There are so many bugs with PP right now its depressing (take a look at the bug forum). Not to mention the disparity between some factions when undermining systems, some are too easy some are downright difficult to do. If they could just make it work as it should, we might get to see it in its full glory.
Powerplay - how would you improve it?
- Thread starter Armour
- Start date
While I'm fairly indifferent about PP. I'd like to see it become more immersive.
I'm not a big fan of the 'Galactic powers' button. It kind of screams "You are playing a game", which is a little jarring in a game that the developers have done quiet well to make a seamless experience with no loading screens. The pilot might as well get a Risk(tm) board out from under his seat and place it on his lap.
I hope that one day PP might become integrated into contacts & missions. If we're one day able to walk around the stations then it'd be fine to go and meet a 'political contact' who connects us to that side of things. That would also make it a little bit more detached as something we can explore and immerse in instead of a menu screen with progress bars on.
I'm not a big fan of the 'Galactic powers' button. It kind of screams "You are playing a game", which is a little jarring in a game that the developers have done quiet well to make a seamless experience with no loading screens. The pilot might as well get a Risk(tm) board out from under his seat and place it on his lap.
I hope that one day PP might become integrated into contacts & missions. If we're one day able to walk around the stations then it'd be fine to go and meet a 'political contact' who connects us to that side of things. That would also make it a little bit more detached as something we can explore and immerse in instead of a menu screen with progress bars on.
Reward PP players with discounts on ships and modules, and get rid of merit decay.
Though I still find the entire new system overwhelming and complex, not to mention difficult to understand / get into, (ED -sorely- needs a proper tutorial system) , I'd say maybe tidy up the starmaps a little?
While I used to feel I had Control where I was in the Galaxy, the new "influence sphere" globes kind of makes Things feel untidy / more difficult to read the starmaps.
In a way I think these new influence clouds clutter things up quite a bit, would be nice to toggle them on and off?
While I used to feel I had Control where I was in the Galaxy, the new "influence sphere" globes kind of makes Things feel untidy / more difficult to read the starmaps.
In a way I think these new influence clouds clutter things up quite a bit, would be nice to toggle them on and off?
Apply the PP structure to the main factions and let these power figures slowly fade away. The fundaments are looking good but without more persistency in the economy and political background simulation I see not much chance to meaningfully improve anything in ED.
Also please overhaul the missions but seriously.
Rankings are also subject to reconsideration.
Also please overhaul the missions but seriously.
Rankings are also subject to reconsideration.
More customization and incentives to go to factions home system ie, rare goods only available to members of faction, other items the faction could spend on such as authority ships to protect members of the faction if attacked in home or controlled systems, special discounts.
Maybe things each faction could build that require members to bring in materials ie build a special station, possibly allowing for warehousing options for members. Capacity allowed to use after warehouse built could be related to rank.
I agree would add flavour if ranks had proper names rather than numbers but doesn't bother me that much.
Rather than being at loggerheads with all other factions maybe allow some kinds of treaties to allow factions to work together against a common enemy.
Splinter factions maybe, where if faction to large eventually it splits into two. Might be needed as they continue to expand. Players then have to choose which they go with.
You could have opposing factions conduct covert missions to try to force a split, that members of the faction need to work against.
More personalities rather than just head of faction could directly get connected to, ie head of controlled system. Maybe they could be bribed with certain goods (particularly proscribed ones). Maybe they could be replaced if found to accept bribes and exposed.
There is a lot of potential to add customisation and story to thing rather than the current take x to y or kill opposing faction members.
Maybe things each faction could build that require members to bring in materials ie build a special station, possibly allowing for warehousing options for members. Capacity allowed to use after warehouse built could be related to rank.
I agree would add flavour if ranks had proper names rather than numbers but doesn't bother me that much.
Rather than being at loggerheads with all other factions maybe allow some kinds of treaties to allow factions to work together against a common enemy.
Splinter factions maybe, where if faction to large eventually it splits into two. Might be needed as they continue to expand. Players then have to choose which they go with.
You could have opposing factions conduct covert missions to try to force a split, that members of the faction need to work against.
More personalities rather than just head of faction could directly get connected to, ie head of controlled system. Maybe they could be bribed with certain goods (particularly proscribed ones). Maybe they could be replaced if found to accept bribes and exposed.
There is a lot of potential to add customisation and story to thing rather than the current take x to y or kill opposing faction members.
1) Completely remove monetary weekly bonuses from ratings.
2) Replace with discounts/ special modules/ weapons etc
3) Merits earned via kills are based on ship size. Very much like how they do it with Combat bonds.
