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Increase drop rate of faction items to normalise exploration income
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Chimpy B
The Philosophy Of Two
#1 - 2012-09-04 15:39:13 UTC
I think exploration as a profession gives way too much isk compared to other professsions such as mission running and mining. I do a lot of exploration and I don't feel the desire to do anything else because I can make so much more isk by searching for DED sites, and in comparitively little time. This is just in high-sec. (Yes, some days I find nothing, but then I find an item or two worth, say, 100m and it makes up for it) I imagine incomes in low-sec and null are significantly higher.

Now, I realise this is because players pay silly money for faction and deadspace modules. If this wasn't the case, then it would normalise the income from exploration somewhat. Supply and demand, and all that.

My idea is to increase the drop rate of faction modules and/or spawn rate of exploration combat sites. This will make faction and deadspace item prices fall and bring exploration income back in line with other professions.
mxzf
Shovel Bros
#2 - 2012-09-04 15:48:47 UTC
It wouldn't significantly normalize anything to have the droprate increase, it would just nerf exploration income.

Also, exploration isn't out of balance with regards to ISK/effort. Yes, it can pay out more than missions if you do it well, but it also requires a LOT more effort than clicking "request mission" and then undocking.
Chimpy B
The Philosophy Of Two
#3 - 2012-09-04 16:09:07 UTC
Have you done L4 missions? Missions are hard work, certainly more micro-management and clicking than exploration.

Reducing the demand for faction modules is what I think needs to happen and the easiest way to do that is to make more available.
FireT
Venom Pointe Industries
#4 - 2012-09-04 16:43:18 UTC  |  Edited by: FireT
Chimpy B wrote:
Have you done L4 missions? Missions are hard work, certainly more micro-management and clicking than exploration.

Reducing the demand for faction modules is what I think needs to happen and the easiest way to do that is to make more available.


I will ask you the very same question: have you done level 4 missions? In all honesty most level 4 missions are vastly easier than anything else. At a minimum you need active hardeners while later on you can fly smaller ships with passive tanks AND you get to pick and choose which missions you want to accept.

Exploration means you have to hunt down actual locations with no guarantee or promise of what you will find OR if someone is competing with you over the rewards.

Edit: adding more faction loot would reduce the usefulness of T2 since more faction loot would reduce the cost and increase accessibility.
Uris Vitgar
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#5 - 2012-09-04 17:11:03 UTC
To add to that, exploration is also a competetive profession, whereas mission running generally isn't, so that's another reason for it to pay more. Level 4s aren't hard once you have the right tools, they're just something mindless to do while you listen to radio documentaries
Tomcio FromFarAway
Singularity's Edge
#6 - 2012-09-04 17:45:00 UTC
As for the suggestion itself :

No. Exploration is about finding great treasures from time to time. In most sites you get nothing. When you take into consideration time investment its not that good. Sure you might get lucky, I remember the first DED6 I ever did and it dropped 3bil in loot but in most cases you get mediocre loot or nothing.

Hisec exploration is indeed in need of a change. Currently it is too profitable in Caldari and Minmatar space.
No risk + very high respawn rates + epic drops == bad.
Other spaces are not that good.

One way to solve it is to place severe ship limitations on gates. Make it so that only frigates ( T1, T2 and faction ) and T1 cruisers ( battle cruisers for DED4 ) can enter those sites. Of course some sites would need to be slightly redesigned.

Effects of this change :

- increased time to finish sites ( not necessarily that much because of increased competitiveness )
- lower respawn rates ( in the beginning, after a while it should be even better than it is now )
- increased competitiveness ( you spend more time in a site -> bigger chance that someone else will find it )
- newbies become more competitive in that area
- more people doing sites because of lower requirements ( many newbies will quickly resign after seeing their loot 'stolen' by some vet's blitzing Tengu for the n-th time )
- its more likely that some hisec exploration vets will actually move their Tengus into lowsec ( hey I did that to my mate and now he is very happy because of it and he spent nearly two years running his blitzing Tengu in hisec Cool )

Better accessibility + more competitive environments + more people wanting to do it instead of lol-missions == WIN.

That's how I would picture hisec exploration.
One can only dream.