Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Neither of us do.
Games change, yes - sometimes to give PvE players more options rather than less (e.g. Ultima Online).
PLEASE MAKE POWERPLAY IN "OPEN ONLY"
- Thread starter CMDR KOBAL
- Start date
Games change, yes - sometimes to give PvE players more options rather than less (e.g. Ultima Online).
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
If it was designed as a PvP feature why does it not particularly reward PvP and why is it implemented in all three game modes?
Hard to say its designed for PvP when it entirely revolves around PvE.
But you accept that games do change, sometimes in ways you don't like?
You said necessitates skill and teamwork. Well, i'm not the most skillful, and as i mentioed, my playtime is erratic.
How many people are willing to team up knowing the person they are with could have to log at any time.
Someone is escorting me to my destination, then sorry, time to log. So they go on their merry way. 30 mins later, im logging back on and they are already doing something else. So, do i sit and wait while i send out a request for someone else to come and join me?
I have to be self-sufficient and can't rely on teamwork, and if teamwork is necessary, then i'm boned.
Fortunately i don't think teamwork is necessary as long as i fly something sensible.
Well Sandro and underlings saw its future as something different.
Dude, we are talking about ED here, it happens frequently.
Like various changes to satisify PvPers to the detriment of PvEers. Example: missile nerf.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Sometimes they do - and the prospect of the game changing in ways we don't like applies to both of us.
And we have plenty of changes that would have made outfitting richer that were shouted down for no good reason other than 'waaahhhh!'. Shields & HRP rebalancing, linking sensors to gimbals....sensible gameplay suggestions shot apart for what exactly?
But change in this case is in response to a failed design, where the only solutions on offer are either keep it unchanged (= zombie feature), merit weighting (better) or Open that allows a lot of extra possibilities for free?
Unless FD come up with another new plan, thats all we have to work with and talk about.
Reward balance is totally a different question, because it involves potential exploiting.
What proof do you have that merit weighting would be better? What numbers do you have that show it would benefit the whole player base, including solo players. All we have right now is rhetoric and declaiming.
Um, if (even a sizable minority of console) players need to pay extra to upgrade their subscription, then surely it is not free.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
Those are not the only options nor the only possible outcomes.
All but one of Sandro's proposals could be implemented - which would change the way that the feature works. Those seem to be non-contentious.
Either merit weighting or PvP-gating the feature would very likely remain contentious among the subset of the player-base that don't PvP and don't consider that playing in Open deserves a participation reward.
You do know you can send messages to friendly ships right, and that if you are playing a part in the plan they'll help you regardless of winging whenever you pop up?
In an Open Powerplay there would be no close escort, since predators would congregate at the end point of hauling (your capital), or be in expansions. UM would be random from your point of view, but from station and PP tab reports / common sense you would know what is being hit.
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
If players can collude to receive rewards for contested interactions uncontested then at least some of them will - which usually means that they get significantly nerfed.
Weighting would reward people for taking more risks in Open, and not taking the easy path of Solo where the danger is much less. It would be one way to prevent AFK turretboat / heal beam farming in PG as well. You can still do that in Open for full merits, but then you risk discovery and destruction.
With weighting Solo players will still be able to contribute and not need a sub. Its not perfect but at least plugs a hole in Powerplays design. It also rewards players who stick to Open.
Well, duh of course its not free in that case.
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What other proposals have FD given us? What other options do we have?
The changes bar the last one would plug holes in the design, but they would not make Powerplay any different to play. And as we know its not a hugely popular feature as it is. So, do you blindly hope a failed design with an exhausted gamespace gets better by keeping it the same? Or do you try and change it to give it some life and re purpose it as cheaply as possible?
It is YOUR choice to play in a mode (open) which you consider harder (er more dangerous). You made that choice knowing that there were no benefits for doing so. People who play in PG or in Solo made the same choice, knowing the rewards were the same. This is fair because not everybody has the same skill potential. They paid the same for the game, they get the same from it.
You propose to change that.
You are wrong.
And it's you that said the change would be free, saying "Well, duh" is disingenuous and doesn't help your case. Or perhaps you meant to say it would be free to people who already play in open?
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
The contention was that there were only three options - leave it be; merit bonus or Open only. That omitted the option to carry out all but the most contentious of the changes.
If depends on which part of the player-base Frontier wants to alienate - given that they would seem to be in a "neither option is without risk" situation.
