Rho TefnutetFDev won't make separate Solo/PG and Open, let alone restrict mechanics for PG/Solo mode. Firstly, that would be very bad for firm's rep that involves a lot of issues that basically roll into categories of "breaking initial promises to offer exactly the same content to all platforms and modes". It's not just about group of players who want to stay in PG/Solo, but could be taken under purposeful restricting content that is widely available with bought product - which in some countries can be considered a serious crime. This is why there are NO bonuses for Open, due to the fact it would be breaking initial equality between the modes.
But also, the issue comes from the fact that a lot of players play PG/Solo not because they don't want to avoid PVP, but because it's the only technical way to enjoy ED. There are issues with the ISP, very high ping between clients given P2P connection or internet being strained in certain place, data limitations (that's a thing in some countries) or - the rarest one - lack of subscription that only limits console players to Solo.
There is yet another issue. Anyone who played any actual MMO knows that servers must have a lot of infrastructure to contain players. Majority of the infrastructure of Elite: Dangerous is likely Stellar Forge, so to unload stress onto the servers FDev decided to go P2P connection without much server involvement. However, that brings me to the problem from the previous paragraph: that decision strains on people who want to play Open, but they are technically incapable to do that.
That's why we are in dead point.
I can think, what I want, but any changes are impossible. Buuut...I heard, than in very, very early days frontier promised offline mode, not solo, and they changed it into solo online mode, so I'm rly not sure about their promisses.
PS:Timezones, can be very hard, but possible to counter, other mode not Just saying, because your points are valid.
And yes, you are talking about important thing- crossplay. Sad, that we haven't it.
Last edit: 15 Feb 2021, 10:51pm