I'm sorry Jordan but this is a full cop out answer.. i have no issue trying to make PVP more fun, but calling for PVP to be the privileged form of Elite gameplay is horse hockey.
No other mode is trying to make themselves the ONLY mode or the only one that matters. Constantly it is OPEN players that want special treatment or their mode to be the only one, cause apparently they are better than everyone else. Because they pvp they think they are entitled to rewards or the ability change the game and others not. If PVP is so pointless because it can be circumvented.. than why do people continue to do it? just for kicks.. I keep hearing the "rare but meaningful" mantra.. yet I wonder since it has become commonplace and meaningless according to you.. is the issue that PVPers can't influence the game or that it was deemed that PVP would be used to abuse the influencing the game?
And you talk about psychological whiplash.. yet pvpers don't give a CRAP about the psychological whiplash they inflict on those who don't want to pvp.. but suddenly the influence of a faction changes and they have NO idea if it is because of solo, group, x-box, or open in a different instance and suddenly there is psychological whiplash and they are suffering? Yet again for their victims.. to bad so sad.. get better at the game...
And I call utter horse hockey that being able to affect you without being able to confront them.. because they are not effecting you.. they are not damaging your ship, causing your weapons to overload, interdicting you...they are only affecting the environment, just like you and everyone else is... and if it runs contrary to every video game ever then maybe you need to go look at every game with a PVP flag system and watch how people affect things and cannot be touched by PVPers all the time.
Yes it is incredibly selfish and there is no viable reason to "shift the balance towards PVP" PVP has it's place in the the galaxy and ALREADY HAS PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT. PVE.. has private groups and jump through hoops to find people.. otherwise your are alone in solo.
PVP.. Has Open and CQC.... yet they want MORE... more more.. gimmie gimmie gimmie.. OPen needs to be the only mode, We have more "risk" we need more rewards for everything, make people play more in Open, OPen should be the only mode that influences the BSG...
When does it end?
How much of the game does PVPers need to control before they are happy and will let everyone else play the game and no longer have to suffer the constant barraging need need need.
I want to make clear right at the start, that I've only been playing for about a month. 90% of that time has been in solo or group, with a couple of games in CQC... So take this with the appropriate amount of gravity.
However, I'm used to playing PvP open style games, and can't help but feel that the overall longevity of this game will depend on emergent gameplay, and player-driven content. I've stayed in Solo or group up until now, because I could. There was no incentive to venture into Open, other than the draw of PvP, and that wasn't very appealing during the early stages of the learning curve.
I can absolutely see a need (more than one) for Solo mode and PvE... makes game entry less disheartening than some games I've played, some players just like PvE, and less dangerous place to try out new builds.... oh.. and somewhere to go if funds get low enough that you are risking ending up in a Startwinder again... Did I miss any?
Now, while I think it's perfectly fine (even a good idea) that Solo mode players can have an effect on the background simulation and that each type of player is accommodated, I think there needs to be some incentive to play Open mode. There's more risk, possibly a chance of dying more often, and the associated costs. Players are inevitably going to be harder and more unpredictable than NPCs.
Solo mode players aren't affected by other players (other than the background simulation), so why would it matter to them if Open players got a little bit more, for being a little bit braver?
Maybe more rewards for missions in Open. If you collect a mission in open, it must be completed in open. PvP missions/rewards/bonuses for killing/pirating CMDRs of opposing factions etc.
I'll acknowledge that the focus of FD on making the environment so detailed will help with longevity, but I just think that ultimately at some stage, PvE won't be able to compete with player driven content.