4) Decay should be on a curve. Rating 1,2 should have a much MUCH lower decay rate, while rating 5 should have the highest decay rate (currently what it is now)
5) Merit reward hand-ins (credit) should also be similar to combat bonds. You should get the same reward as combat bonds to keep it in profit and to give incentive to go out to military strikes, instead of just undermining.
6) Remove the ability to simply buy a higher rating.
These would add incentive for players with lives outside of the game to get involved. Right now you are punished if you don't play Elite every moment you get.
2) Replace with discounts/ special modules/ weapons etc
3) Merits earned via kills are based on ship size. Very much like how they do it with Combat bonds.
4) Decay should be on a curve. Rating 1,2 should have a much MUCH lower decay rate, while rating 5 should have the highest decay rate (currently what it is now)
5) Merit reward hand-ins (credit) should also be similar to combat bonds. You should get the same reward as combat bonds to keep it in profit and to give incentive to go out to military strikes, instead of just undermining.
6) Remove the ability to simply buy a higher rating.
These would add incentive for players with lives outside of the game to get involved. Right now you are punished if you don't play Elite every moment you get.
After 2 weeks of it, the idea was good, but it was targeted too high up. I think the best thing is to keep the "Powers", but relocate any direct powerplay activities down from the power to the minor faction, and use relations with minor factions to drive it. Use the existing minor faction missions to determine minor faction status and action and infer certain powerplay-like actions based on the type of mission done for the minor faction, in the given system, add an "Influence" measure which builds as missions complete. Influence is gained along with reputation, but what missions, and how much adds to the influence depends on the politics of the faction, not the credits:
i.e. an assassination mission may be worth 400,000 cr, which adds to reputation and influence alike, the reputation stays the same, which determines type of missions available, but influence wanes over time, or could even be negative, if it's a mission that the faction doesn't really approve of (but a member issued). This then gives a player dilemma of well, it's a lot of credits, but influence will be negative, so do I really want to.
Influence stays as-is if you haven't logged on for a week, but for every 3 days afterward, drops by 10%. nice, simple, clean, no weirdness, no logarithmic buildup. So it's more a "what have you done for our people this week". Influence then drives cross-system actions, which the player can then choose types based on the current state of the relationship with the neighbouring factions, and this then opens up more powerplay-like "Faction Actions" like Trade Agreement (for specific cargo bonuses), Peace Accord (lasts for a week, reduces security presence in both systems), Police Patrol (lasts a week, increases the bounty on hostile attacks, either faction can come to the aid of the other, police patrols are increased at RESes for example), Joint Operation (assist a famine-gripped system, invade somewhere), until enough of these are done to then get a "Friendly" cross faction relationship, and then at a sufficiently friendly rating, one can merge with the other and/or choose a power alignment, which then provides system-specific bonuses. Players donate their current faction influence during the voting cycle, which then gives votes to choose actions, which then expands the minor faction into the system and the Power goes along for the ride. Likewise, undermine, fortify, control actions all take place in inferred actions based on Missions at the minor faction level, and the sum of all of these actions for all relevant factions applies to the Power.
Vote aren't reset to zero at the end of the cycle, they only reset when an Action takes place, so the player can gradually donate influence over a number of cycles to then trigger an action, or influence can trigger up to 3 actions at a time.
This lets people build stuff up in their "home systems" with friends and groups first. Then use this to drive the powerplay mechanics, which in turn drives the generation of CG's, which don't have any automatic alignment, and keeps pilots as "freelancers", but these CG's are used to expand minor factional influence across to adjacent systems and so on, such that "powerplay" is more personal to the player, as it applies directly to the player's circle of operations, ticks faster with more immediate results, and no need for a decay, plus visible changes (like a change in trade price for certain goods). The influence gained from successful faction-specific missions then drive alignment decisions for the minor faction, which then influences related trade and equipment prices with neighbouring systems. Thus keeping any changes to the game near the player's sphere of play.
Minor factions then choose, on a weekly basis, a Power to align to, and this then provides direct capital into the power based on the size of the combined minor factions aligned to the power, to then determine bigger CG's.
But, pretty please, tier the bar graphs and don't show accurate progress, keep it abstract, keep people uncertain about how far, and they will keep pushing. Carrot, not stick.
i.e. an assassination mission may be worth 400,000 cr, which adds to reputation and influence alike, the reputation stays the same, which determines type of missions available, but influence wanes over time, or could even be negative, if it's a mission that the faction doesn't really approve of (but a member issued). This then gives a player dilemma of well, it's a lot of credits, but influence will be negative, so do I really want to.
