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Changes to SOV , Power Projection & Nullsec Stagnation

First post First post First post
Author
Skia Aumer
Planetary Harvesting and Processing LLC
#1041 - 2014-08-04 07:12:58 UTC
Thomas Harding wrote:
Right. With current state on null, going there and becoming apex predator is, well, quite unrealistic.

Countering an opponent with much stronger army is quite realistinc in the real world. That is accomplished via guerilla war and terror.

Now when you have a clue, get in a Blackops and go for it. Or you prefer to stay here and keep ranting on a forum?
Anthar Thebess
#1042 - 2014-08-04 07:36:15 UTC
Skia Aumer wrote:
Wrecktum Yourday wrote:
Skia Aumer wrote:
Wrecktum Yourday wrote:
You should never be safe in eve.

Then why do you choose safety?
This is you who are responsible for +1 to the meat shield guarding one of the coalitions.
And if you're fine with that - why should others suffer being unsafe?


Not sure what you mean but you can find me flying around black rise with my Corp. The way I play eve is far from safe.

"Cult of War" is a part of N3, that is what I mean.

COW is more than part of N3.
Some of the core COW members have alts in NC , or some of the NC members have alts in COW.

This is not off topic, but illustrates reason why COW have space in first place.

Look at situation of East India , they had internal issues - the moment they become unapproved by NC was the same moment they lost their space.

Suggestions here are meant allow smaller alliances to have small part of space without being dependent from bigger entity.

Optimal way is to allow 2000 even 3000 man alliance to live from one constellation by providing members with enough income, at the same time elevating cost and time for maintaining the the sov enough that only bigger alliances like GF will go for more space.

How you can provide so much income in one constellation?
1. Boosting the amount of stuff spawn in the system by the "usage index"
2. Booting PL operations , using the same index
3. Creating missions in SOV space.

Missions in SOV!?

Yes as only this system can provide income for any amount of people.
Just to clarify - i'm talking only about the system itself! , not stating that those agents should provide any LP.

What im suggesting :
1. upgrade that you can install in any system with enough activity , after DT in system spawns agent beacon that have 1-4 agents or agents spawn on station if it is present in the system. ( from lvl 1 to 4)

2. agents are ONLY available to alliance members holding system agents reside.

3. each agents offer missions : 40 % against local pirates , 40 % against Rogue Drones , 20% against any NPC pirate faction.

4. Missions are limited to sov space held by alliance , any system. This is why having less space is good, without this you can get a mission in some remote system on the other side of eve map.

Payout for those missions is also a bit different:
- 50% are bounties from NPC rats
- 30% is bonus from agent after completing mission
- 20% is in CONCORD ( or some new faction ) coins - that we need to exchange in Concord stations for isk.

Some of the missions will have extra objective that you need to destroy some structure , in its drop instead of faction loot you can get random amount of those tags - extra payout.

Why not caldari/gallente/.../pirate missions?
If agents will be associated to higsec NPC faction, then this will heavily impact higsec player income.
Pirate agents , are also unacceptable by many of nullsec players , as they heavily impact your higsec standings, eventually blocking higsec access - so lets not force any one to do them.

Of course current system of anomalies will be not changed , allowing for variety of income.

Wait!.
So i need to probe my targets on their missions?!

Yes and no.
Adding warp in locations for a highly populated system could make you OV overloaded - but this is one of the options.
Second - add it as separate category in your scanner : if we can umark show anomalies - then we can have seccond , show/not show missions.

We can also make them like any other mission without any warpin.
The amount of targets in constellation will be enough , that extra prober will not change much.
People will be also jumping more often by gates.





Ms Forum Alt
Doomheim
#1043 - 2014-08-04 07:59:54 UTC
Emiko Rowna wrote:

So you believe NULL to be perfect and in need of no changes?


Nope.

Emiko Rowna wrote:

I on the other hand believe it still needs a lot of work and look forward to see how this falls out.


It will be changed, players will adapt and we'll be back here in 18 months time with a thread that looks almost exactly the same.

Emiko Rowna wrote:

I can't help but wonder if you believe in what you post why the need to do it on an alt?


I don't think my choice of avatar on a game forum reflects in any way whether I believe in something or not. Notwithstanding the fact that to "believe in" anything in a video game is a little melodramatic.
Skia Aumer
Planetary Harvesting and Processing LLC
#1044 - 2014-08-04 09:20:18 UTC
Anthar Thebess wrote:
COW is more than part of N3.
Some of the core COW members have alts in NC , or some of the NC members have alts in COW.

This is not off topic, but illustrates reason why COW have space in first place.

Look at situation of East India , they had internal issues - the moment they become unapproved by NC was the same moment they lost their space.

Suggestions here are meant allow smaller alliances to have small part of space without being dependent from bigger entity.

