These aren't really suggestions so much as broad, vague ideas thrown together in a big pot. I think that if Powerplay is to fulfill its potential, we need to know what we want it to be, first.
Right now, Powerplay doesn't really have the effect on either players, or the universe, that I'd like. If I'm in a system controlled by merciless pirates, I want to feel like I'm in Reaver territory where an enemy might kill me just for a skull to put on the prow of his ship. If I'm in Utopian space, I want to feel that everything is overly-perfect to the point of creepiness. And when I'm in Fed or Imperial space, I want to feel like that, too.
As far as Powerplay is concerned, I want the factions to reward their players for playing the way the faction is supposed to act, and punish players for acting counter to that.
For example, if I'm with Archon Delaine and I give fuel to a helpless trader, I should lose influence for Archon and for myself with Archon. On the flip-side, if I steal all that trader's cargo or just blow them up, I should get influence for Archon and with Archon.
I honestly think this sort of influence should exist independent of the faction, too. If I'm flying around pirating traders a lot, I shouldn't need to reach out to join Archon; Archon's boys should send me a message, asking me to join them.
Depending on what activity I'm doing, I might get invitations from multiple factions at once. If I'm delivering medicine and being a general do-gooder, I might get an invite from both Felicia Winters and Aisling Duval. If I'm killing loads of pirates, I might get invites from both Hudson, Arissa, and Antal.
This could even extend to what ship the player is using; if I do something in a clipper, I should get more Imperial influence than if I did the same thing in a T7. Because of this, Imp players would tend to do things in the ships of their own faction.
Basically, if I see a player with a faction under their name, I want that faction to mean something. If it's someone with a peaceful faction, I should know I'm probably safe. If it's someone with a warlike faction, I should know I need to run like heck.
In the exact same way, I want the territories of the respective factions to have similar effects. If I'm a helpless trader and I find myself in Archon territory, I should be scared out of my mind. If I'm a smuggler and find myself in Utopian space, I should be warily watching my scanner for the cops. If I've got a bounty and I'm in Hudson territory, I should KNOW I'm going to get interdicted by bounty hunters in very short order.
More than this, I want the territory of a power to be the place where the members of that power typically hang out. Right now, Aisling has huge swathes of territory that are almost completely abandoned on the edge of the bubble, places where nobody goes, but there's no competition so there's no real risk of losing them. This might be fixed by giving members bonuses while in these areas, making staying there a good thing for them. This might be as simple as broadening the existing bonuses(Which are much too restricted; +50% rare goods profit, for example, isn't even worth bothering with), or it might be something as interesting as FSD relays on claimed stars, allowing players to jump all the way across their claimed space in a single jump. Another idea that struck my fancy was turning each Power's home system into a sort of mini Shinrarta Dezhra. Every module is available there, but only for pledged members who have been in the faction for over four weeks, and each different power offers discounts on different items and different ships. This would encourage players to hang out in their own team's home system rather than everyone just going to Shin for everything. These are just ideas, the point is:
If I'm going into a territory owned by a power, I should expect to see the members of that power active there.
I would like to see the effects of large-scale conflicts borne out in terms of Powerplay. For example, all Imperial factions should offer discounts or complete refunds on bounties made by Federal factions. In the same way, Federal powers should offer large discounts or refunds on bounties set by Imperial factions. If an Imperial-pledged player wanders into Federal space, there should be a good chance they'll get attacked by otherwise-law-abiding ships, simply because they're an Imperial and the Feds probably think you're a spy. They'll pay off any bounties in large-scale bounty swaps later on, with large discounts on both sides, while these law-abiding citizens are given a slap on the wrist and a hefty payout under the table.
Basically: Enemy Powers should be wary of entering hostile space.
I'd like to see the way Powers expand be changed. Right now, Powers tend to expand in a roughly even bubble, because the further away you go, the more heavily you are punished. I'd like to see this changed, because bubbles of influence are boring and stale and tend to result in stalemates and an endless status-quo.
I'd like to see the distance penalties removed entirely, perhaps replaced with a requirement that a power simply be contiguous. That way, you might see powers making interesting long-term pushes into enemy space, a spear of conquered systems into the heart of enemy territory, or a curving snakelike path around the outside of the bubble to reach an ally or make a trade route.
And since powers could change shape freely and the dynamics that make a power want to make a particular expansion would come and go as politics and events like CGs changed, the shape of Powers in the galaxy would likewise change freely and dynamically.
Basically: Powers should expand, ebb, and flow dynamically, rather than stagnating in static bubbles.
These are all pretty broad vague ideas, but it's what I want. I'm sure others have vague ideas like this, so if you have comments on my ideas or have ideas of your own, I'd be interested to hear them.
But I guess, if you had to sum it all up, I want Powerplay to feel like it has a real impact on the universe. Changes in powerplay should feel like you're making a difference, not just that you've changed the color of a blob on a map.
