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FW: Faction-controlled stargates
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Mitchell Hagen
Grey Chook Industries
#1 - 2012-08-18 01:29:52 UTC  |  Edited by: Mitchell Hagen
What if players could take stargates offline and bring them online between FW systems? It would add an interesting dimension to FW gameplay that currently does not exist anywhere.

  • In addition to the normal stargates, there were additional FW stargates that were online some of the time.
  • These stargates connect FW systems.
  • Each end of a stargate has a control bunker that is under the control of a faction. It becomes vulnerable to attack whenever the faction controlling the bunker is not the same as the faction controlling the system.
  • If a stargate control bunker takes enough damage (reaches 100%), it flips allegiance to the faction that has sovereignty in the system.
  • A stargate is online to a faction (and neutral traffic) if both stargate control bunkers have allegiance to that faction.
  • A stargate is offline to all traffic if the control bunkers for that stargate have allegiances to different factions.

Some notes:

  • Offline stargates must look offline visually. No lights, etc. It should be clear just by looking that a stargate is offline.
  • The controlling faction should be apparent by visual inspection. Blue lights for Caldari, green lights for Gallente, yellow lights for Amarr and red lights for Minmatar.
  • Neutral players should be able to shoot control bunkers to flip sovereignty but they take a standing hit to the defending faction if they do so.
  • Some FW stargates can replace existing stargates. The majority should be new stargates.
  • If all FW stargates are offline, it should still be possible to travel to all FW systems.
  • Offline stargates also have offline gate guns.
  • A stargate that changes state should have an obvious graphical effect. A stargate going offline should spark as if hit with EM and then go dark; a stargate coming online should blink its lights and then light up. It should look cool if you happen to be watching.
  • The stargate should not change appearance; a Gallente-design stargate controlled by the Caldari should remain a Gallente-design stargate.
  • FW stargates are invisible to the autopilot at all times.

Open questions:

  • Should offline stargates have a distinct icon in the overview?

Yes, I know there's cynos and carriers and all that. However, having a stargate suddenly stop working can add an interesting dimension to gameplay and add potential gankage that otherwise would not exist.
Omnathious Deninard
University of Caille
Gallente Federation
#2 - 2012-08-18 01:36:38 UTC
I don't do FW but that sounds cool, though it should require a system upgrade (level 2 or 3) for both systems to bring it online

If you don't follow the rules, neither will I.
ShahFluffers
Ice Fire Warriors
#3 - 2012-08-18 05:58:55 UTC
Too exploitable. I already found a way to effectively isolate a system from all traffic and make it into a private HQ.

Also... if massive 0.0 alliances with numbers in the thousands and ship that can nuke small moons cannot shut off stargates... why can FW people?

How did you Veterans start?
Mitchell Hagen
Grey Chook Industries
#4 - 2012-08-18 10:30:09 UTC
ShahFluffers wrote:
Too exploitable. I already found a way to effectively isolate a system from all traffic and make it into a private HQ.

Hmm, if this is a real exploit, hadn't you better report it?

As for the more legitimate part of your argument, yes, it might be, but without the additional stargates the ability to travel from system to system is unaffected. It's what I meant when I specified this: "If all FW stargates are offline, it should still be possible to travel to all FW systems."

It's mostly intended to add new stargates to aid in the defense of systems. I have suggested that they be new ones mostly.

Another way of managing this is if these stargates are temporary like wormholes. Initially these are hidden stargates, whose locations are revealed in FW missions. (There's several normal [non-FW] missions with "hidden stargates" so this is a part of the EVE storyline already.) These could be implemented like wormholes but are stargates so as to make it plausible for them to be controlled by the factions and not natural phenomena. The only difference between these stargates and the more usual ones that one sometimes sees in missions is that these come in pairs and are functional, at least for a limited time.

Quote:
Also... if massive 0.0 alliances with numbers in the thousands and ship that can nuke small moons cannot shut off stargates... why can FW people?

The factions are at war with each other. Because they number in the billions (look on the habitable planets), not thousands, they are powerful enough to run traffic control, but need some help from capsuleers to make it happen.

Also see above my note about stargates in missions.
Soon Shin
Scarlet Weather Rhapsody
#5 - 2012-08-18 11:13:31 UTC
I could personally see this turn out very badly.

You would have nullsec alliances come and start locking down entire constellations.
Mitchell Hagen
Grey Chook Industries
#6 - 2012-08-22 00:59:47 UTC
Soon Shin wrote:
I could personally see this turn out very badly.

You would have nullsec alliances come and start locking down entire constellations.

Explain how creating a few extra part-time stargates (by whatever mechanism) would do this.
NiGhTTraX
Deep Core Mining Inc.
Caldari State
#7 - 2012-08-22 01:16:59 UTC  |  Edited by: NiGhTTraX
So if I want to go to lowsec, not only do I have to watch out for camps, I have to see if the stargate is online or not. Yeah, that will really make lowsec more popular.

Edit: sorry, missed the part where you said these would be new stargates. In that case, still no. 2 reasons:
1. Being in FW should not gain you any advantage, or disadvantage, in moving between systems. You could join FW to gain access to these new stargates and use them to escape gate camps or war targets. No one would ever catch you because they would be camping the regular gates.

2. Expanding on reason 1, if these FW were to be implemented, they should be made available for everyone, FW or non FW. Then all you did is add more stargates. Restrict them to non FW entities and you're back to reason 1.

If you're gonna post here thinking your idea is the greatest thing since bacon and that it will save EVE and possibly all humankind with it, you're gonna have a bad time.
Jack Tronic
borkedLabs
#8 - 2012-08-22 03:29:52 UTC  |  Edited by: Jack Tronic
ShahFluffers wrote:
Too exploitable. I already found a way to effectively isolate a system from all traffic and make it into a private HQ.

Also... if massive 0.0 alliances with numbers in the thousands and ship that can nuke small moons cannot shut off stargates... why can FW people?


You seem to have missed the part where systems will retain their original stargates that are basically concord controlled.

the suggestion here is for "shortcuts" akin to jump bridges.