Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Updated: As inspired by Gizznitt, since I agree with the logic, and Zim, for pointing out a flaw in balance:

Consider this idea to fix local: Noone gets into local list without flagging themselves to do so. A "ShowMe" checkbox by the minimize button, so the social types can be seen.

Please keep in mind, nothing is stopping anyone from using probes or D-Scans, but local won't give away free information at a glance.

Gates will automatically broadcast into local chat the hyperlinked name and pic of every pilot immediately on gate use, and whether they were going into or out of the system. Like any other local chat, if you are not there to see it, you don't know about it.

If they log out, the gates don't know, and neither do you. If they have been sitting quietly to ambush someone, the gates don't know that either.

Exemption: Hi Sec systems can automatically list all pilots in local, based on the concept that concord as part of their presence automatically scans everyone down for presence, cloaked or not, if they are online in a system.

Additional Item suggested:
I would also support the idea of a POS module that could scan down uncloaked vessels, and populate a list with ship types active in system, including which were friendly vs neutral or worse. I would suggest this list only be offered to the SOV holders by default, although they would be free to share the info in chat.

Anything uncloaked for over 60 seconds could be added to this list automatically.

Outside of the gate announcement, it is not possible to directly track a cloaked vessel.
That being said: Cloaking vessels would be notable potentially because they never get added to the list. The only way to avoid the list would be that they either logged immediately, or were cloaked, and we all know how to check if someone is online.

Hostile Flag: This flag can go up immediately upon the entry of any 'hostile' pilot to the system, as their clone link goes active at that point. No delay.

All the locals who can see the ship lists will see, is the red flag active indicating a hostile is present. They could be cloaked, in a pod, or flying a titan. All the system knows is a clone link is present that is not registered as friendly. Since bandwidth is not constant, the system cannot tell how many hostiles are present, just that one or more is.

In more detail: This is something that can be tracked from all ships, but won't help you locate the ship. Since it is blind to ship type, it doesn't help locate or highlight cloaked vessels.

Whenever a pilot transponder enters a system, that is not on file with the sov holding alliance or those it considers in good standing, it raises a flag that a hostile pilot is in system. (There is a list of transponders for all in good standing, it simply recognizes the presence in system of a clone link transponder not on it's 'good' list)

This assumption that people are watching local so closely, that they would need to replace it with d-scans every two seconds to scan for cloaked ships, that would not even show up in the first place, seems odd.

You DID catch that part at the bottom, I hope, about the POS mod that would scan down vessels that could be scanned for anyways?
Let me repost it here for clarity. The point of this mod should be obvious, making tools available for SOV holders to make their systems harder to mess with.

I really think Local Chat, needs to lose all intel functions and be limited to what it's name implies, a chat box. With Local Chat intel gone a discussion of how DScan and other intel tools can be improved without being as broken as Local Chat is currently.

That said your suggestion is a big improvement over the status quo, and perhaps a reluctantly acceptable compromise.



I believe should any such systems given to Sov Holders should also be given to NPC Nullsec residents in good Standing with controlling NPCs. And only be given to either in systems where Stations/Outposts are present.

This, and what I suspect are Zim's interests, would be a matter of balance tweaking.

Right now we have nerfed cloaking. The ships are significantly weaker in exchange for cloaks, and with local broadcasting their presence, the cloaks themselves are of diminished usefulness.

A speed fleet with good intel is more dangerous than a group of cloaked ships, currently, and that makes little sense.

Not so fast, I was just probing you for some idea what it was you were looking for.

I think I came up with an idea that would make you happy, and still let cloaking be more than it is now.

This flag can go up immediately upon the entry of any 'hostile' pilot to the system, as their clone link goes active at that point. No delay.

All the locals who can see the ship lists will see, is the red flag active indicating a hostile is present. They could be cloaked, in a pod, or flying a titan. All the system knows is a clone link is present that is not registered as friendly. Since bandwidth is not constant, the system cannot tell how many hostiles are present, just that one or more is.

In more detail: This is something that can be tracked from all ships, but won't help you locate the ship. Since it is blind to ship type, it doesn't help locate or highlight cloaked vessels.

Whenever a pilot transponder enters a system, that is not on file with the sov holding alliance or those it considers in good standing, it raises a flag that a hostile pilot is in system. (There is a list of transponders for all in good standing, it simply recognizes the presence in system of a clone link transponder not on it's 'good' list)

You are delightfully consistent with your lack of reading. It's like having a reverse troll who wants to make you laugh for a change.

You even pointed out the reference to the change that eliminated any delay in issuing a warning, without actually seeing it.

Impressive tunnel vision, you obviously had to highlight and delete the very section that refuted your post.

Here it is, please read it so you can post more constructively.


As stated, this change still maintains an improvement to play for cloaked pilots, and still allows locals with sov to have ample warning of hostiles.

And unless they wait the minute for the POS mod to scan down ships, they won't know what kind either. The only exception would be to show no hostile ships on the scan after the minute passed, indicating that the 1 or more hostiles are cloaked.

How many hostiles makes ratting and mining too dangerous? Most pilots that are concerned indicate one is too many, so this red flag is all they need to see to know they need to safe up.

No free kills for either side.

Great idea.

Ambushing ppl will be a lot easier. System wouldn't go empty in one minure when i enter it.
Also this will seriously stop any botting activity in nullsec as bot programs ectract local channel information from datastream to protect its users ships. This makes using them a suicide.

Given the fact that cloaked ships can pick and choose the time and the place of engagements, and covert cynos enable fleets of bombers/blops BS to cyno in to an unsuspecting victim, I'd say that number is 1. Unless you're willing to spend a lot of time, energy and money to run protection fleets (since they aren't making any money themselves while running protection for you), that is.


Actually, with the "red flag unknown person in system" flag, you'd still have bots and people docking up when that goes off.

As to the whole "extract channel information from datastream to protect its users ships", if local is removed or delayed, then it'll be a much bigger nerf to players than to bots. Bots can dscan without the lapses in concentration people would have to endure.

I admire your stubborn view that I must be a ganker, out to get free killmails. Try checking to see how many killmails I actually have, and get back to me.
I can save you the time, I don't gank. Half my handful of kills are defensive, as while i do not seek out fights usually, neither am I normally unprepared either.

I am trying to get a system that makes both sides happy, but takes away the "Sports bar Menu" that local is right now.
Deny it all you like, but the miner / ratter is ad a disadvantage. Unless they are focusing on local the moment a ganker enters the system, they are giving this attacker a head start to catch them.
If they switched to a different chat channel for a moment, or focused on something that took more than a few seconds, they suddenly find gankers on grid with them.

1 Wolf or Jaguar, with the right loadout, can lock down a Hulk and pop it, if they made the unforgivable mistake of operating solo. And Local, as it is, will tell them at a glance when the situation is right to hit belts and find them.

By play style alone, local favors the player who uses it most, and that is not a miner or ratter, but the one hunting them at that moment they gate into the system.