Assembly Hall

Okay,

Moons are a problem, and sov isn't so popular right now. Both need a fix, and I think they can actually be fixed within the current mechanic. CCP may have something radical in mind, but here are my thoughts:

Why not bring moons into the Dominion mechanic? Meaning how good your moons are depends on an index level, however it won't just depend on one level - it may depend on all of them - as well as an additional index: the population index, which is just a measure of the average system population.

Now I know people can afk and stuff for system pop, but the idea is that currently alliance leadership doesn't really focus on the same things alliance members do - in terms of sov and structure warfare. Members want good anoms, sanctums and the like, and CCP recently nerfed the crap out of 0.0 to try and make people fight over sanctums and it just isn't happening. Alliances fight over resources, and to make a connection between members and leadership you need to tie resources to player activity.

So, now you will have military,strategic, industry, and population indices, and depending on how high they are in (in some combination that works for game balance) you get better moons. All of a sudden there is an incentive for alliances to populate their systems!

At the same time, get rid of that ridiculous anomaly nerf, or at least modify it so every system gets at least 2-3 sanctums. Currently incursions are far better for isk making than ratting - so the population of 0.0 - at least the living, breathing population, has been depleted as people turn to incursions.

The anomaly change was horrible and was clearly not thought out and has made sov basically worse. Whoever it was that thought that alliances were going to go around the map fighting over random -1.0 systems has no clue how 0.0 actually works or what goes on out here.

The only reward for living in 0.0 at this point are: Moons, Supers, and PVP. So for the rank and file player, the only reward is PVP (obviously removing that "i was there" satisfaction that comes from being in 0.0... lol).

Dominion was aimed at providing an incentive, and that's what is needed. Make the space worth living in again (which Dominion did for a brief period). Dominion was created to turn 0.0 into a living, breathing population, with population centers, etc.. Ever SINCE Dominion, everything CCP has done has been contrary to that.

At the same time, if you want people to fight over this space - make IHUBS conquerable. If you take my system, you get my juicy upgrades, including the ones for moons - so now you have an incentive to take the space.

Also, make upgrades 'targetable' like station services, so small gangs can go in and shut down moon production, or ratting, etc. paving the way for more ways to conduct sov warfare.

Lastly, perhaps there needs to be some sort of mechanic similar to the old constellation mechanic - perhaps even within a single system (upgrades that protect your system in some way). I have not come up with any concrete answer to this, but taking sov needs to require more logistics and effort. It need not be harder on the combat front, because it's already hard enough. But the isk and time outlay needs to be increased a bit. Under the old system (which required TOO MUCH logistics, etc..) the pos spamming limited the incentive to just come and 'knock over your sandcastle". To engage in sov warfare you really had to want the space. The same needs to apply. Perhaps SBU's should require regular fueling to work - or some other maintenance tasks that require a logistical outlay on the part of the invader.

I know for some this would mean less fights - that is why I like the idea of the upgrades being targetable - so that you can still hurt your enemy without engaging in full out sov fights. Notice now you can take down all the jump bridges by hitting the upgrade. Or if CCP adds an upgrade that makes POS'es untargetable (like old constellation mechanic) that upgrade can be hit. Some upgrades could be harder to hit than others, etc.. just some thoughts.

So in short:

1) Sanctum BUFF, not NERF. Make 0.0 profitable again (vs. incursions).
2) Have an index for population density, and perhaps tie some of the upgrades into that index - reward alliances for populating systems.
3) Tie moons into the sov system - higher upgrades bring more rare moon minerals.
4) Make sov assault require a greater logistical and financial commitment (not harder militarily).
5) Make ihub's conquerable (increasing the reward for sov fights you do engage in).
6) Make upgrades so they can be shot and damaged.



Argus

It's not the same at all - the moon goo would be stable as long as you keep your system population up.

What is wrong with making alliance leaders actually populate the systems they use to get moon goo? And you solution doesn't solve the problem because it still distributes the moons unevenly throughout 0.0. Unless that is of course ccp's plan.

A