Player Features and Ideas Discussion

In a sense CCP are “moving” in the right direction … but they have far from nailed it. The entosis link, while a reasonable idea can have a place in the new sov mechanics but should not be the Hail Mary fix everyone was hoping for.

The idea of occupancy sov has been thrown around a lot, and it’s a good idea – but what exactly does that mean? Do I need to rat, mine and construct in my space to make it cooler? How do I take more space? How do I take your space off you? The idea of having to “use your space” is fantastic – but how can you make it work? Right now the current meta favours Big blocks, large blobs and lots of capitals, because grinding structures with sub-caps is ****; possible … but ****. Currently, claiming space is a system by system affair. It’s tedious, boring and generally drives one party to un-subscribe. Not the most ideal outcome for a company that makes money of subscriptions.

So how do you make an occupancy system work?

Enter the Territorial Influence Unit (TIU)

Capturing someone’s space in eve is one thing, conquering their space should be another. Instead of TCU’s being planted in every system, a constellation flag should be planted in its place. This means one Territorial Influence Unit per constellation, but what exactly does this do? Once you have deployed the TIU the constellation becomes yours ….. But not entirely yours. The system in which a TIU is deployed becomes the “capital” of the constellation as such. After it’s been deployed no hostile entity can dock in the station as per the current mechanics. However any other station in the constellation becomes a Freeport until the invading entity has spread its influence throughout the constellation. This will be done via ratting, mining, refining and industry that takes place in the capital and outlying systems in the constellation. As your influence builds up it spreads from the centre to the outer systems, system by system. Each station system that becomes under the influence of the entity (gaining a level 1 upgrade as explained below) loses its Freeport status and becomes exclusive (standings controlled as per the current mechanics).

Next on the chopping block – The IHUB. As your influence in the constellation builds your systems gain upgrade points – like the current mechanic of upgrading your IHUB but without the multi-million EHP structure. All activity in the constellation can help towards this. Using ratting as an example, if you were ratting in your constellation capital the largest percentage of influence build up goes to the system you are in. The adjacent systems also gain influence by your activity but at a lesser rate. The further away in the constellation a system is the smaller percentage of influence it gains. As a system reaches 100% on its current influence level an upgrade slot becomes available. Depending on which system you (as a player) are currently using depends on the centre point spread of influence that gets generated. Once the outer systems of a constellation are fully upgraded, influence can then overflow to connecting constellations but is limited to the current region. Failing to use your space causes your entity to lose influence over the system until it eventually reaches zero and becomes effectively NPC space with no standings or docking restrictions.

So what are the benefits to owning space? There needs to be more to it than having your name on the map. Naturally, like the currently mechanics system upgrades give you ratting bonuses in the likes of increased CA’s and CS’s and same goes for mining. On top of that POS could then have the likes of greatly reduced fuel upkeep costs cheaper build costs to industry, better yields from moon mining and refining and gain bonuses to shield HP and resistances, along with all the usual Jump bridge/Cyno Jammer/beacons etc. Additionally you could also add in increased mining yeilds from mining barges or higher bounties from NPCs. And now comes the big one, once your constellation capital becomes 100% of its max level a final upgrade is applied to the capital station to allow Super Capitals the ability to dock. As you can only have a single capital system per constellation you will only ever be able to dock in the one system, unless your entity owns multiple constellations. Only a certian number of Super Capitals will be able to be docked at one time in a single station.

So how do you take more space? This is where the entosis link CCP has thought up should come in. Once you have captured a constellation by deploying your TIU an influence beacon spawns in each of the other system in the constellation. This beacon has no timer and can’t be attacked by conventional means. An attacking entity can enter the system and use the entosis link on the beacon which follow CCP’s guidelines highlighted in the dev blog. For a constellation capital to become vulnerable more than 50% of the constellations influence beacons need to be under hostile control. At this point the invading entity can then re-enforce the TIU using the entosis link putting it into its timer which gets set by the defending entity. Like the new T3 destroyers your capital has 2 modes; Industry – in which described earlier gives you bonuses to the systems ratting and industry, and defensive. Defensive mode can only be activated once your capital has entered its first re-enforcement timer. While in this mode certain defences can be placed to assist the defending entity such as small/medium/large and XL Gate guns and on grid guns for the TIU (like a POS). At this point the TIU also emits an on-grid cyno jammer. While the TIU is in its re-enforced mode (waiting for the timer) defensive structure are targetable but have extremely high resistances until the system timer has ticked down. These can also be incapacitated and repaired as desired.

So. First!

Now to business, This is I feel really organized and well thought out. I like CCP has decided to fix sov. It needs it, However, I also agree the Entosis Module. While I see a place for it. Isn't the way to fix it. This however;

This seems just right to me. I like the idea that you get a "Capital" System. It makes sense, we already do that anyway (Staging Systems). It also forces fights to occur on the Objectives, And it gets you to USE your space.

If CCP were really to take this page and use it to their advantage, I'd add a few things;


How/Can you blow up a TIU? So that you could change the "Capital System"?

**I'm sure they're are other issues that need to be addressed or balanced, But I feel that you've got a really sound idea going**

Sense we're all getting rid of structure bashes (Except for Pos/Pocos/And your aforementioned on grid defenses). A viable change to Capitals is in order. Not so much Carriers or Dreads. They have their purpose, Dreads being reduced slightly, But supers are ny useless with the exception of another Supercapital Fleet, Or Capital Fleet.

I'm not saying Supercaps are useless as they are the "Capital Killers". Just their main use is now gone (Which is cool!). But maybe lets brainstorm a fix for that too? Kind of off subject.

TL;DR - Your idea I feel is great! Just have the above question and how can we make capitals work in this setting too?

I feel personally to address any meaningful sov you need to have access to some sort of "heavy" assets. IE - Carrier/Dreads min, In some sort of smallish #'s (3-5). After all we're talking about OWNING space to a degree here. It's not meant for the weak of heart. I'd just like to see them more involved, But not just structure grinding 90% of the time.

Ignoring the basics of;
Carrier for Reps to Subcaps > Dread to kill Carrier > Supers to kill Carriers/Dreads > Titans cause Reasons.

Come on CCP you know my idea works. You can still use your magic sov wand :) Theres no rush to fix sov .. people would rather it be done properly.

Agreed that the super/titan suggestions are only scribbles. Yes the idea of the un-bonused guns is to prevent people from roaming in 20 titans and being able to kill anything. 1 titan should not be at the mercy of 1 dictor. In saying that though you want to promote fleet diversity and capitals should be supported by other ships. However that doesnt mean they should be defenseless.

Anyway the main point of this thread was to promote my idea for the new sov mechanics using what CCP are wanting to bring in while at the same time making it less grindy OR Factional Warfare like. It prevents Alliance sprawl and promotes using the the space you live in. At the same time it also encourages large coalitions to either condense even further of split up.