Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Ok so this idea takes the concept of needing "plains to burn" in null sec and runs with it. It's purposefully loose on some of technicalities so that others may fill in their own ideas or tweak it however they like.

So...

The main idea is to make most everything in 0.0 destructible.

1. Corps and alliances will be able to purchase and anchor a multitude of new sov structures that will vary in their cost and HP. These structures will have "cosmetic" value as well as economic value. They can be statues, space junk piles, obelisks, floating masses of frozen corpses, whatever you can think of (special "purely cosmetic" structures available through the NeX store anyone?). It is the opportunity for alliances to literally "build their space" and add some flavor to different regions of null sec.

2. These structures will determine the cost of SOV: the more structures anchored in a system the lower the cost. The more structures anchored in a system the lower the cost of installing upgrades such as cynojammers and jump bridges.

3. There will be ALOT of anchorable structures in upgraded systems. Most of these structures should be fairly inexpensive and have relatively small HPs. Small gangs should be able to come in and destroy a few of them with relative ease in undefended systems.

4. Isk will be given as payment to whoever destroys the structures. The isk output value will correlate with the cost and HP of the destroyed structure. This serves as an economic incentive for gangs to go and "burn" their opponents "fields". Perhaps some higher HP (and cooler looking) structures are only available at higher sov levels.

5. Bring back Sov levels as a deterrant to large alliances that want to clean house. "X" number of structures in place for "Y" days gives SOV level "Z", etc. Or instead, the new index based on the number of structures gives a specific SOV level, etc. Systems with higher sov levels will be resistant to sov warfare until border systems have fallen.

6. Sov structures should be made from materials produced through PI.

So that's the gist of it. Obviously this is very similar to the concept behind Dominion except it moves SOV warfare away from shooting a few high value high HP structures to many smaller ones that can be helped along by even small gangs.
It's also very similar to the original system based on POS warfare. However, the incentive to get isk from the destruction of the structures as well as its accessibility (no need for capitals, no annoying timers, etc.) makes it less of a grind.


Potential pitfalls:

1. What's to prevent an alliance from anchoring a bunch of structures the day before bills are due to reap the economic benefit without risking anything?

- Make a new index that is an average for the number of structures in the system throughout the month. The sov bills are based off that index, not on the number of structures in the system the day bills are due.

2. Super capital blobs and strong coalitions will be able to destroy everything in very short order.

- Cynojammers will become relatively cheap when a higher SOV level is reached. Additionally, systems with high sov levels will be resistant to SOV warfare until the SOV levels of surrounding systems have been sufficiently degraded (however they should not completely immune to being pillaged). The idea is to make sov warfare a longer process that requires patience, determination and planning rather than something that can be accomplished quickly by coalitions that are just passing through. Determined defenders will be able to anchor new structures daily, thus "undoing" or "resetting" any destruction inflicted upon the system.

3. Why even own Sov?

- Perhaps the level of sov in a given system correlates to the number of belts, anomalies, etc. Perhaps systems with no sov should contain next to nothing in terms of harvestable resources. Frankly I think this fear is a little overblown as most alliances are going to want to hold sov regardless of whether it gives you more isk or not.

4. I know there's more but I can't think of any and this is getting long enough...


What do you think??