Influence stays as-is if you haven't logged on for a week, but for every 3 days afterward, drops by 10%. nice, simple, clean, no weirdness, no logarithmic buildup. So it's more a "what have you done for our people this week". Influence then drives cross-system actions, which the player can then choose types based on the current state of the relationship with the neighbouring factions, and this then opens up more powerplay-like "Faction Actions" like Trade Agreement (for specific cargo bonuses), Peace Accord (lasts for a week, reduces security presence in both systems), Police Patrol (lasts a week, increases the bounty on hostile attacks, either faction can come to the aid of the other, police patrols are increased at RESes for example), Joint Operation (assist a famine-gripped system, invade somewhere), until enough of these are done to then get a "Friendly" cross faction relationship, and then at a sufficiently friendly rating, one can merge with the other and/or choose a power alignment, which then provides system-specific bonuses. Players donate their current faction influence during the voting cycle, which then gives votes to choose actions, which then expands the minor faction into the system and the Power goes along for the ride. Likewise, undermine, fortify, control actions all take place in inferred actions based on Missions at the minor faction level, and the sum of all of these actions for all relevant factions applies to the Power.
Vote aren't reset to zero at the end of the cycle, they only reset when an Action takes place, so the player can gradually donate influence over a number of cycles to then trigger an action, or influence can trigger up to 3 actions at a time.
This lets people build stuff up in their "home systems" with friends and groups first. Then use this to drive the powerplay mechanics, which in turn drives the generation of CG's, which don't have any automatic alignment, and keeps pilots as "freelancers", but these CG's are used to expand minor factional influence across to adjacent systems and so on, such that "powerplay" is more personal to the player, as it applies directly to the player's circle of operations, ticks faster with more immediate results, and no need for a decay, plus visible changes (like a change in trade price for certain goods). The influence gained from successful faction-specific missions then drive alignment decisions for the minor faction, which then influences related trade and equipment prices with neighbouring systems. Thus keeping any changes to the game near the player's sphere of play.
Minor factions then choose, on a weekly basis, a Power to align to, and this then provides direct capital into the power based on the size of the combined minor factions aligned to the power, to then determine bigger CG's.
But, pretty please, tier the bar graphs and don't show accurate progress, keep it abstract, keep people uncertain about how far, and they will keep pushing. Carrot, not stick.
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That's not too shabby of an idea...I'm sure something could be done in the way of a faction or guild for Explorers.
Here's my lucky 7...
1. Create power-based chat asap, with all of the options to turn on/off as players desire
2. Decouple standard rewards from the ranking system. Make them static rewards that are earned over time.
3. Leave votes (nominations) on the Ranking system. Change the name of Ranking to something like "Your Influence". Keep the tier structure the same, but change the terminology. Maybe name the tiers of Influence along the lines of the Elite combat ranks, for consistency. Top tier would be "Your Influence is Elite".
4. Add targets for Preparation into the voting system. Remove the capability for players to prepare any uncontrolled system they want. Require that only Prep systems that have been voted in the top 10 can actually be prepared.
5. The undermining mechanic for systems to be prepared now means that opposing powers can prevent Preparation by carrying out the same activities, but they can't actually prepare the system themselves if they haven't voted for it. Similar to how the Fortify/Undermine mechanic works.
6. Expand GalNet to include news of player activities in PP, such as showing the systems with the most undermining activity, or highest potential value that are being prepared, etc.
7. Power-specific paintjobs, decals, and cockpit decorations (bobbleheads!!!) that can be purchased either on the store or perhaps achieved as Power rewards (or both!).
1. Create power-based chat asap, with all of the options to turn on/off as players desire
2. Decouple standard rewards from the ranking system. Make them static rewards that are earned over time.
3. Leave votes (nominations) on the Ranking system. Change the name of Ranking to something like "Your Influence". Keep the tier structure the same, but change the terminology. Maybe name the tiers of Influence along the lines of the Elite combat ranks, for consistency. Top tier would be "Your Influence is Elite".
4. Add targets for Preparation into the voting system. Remove the capability for players to prepare any uncontrolled system they want. Require that only Prep systems that have been voted in the top 10 can actually be prepared.
5. The undermining mechanic for systems to be prepared now means that opposing powers can prevent Preparation by carrying out the same activities, but they can't actually prepare the system themselves if they haven't voted for it. Similar to how the Fortify/Undermine mechanic works.
6. Expand GalNet to include news of player activities in PP, such as showing the systems with the most undermining activity, or highest potential value that are being prepared, etc.
7. Power-specific paintjobs, decals, and cockpit decorations (bobbleheads!!!) that can be purchased either on the store or perhaps achieved as Power rewards (or both!).