in my years playing Powerplay ever heard of someone being killed by a PP NPC outside of a CZ- its this that is wrong. Danger has to be danger otherwise its pointless.
ATR are there to indeed deal with unlawful PvE players, and are exactly what level persistent Powerplay rivals need to modify a play session- after all, players are murdering other rivals and gaining bounties. A G5 spec ops team, or roving G5 ships should be a response to wanton destruction.
Open only, you mean? rolls eyes
PVP should happen open only - especially in this scenario where kills will have an immediate gain - as in PP merits.
Otherwise people, which are openly sworn enemies, will setup a PG and take turns at killing eachother for mutual benefits - as in fast PP merits
I've seen this behavior happening in other games, even in one where it was an instant banable offence...
I welcomed the changes to Powerplay so you're only attacked (PvE) whilst actively engaged. It was a really good change.
But since I've been active, I'd have to say the threat is non existent. I spent an hour undermining and destroyed 25 targets and only got interdicted once (and I had to help them line up...)
On the delivery, nothing.
When I defected? Nothing.
So I agree. I also agree that the threat should probably ramp up as your merits (both banked and carried) build up. So, a 10k player should get more heat definitely. But actively carrying merits should incur greater wrath, the more you carry the more the wrath.
But since I've been active, I'd have to say the threat is non existent. I spent an hour undermining and destroyed 25 targets and only got interdicted once (and I had to help them line up...)
On the delivery, nothing.
When I defected? Nothing.
So I agree. I also agree that the threat should probably ramp up as your merits (both banked and carried) build up. So, a 10k player should get more heat definitely. But actively carrying merits should incur greater wrath, the more you carry the more the wrath.
it actually does. i suggest you fly, for exampel, a dbe for some time and compare that to the spawn you get flying, for exampel, a corvette. the random npc (/not mission npc) depend on ship flown. a reason why i fly the dbe so often (good mix of spawns) and an eagle so rarely. in a corvette your pirate spawn is condas, condas, condas and fdl/mamba. ah, and a t10 sometimes.
also - the spawn does not take engineering into account, just shiptypes. but it takes into account whether you fit weapons or not.
I was interdicted twice after my last defection... but maybe i'm just unlucky
I thought that, if you were high up in the powers rankings, when you defected, they would send ships after you to "punish" you? Or has that been quietly dropped now?