The issue: the current Conflict Zone mechanic is a barebones placeholder from the earliest days of the game, and not a very good one. Basically, wars in the BGS are decided by who can farm the most combat bonds out of one side or another, fighting endless waves of the same enemies over and over without any chance of victory. Players stay until their shields are breached or they run out of fighters/scbs/heat sinks. They return to the closest base, sometimes belonging to the very people they just massacred ("An ally like you is always welcome here!) turn in the bonds and head out to start it all over again. If they want, they can switch sides via dropdown box between engagements and fight with the people they were just curb stomping a few minutes ago.
It's boring. eally boring, especially because there's no victory conditions to the battle, and zero consequence to losing.
The Threat Level 4 Distress Call where a capital ship is attacked by a mob of enemy ships would be a great way to supplant or even replace the conflict zone mechanic. Instead of dropping into an endless shooting gallery, there could be an objective that needs to be completed by the player or a wing. Missions from the bulletin board would direct the player to Mission Signal Sources where the CZs have spawned, and inside these MSS, mission-based battles would play out. They could be ranked like assassination missions from Harmless to Elite with the difficulty scaled.
The generic MSS would be a typical "eliminate the enemy ships" like in a regular CZ but with only a wave or two of tough enemies. If the player succeeds, they get the Combat Bonds, the Bonus and the BGS win. If they are driven off, they get the bonds, but lose the engagement and the BGS bennies (the faction suffers). If they die, of course, they get a rebuy.
Special MSS's could pop up for highly ranked/allied players, or be introduced randomly, with a variety of ships and objectives. The existing Convoy Detected could pop up from time to time, with Type 9's being escorted by Anacondas, with the player assigned to protect or destroy depending on their allegiance. Harmless, convoys of T-9s could be smuggling weapons requring scans, or wind up being Q-ships there to lure opponents in. Rescue Pilots could find themselves under fire and needing rescue themselves if fighting a Criminal or Anarchy faction. Pirates could swoop in to help criminal factions, allowing for bounties to be earned as well. The "Rescue the capital ship" mission could appear, just like the current USS. And in all of these battles, a few or a lot of allied ships from the friendly faction would spawn along for the ride.
In all of these MSS's, have enemy targets worth bonds, and completing the scenario would provide a bonus to the bonds, which in turn would reward the player for the victory as well as affect the BGS in determining the winner of the war. The more war missions completed, the better the faction does and the war progresses over a few days as determined by the BGS.
But the big difference is that players can feel like they're fighting winnable battles and contributing to a war effort rather than just shooting targets in a gallery.
I think it would be a big, and fun, improvement.
It's boring. eally boring, especially because there's no victory conditions to the battle, and zero consequence to losing.
The Threat Level 4 Distress Call where a capital ship is attacked by a mob of enemy ships would be a great way to supplant or even replace the conflict zone mechanic. Instead of dropping into an endless shooting gallery, there could be an objective that needs to be completed by the player or a wing. Missions from the bulletin board would direct the player to Mission Signal Sources where the CZs have spawned, and inside these MSS, mission-based battles would play out. They could be ranked like assassination missions from Harmless to Elite with the difficulty scaled.
The generic MSS would be a typical "eliminate the enemy ships" like in a regular CZ but with only a wave or two of tough enemies. If the player succeeds, they get the Combat Bonds, the Bonus and the BGS win. If they are driven off, they get the bonds, but lose the engagement and the BGS bennies (the faction suffers). If they die, of course, they get a rebuy.
Special MSS's could pop up for highly ranked/allied players, or be introduced randomly, with a variety of ships and objectives. The existing Convoy Detected could pop up from time to time, with Type 9's being escorted by Anacondas, with the player assigned to protect or destroy depending on their allegiance. Harmless, convoys of T-9s could be smuggling weapons requring scans, or wind up being Q-ships there to lure opponents in. Rescue Pilots could find themselves under fire and needing rescue themselves if fighting a Criminal or Anarchy faction. Pirates could swoop in to help criminal factions, allowing for bounties to be earned as well. The "Rescue the capital ship" mission could appear, just like the current USS. And in all of these battles, a few or a lot of allied ships from the friendly faction would spawn along for the ride.
In all of these MSS's, have enemy targets worth bonds, and completing the scenario would provide a bonus to the bonds, which in turn would reward the player for the victory as well as affect the BGS in determining the winner of the war. The more war missions completed, the better the faction does and the war progresses over a few days as determined by the BGS.
But the big difference is that players can feel like they're fighting winnable battles and contributing to a war effort rather than just shooting targets in a gallery.
I think it would be a big, and fun, improvement.
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