Just spit balling some ideas. None are particularly thought out, and i don't even understand PowerPlay, so there we go!
Feel free to use that back button at any moment.
So PowerPlay is odd. I joined when PowerPlay was already in the game, and I like that you can simply ignore it.
But when you join it. Not much changes.
It feels very disconnected from the game.
So, some ideas, in no particular order.
PowerPlay Missions
Fairly self explanatory. Your power gives you missions to do either to aid them directly, or strike at their enemies, or aid your allies.
The normal mission templates can all be used for this, and are essentially the same, but pay out in merits, and money.
The only difference being, is your targets/destinations are always PowerPlay related.
No idea on the sort of effects they should have on the PowerPlay BGS.
Ideally, these would be harder than normal missions, and more consequences for failure.
Higher ranks would give you access to harder and higher paid missions.
Put Minor Factions Under a PowerPlay Umbrella
By this I mean, assign every single minor faction to one of the powers, or neutral.
Player owned factions get to choose.
I had ideas for why this would be good, but I've temporarily forgotten them. Lol
Maybe working for a minor faction can also aid towards your PowerPlay rank...?
Powers may ask you to aid in a minor factions war or other negative state, for a bonus to payouts.
Make The Ranking and Module System "Better"
Not entirely sure how, but grinding merits is fairly dull, and the decay is incredibly demoralising.
Maybe use a system similar to military ranking, only can move both ways. And isn't a ball ache. Lol
With an improved system, unlocking PowerPlay modules should actually require maintaining a certain rank for a set amount of time.
Make Flying In Hostile Territory Dangerous, But Rewarding
Flying deep in to enemy territory should land you in a lot of trouble. Currently it doesn't. Or atleast not for me.
Flying to an enemies capital should actually be almost suicidal.
Lower ranked PowerPlay CMDRs would hounded by hostiles less than high ranks.
But being anything other than rank 1 would get you noticed if you fly through enemy territory for too long.
But, farming merits or completing missions within enemy territory would gain you a bonus, more the closer to their capital.
PowerPlay NPC Crew
Yes! A reason to stick around in PowerPlay. PP crew are loyal to their power, leaving the power will remove them from your roster.
But, they are also better, and much cheaper than regular crew. They start at higher ranks, and you pay them much less, because their power pays them too.
To gain access to higher level NPC's, you would need to increase your PowerPlay rank and maintain it for a certain time, accordingly.
Major Power Influence
Working for a PowerPlay power, that is aligned to a major faction, can help speed up military ranking for that major faction.
Adjust Weekly Payout
Unless I'm missing something, the weekly payout is pants. Lol
Rank 1 is what, 1000cr? And rank 5 is 50,000,000cr? Neither are worth the effort required. (I can easily earn 50mil in less time than it takes to earn 10,000 merits).
So a basic buff would be nice, just to match the average "wage" from other sources of income.
-Or-
Maybe base the weekly payouts on some form of formula of Your Current Rank, Your Average Rank Since Pledge and The Powers State. The better your power does, and the more consistently you contribute, the higher the payout, for you and everyone. IMHO, this would encourage more people to be loyal to a faction, and motivate them to actually improve the state of the power, rather than just farm merits for money using the meta.
There will always be freeloaders and those just wanting to grab the modules, but this particular idea might fix the underlying cause of why PowerPlay isn't popular.
I think that's all.
Feel free to poke holes in all those ideas.
CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
Feel free to use that back button at any moment.
So PowerPlay is odd. I joined when PowerPlay was already in the game, and I like that you can simply ignore it.
But when you join it. Not much changes.
It feels very disconnected from the game.
So, some ideas, in no particular order.
PowerPlay Missions
Fairly self explanatory. Your power gives you missions to do either to aid them directly, or strike at their enemies, or aid your allies.
The normal mission templates can all be used for this, and are essentially the same, but pay out in merits, and money.
The only difference being, is your targets/destinations are always PowerPlay related.
No idea on the sort of effects they should have on the PowerPlay BGS.
Ideally, these would be harder than normal missions, and more consequences for failure.
Higher ranks would give you access to harder and higher paid missions.
Put Minor Factions Under a PowerPlay Umbrella
By this I mean, assign every single minor faction to one of the powers, or neutral.
Player owned factions get to choose.
I had ideas for why this would be good, but I've temporarily forgotten them. Lol
Maybe working for a minor faction can also aid towards your PowerPlay rank...?
Powers may ask you to aid in a minor factions war or other negative state, for a bonus to payouts.
Make The Ranking and Module System "Better"
Not entirely sure how, but grinding merits is fairly dull, and the decay is incredibly demoralising.
Maybe use a system similar to military ranking, only can move both ways. And isn't a ball ache. Lol
With an improved system, unlocking PowerPlay modules should actually require maintaining a certain rank for a set amount of time.
Make Flying In Hostile Territory Dangerous, But Rewarding
Flying deep in to enemy territory should land you in a lot of trouble. Currently it doesn't. Or atleast not for me.
Flying to an enemies capital should actually be almost suicidal.
Lower ranked PowerPlay CMDRs would hounded by hostiles less than high ranks.
But being anything other than rank 1 would get you noticed if you fly through enemy territory for too long.
But, farming merits or completing missions within enemy territory would gain you a bonus, more the closer to their capital.
PowerPlay NPC Crew
Yes! A reason to stick around in PowerPlay. PP crew are loyal to their power, leaving the power will remove them from your roster.
But, they are also better, and much cheaper than regular crew. They start at higher ranks, and you pay them much less, because their power pays them too.
To gain access to higher level NPC's, you would need to increase your PowerPlay rank and maintain it for a certain time, accordingly.
Major Power Influence
Working for a PowerPlay power, that is aligned to a major faction, can help speed up military ranking for that major faction.
Adjust Weekly Payout
Unless I'm missing something, the weekly payout is pants. Lol
Rank 1 is what, 1000cr? And rank 5 is 50,000,000cr? Neither are worth the effort required. (I can easily earn 50mil in less time than it takes to earn 10,000 merits).
So a basic buff would be nice, just to match the average "wage" from other sources of income.
-Or-
Maybe base the weekly payouts on some form of formula of Your Current Rank, Your Average Rank Since Pledge and The Powers State. The better your power does, and the more consistently you contribute, the higher the payout, for you and everyone. IMHO, this would encourage more people to be loyal to a faction, and motivate them to actually improve the state of the power, rather than just farm merits for money using the meta.
There will always be freeloaders and those just wanting to grab the modules, but this particular idea might fix the underlying cause of why PowerPlay isn't popular.
I think that's all.
Feel free to poke holes in all those ideas.
CMDR Cosmic Spacehead
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