Whatever reasonable sov system you suggest, there always will be a chance that a bigger entity will come and crush you.
So basically it boils down to - what threshold of risk smaller alliances can endure?
You say, that if we change sov system according to 1), 2) and 3) - then the threshold would be low enough. Pet alliances would rebel and start wars against their masters.
I say - maybe, for the first time, yes.
But after that ripple settles down, we'll find out the same blue doughnut. Because risks will be minimized, and people will call it "winning EVE" again.

The only way to "fix" nullsec is to explain people that they sould HTFU.
But dont get me wrong, I'm pretty sure that it's close to impossible.
Anthar Thebess
#1045 - 2014-08-04 09:46:00 UTC
Sorry but you have this system already proposed here more than once.
I don't have any objections about someone stronger coming and crushing me and taking my sov.
This is eve - this is all about this.

My objections are :
- about most of the nullsec space empty and unused.
- fleet movements by titans
- (super) capital fleet movements by jump drives
- and all nonsense that comes because of all above.

Simply, i don't like the idea dropping dozen of suppers to kill T1 cruiser.

Owning a system , only because you can get on time to save it , by :
- dropping enough capitals and supers to produce critical mass of EHP. Critical enough to have next HED , not B-R.
- putting 800 people in the system for a timer , and none of those 800 people will come to this system in next month , unless they have next timer.

If you check all suggestions.
Most of them is not about making life of current big blobs miserable, but making eve big again.

No more :
- i will cross the eve in 15 minutes.
- i will hold 600 systems, and use 60.
- i will take those lowsec guy moons , because they are just 1 midpoint away.
- i'm boored, lets kill some caracal with our motherships

It is not about nerfng players that spent years of skilling their characters, or bought them from market, after changes capitals and supers will be still important , and powerful .

This topic is about making eve fun, full of choices, full of possibilities , and what is also important - BIG again.
Snot Shot
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#1046 - 2014-08-04 14:11:07 UTC
Anthar Thebess wrote:
Sorry but you have this system already proposed here more than once.
I don't have any objections about someone stronger coming and crushing me and taking my sov.
This is eve - this is all about this.

My objections are :
- about most of the nullsec space empty and unused.
- fleet movements by titans
- (super) capital fleet movements by jump drives
- and all nonsense that comes because of all above.

Simply, i don't like the idea dropping dozen of suppers to kill T1 cruiser.


Why not? If they want to blow an insane amount of isk on fuel compared to the kill they get while risking the 30 bill each worth ships being on the field then I think they should be able to, after all this game is also about risk vs reward and that scenario seems like quite a bit more risk for an almost unmeasurable reward. You want to stop players from wasting isk and risking their big toys that could be lost doing something like that?

Anthar Thebess wrote:
Owning a system , only because you can get on time to save it , by :
- dropping enough capitals and supers to produce critical mass of EHP. Critical enough to have next HED , not B-R.
- putting 800 people in the system for a timer , and none of those 800 people will come to this system in next month , unless they have next timer.

If you check all suggestions.
Most of them is not about making life of current big blobs miserable, but making eve big again.


Having a race to see who can kill or rep a structure faster than the other while 1,600 people watch at 5% Tidi for 4 hours is a little nuts. That’s why SOV structures (TCUs/SBUs) shouldn’t exist. You should hold “SOV” simply by shooting the people in the face if they come to move into your space. The aggressor’s goal would be to actually occupy the system, constellation, region and use it as you had been. Not break down your wall, replace it with their own, and log off collecting a rent check.


Anthar Thebess wrote:
No more :
- i will cross the eve in 15 minutes.
- i will hold 600 systems, and use 60.
- i will take those lowsec guy moons , because they are just 1 midpoint away.
- i'm boored, lets kill some caracal with our motherships

It is not about nerfng players that spent years of skilling their characters, or bought them from market, after changes capitals and supers will be still important , and powerful .

This topic is about making eve fun, full of choices, full of possibilities, and what is also important - BIG again.


Structure timers (TCU/SBUs/Stations) create the blobs because they can be scheduled for everyone to show up to. Crossing EVE in 15 minutes I think is fine since most fights (if you got rid of SOV structures/timers) would happen organically between Corps/Alliances trying to move into, or defend, just the volume of space they can farm, police, and defend.

If you’re worried about PL running across the map to jump in the pool then tweak the “Portable Cyno Jammers” to last longer, be system wide, have a large amount of HP, and take about 10 minutes to anchor so opposing sides can get what they have local for Caps in system before the door closes on the fight.

Fighting over a system, constellation, or region should be because of what resources (ice, moons, mins, mission agents, plexes) is contains and whoever is strong enough to live there will reap the benefits. Currently you have Alliances that couldn’t fight their way out of a wet paper bag hiding behind (Structure HP, Timers, and docking rights) in order to keep what they could never defend.
.

Twitter = @Snot_Shot  - “If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"

evesnotshot.blogspot.com

Mario Putzo
#1047 - 2014-08-04 14:32:54 UTC  |  Edited by: Mario Putzo
Structure timers are the worst part of the game right now. If you aren't around and are not capable of stopping someone from flipping a system over an afternoon, you don't deserve that space...plain and simple.

