Summary Of Proposal
Basically an alternative way to achieve material/data that can be done through powerplay instead of through Missions/Planet Prospecting. The idea would be, based on the amount of 'merits' that you have accumulated for the week, that can be partly exchanged for Materials of your choosing.
Optional Restriction
Certain access to certain materials can be restricted based upon the type of systems/planets not held with those materials available to controlling PP factions. Thus creating an incentive to annex a system that would allow certain materials to become available as payment so not to overpower mission boards. Overall could add a little extra depth indirectly to PP as a result of this.
Exchange Rate
The value of materials to merits could be based upon the same ratio as what mission boards offer. e.g( One Grade 5 Material being worth a million credits or Three Grade 4 being worth a million credits) or based upon merits directly. Since i cannot define any consistent pattern in exchange rate between credits & merits.
For argument sake a (Grade 5 material is worth 1500 merits & a Grade 4 is worth 500 merits each)
Over-spill Effects/Behaviour
1. Could result in Commanders taking part more in PP as a means to engineer their ships
2. Makes for huge improvements of cutting down on some of the grind. E.g you do your shopping for materials with the Powerplay Faction at the end of a weekly tick for the exact materials you need then engineer your ship as you go. Yet you are still required to exert effort by actively participating to earn merits to purchase materials yet at the same time helps further the goals of a PP faction.
3. If material availability is determined by types of systems/planets owned by PP faction. It motivates PP players to actively fight to take control of other systems while earning their materials through merits. This would also still make material traders useful, since if such availability is determined by types of system/planets owned, you'd still need to visits a material trader. At the same time now begins to indirectly add all planets within a system as potential assets to be defended. A system with 21 bodies will now have alot more potential value material wise then some with less. Making certain systems strategic
4. Negative impact i can see from this. Could encourage 5th columns if material availability was indeed decided by types of systems/planets. But then tackling 5th columns would probably need its own set of suggestions/ideas which could be tackled perhaps a number of ways.
Final Point:
Not sure how such a suggestion would be received but i think it could allow players to get involved in the PP while steadily earning materials outside the other areas, like destroying ships or taking missions from the board. It basically allows them to single out extremely niche materials to complete an engineer requirement set without having to go down to a planet or furiously rely on RNG. Just helps things along & lets the Commander enjoy a section of the game they may favour over other areas.
Basically an alternative way to achieve material/data that can be done through powerplay instead of through Missions/Planet Prospecting. The idea would be, based on the amount of 'merits' that you have accumulated for the week, that can be partly exchanged for Materials of your choosing.
Optional Restriction
Certain access to certain materials can be restricted based upon the type of systems/planets not held with those materials available to controlling PP factions. Thus creating an incentive to annex a system that would allow certain materials to become available as payment so not to overpower mission boards. Overall could add a little extra depth indirectly to PP as a result of this.
Exchange Rate
The value of materials to merits could be based upon the same ratio as what mission boards offer. e.g( One Grade 5 Material being worth a million credits or Three Grade 4 being worth a million credits) or based upon merits directly. Since i cannot define any consistent pattern in exchange rate between credits & merits.
For argument sake a (Grade 5 material is worth 1500 merits & a Grade 4 is worth 500 merits each)
Over-spill Effects/Behaviour
1. Could result in Commanders taking part more in PP as a means to engineer their ships
2. Makes for huge improvements of cutting down on some of the grind. E.g you do your shopping for materials with the Powerplay Faction at the end of a weekly tick for the exact materials you need then engineer your ship as you go. Yet you are still required to exert effort by actively participating to earn merits to purchase materials yet at the same time helps further the goals of a PP faction.
3. If material availability is determined by types of systems/planets owned by PP faction. It motivates PP players to actively fight to take control of other systems while earning their materials through merits. This would also still make material traders useful, since if such availability is determined by types of system/planets owned, you'd still need to visits a material trader. At the same time now begins to indirectly add all planets within a system as potential assets to be defended. A system with 21 bodies will now have alot more potential value material wise then some with less. Making certain systems strategic
4. Negative impact i can see from this. Could encourage 5th columns if material availability was indeed decided by types of systems/planets. But then tackling 5th columns would probably need its own set of suggestions/ideas which could be tackled perhaps a number of ways.
Final Point:
Not sure how such a suggestion would be received but i think it could allow players to get involved in the PP while steadily earning materials outside the other areas, like destroying ships or taking missions from the board. It basically allows them to single out extremely niche materials to complete an engineer requirement set without having to go down to a planet or furiously rely on RNG. Just helps things along & lets the Commander enjoy a section of the game they may favour over other areas.
Last edited: