Original idea by Kaocraft from here > https://forums.frontier.co.uk/threads/please-make-powerplay-in-open-only.512067/page-80#post-7851321
The idea is we take the 'tiers' GUI from community goals and apply them to the undermining Powerplay GUI. As each tier is reached, Powerplay NPCs get progressively more numerous, aggressive and powerful in that control system. So you go from cannon fodder Tier 1 to Spec Ops level in Tier 10. But, as each tier is reached merits from kills scales as well- so at Tier 1 its 10 merits (rather than 30 currently) and at Tier 10 its 100 per kill (or whatever is deemed 'balanced').
To make SC interdiction more interesting, at Tier 10 you would have the PP equivalent of military couriers in that system flying in supercruise only- tough transports with an escort that have a high merit value (say, 500 merits each). This would balance out the NAV beacon farming method.
This idea works across modes, so Solo players are not excluded- its down to your ship (and your) capabilities until you can no longer cope alone. It makes the abstraction of attack more realistic (i.e. a defender would want to defend better at places under heavy attack). It could also be done alongside Sandros idea of 'mega undermining' (i.e. if undermining is 100% + more than fortifying that system is fully undermined regardless) and it actually tests your ship and skills. At higher tiers it would then make sense for players to be in Open more because there is more to defend from players undermining (i.e. each high value NPC is almost equal to one large fortification delivery). This opens up a second front that a fortifier must respond to, and becomes an optional (but also vital) push into Open mode. A defender can stay in solo, but will become outstripped by a determined attack.
The idea is we take the 'tiers' GUI from community goals and apply them to the undermining Powerplay GUI. As each tier is reached, Powerplay NPCs get progressively more numerous, aggressive and powerful in that control system. So you go from cannon fodder Tier 1 to Spec Ops level in Tier 10. But, as each tier is reached merits from kills scales as well- so at Tier 1 its 10 merits (rather than 30 currently) and at Tier 10 its 100 per kill (or whatever is deemed 'balanced').
To make SC interdiction more interesting, at Tier 10 you would have the PP equivalent of military couriers in that system flying in supercruise only- tough transports with an escort that have a high merit value (say, 500 merits each). This would balance out the NAV beacon farming method.
This idea works across modes, so Solo players are not excluded- its down to your ship (and your) capabilities until you can no longer cope alone. It makes the abstraction of attack more realistic (i.e. a defender would want to defend better at places under heavy attack). It could also be done alongside Sandros idea of 'mega undermining' (i.e. if undermining is 100% + more than fortifying that system is fully undermined regardless) and it actually tests your ship and skills. At higher tiers it would then make sense for players to be in Open more because there is more to defend from players undermining (i.e. each high value NPC is almost equal to one large fortification delivery). This opens up a second front that a fortifier must respond to, and becomes an optional (but also vital) push into Open mode. A defender can stay in solo, but will become outstripped by a determined attack.