Modes "Open Play" Should be the Ideal Mode

Bdragon4

B
I was just sitting thinking about it.

Part of the reason why the Play Modes are controversial are because of other issues within the game. However, to make Open-Only really work for the best, a lot of those problems would need to vanish. In this sense, Open Play is actually the best future that the game has, assuming that certain things change.

An ideal Open-Only scenario would look like this:

  1. Combat Logging No longer exists. Instancing issues are mostly non-existent. Dedicated servers allow large numbers of players to be in the same instance.
  2. Progression through the game is balanced and fair. Skill determines progression rather than time spent in-game. There are meaningful rewards for every profession and playstyle, and players earn greater rewards as they go along.
  3. PVP and Combat are balanced. The rewards and losses associated with PvP and Combat fit the skill level of a player. No loss or victory feels easy.
  4. The ship roster is balanced. There are no seemingly perfect or "must buy" ships. There are ships at nearly every price point. No ship ever feels invincible.
  5. Player groups and Multiplayer actions have a huge impact on the game. Players are rewarded sufficiently for all multiplayer activities. Unique rewards can also be found in playing alone. There's a functioning and useful multiplayer element for each playstyle and profession.

These things aren't strictly missing from the game, but to make Open-Only work without having half of the community rage quit will require a lot of work. But if FDEV could pull it off, I'd never log out. Some things that aren't included in this list are the grinding time, credits-per-hour, and such. When a game is balanced so that players feel rewarded for playing, people don't complain about "the grind". At the moment, the game rewards time spent in-game over skill, and it doesn't offer any incentive to participate in riskier activities. For example, a guy in an Eagle could potentially earn only a few pennies for managing to take down an Anaconda, but if he loses, he loses EVERYTHING. Thus the Meta is to turtle-up or run from any dangerous activities. Which then leads to people doing things to get credits to avoid losing everything from fruitless encounters. And That's reinforced by the flowchart-like meta in the ship progression. And it goes on and on and on.

I honestly doubt that any of these will happen, though. I haven't seen any indication that the experience in-game is ever going to change from what it is today.
But, hey, it'd be nice, right?
 

rekurzion

rekurzion
the reason why open is controversial is because of the degenerate demographic of gamers who take pleasure in taking away pleasure from others. do you have a solution to that problem?
 

mastermaniac

M
Progression through the game is balanced and fair. Skill determines progression rather than time spent in-game. There are meaningful rewards for every profession and playstyle, and players earn greater rewards as they go along.
PVP and Combat are balanced. The rewards and losses associated with PvP and Combat fit the skill level of a player. No loss or victory feels easy.
The ship roster is balanced. There are no seemingly perfect or "must buy" ships. There are ships at nearly every price point. No ship ever feels invincible.
Click to expand...
'

I don't want your game. I don't want your balance. I've already had to see innumerable games I've liked utterly destroyed by the endless weekly numbers-tweaks that is "balance," and the endless battle of making everything the same and utterly interchangeable that entails. You want CQC, go play CQC.
 

DeathStroke

Banned
D
Bdragon4 said:
3. PVP and Combat are balanced. The rewards and losses associated with PvP and Combat fit the skill level of a player. No loss or victory feels easy.
Click to expand...

This is why open sucks, and will always suck: NOT EVERYONE LIKES PVP. If someone jumps me while I'm bounty hunting, I can deal with it, but it takes time away from what I was trying to do. Your PVP interruption to me, is equitable to your victims combat logging to you.
 

Sylveria

Sylveria
And, yet another "Oooh look they're taking PP away from PG's/Solo, so let's move in for the kill!" thread.

Yeah, sorry it's not going to happen. FD already knows it would completely ruin this game.

They've already a credibility problem with the proposal to remove PP from the other modes, I doubt seriously they're going to nail the coffin shut.
 

Sylveria

Sylveria
Teague said:
This will ultimately ensure the longevity of the game.
Click to expand...

So you've seen the expiration date?

I don't see how the game's "longevity" has ever been in question, especially given FD's financial reports- which are public, btw.

And yes, this is also a topic that's been discussed ad naseum. Emphasis on the "naseum" bit.
 
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Teague

Teague
Sylveria said:
So you've seen the expiration date?

I don't see how the game's "longevity" has ever been in question, especially given FD's financial reports- which are public, btw.

And yes, this is also a topic that's been discussed ad naseum. Emphasis on the "naseum" bit.
Click to expand...

Depends on ones interpretation of the game I suppose. I’m sure there are people who are still playing Elite 1984. But you’re right, it has indeed been discussed ad nauseam.

Edit- I can’t spell either.
 
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StarfireIX

StarfireIX
Frontier has stated that they will only make PowerPlay an Open-Only system. Anything else is to remain in the other game modes. It is a fantastic change though and I'm curious as to how it will play out in our future expansions and preparation wars in PowerPlay.
 