Right now, Powerplay doesn't really have the effect on either players, or the universe, that I'd like. If I'm in a system controlled by merciless pirates, I want to feel like I'm in Reaver territory where an enemy might kill me just for a skull to put on the prow of his ship. If I'm in Utopian space, I want to feel that everything is overly-perfect to the point of creepiness. And when I'm in Fed or Imperial space, I want to feel like that, too.
As far as Powerplay is concerned, I want the factions to reward their players for playing the way the faction is supposed to act, and punish players for acting counter to that.
For example, if I'm with Archon Delaine and I give fuel to a helpless trader, I should lose influence for Archon and for myself with Archon. On the flip-side, if I steal all that trader's cargo or just blow them up, I should get influence for Archon and with Archon.
I honestly think this sort of influence should exist independent of the faction, too. If I'm flying around pirating traders a lot, I shouldn't need to reach out to join Archon; Archon's boys should send me a message, asking me to join them.
Depending on what activity I'm doing, I might get invitations from multiple factions at once. If I'm delivering medicine and being a general do-gooder, I might get an invite from both Felicia Winters and Aisling Duval. If I'm killing loads of pirates, I might get invites from both Hudson, Arissa, and Antal.
This could even extend to what ship the player is using; if I do something in a clipper, I should get more Imperial influence than if I did the same thing in a T7. Because of this, Imp players would tend to do things in the ships of their own faction.
Basically, if I see a player with a faction under their name, I want that faction to mean something. If it's someone with a peaceful faction, I should know I'm probably safe. If it's someone with a warlike faction, I should know I need to run like heck.
In the exact same way, I want the territories of the respective factions to have similar effects. If I'm a helpless trader and I find myself in Archon territory, I should be scared out of my mind. If I'm a smuggler and find myself in Utopian space, I should be warily watching my scanner for the cops. If I've got a bounty and I'm in Hudson territory, I should KNOW I'm going to get interdicted by bounty hunters in very short order.
More than this, I want the territory of a power to be the place where the members of that power typically hang out. Right now, Aisling has huge swathes of territory that are almost completely abandoned on the edge of the bubble, places where nobody goes, but there's no competition so there's no real risk of losing them. This might be fixed by giving members bonuses while in these areas, making staying there a good thing for them. This might be as simple as broadening the existing bonuses(Which are much too restricted; +50% rare goods profit, for example, isn't even worth bothering with), or it might be something as interesting as FSD relays on claimed stars, allowing players to jump all the way across their claimed space in a single jump. Another idea that struck my fancy was turning each Power's home system into a sort of mini Shinrarta Dezhra. Every module is available there, but only for pledged members who have been in the faction for over four weeks, and each different power offers discounts on different items and different ships. This would encourage players to hang out in their own team's home system rather than everyone just going to Shin for everything. These are just ideas, the point is:
If I'm going into a territory owned by a power, I should expect to see the members of that power active there.
I would like to see the effects of large-scale conflicts borne out in terms of Powerplay. For example, all Imperial factions should offer discounts or complete refunds on bounties made by Federal factions. In the same way, Federal powers should offer large discounts or refunds on bounties set by Imperial factions. If an Imperial-pledged player wanders into Federal space, there should be a good chance they'll get attacked by otherwise-law-abiding ships, simply because they're an Imperial and the Feds probably think you're a spy. They'll pay off any bounties in large-scale bounty swaps later on, with large discounts on both sides, while these law-abiding citizens are given a slap on the wrist and a hefty payout under the table.
Basically: Enemy Powers should be wary of entering hostile space.
I'd like to see the way Powers expand be changed. Right now, Powers tend to expand in a roughly even bubble, because the further away you go, the more heavily you are punished. I'd like to see this changed, because bubbles of influence are boring and stale and tend to result in stalemates and an endless status-quo.
I'd like to see the distance penalties removed entirely, perhaps replaced with a requirement that a power simply be contiguous. That way, you might see powers making interesting long-term pushes into enemy space, a spear of conquered systems into the heart of enemy territory, or a curving snakelike path around the outside of the bubble to reach an ally or make a trade route.
And since powers could change shape freely and the dynamics that make a power want to make a particular expansion would come and go as politics and events like CGs changed, the shape of Powers in the galaxy would likewise change freely and dynamically.
Basically: Powers should expand, ebb, and flow dynamically, rather than stagnating in static bubbles.
These are all pretty broad vague ideas, but it's what I want. I'm sure others have vague ideas like this, so if you have comments on my ideas or have ideas of your own, I'd be interested to hear them.
But I guess, if you had to sum it all up, I want Powerplay to feel like it has a real impact on the universe. Changes in powerplay should feel like you're making a difference, not just that you've changed the color of a blob on a map.
Last edited: