What about this?
Fortifying: there is none. What you say? No merits either? Crazy. All modes? Insane. Optional pledging? Really?
Powers are 'dissolved' down, and only exist as USS- double crazy!
The concept is to add Powerplay as a 'sidegrade' to the BGS, and that although competitive it does not grind players into the floor.
You don't pledge like you do currently- you have to prove your worth by doing an 'induction' mission.
Every power is located on a megaship that moves each BGS cycle tick. If you are pledged, you automatically know the next location. If not, you must scan its data points for the same info. Be aware the latter (if discovered) is illegal and will make you hostile- thats the cost of spying. The ships next jump is within the main human bubble, and that FD set its route.
These phantom powers undertake activity behind the scenes in an abstraction of pan bubble activity, either cart about agitators, diplomats etc.
What is your job?
Well, one way is to wreck other shadow powers. You go to the victims megaship and scan datapoints, or pirate data cores from general power traffic that is generated in that system for that tick. That then generates a time limited window where a PP USS appears, like a wing mission. Once they are over or the last player leaves, they collapse and are removed. These missions will also be varied, so for a UM mission on an Imperial shadow power, you could be looting a valuable cargo, killing a VIP etc, a base strike etc.
These PP USS will behave like a cross between a pirate attack USS and a CZ. You would have low med and high. Your objective is to 'win' that CZ, which then grants you (instead of influence) a commendation that raises your standing with that power along with points against the victim power.
You also have weekly missions that have a positive influence as well:
Ferry passengers to locations they ask you to travel to. So, you may have a spy that travels with you for a week, and at random intervals asks you to smuggle them into a station, or scan a certain datapoint. You fail outright if you die with them on board, but can decline that 'stage' 3 times before you fail that way.
Rescue a stranded spy, recover a lifepod or data before the enemy does.
The more commendations you get in total is your powers standing. So the more missions you do, the higher up your power will be on the leaderboard (in the same way squadrons are judged).
As your personal tally commendations grow, you can spend them on perks. Some last for a week (like +50% bounus on bounties) while others are a fixed price (buy that powers module for x amount each time). Perks can only be spent by pledges, and your megaship base is the only place you can 'buy' these items.
5C is impossible, and all effort is rewarded.
It might be that factions over a certain size get 'uprated' to this as a reward (and get taken away if below that threshold), while legacy Powers are permanent.
Fortifying: there is none. What you say? No merits either? Crazy. All modes? Insane. Optional pledging? Really?
Powers are 'dissolved' down, and only exist as USS- double crazy!
The concept is to add Powerplay as a 'sidegrade' to the BGS, and that although competitive it does not grind players into the floor.
You don't pledge like you do currently- you have to prove your worth by doing an 'induction' mission.
Every power is located on a megaship that moves each BGS cycle tick. If you are pledged, you automatically know the next location. If not, you must scan its data points for the same info. Be aware the latter (if discovered) is illegal and will make you hostile- thats the cost of spying. The ships next jump is within the main human bubble, and that FD set its route.
These phantom powers undertake activity behind the scenes in an abstraction of pan bubble activity, either cart about agitators, diplomats etc.
What is your job?
Well, one way is to wreck other shadow powers. You go to the victims megaship and scan datapoints, or pirate data cores from general power traffic that is generated in that system for that tick. That then generates a time limited window where a PP USS appears, like a wing mission. Once they are over or the last player leaves, they collapse and are removed. These missions will also be varied, so for a UM mission on an Imperial shadow power, you could be looting a valuable cargo, killing a VIP etc, a base strike etc.
These PP USS will behave like a cross between a pirate attack USS and a CZ. You would have low med and high. Your objective is to 'win' that CZ, which then grants you (instead of influence) a commendation that raises your standing with that power along with points against the victim power.
You also have weekly missions that have a positive influence as well:
Ferry passengers to locations they ask you to travel to. So, you may have a spy that travels with you for a week, and at random intervals asks you to smuggle them into a station, or scan a certain datapoint. You fail outright if you die with them on board, but can decline that 'stage' 3 times before you fail that way.
Rescue a stranded spy, recover a lifepod or data before the enemy does.
The more commendations you get in total is your powers standing. So the more missions you do, the higher up your power will be on the leaderboard (in the same way squadrons are judged).
As your personal tally commendations grow, you can spend them on perks. Some last for a week (like +50% bounus on bounties) while others are a fixed price (buy that powers module for x amount each time). Perks can only be spent by pledges, and your megaship base is the only place you can 'buy' these items.
5C is impossible, and all effort is rewarded.
It might be that factions over a certain size get 'uprated' to this as a reward (and get taken away if below that threshold), while legacy Powers are permanent.
