All this talk of open being something special... the only mode you meet other people.
Bollox
I lose absolutely nothing by playing in private group, mainly Mobius, except for complete randoms who never so much as answer a hail far less interact in any way.
If I'm playing in Mobius, I let folks on my friends list know and the galaxy map lights up with the same green icons it always does... namely those of my friends on Xbox live.
Incommunicative randoms I can do without, I neither add anything to their game experience or they to mine... since they might as well be NPC's or playing solo for all the interaction they offer. I do try... since I like helping out but I've found it's often more efficient to invite them into PG after making contact via Xbox live.
Your play experience in Mobius is already the best it can be, if only because you have the potential to instance with me.
Just saying.
...
I think my main "issue" with the "pro-Open" stance is that the game is very much a single player game that is barely conducive to multiplayer play: Bulletin board missions cannot be shared with wing mates, splitting bounties actually hurts cr/hr, length of travel to meet up with friends. About the only thing that the game incentivizes group play for is Trading and ganking (ie: killing for no profit). And possibly PowerPlay merits in CZs, if those still aren't split.
Sure, the BGS is multiplayer (and done well in its own right), but you interact with it in a solo fashion. Mostly, the game is a single player experience that you can occasionally invite a friend with you to tag along. An example being that one commander has an assassination mission, so his friend joins him even though his friend will get no mission reward for doing so.
So, ultimately, to make Open better, the rewards people talk about, doesn't so much mean adding rewards for being in Open (because of "risk"), but more creating content that is shared or demands player grouping. But, by doing that, it would change a huge dynamic of the game from what it currently is.
For those that come here with the expectation that the game is an MMO, it's a reasonable expectation. For those that see it as the next generation of the old Elite games, that would be a travesty.
