Assembly Hall

copypasta

the solution isn't to limit what players can do [mod nerfs in plex], this is hamfisted and bad

There are two problems with FW plexing. The first is that 'running and hiding' is actually more effective and profitable than 'staying and fighting' which is what FW is all about. Anyone who claims plexes aren't supposed to facilitate PVP is wrong. If the best option is 'bore the other guy into leaving so I can keep making money' there's something wrong with the system. FW is about PVP and the game should be about having fun. Not staring at a Condor orbiting a button or watching some bear warp between safes.

The second problem is that solo plexing is always more desirable efficiency-wise than plexing with a friend. Anyone looking to hunt plexers for warzone reasons or killmails rather than 'solo goodfites' will bring two or more people. So the plexer will prefer to be solo due to mechanics and hunters will prefer bringing a friend. (Although I aware most of us have been on plexing fleets where we all jump in different plexes in the same system)

The problems are linked. Mechanically-induced solo plexing means 'running and hiding' is the better choice more often.

I don't know if CCP sees FW as newbie-friendly or something, but I sure hope those newbies are having a great time orbiting buttons for fifteen minutes, warping out and cloaking up, or watching other plexers do the same. Such entertaining gameplay is sure to impress them

So we need two solutions. The first is to make 'staying and fighting' more desirable than 'running and hiding'. I actually have no problem with people who don't want to fight... but they don't deserve more reward than people who'll defend their plex. And assuming fights have a 50/50 chance of you losing, you're worse off fighting for the plex. Besides, who in Gallente militia wants to attack and take a plex that some Caldari guy ran down to one minute? They'll have to win a fight then sit in a plex twice as long for the same reward.

Honestly? As it is, if you're looking to make LP, fighting for plexes is stupid.

So yeah, make 'staying and fighting' more desirable than 'running and hiding', keeping 'running and hiding' an option. More options is always good, as long as the best option facilitates fun gameplay. The player should be able to say to themselves "If I stay, fight and win half the time, I'll be making more LP than running all the time". I think the answer is timer rollbacks. No friendly militia in the plex, the timer runs back down to zero. Maybe if there's an enemy in the plex, the timer runs up twice as fast until it reaches halfway, then runs down at the normal pace. Maybe the timer should reset to zero? Whatever it is, cloaking or running from the complex should hurt your bottom line.

The idea for the second problem is to ensure that solo plexing is most desirable, but that plexing in a team is not completely undesirable. Obviously the solo plexer should be getting the better deal because they're less safe. And at the same time, you don't want to make blobbing a way to win the 'plexing for LP' game. I think that having more players inside should run down the timer a little faster with diminishing returns for each additional player. Two pilots could run down the timer at 1.15 timed seconds per real second, three pilots 1.25. (probably the actual number should be a little higher than that but you get the point)

that's what i said, yeh

And this is why CCP ought to implement timer rollbacks in FW. Give players some tools to make it inefficient for "rabbits" to run plexes.