11-26-2018, 12:32 AM
After reading the synopsis of the 4.91 release I was skeptic. Now i've had a chance to explore some of the recent implementations of 4.91 I think it's fair we reflect on it with a fair analysis of what has come to pass from a player's perspective.
First up I'd like to applaud the devs for putting in the thankless work bringing new developments and features to the mod. You guys get the opposite of what you deserve from this community for the most part. Please know it doesn't go unappreciated.
As for the latest version itself, where to start...
The gallic war?
Again?
This has been the theme of the past three versions at least. And while it's been a novel idea to develop that idea through several versions in contrast to the whimsical way development was done before, i'd argue it's run it's course. All of us are making the recurrant mistake of comparing this mod to other space sims such as EVE and believing we can develop it at a similar pace. A common concern of us all is that the mod is losing it's playerbase. While this is an inevitability, developing content that caters to the lore hungry veterans of the mod is slowing it down and making it less exciting to play.
The gallic invasion feeds an interesting storyline, but at what cost? The invasion is squeezing many of the mod's lesser factions out of the picture. Loads of unlawful factions are now stranded in a diplomatic no-mans land. With the overwhelming opposition the gallics pose, there's less and less incentive to play as Mollys, Gaians, the IMG, Lane Hackers and any minor faction that can't face up to cap fleet. All of which are now forced to face the decision to side with their arch-nemesis' or get bulldozed like the rest.
Then there's the council. What is the point of them? Really? I mean they're a great idea for a faction and a potentially powerful addition to a counter-gallic alliance, but they've been to no effect since 4.86. They're one of the four factions who can pack caps against the gallics and yet they're repeatedly swept aside when it comes to any major decisions in terms of the timeline. The same could also be said (to a degree) for the Crayter Republic.
The Bretonians have been without their industrial hub, Leeds, for 5 years. Prior to that they were locked in a lengthy and costly engagement with Kusari. Newcastle has been something of a crutch in the mean time, Poole has played a minor part, Dublin is still disputed and Cambridge is meh. All that added to the successful Gallic takover of Magellan to try and sever commercial ties with Liberty and then relations with Rheinland got frosty. Now with a final standoff at New London, the Bretonians supposedly have enough resources left (without Newcastle and their main shipyard) to hold the Gallics at yet another stalemate. It's not really making much sense. The Bretonians should've been crushed years ago if the gallics are as much as they're written to be.
Now just to to mention, it may seem that i'm getting salty about the Gallics being OP when I'm merely pointing out rather large inconsistencies with the way this has all played out.
Everything gallia conquors goes more or less void of activity. So why are we expanding it?
I feel as though an opportunity was missed to do something radical and change the theme of the mod. Refocus on the Sigma war or see the hispanic war through to a bitter end. Hell i know that the nomad guys are dying to take another shot at us all. It's time to move on from the gallic war. It's time is long since spent.
First up I'd like to applaud the devs for putting in the thankless work bringing new developments and features to the mod. You guys get the opposite of what you deserve from this community for the most part. Please know it doesn't go unappreciated.
As for the latest version itself, where to start...
The gallic war?
Again?
This has been the theme of the past three versions at least. And while it's been a novel idea to develop that idea through several versions in contrast to the whimsical way development was done before, i'd argue it's run it's course. All of us are making the recurrant mistake of comparing this mod to other space sims such as EVE and believing we can develop it at a similar pace. A common concern of us all is that the mod is losing it's playerbase. While this is an inevitability, developing content that caters to the lore hungry veterans of the mod is slowing it down and making it less exciting to play.
The gallic invasion feeds an interesting storyline, but at what cost? The invasion is squeezing many of the mod's lesser factions out of the picture. Loads of unlawful factions are now stranded in a diplomatic no-mans land. With the overwhelming opposition the gallics pose, there's less and less incentive to play as Mollys, Gaians, the IMG, Lane Hackers and any minor faction that can't face up to cap fleet. All of which are now forced to face the decision to side with their arch-nemesis' or get bulldozed like the rest.
Then there's the council. What is the point of them? Really? I mean they're a great idea for a faction and a potentially powerful addition to a counter-gallic alliance, but they've been to no effect since 4.86. They're one of the four factions who can pack caps against the gallics and yet they're repeatedly swept aside when it comes to any major decisions in terms of the timeline. The same could also be said (to a degree) for the Crayter Republic.
The Bretonians have been without their industrial hub, Leeds, for 5 years. Prior to that they were locked in a lengthy and costly engagement with Kusari. Newcastle has been something of a crutch in the mean time, Poole has played a minor part, Dublin is still disputed and Cambridge is meh. All that added to the successful Gallic takover of Magellan to try and sever commercial ties with Liberty and then relations with Rheinland got frosty. Now with a final standoff at New London, the Bretonians supposedly have enough resources left (without Newcastle and their main shipyard) to hold the Gallics at yet another stalemate. It's not really making much sense. The Bretonians should've been crushed years ago if the gallics are as much as they're written to be.
Now just to to mention, it may seem that i'm getting salty about the Gallics being OP when I'm merely pointing out rather large inconsistencies with the way this has all played out.
Everything gallia conquors goes more or less void of activity. So why are we expanding it?
I feel as though an opportunity was missed to do something radical and change the theme of the mod. Refocus on the Sigma war or see the hispanic war through to a bitter end. Hell i know that the nomad guys are dying to take another shot at us all. It's time to move on from the gallic war. It's time is long since spent.