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How to improve invention
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Velsius
Native Freshfood
Minmatar Republic
#1 - 2012-04-26 11:12:38 UTC
Invention currently sucks, theres no money in it really, and it needs to be improved. As an example, look at invention done on cruiser bpo's, with current base chance, using decryptors to get +3 ME ( which is the only decryptor you can use to make a profit from making the ship), an inventor with perfect skills will have 34.65% success rate. Now given that a character can have maximum 11 slots, lets be generous and say he gets 2x 1 run bpc per day. Now at current prices, the inventor can make about 10mil making all the components and the ship and then selling it. So, with an income of 20mil per day maximum, theres not much incentive for a character to be inventing. Invention on other bpo's have even worse, I haven't found many that offer better profits.

So, how can we solve this problem? I have a few suggestions, also looking for others.

* Skills should have more of an effect on invetion chance. Currently a character with both skill levels at 5 and encryption methods at 5 will gain less than 10% extra invention chance. Not much payoff for 60 days worth of training

* Skills could have an effect on the ME/PE level or the invented bpc (possibly remove the invention chance modifier for the encryption methods skill, but keep it for the datacore skills, and just have the encryption methods skill affect ME/PE level

* Increase in research slots available to characters or seperate invention and reverse engineering from ME/PR/copying research and give each their own slots

Currently this isn't a solid proposal, I'd be interested for any other suggestions on how to help us poor industrialists
Lictor Yeva
WoonGaffe
#2 - 2012-04-29 13:09:26 UTC
Velsius wrote:
Invention currently sucks, theres no money in it really, and it needs to be improved. As an example, look at invention done on cruiser bpo's, with current base chance, using decryptors to get +3 ME ( which is the only decryptor you can use to make a profit from making the ship), an inventor with perfect skills will have 34.65% success rate. Now given that a character can have maximum 11 slots, lets be generous and say he gets 2x 1 run bpc per day. Now at current prices, the inventor can make about 10mil making all the components and the ship and then selling it. So, with an income of 20mil per day maximum, theres not much incentive for a character to be inventing. Invention on other bpo's have even worse, I haven't found many that offer better profits.

So, how can we solve this problem? I have a few suggestions, also looking for others.

* Skills should have more of an effect on invetion chance. Currently a character with both skill levels at 5 and encryption methods at 5 will gain less than 10% extra invention chance. Not much payoff for 60 days worth of training

* Skills could have an effect on the ME/PE level or the invented bpc (possibly remove the invention chance modifier for the encryption methods skill, but keep it for the datacore skills, and just have the encryption methods skill affect ME/PE level

* Increase in research slots available to characters or seperate invention and reverse engineering from ME/PR/copying research and give each their own slots

Currently this isn't a solid proposal, I'd be interested for any other suggestions on how to help us poor industrialists


I've been thinking the same thing, and I came up with an idea that might address the issue. I think it would be awesome if invention became a more involved process, where the player tries different combinations of materials and components, and through trial and error makes actual discoveries that will improve the outcome of invention.

This is a very rough draft of the concept:


  • Each blueprint is assigned 'hidden' attributes for invention that only exist server-side.
  • The hidden attributes denote certain materials (PI, component, etc.) that improve invention.
  • The materials used can increase or decrease success rate, runs or BPC ME/PE levels.
  • Certain combinations of materials produce greater bonuses overall.


So imagine you have a t1 Merlin BPO as normal and you want to invent a Harpy BPC from that. After several tries you stumble across a component (let's say hypersynaptic fibers) that increases the BPO's runs with 1. You can now chose to use this in all your future invention attempts or you can look for other combinations, perhaps putting some hydrogen isotopes in there will work wonders, etc.

Quantity could also be a factor, as in you notice an increase in invention efficiency by 5% when you use 10 of a certain component, but if you use 20 it drops to 2.5%, so now you're trying to find the 'sweet spot' where you gain maximum yield.

Invention in such a system would be more like... well real invention... and it could at the same time boost a unprofitable part of the production chain.
Mr Epeen
It's All About Me
#3 - 2012-04-30 05:00:54 UTC
I'm on the fence on this one.

On the one hand, yes it sucks that you might get one success for every ten fails, but on the other, I'm still producing BPs faster than I can build them.

I can see where if made easier to succeed the price of BPs that inventors make for sale will plummet. And will drag BP copiers along with it. This could damage the entire mini profession of supplying BP copies and T2 BPs for sale.

I would recommend some serious discussion on this before making any changes or recommendations.

Mr Epeen Cool