Player Features and Ideas Discussion

I read this article and it got my thinking on the subject. The author proposes some changes but I think there is an even better idea out there.

Firstly, I have no issue with how control of an outpost is currently handled. This mechanic is sufficient as is, mostly because it works like all the others. But once you own an outpost, I'm proposing two additional options on what you could do with it. Both would be limited to the highest levels of clearance in the owner corporation of the alliance.

Instead of dead zoning, the new conquerors could:

1. Self destruct the outpost

This would start a timer (long enough to completely flip ownership) giving opposition/former residents an opportunity to retake control and effectively cancel the self destruct.

If the timer reaches zero, the outpost and all of its contents are destroyed. I imagine leaving a supercapital sized lootable wreck with an extremely low drop rate (because the station freaking exploded... and capitals should NEVER drop). Users who had last logged out in that station would be prompted to select a new station (based on their medical list) to install a new BLANK clone (sorry about those implants) the next time the toon logs in.

Thus the outpost and most everything it held are removed from the game.

2. Re-package the outpost

This would allow the new owner to return the outpost to its original egg state. Outposts are incredibly expensive to build and deploy so getting one for free (or moving one you have) could really affect how null sec entities operate.

However! If you choose to repackage the outpost (through some fiction CCP spins about insurance or something) all contents are effectively redeemed to their owners. I imagine that when the repackage occurs, the contents are moved into "courier" style packages and sent to the accounts redemption portal with the restriction that they can only be redeemed by the owning character. All of your lost contents would come in a single drop that you could redeem at any station you are currently docked. If you had all three toons from the same account with items in the outpost then your redemption portal would show three packages; each one being bound to a specific character.

So conquering forces now have some real options when they take over outposts!

• You can actually use the outpost as intended
• You could dead zone it... but this really serves no purpose for you or your opponents.
• You could self destruct it and enjoy the tears that follow for all the things that cease to exist (and open up the system for a new outpost of differing type).
• You could repackage the outpost to be relocated at your behest, but in the process you would allow all former occupants to retrieve their possessions.

The biggest loophole I see in this plan would be alliances using this as a means of moving their entire force very quickly with zero risk. They just get everyone to dock up their fitted doctrine ships, repackage it, move it and then have all their pilots dock at the new location and redeem their items. However, I think this could be mitigated by having some sort of timer or even a limit (like blueprint copies?) on how often or many times you can repackage an outpost.

So that's my idea, I'd love to hear what people think and of all the loopholes I failed to account for!

Because of broken Power Projection and, owed to human nature, accumulation of people in bigger coalitions to be safe from smaller entities harassing you?