Warfare & Tactics

After looking into current mechanics and feedback there are a certain number of points we want to change on the system upgrade and war zone control systems.



•WAR ZONE CONTROL EFFECTS


Current warzone control design is flawed as it does not encourage players to hold space, only to upgrade I-hubs when they need to buy stuff from the LP store to get massive reductions. Ideally we would want players fighting and struggling to keep control over their space, that is why we propose the following.

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•NEW SYSTEM COSTS

We are not particularly fond of how easy it is to upgrade a system currently. On top of that it is quite easy for attacking players to reduce upgrade level by attacking complexes in the same system due to how the bleed-out on the I-Hub works (this will be tackled further down below).

Part of the fix is to increase LP amounts required to upgrade a system to the new numbers mentioned below:

* Level1: 40,000
* Level2: 60,000
* Level3: 90,000
* Level4: 140,000
* Level5: 200,000
* Buffer: 300,000


•NEW SYSTEM UPGRADES

As mentioned quite a few times, current system upgrades are a bit lame, as not really providing needed bonuses, especially in systems with no stations. Iteration would include:

Level1:
* +5 station manufacturing, copy, ME, PE, Invention slots
* 10% market tax reduction
* 10% repair cost reduction
* 5% manufacturing time reduction

Level2:
* +10 station manufacturing, copy, ME, PE, Invention slots
* 20% market tax reduction
* 20% repair cost reduction
* 10% manufacturing time reduction

Level3:
* +15 station manufacturing, copy, ME, PE, Invention slots
* 30% market tax reduction
* 30% repair cost reduction
* 15% manufacturing time reduction
* 10% reduction to starbase fuel cost

Level4:
* +20 station manufacturing, copy, ME, PE, Invention slots
* 40% market tax reduction
* 40% repair cost reduction
* 20% manufacturing time reduction
* 10% reduction to starbase fuel cost

Level5:
* +25 station manufacturing, copy, ME, PE, Invention slots
* 50% market tax reduction
* 50% repair cost reduction
* 30% manufacturing time reduction
* 20% reduction to starbase fuel cost
* Able to anchor Cyno Jammer


• CYNO JAMMER

As you can see above, the Cyno Jammer is back with a vengeance. However we took into consideration the feedback we received during Fanfest and various community channels, and it would work as mentioned below.


* Bought from FW LP stores as 1 BPC (total cost including manufacturing materials estimated around 100-130m ISK)
* Has only 25% hitpoints of the null-security Cyno Jammer version (thus about 4 million HPs instead of 16)
* Cyno Jammer is launched from the ship cargohold and deployed into space, requires the "config starbase equipment" role (this technically restricts all NPC militia members to launch such a structure - you have to be in an enlisted player made corporation)
* Cyno Jammer requires a spool-up time (5 or 10 minutes)
* Cyno Jammer automatically turn online once spool-up timer has passed, causing its effects to be activated for the specified amount of time
* May only be anchored when proper system upgrade has been met
* Only one Cyno Jammer may be anchored per solar system
* Cyno Jammer needs to be launched near the system Infrastructure Hub (between 5 and 10km)

Working conditions:

* An anchored Cyno Jammer automatically turns online after the spool-up period and works for 1 hour
* Deployed Cyno Jammer is automatically unanchored and destroyed if the solar system upgrade level goes below minimum requirements while it is active
* Deployed Cyno Jammer automatically unanchors and self-destructs once their lifetime has expired
* Cyno Jammers are considered as militia objects and may be shot by the opposing factions without any consequence (neutrals can shoot them but have to take a security status hit)
* Has same effect than null-security version - prevents Cynosural Fields to be created in the solar system as long as it is active


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•GENERAL CAPTURE CHANGES

Last but not least, we have a certain number of smaller changes that have been suggested and requested for a while.


* Reduce I-hub LP bleed from attacked complexes: I-hub currently lose 50% of attacked complex LP amount, which makes it difficult to hold a system upgrades. We would like to reduce the bleed out to 10% to make it less easy to reduce it. Thus capturing a Major site would only remove 3,000 LPs from the I-hub instead of 15,000 as it is today.

* Defensive plexing gives LP: as title says, but with a twist. LP amount is based on contested system % to avoid farming. Thus, a system that is 50% contested would only give 50% of the total LP amount available. Maximum cap would be set to 75% to encourage players to still be in the offensive.

* Attacking complexes don't pay anything in vulnerable systems: currently it is possibly to still gain LPs and VPs in vulnerable systems, not only allowing you to farm the system instead of taking the I-hub, but also give you a huge VP buffer as they keep piling up indefinitely.

I believe that this proposed change didn't happen. Defensive plexing above 75% doesn't seem capped - still gives LP proportionate to the % contested, right up to the full 100%.

I was also interested in how the tax rate was calculated, and asked about it here: https://forums.eveonline.com/default.aspx?g=posts&t=278514

No reply. Seems no-one really knows, and no-one from CCP can be bothered to answer.

I'll say one thing for FW - CCP really, really need to have a proper 'rulebook' explaining the mechanics and updating them when they actually change. Not just leave it to players to write. The whole "we're going to implement X feature, or dial down mechanic Y", then not do it, or do it differently, or not say that its been done when it's implemented discreetly in a patch, is also frustrating. The wiki on FW is hopelessly out of date.

To be honest I would have very much enjoyed all of those benefits. Would increase the amount of resources being moved between lowsec and high sec as well as the amount of Active Poses (which leads to more assets in space, which then leads to more pew pew). Could also lead to cheaper prices of tech 2 items as there would be more incentive to moon mine lower grade materials, etc.