EVE General Discussion

Populations in online shooters don't tend to go up. they go down over time, unless a major expansion releases which will bump the numbers back up for a few weeks.

With more competition moving into the F2P FPS console space (planetside 2, which has had a way longer time to refine and balance it's systems. also another one I can't currently recall the name of), it doesn't look good for the dust population.

The only way to increase the numbers over the long run is a PC release, and stronger ties to EVE to encourage capsuleers to play both (I could set up a retriever running while I play a quick round, for example, or hop on DUST if I get popped in a big fleet fight and don't have another ship ready to bring back in).

The other problem I see with OP's suggestion is the complexity level. I spent all weekend playing DUST and all I could think for most of it, outside the lack of polish and awful controls, was how much the EVE derived systems had been dumb down for console players. Lack of damage and resistance types, Lack of capacitors, simplified and shortened skill trees/requirements, a very, VERY basic market that is entirely NPC seeded items, etc. Simplifying a game for an audience that has shown repeatedly to prefer simple games is not a bad thing in and of itself, but when you have an ambition to link that game to a very complicated game on a fundamental level, you're going to end up with a very schizophrenic design that discourages the bulk of players from trying out anything other than 'quick match' in the battle finder.

When suggesting links between EVE and DUST, you have to always err to the side of the most simple possible design. With that in mind:

Set up a contract to attack a POCO. The defender can see that contract and has 24 hours to set up a counter-contract to defend it. When both contracts are posted a Dust corp can sign up to the contract. If either contract goes unsigned, the DUST battlefinder will add players to the unsigned contract from the 'quick match' queue (may require improvements to the current matchmaking). A match is played to figure out control of the POCO. Simple. Maybe best of 3.

Problems:

1)Cheesing the contracts by planting players in the attacking contract that are losing on purpose. I'm not really sure how you can go about avoiding this, unless the corp setting up the contracts make them private to DUST corps that they know and trust (or make them quick match only contracts).

2)Defense isn't in the hands of the EVE corp? Actually it indirectly is. Put more money on your contract, make it lucrative to the best players in dust. Send them money for better items before the match. Give your defending/attacking DUST allies the best chance they can. Maybe if multiple DUST corps can apply to the contract the EVE player that placed the contract can see those applications and pick who gets to fill it (which may be another solution to problem 1).

2 - continued: If you lose your POCO to an attacking DUST team, just blow it up and place a new one. It may be expensive. Consider that cost when someone attacks it with mercs next time, add that cost to your defense contract, get better defending mercs, keep your ship on-hand to provide orbital strikes for them.

Lets get some backing behind this .....

yes this definatly wont go down to all planets being 99.9% taxed and no one using poco's anymore

Dust needs to be a real part of New Eden at some point for it to matter. Not some fights in the corner that nobody cares about.

This would mean that mercs dont earn any passive isk because there are no one left to tax....SOOOOOO the owner is forced to be reasonable..

nice idea +1

I think the idea is epic.

But it won't happen because people suck.

Lets not forget each POCO would need its own active process just like each pos has its own active grid. I'd imagine incorporating POCO's for dust combat would really add a great deal of load to the server.

I haven't read the replies yet so I'm only responding to the OP. While I think the idea could be cool if implemented correctly there are some issues with the suggestion.

For one, I can't imagine playing as a DUST player waiting in a transport to be moved then subsequently destroyed and told "GAME OVER" before you even shoot anything would be an enjoyable experience. There's also the issue of Player vs. NPC gameplay being initially flawed and easily exploitable at initial release. If DUST corps can reinforce multiple POCO's in one day with relative ease it would make it quite difficult for that EVE corp to mount a decent defense. In addition, I would worry that the DUST community, being significantly populated by pre-teens and slightly older kids, that any DUST corp hired by the defending POCO owner would be at a huge disadvantage if not sabotaged by "Corp X" putting it's own members to purposefully lose as "Corp Y." Just my 2 cents.

What I'd rather see right now is the DUST forces used to destroy PI structures planetside so as to sabotage EVE players PI. Currently there is no way to attack PI structures, only the POCO itself, and even then you can use rockets to avoid the POCO.