First a disclaimer...I've kinda enjoyed PowerPlay, it's got me into groups where I'd previously kept to my self (albeit in Open), got me more into combat (although mainly against NPCs) and more involved in some of the story lines. However I feel there are a few tweaks to the system that could help the overall system if it were ever to be restarted / a new cycle.
1) Switch the methods for expanding and fortifying systems. Why? In most of the major factions a decent amount of preparation and expansion appears to be carried out by merit grinders, players looking for the quickest way to gain merits, without seeming to understand (or care) about the implications of the impact. This has led to some sub-optimal expansions. I think some of this is caused by the selection process, the fact you go from any control system to deliver exapansion materials (at least for trade / delivery based factions) means there is always a temptation to run a quick one jump route to the next available planet. Fortification on the other hand relies on going back to the capital and conciously running materials. If these were switched around, then you'd probably have more focus by those investing in expansions to do it with understanding the benefits, and merit grinders could truck fortifications to wherever they like with no ill-effects to the faction. It could even work RP-wise as you have to build a supply chain, but then can reinforce from that chain; making strategic decisions about extending supply lines more interesting.
2) Have some positive recovery manner from turmoil. Why? Although the next cycle will tell, I think there may be a spirial effect of turmoil. If a faction looses its highest value systems to turmoil, it may have a knock-on effect on its ability to sustain its remaining systems and you could get a very large domino effect until the numbers of systems controlled in much lower (I acknowledge that this is speculation and the recent server side patch may have changed the caluclation again). My suggestion would be to have some form of self-righting mechanism that doesn't stop the loss of the existing systems, but allows stabilisation. My suggestion would be to have some form of emergency levy on the other worlds (or pulling together / 'blitz' spirit) - for the turn in negative cc only, fortified systems would generate a positive value equal to the basic upkeep if not opposed. This however would be treated seperate to normal CC and would only stop further losses in the next turn - if an overall +ive CC was not achieved without this then systems in turmoil from the previous turn would not be lost.
3) Multiplier effect of impact of activities for days in open. Why? I can't find the link at the moment, but I recall reading that the reason offensive activities score more merits than defensive ones are to encourage conflict. My solution to that is to have a growing buff that generates more impact of your activities the longer you have not logged into solo or private. Please note the number of merits earned for the individual would not change, so there would be no detriment to a player staying in solo, its just their overall impact on faction progression would be lower than someone playing only in open. If this was the case the overall targets might have to be tweaked, so for example, the targets doubled, but people playing purely in open would get a 50% buff to impact of their merits per day up to 5 days. (E.g a player delivering 100 merits worth of documents in Solo would gain 100 merits and move the faction 100 towards a target, a player with 4 days without entering private or solo would have a 200% buff, so their 100 delivery would still gain them 100 merits, put progress the faction forward 300 towards their goal. The numbers and targets would have to be tweaked by knowledge about stats of people playing PP and splits between open and solo/private.
4) Have some benefit from defending in systems. Why? Currently most PP is attack vs. trader / trucker. Attackers are gaining merits by killing NPCs and are kitted out for full combat. Factions on home soil are mainly carrying around hlds full of stuff (at least for non-combat based factions) and therefore this leads to very unfair fights in open. There is no current direct incentive for players to patrol their own space / repel invaders or protect their friendly traders. I'd suggest allowing some merits for killing NPCs and PCs to enemy aligned factions in control and exploited systems (and perhap a bonus for those in a home captial). These wouldn't count for faction objectives, just a personal increase to a players weekly merit count. This would give some incentive to patrol and could lead to more fair combat pilot vs. combat pilot encounters.
Apologies for the wall of text. Feel free to share your own suggestions too, or explain why mine are so crazy, craziness itself would seem rather sane in comparison.
1) Switch the methods for expanding and fortifying systems. Why? In most of the major factions a decent amount of preparation and expansion appears to be carried out by merit grinders, players looking for the quickest way to gain merits, without seeming to understand (or care) about the implications of the impact. This has led to some sub-optimal expansions. I think some of this is caused by the selection process, the fact you go from any control system to deliver exapansion materials (at least for trade / delivery based factions) means there is always a temptation to run a quick one jump route to the next available planet. Fortification on the other hand relies on going back to the capital and conciously running materials. If these were switched around, then you'd probably have more focus by those investing in expansions to do it with understanding the benefits, and merit grinders could truck fortifications to wherever they like with no ill-effects to the faction. It could even work RP-wise as you have to build a supply chain, but then can reinforce from that chain; making strategic decisions about extending supply lines more interesting.
2) Have some positive recovery manner from turmoil. Why? Although the next cycle will tell, I think there may be a spirial effect of turmoil. If a faction looses its highest value systems to turmoil, it may have a knock-on effect on its ability to sustain its remaining systems and you could get a very large domino effect until the numbers of systems controlled in much lower (I acknowledge that this is speculation and the recent server side patch may have changed the caluclation again). My suggestion would be to have some form of self-righting mechanism that doesn't stop the loss of the existing systems, but allows stabilisation. My suggestion would be to have some form of emergency levy on the other worlds (or pulling together / 'blitz' spirit) - for the turn in negative cc only, fortified systems would generate a positive value equal to the basic upkeep if not opposed. This however would be treated seperate to normal CC and would only stop further losses in the next turn - if an overall +ive CC was not achieved without this then systems in turmoil from the previous turn would not be lost.
3) Multiplier effect of impact of activities for days in open. Why? I can't find the link at the moment, but I recall reading that the reason offensive activities score more merits than defensive ones are to encourage conflict. My solution to that is to have a growing buff that generates more impact of your activities the longer you have not logged into solo or private. Please note the number of merits earned for the individual would not change, so there would be no detriment to a player staying in solo, its just their overall impact on faction progression would be lower than someone playing only in open. If this was the case the overall targets might have to be tweaked, so for example, the targets doubled, but people playing purely in open would get a 50% buff to impact of their merits per day up to 5 days. (E.g a player delivering 100 merits worth of documents in Solo would gain 100 merits and move the faction 100 towards a target, a player with 4 days without entering private or solo would have a 200% buff, so their 100 delivery would still gain them 100 merits, put progress the faction forward 300 towards their goal. The numbers and targets would have to be tweaked by knowledge about stats of people playing PP and splits between open and solo/private.
4) Have some benefit from defending in systems. Why? Currently most PP is attack vs. trader / trucker. Attackers are gaining merits by killing NPCs and are kitted out for full combat. Factions on home soil are mainly carrying around hlds full of stuff (at least for non-combat based factions) and therefore this leads to very unfair fights in open. There is no current direct incentive for players to patrol their own space / repel invaders or protect their friendly traders. I'd suggest allowing some merits for killing NPCs and PCs to enemy aligned factions in control and exploited systems (and perhap a bonus for those in a home captial). These wouldn't count for faction objectives, just a personal increase to a players weekly merit count. This would give some incentive to patrol and could lead to more fair combat pilot vs. combat pilot encounters.
Apologies for the wall of text. Feel free to share your own suggestions too, or explain why mine are so crazy, craziness itself would seem rather sane in comparison.