Ghost Hunter
True Slave Foundations
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Posted - 2011.02.06 00:03:00 -
[1]
@TomB: I miss your Jovian face
On topic:
When the news of Incursion first hit and many of the players I fly with on the pro-Sansha side noticed it was labeled as a PvE expansion, they became quite concerned. I told them to voice their worries and we'll see how the actual expansion fairs. Maybe we'll get a surprise with some official mechanical support. That was my hope, at least.
It's been a while since Incursion's final phase has deployed, and I feel confident enough in the direction of the expansion to voice my primary issue with it. Incursion has since its announcement been touted as a PvE expansion and to give PvE players more opportunity to work on a team based level. More group content, as it were. I feel this concept fundamentally crumbles when its introduced to the very PvP friendly environments of low sec and null sec.
In simple terms, there is no mechanical consideration for the PvP aspect of these two locations. Player choice is to either PvE against the Sansha, or PvP players and the Sansha. There is absolutely zero support for Piracy game play, which is the ability to PvE/PvP for the Sansha. Even under the perspective of a pure PvE expansion, why is there no ability to PvE for the Sansha side? Why no group pirate content?
I am dismayed at how this expansion favors the Empire and Mercenary style of game play over the Piracy game play style. Where as the first two benefit greatly from the expansion, the third is shoehorned into the same boat as them with no distinct benefits to its game play style. You're on your own (Mercenary) or you're against the Sansha (Empire), there is no option C (Piracy).
The counterargument to my point may be that Pirate players can simply kill those who attack the Sansha while dodging or evading the Sansha themselves. I disagree with this as an acceptable choice because this is a patchwork of existing mechanics, hence "shoehorning" them in. You receive no distinct benefit from working your Pirate style in, and in fact it is detrimental to try because of how dangerous the Sansha are. Where as the Empire and Mercenary styles are encouraged to kill the Sansha (and possibly other players), the Pirate style has no PvE content or options available to them.
A simple stopgap that borrows from Militia enlisting would help tremendously if it means the Sansha will not liquefy you on sight. Rewards, mission content, and so on would only add more benefit to being an evil bastard noble liberator. It gives more meaning to being a Pirate, and gives players more choices to choose from I believe. Put as many penalties on shooting the friendly Sansha as you want, it is a hell of a lot better than not having anything.
Tl;dr
Pro-Sansha game play needs mechanics to support it. Empire carebears get special blingbling for fighting the Sansha while Sansha aligned players and Pirates do not receive any options distinct from Empire players to their gameplay style.
Yes, I mad. ______
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