Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Currently null sec is too crowded. With the rise in popularity of Eve and creation of jumpdrive capable ships and jump bridges. Null sec is not what it once was. When I first started to play eve null sec was the great unknown, the wild west of Eve. full of uncertainty; will I survive this trip or will I fall into another players well laid trap. I remember flying my badger mk2 full of bist ore 11 jumps to the refining station in querious region using insta jump bookmarks. Without an escort and to be honest I made it a lot more times than I didn’t.

These days null sec is not full of uncertainty it is certain that if a new player ventures there or a small group of newer plays they will run in to a camp and take the pod express home.
This may just be a bit of nostalgia but I do miss the good old days a bit and I have been thinking about ways to improve null sec to allow more people to explore setup small operations without having to rent space or join a big super power. Now I don’t think there is one fix that could be applied. Back when the drone regions were opened up I was among the first to move up. At the time I remember thinking more null sec was a step in the right direction but we need it on a much larger scale. To be honest I was wrong thinking that. We would need to create 10x the amount of null sec that’s there now before the larger alliances stopped expanding for the sake of it.


So onto my suggestion towards solving this problem:
Local is constant in null sec and I am not suggesting remove it like in WH space as we already have WH space for that. I suggest we make it vulnerable; we connect Local chat to a deployable structure. The Encounter Surveillance systems are already in place and it would add a new element of value to them.
In order to gain an Instant local chat you must deploy the encounter Surveillance system after this has been anchored Local will switch from Delayed mode to active after a set time period let’s say 1 hr. Local can be taken down by an attacking force fairly easy by destroying the Encounter Surveillance system. Clearly some rebalancing if the structures would be needed.
I believe this would encourage alliances to pull back and defend smaller areas of space as enemies would start to target their structures creating a large logistical problem to maintain local chat. Combined with addition of new Regions of space this could open up null sec to many more player groups and solo players without having to fall in line under one of the large coalitions.
This would also add to the make this Sov Grind more interesting and create more roles of black op/recon gangs. For example small gang knocks out local in a moderately populated system. After this occurred the home alliance blockades the gates and start to put local back on. Unknown to them far of grid a covert cyno has been pop’ed and many cloaked recon ships and stealth bombers have entered the system to ambush ad cause general chaos.
I have seen similar ideas suggesting a POS module to allow local. Personally I think this links things too much to the Sov Grind and gives home defenders too large an advantage. Null sec is the great unknown and things such as communication should not be so easy.

I appreciate that the topic of Local in null has been made before and resulted in a lot of mixed feelings. I hope my proposal is original enough to warrant its own thread and spark some discussion

Cheers just to clarify when I say delayed chat I did actually mean like WH chat you don't appear unless you talk in local.

The idea behind attaching it to a structure that does not need Sov to deploy is like you say "a more precious instrument to defend" Also it allows for defenders and attackers to use it. An attacking fleet may decide that deploying local is the best option to fight the defenders linking it to Sov gives far too much power imo.

Well yes I can only go on my own experiences though the years and this is of course my opinion.

in regards to linking it to a "mere" deployable this can be balanced and adds more flexibility to the system. the deployable's hp could be increased or a short reinforced mode put in place to make for a minimum time to take Local down regardless the attacking force size.

I would say that if the deployable is attacked then a message appears in local to that effect for everyone in system too see. whoever deployed it should NOT get a mail as this would allow space holders to know to send a defence fleet to once of "there" empty systems.

The main idea behind this is that alliances would have to actually use systems they claim or be subject to attacks on there Local deployables. I would envision pockets of space where no one is putting up a Local and smaller groups can start off.

I disagree with a null wide nerf of Local as I think the Alliances in game should be able to build up and provide services just like the high sec factions.

btw I chose the ESS deployable as I think it would add value to it and allow for more opportunity. If you need it for Local then there will be more deployed and more opportunity for people to capitalise on stealing bounty's in core alliance systems. Also for small PvE ops out in the void they would have a choice use the ESS and get local but put bounty's at risk or don't use ESS and put our ships at greater risk. It could be done with a different deployable but I like the idea of using the ESS balance would be needed though.

Well how about the other option I put forward. keep relatively low hp add a 15-30 minute reinforced mode. With the only notification of this being in the local channel this notification would be constant like a MOTD for the reinforced time so if anyone enters system they will know that Local will be going down. This is less of a grind as if a gang is looking to knock out local i several close empty systems they can put them into reinforced mode first and then go back picking off the deployable. This would also give time for locals in the area to spot the attack and mount a defence fleet (this is designed to be easy to knock out if no one actually uses the system.)



whist it would be nice any change to hisec local would not go well. if any sort of delay was implemented carebear corps would suffer immensely with Empire wars. Personally if it did happen I would probably be making more war dec's however I think it would result in a lot of hisec players quitting.
Also I think part of the problem is one solution does not fit all current local is good for hisec not so good for null sec.

CCP has over the years in null sec especially started to hand over the reigns to players. going from a 3 station region system to allowing us to build outposts essentially shaping the space. Handing Local in Null over to a player driven mechanic would fall in line with this. My main concern is it gets handed over to the Sov holders allowing them to tighten there grip more on there space. using deployable that don't have a Sov requirement will allow smaller groups a chance of operating in null for a reasonable amount of time. I would also suggest to make this full Null deployable NPC null as well although leaving NPC null may be a good middle ground.

since when has null ever been crowded?!

the odd time when all the planets align and the powerblocks have a big fisticuffs? Most of the time I fly in null I'm lucky to see 5-10 people in local. (been doing way more of it than I prefer tbh)

Also posting in a stealth 'nerf local' thread.

Perhaps crowded was the wrong word to use to put a cross my points. Currently the large power blocks control most of Null sec a lot of barely used systems are unassailable to smaller groups because they fall in a large alliances sov. So I guess I will clarify the issue I am talking about is power projection.

basic idea is currently the Sov grind is a grind mainly for the attackers who have to attack wait for timers ect. This would hopefully make it more of a grind on defenders if they claim too much space they will have to constantly be replacing the Local deployable in whatever form it took. The hope is that they would just not bother with large areas of "there" space and create pockets of delayed local null that smaller groups could use to break into 0.0 without paying the large rental fees.



I would disagree I am attempting to address the issue with power projection in null sec which is considered an issue by quite a few people. there was a mention of it in the latest csm meeting minutes.
It just so happens that my opinion is that these changes to Local in null sec would help reduce power projection.