Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Hello,

With Odyssey having exploration as a focus, I thought it would be a good time to offer up some new exploration content. The good thing about the following idea is that a majority of the pieces already exist in Eve. They just need to be stitched together a bit.

Summary:

Pirate ship logs will be added back into the loot tables. A single ship log can be used to create an expedition. A full series of ship logs can be combined for more risky and rewarding expeditions.

Part 1: Pirate Ship Log Revival

Those who have been in Eve a long time will remember that, on occasion, a pirate ship would drop a ship log. A few years ago CCP removed these from the loot tables which is why you don't see them anymore. Here's an example:



These ship logs were (iirc) designed to point pilots to systems which had static complexes. They also helped tell a story, to give life to the game world and help make those red crosses on your overview something more than a red cross.

These items still exist; they haven't been removed from the game. I still have some in my hangar. They just need to be added back to the loot tables.

So we have the items in Eve already. They just need to be made useful.

Part 2: Expeditions

The ship logs were originally used to point to systems with static complexes, but let's go for something a little different. Exploration expeditions. We already have this feature in Eve; some anomalies, when finished, have a chance to launch an expedition into lowsec or null.

The mechanic here is simple. Right click on the ship log and an "Analyze" context menu item will be available. Analyzing the ship log will remove it from your inventory and add an expedition to your Journal's expedition tab. These expeditions can be whatever expeditions currently exist. An Angel ship log will provide an Angel expedition.

The quality of the expedition could vary on the rarity of the particular log and should be located in the pilot's current region. If the region is unsuitable for the pirate type (Angel Ship Log being used in Amarr space, for example) then the expedition could be created in the nearest appropriate region. Or, you could just not care about that and allow Angel expeditions in Amarr space. Why not?

Finished - What Have We Done?

Look at that. You're done with this new feature, and the only part that doesn't already exist is the ability to Analyze a ship log and turn it into an expedition.

Here's some of the cool things about this content:

• It can introduce players to the idea of exploration and expeditions.
• It can encourage more high-sec players to explore lowsec. They can see that expedition right there in their journal, calling to them. They know exactly where to go.
• A new market segment opens up for trading ship logs - people who won't want to do the expeditions can sell the logs.
• It helps tell stories in Eve. Some of the ship logs are funny, some are creepy, but all of them add important bits of flavor.
• It's easy to iterate on.
• Most of the work has already been done.

Part 3: Iterating

There are some things that could be fixed, changed, or improved in future iterations of this content. Here's some of them:

Part 3.1: Fixing the Text

The ship logs contain references to specific systems. These could, and should, be removed. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense for a log to refer to RD-FWY and then send you on an expedition into Amamake.

Part 3.2: Adding More Logs

Ship logs are small bits of text that tell a story. They don't take a large amount of effort really, and I'm sure that a lot of the lore-centric players in Eve could come up with hundreds of new logs that could be found. Not only is this fun for collectors, but it continually provides players with even more lore to digest. Make it a contest!

Part 3.3: Full vs. Partial Logs

When adding more logs, some logs could be part of a series. "Sansha Ship Log 29482103 - Part 1" for example. It can be used by itself, but if you gather parts 2, 3, 4, and 5, you get the full story.

A full series of logs could be researched or turned in to a special agent for analysis - giving you something far more than just an expedition. Remember those Epic Arcs that were released a few expansions back?

If not an epic arc, then at the very least a full log series could provide a more rewarding expedition.

Conclusions

The basic features described here could be implemented pretty easily. The major pieces already exist in Eve and it would provide a new and fun way to access expedition content and expose Eve's lore to the players. The potential for tying this into the epic arc system in the future would make it even more valuable. This system can get players to move around Eve in ways they may not have before, and encourage players to explore low and nullsec along the way.

I loved the ship logs. Always felt that they should add 'coordinates' to certain systems and a deadspace pocket locked by the log or some such. Item in space would only last 24 hours or 48 hours or so, so you'd read the log and choose an option to 'track it down' for a possible huge reward and some cool design or some such.

Once you complete the log, the story would update and you'd now have a private journal of some event, full of flavor text.

Quite the fascinating idea.

+1 This sounds like an excellent idea...

p.s. and I'll finally have a use for all those logs I have in my hangar!

Open the logs up to players for creative writing/content creation on the escalations.
I'd also like to see escalations that require multiple players to complete if you collect enough logs.

+1 I like this idea alot

*Bump* Great, Fantastic; I love this idea. +1

this is a kewl twist. a couple jump freighters pop in, loot and leave.

or we could find stranded ships, do a repair or haul em to station and repair them and we just aquired a new ship as a reward.

make it very difficult to find. one log leads to another through mutliple systems.
once found, you get it back to station and repair it (maybe 10% damaged or missing a t2 part or something) and itll be functional.

or an abandoned outpost with goods we can take.

things like that would be kick ass.

your friend holla's in ts "i got a nightmare bpc drop..."
you holla back, "i found a disabled nightmare and i am jumping the carrier in to pick it up..."

o.0 ???

This is a great idea in its own right, and for a few reasons you may not have thought of. It's also a refreshing change from the normal fare here in F&I. Good work!

maybe they could add the whole translating/decoding to a mini game somehow....