Indeed - noting that it still doesn't require any player to play in Open to engage in it.
Yet the Open only proponents expect everyone else to match their preferred, but optional, gameplay preference?
Some powers are simply small because they don't appeal to people. If you join Power discords you can get a decent idea yourself, and map power progress to what players are tasked with.
It depends on how you look at it- those who play to push the strategic metagame and those who want rewards. V2 has great rewards (probably the best out of the game and ongoing for 'free') so this line will blur (especially so when any activity counts). Given too that module access is linked to being pledged (as in, buying more) you might have many more players- at least until they reach Tier 11 care package level.
Powerplay also has areas of interest to funnel players- V1 was the control system, capital and expansion. V2 also has them, plus strongholds as well as organically arising pressure point systems coupled with tug of war (and not 100% and done) mechanics. So if we were talking about being spread over the entire galaxy I'd agree, but its not. Established power groups will still push, the only difference is you'll have other non-aligned players elsewhere too.
The polls that asked the question saw that those lost would have been replaced twice over. In the end if its open / weighted or not, the feature has to be consistent otherwise it will end up like V1.
But it does support direct competition between people on equal footing with you. Unless NPCs act like players thats not going to happen in Powerplays strategic game.
For those who choose to abide by out-of-game rules, certainly.
It remains to be seen how much interest, and at what level of challenge, NPCs will take in those pledged when going about their business. Noting that Powerplay 2.0 seems to be "simply playing the game while pledged" (with twelve teams in opposition).
Shall we do away with every ship bar a T-9 and have no undermining in Powerplay so that everything is 'fair'- becoming the CQC of hauling?
We will just have to see. The balance FD have to strike is NPCs that affect players enough to be actually worthwhile existing. And as stated earlier that has to scale, otherwsie solo will be the easier of the modes and be detrimental to the PvP aspects like UM kills and PP FC sabotage.
We're way beyond the days of a single ship with few loadout options. Noting that limiting Powerplay 2.0 to specific (and carefully crafted) loadouts per ship would likely go a long way to equalising the challenge.
Nor is it likely to - noting that some players are not any fun at all to play alongside. Put differently NPCs aren't programmed to follow some particularly poor player behaviours.
Indeed - noting that the players remain completely optional as ever.
I think thats the general idea- from what I can remember, one idea was a pool of money is shared between pledges- so if you have 10 you have a tenth and if you have a hundred its a hundreth share. So if you are after rewards (I think ARX was seen) smaller powers will be less competitive.
Indeed - and they should scale to challenge all participants, i.e. those in the G5 murderboats [edit: in any game mode] that don't face any real challenge from anything but a skilled player in a similar ship (and even then, given the complaints about top tier PvP taking too long, effectively optional even then).
But thats the only way you'd ever have everything in total balance. Even with careful loadouts you'd never achieve it.
How is NPC behaviour better when the ultimate aim (and worst they can do) is shoot you down? The only difference is the NPCs don't actually risk anything or strategize.
But the task is still the same- destroy.
Yup, there are ARX rewards.
You do have them right now outside of PP- the military courier ships (and some other transports).
If you are Maverick you get a cool beelion and 1000 ARX too, along with whatever you already get tier wise (if nothing changes from that UI screenie)Yup, there are ARX rewards.
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Looks like I'll be supporting either Antal or Granny Torval then
No clue whatsoever - that'd be for those more skilled in the art to develop a working compromise that favoured neither the hunter group nor the hauler group.
They don't salt-mine in the way that some players obviously do, their taunts are fixed and have been seen so many times they can be ignored, they don't toy with their prey either.
Indeed, abiding by Frontier's rules of engagement. Noting that, unlike players, NPCs are not optional.
While I agree things like excessively fruity banter should be blockable (I thought it was already?) I'm not exactly getting the 'toying' part- in PP at least because its about efficency. But then I'd be fine if non pledges were blockable.
Which are? Shoot until they are exploded? The problem PP NPCs have is they inherited EDs weaknesses from the wider game and don't take enough chances.
But how though? To pair you'd need far too many variables- Clipper V Viper Mk 4? FDL V Cutter? Eagle V Hauler? What weapons and TTK would be acceptable / cargo acceptable?