Kayweg

Kayweg
Sylveria said:
And, yet another "Oooh look they're taking PP away from PG's/Solo, so let's move in for the kill!" thread.

Yeah, sorry it's not going to happen. FD already knows it would completely ruin this game.

They've already a credibility problem with the proposal to remove PP from the other modes, I doubt seriously they're going to nail the coffin shut.
Click to expand...

While i really do agree with you, i can't help but thinking "this is FD".
There's always that other foot to shoot themselves through.
And yes, of course some folks are tasting blood now, that was probably the most predictable result of all this.
 
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Arindor

Arindor
Bdragon4 said:
I was just sitting thinking about it.

Part of the reason why the Play Modes are controversial are because of other issues within the game. However, to make Open-Only really work for the best, a lot of those problems would need to vanish. In this sense, Open Play is actually the best future that the game has, assuming that certain things change.

An ideal Open-Only scenario would look like this:

  1. Combat Logging No longer exists. Instancing issues are mostly non-existent. Dedicated servers allow large numbers of players to be in the same instance.
  2. Progression through the game is balanced and fair. Skill determines progression rather than time spent in-game. There are meaningful rewards for every profession and playstyle, and players earn greater rewards as they go along.
  3. PVP and Combat are balanced. The rewards and losses associated with PvP and Combat fit the skill level of a player. No loss or victory feels easy.
  4. The ship roster is balanced. There are no seemingly perfect or "must buy" ships. There are ships at nearly every price point. No ship ever feels invincible.
  5. Player groups and Multiplayer actions have a huge impact on the game. Players are rewarded sufficiently for all multiplayer activities. Unique rewards can also be found in playing alone. There's a functioning and useful multiplayer element for each playstyle and profession.

These things aren't strictly missing from the game, but to make Open-Only work without having half of the community rage quit will require a lot of work. But if FDEV could pull it off, I'd never log out. Some things that aren't included in this list are the grinding time, credits-per-hour, and such. When a game is balanced so that players feel rewarded for playing, people don't complain about "the grind". At the moment, the game rewards time spent in-game over skill, and it doesn't offer any incentive to participate in riskier activities. For example, a guy in an Eagle could potentially earn only a few pennies for managing to take down an Anaconda, but if he loses, he loses EVERYTHING. Thus the Meta is to turtle-up or run from any dangerous activities. Which then leads to people doing things to get credits to avoid losing everything from fruitless encounters. And That's reinforced by the flowchart-like meta in the ship progression. And it goes on and on and on.

I honestly doubt that any of these will happen, though. I haven't seen any indication that the experience in-game is ever going to change from what it is today.
But, hey, it'd be nice, right?
Click to expand...

Let me see, points 1, 2 and 4 sit perfectly with solo only too. :)
 

Crook

Crook
It's the 'role play' element of the game that causes all the difficulties. On one hand we have players who like to pretend that they are flying a real spaceship, flying about the galaxy. I'm one of them. On the other hand we have players who play Elite like a computer game, where you can shoot and kill other players.

In the real world, we don't all go around killing. I don't mind shooting wanted NPC's or thargoids, but other commanders - no.

The only way everyone can play in open is make it so that you can ONLY kill wanted commanders - and not wanted for 200 cr. Wanted for something big. I would suggest having a class system for wanted - so: Unfriendly, Criminal, Wanted. Murder should be punished by execution of your commander and loss of all credits and ships, putting you back at square one.

Obviously the PVP crowd would hate it, but then within open you could have PVP all you like, just have wanted status for multiple shootings and it's your 'flag' for PVP. But traders and explorers would be ok with the knowledge that a rebuy for them means a sidey for the attacker.

Piracy would have to be rolled into this somehow, with the introduction of non-lethal disabling weapons so you can take cargo without killing if that's your thing, but I also think a countermeasure should be given to traders like a booby trapped cargo pod that you can throw into the mix....
 

CMDR Karrde Sun

CMDR Karrde Sun
6. Have systems in open where players can learn the ropes in safety (many options for this that aren't as blunt as a noob zone).
7. Create incentives for exposure to pvp via increased rewards.

Its simple stuff, other games have been doing it for an eternity.

The only reason a pve player would expose themselves to pvp currently is to be the gameplay for a loud whiny and immature minority. Its not inspiring at all.

Double mission payments? Planets that have nothing but arsenic etc? Wheres the fodder sign up list?
 

Malkano

M
I love threads like this because the open PP crowd said no one would be saying their mode is better or trying to take something away, yet look and behold these threads where you have an OP putting how open is the ideal. It really just goes to show where the slippery slope arguement can be had I mean the proof is kinda right here in this thread.
 
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