Novel suggestion: Stop Making The Game Lie To Players

[Martin Schou]

The game lies to its players. I don't mean "feature X doesn't do what it claims". I mean the game is outright lying to the players. And it's doing it in embarrassingly stupid ways.

Most egregious is Galnet news. Here is a screenshot of a Galnet that is completely wrong:

The first number is the power's balance for the current cycle. This number is correct for all powers.

The Second number is what is considered the "default" balance of a power. It is Income - Overheads - Upkeep.

This is what Galnet claims (I've sorted the power's by name):

Aisling Duval	-390
Edmund Mahon	+643
Arissa Lavigny-Duval	-188
Felicia Winters	-90
Denton Patreus	-963
Zachary Hudson	-66
Li Yong-Rui	-22
Zemina Torval	-573
Pranav Antal	-83
Archon Delaine	-729
Yuri Grom	-615

These are pretty much all incorrect.

Here are the correct numbers, and I'll show how you end up at them:

Power	Income	Overheads	Upkeep	Balance
Aisling Duval	7,151	4,533	2,207	+411 (Difference of 801)
Edmund Mahon	9,462	6,148	2,651	+663 (Difference of 20)
Arissa Lavigny-Duval	7,656	5,589	2,235	-168 (Difference of 20)
Felicia Winters	3,632	2,415	1,287	-70 (Difference of 20)
Denton Patreus	4,463	2,270	1,210	+983 (Difference of 1,946)
Zachary Hudson	4,255	3,056	1,245	-46 (Difference of 20)
Li Yong-Rui	3,879	2,723	1,155	-2 (Difference of 20)
Zemina Torval	2,379	880	906	+593 (Difference of 1,166)
Pranav Antal	4,348	2,886	1,359	+103 (Difference of 186)
Archon Delaine	3,545	1,749	1,055	+741 (Difference of 801)
Yuri Grom	6,160	3,912	1,582	+666 (Difference of 1,281)

There are some obvious patterns. They all seem to be off by 20 + something, and if they're off by enormous amounts, it's basically that Galnet is claiming a defict where none exist. And that's due to the language used. Case in point - Denton Patreus:

Current command capital reserves are calculated at 1230. Without further fortification, this will convert to a DEFICIT of 963 next cycle. [...] Denton Patreus is looking at a SHORTFALL in the CC reserve to the tune of 963 next cycle.

Deficit and shortfall are both terms used to denote negatives. So it's a balance of -963 CC.

Worst of all - THIS IS NOT A NEW PROBLEM.

PowerPlay has been around for 438 weeks. That's more than 8 years. And somehow Frontier is STILL incapable of doing basic maths to help the game's players.

This is not advanced stuff. This is basic word problem maths. The stuff you learn in 2nd grade. How can a company of game developers be THIS BAD at such simple things?

 

[Element Priest]

So, A list of names??????........

 

[Greasetrap42]

This is not advanced stuff.

This is not advanced stuff.

a) Nobody really likes click bait titles. Maybe call the thread what its about?

b) Format a chart so when displayed so it is easy to read.

c) Claiming a video game is lying to its players sounds like the post is written teenager having a tantrum.

d) Don't edit your Original Post. How are people supposed to respond to an OP that is changing?

 

[Tyres O'Flaherty]

I'm confused. Is this doom ?

 

[Martin Schou]

c) Claiming a video game is lying to its players sounds like the post is written teenager having a tantrum.

d) Don't edit your Original Post. How are people supposed to respond to an OP that is changing?

C) Not a teenager, but tantrum? Sort of. I've been complaining about this level of incompetence for at least seven years, and that include that particular bug. I've filed it as a but report probably half a dozen times over the years, and every single time it's ignore. I think I've earned the right to throw a tantrum over it.

D) I accidentally submitted the post when it was maybe 20% done. It was missing the picture (I hadn't gotten around to stitch it together) and the first table only said "Aisling, Mahon, ALD". How would you, oh esteemed master of communication, suggest I handle that? Delete the post and create a new one? Create a reply with the remains of the post? Or the obvious one of editing the post to actually make a proper one?

 

[rootsrat]

[modhat]
Moved to Powerplay forums.

 

[HappyMoonMonkey]

Tantrum aside, as a new densine of powerplay I was rather disappointed that the powerplay news on galnet was not even remotely accurate.
I'm going back to building huge complex spreadsheets. As a geek I like this. As a game player it feels utterly unnecessary. And probably beyond the comprehension of most of the player base.

 

[professor hex]

Tantrum aside, as a new densine of powerplay I was rather disappointed that the powerplay news on galnet was not even remotely accurate.
I'm going back to building huge complex spreadsheets. As a geek I like this. As a game player it feels utterly unnecessary. And probably beyond the comprehension of most of the player base.

Get involved in your preferred powerplay community. You will find this work has already been done. Powerplay only works as a community game. o7

 

[HappyMoonMonkey]

Get involved in your preferred powerplay community. You will find this work has already been done. Powerplay only works as a community game. o7

I can see that it seems to be well understood but unravelling how some of those mechanics really work and interact with other factors in the galactic landscape had taken me a bit of time. There's a surface level to Powerplay as explained by the game which as OP points out is inaccurate in places. And the basic mechanics are fine. But to truly understand it strategically is not simple. As ever, the game doesn't help players there.

 

[Darrack]

But to truly understand it strategically is not simple. As ever, the game doesn't help players there.

The basics are simple, as a soloer i just fortify and a few other bits.
Deeper stuff is meant to be more difficult and in a group which is where it is preferable to join a factions PP group for help, advice and coordination.

O7

 

[professor hex]

I can see that it seems to be well understood but unravelling how some of those mechanics really work and interact with other factors in the galactic landscape had taken me a bit of time. There's a surface level to Powerplay as explained by the game which as OP points out is inaccurate in places. And the basic mechanics are fine. But to truly understand it strategically is not simple. As ever, the game doesn't help players there.

There are several games within the game that require a community of players to figure out, also BGS and AX.