Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Good Morning Folks,

I just wanted to start a thread that I felt was missing from the discussion. I love that we are talking about structures and sov game play in such an open manner right now. However I noticed that we lacked a discussion thread for NEW out of the box ideas for structures that do not necessary fall into the current categories.

This came to light when I saw CCP Nullarbor mention a great idea a player had during a fanfest pub crawl for a one way direction jump bridge module. I'll re-post that after my OP.

So I'll get things started....

IDEA

STRUCTURE GROUP: "CDE ('Capsuleer Directive Enforcement')"
Back Story

With a long reputation of impartial and brutal enforcement of the directives that maintain a state of relative peace between empires, CONCORD is held in high regard in all empires. When capsuleers started to establish their own empires in the frontier regions, some attempted to establish freeports with limited success. Most failed, and those who held that dream continued to search for an impartial third party organization that could provide security that would fall outside of factional lines. In order for this to work, the guardians would have to enforce the neutrality against anybody who breaks the peace, including the alliance that hired them, something most mercenaries where unwilling to do. Many reached out to CONCORD, but where turned away as such services would be distracting from their mandate. In YC115, the directors of CONCORD saw opportunity and decided to form an arms length organization that could utilize their training and provide limited security in frontier space. However when the empires heard of this they grew concerned about CONCORD becoming impartial due to the vast revenue source capsuleers command, and feared what could happen if CONCORD's secret technologies fell into capsuleer hands. As a compromise Capsuleer Directive Enforcement division was founded with the mandate to allow capsuleers to hire CONCORD trained agents who would act independently but using only capsuleer resources to carry out their command. Designs where established for a command base that could be constructed for CED to carry out its mandate.

Structure Design Aspects

All CED structures are permanently freeports. It will act like CONCORD and attack any aggression outside CRIMEWATCH rules, but with limited resources and not using traditional concord ships. You can end operation if you capture the HQ.

The CED structure would be the headquarters of the CED presence in system. Since their neutrality means they could be called to engage the host alliance, the structure is designed to provide all necessary systems required for the CED to carry out the enforcement of their directives independently without external influences. When a CED is active, the game will provide a visual indicator when a pilot enters the system that it is protected by CED. Players who enter the system will be affected by all the rules of the CRIMEWATCH system, including security status loss.

The structure will guide the enforcement of CRIMEWATCH rules, but use limited resources to do this. The structure will require fighters to pre-built fleets to conduct this enforcement with the NPC CED agents. They will use an AI similar to the sleepers and be piloting fitted ships that are stored in the CED structure. Should those ships run out, then the system would loose the support of CED enforcement agents until their supply is replenished. The level of CED structure would determine what kind of response it can provide, and how many supplies it can hold.

Each fleet that the CED station can dispatch will be dispatched FROM the CED structure (they will warp). The dispatch will be progressive, meaning that the longer the target marked by CED remains engaged, the more it will be reinforced. The first responders will be the fighter wings, the second will be ships. CED will wish to maintain the ability to respond to multiple events, so it will call in a fighter win first which will then be reinforced by their supporting fleet of ships before another wing and ships is called. There we two exceptions to this rule. If multiple ships break the rules at the same time in a single grid, then CED will respond in force against the first engagement ("Calling all cars") and attempt to end it quickly with focused fire. The second exception is that if a capital ship is caught offending, then the capital fleet will be called (if you have the top station). However the capital fleet will remain on standby until a capital is engaged, or a battle has lasted 1 minute.

Level 1: CED Detachment

• Size: M
• Damage: Damage+Reinforcement
• Attack Commitment: Medium
• Cargo Capacity: Finite
• Housing Options: Anchor
• Service Slots: 2
• Required Skill: Empire Control II
• CED Ship Types: Fighters, Fighter Bombers
• CED Response Fleets: 3x12 Fighter or Fighter Bomber Wings
• CED Response Time: 30-40 Seconds

Level 2: CED Station

• Size: L
• Damage: Entosis
• Attack Commitment: Long
• Cargo Capacity: Finite
• Housing Options: Anchor
• Service Slots: 4
• Required Skill: CED Operations I
• CED Ship Types: Fighters, Fighter Bombers, Frigates, Cruisers, Battlecruisers
• CED Response Fleets: 4x Fighter or Bomber Wings, 2 x 10 ship fleets
• CED Response Time: 20-30 Seconds

Level 3: CED Headquarters
[list]

Size: XL

Damage: Entosis+Site

Attack Commitment: Long

Cargo Capacity: Infinite

Housing Options: Anchor+Docking

Service Slots: 8

Required Skill: CED Headquarters Operation

CED Ship Types: Fighters, Fighter Bombers, Frigates, Cruisers, Battlecruisers, Battleships, Capital Ships

CED Response Fleets: 5x Fighter or Bomber Wings, 3 x 10 ship fleets, 1x 5 Ship Capital Wing

[*] CED Response Time: 10-20

OH and to clarify my Original Post. The CED rules would need to differ a bit from CONCORD.

The ENTOSIS link should not trigger a response. CED doesn't care who owns the system or whats inside of it. That is outside their directive. They will respond to ship to ship aggression, and outlaws.

I would also suggest that perhaps you can use the war dec system too. Have it so that if you wish to conquer a space protected by CED, to make it easier you can declare war on them, and CED will not respond to your aggression as it is considered lawful.

An argument could be made to expand the capabilities of this structures since it would be permanently freeport mode. It could perhaps serve as a market hub with offices. However it should have no ability to manufacture. In such a scenario I can see it not being too much a problem even if it overlaps some of the other structures. The "Freeport" mode enforcement would be a major detractor to most alliances, as would the CRIMEWATCH enforcement. This station should also be destructible as an option. Most null sec alliances would want this thing gone if they capture the system.

You might not like it, and I would likely never choose to live in such space.

However I have witnessed people try to do this in Null since 2005, and fail because the mechanics are fairly hostile to the idea of neutrality. CVA has been the most successful at this, but even then it is very difficult. This is mainly because while pvpers like good fights, they hate guard duty. We want to jump into a fight, not wait around hoping one will materialize. Since people like that are required to enforce the peace in a "freeport" type place, it generally fails.

The concept in my idea are not set in stone. The idea is to allow for "guard duty" to be taken by NPC's. The NPC ships are not CONCORD ships, and can be killed by a prepared fleet. They will not defend the system alone.

The idea here is to further develop a gameplay style that already exists to some extent and enable it further. It would likely create different environments (possibly high traffic systems with neuts), and will most certainly not stop somebody from coming in and kicking their sand castle over. It would very likely convince some high sec for life peeps to try out some null which is a win for everybody.

It might not be your gameplay style, but its a legitimate one. Just like ganking is detested by a large portion of the player base, they must live with it. For PvPers, high sec is something we typically do not like, but we live with it. Why? It's a gameplay style that suites somebody else, and I have the option of messing with it if I wanted to anyways.

Besides, Null is always surrounded by low sec and other null. This could significantly increase traffic and therefore pvp. It would also create a new kind of null sec player IMO.