Giving people days, heck almost a week of timers to form up for and fight is the very reason why there are essentially 2 coalitions ruling in NS. It is a very ****** mechanic that doesn't do anything other than force an N+1 mentality and lots of hand wringing over some fictitious issue dubbed "Power Projection"

Honestly getting rid of reinforce timers should be the very first step in the process of a sov overhaul.
Thomas Harding
Doomheim
#1048 - 2014-08-04 14:34:24 UTC
Skia Aumer wrote:
Thomas Harding wrote:
Right. With current state on null, going there and becoming apex predator is, well, quite unrealistic.

Countering an opponent with much stronger army is quite realistinc in the real world. That is accomplished via guerilla war and terror.

Now when you have a clue, get in a Blackops and go for it. Or you prefer to stay here and keep ranting on a forum?


After you, Sir. Let me know when you have actually killed someone.


Tchulen
Trumpets and Bookmarks
#1049 - 2014-08-04 14:40:52 UTC  |  Edited by: Tchulen
Mario Putzo wrote:
Structure timers are the worst part of the game right now. If you aren't around and are not capable of stopping someone from flipping a system over an afternoon, you don't deserve that space...plain and simple.

Giving people days, heck almost a week of timers to form up for and fight is the very reason why there are essentially 2 coalitions ruling in NS. It is a very ****** mechanic that doesn't do anything other than force an N+1 mentality and lots of hand wringing over some fictitious issue dubbed "Power Projection"

Honestly getting rid of reinforce timers should be the very first step in the process of a sov overhaul.

How is removing timers going to change anything? It still forces people to have the largest numbers (or as you buzz-worded it, "n+1 mentality"), spread right around the clock, in order to have any chance of holding onto what they've currently got. Removing timers just perpetuates and increases the "n+1 mentality".

Don't get me wrong, I think the timers have to change but I do think you're putting way too much emphasis on them. A lot needs to change, not just the timers. If you just removed them it would just exclude all smaller groups completely because anyone could flip the system, not just the 2 big power blocks.

EDIT - Not to mention the fact that the big power blocks could steam roller without the timers. You would say goodbye to HERO and Provi as it would take a matter of a couple of days to flip the entire regions without the timers and without serious other mechanic changes to compensate.
Skia Aumer
Planetary Harvesting and Processing LLC
#1050 - 2014-08-04 14:52:48 UTC
Thomas Harding wrote:
Skia Aumer wrote:
Now when you have a clue, get in a Blackops and go for it. Or you prefer to stay here and keep ranting on a forum?

After you, Sir. Let me know when you have actually killed someone.

Sent you the eve-mail with my other alts' killboards. Not sure why you need it, but wasnt hard for me.
Snot Shot
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#1051 - 2014-08-04 15:10:34 UTC
Tchulen wrote:
How is removing timers going to change anything? It still forces people to have the largest numbers (or as you buzz-worded it, "n+1 mentality"), spread right around the clock, in order to have any chance of holding onto what they've currently got. Removing timers just perpetuates and increases the "n+1 mentality"..

You'd still need to use the space and occupy it so what wrong with that? All time zone coverage also is a good thing because that creates a more dynamic diplomatic soup to control between time zones etc. Removing Timers forces you to have control of your area spanning all TZ and keep logging in to do it. The n+1 mentality would simply die off when players weren’t getting what would be at their fingertips every time they log in which is "PvP".

Players could change play styles, sides, more freely if they wanted to because the barrier of entry into any other locations of 0.0 wouldn’t be as high, stacked with an endless amount of ass kissing that you need to do to stay in 0.0 like today.

Tchulen wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I think the timers have to change but I do think you're putting way too much emphasis on them. A lot needs to change, not just the timers. If you just removed them it would just exclude all smaller groups completely because anyone could flip the system, not just the 2 big power blocks.

Of course a lot needs to change but if you had to pull a single log from the bull **** log jam that is 0.0 stagnation, the log you could get the best bang for your buck with would be to remove Timers (Not POS Timers). Next would be to get rid of the associated structures (TCUs/SBUs) and then open the Station/Out Posts by getting rid of docking rights. At that point any size group could be included because they could be that tight knit group of badgers willing to fight for that small station pocket through guerrilla warfare and any other PvP tactic available to any size corp. Their will to survive would determine if they stayed. Not some structure with millions of HP and timers that the incompetent SOV holder asked their buddies to sit on for a few days.

Start with a clean slate like that and build from it.

Twitter = @Snot_Shot  - “If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"

evesnotshot.blogspot.com

Thomas Harding
Doomheim
#1052 - 2014-08-04 15:27:41 UTC
Skia Aumer wrote:
Thomas Harding wrote:
Skia Aumer wrote:
Now when you have a clue, get in a Blackops and go for it. Or you prefer to stay here and keep ranting on a forum?

After you, Sir. Let me know when you have actually killed someone.

Sent you the eve-mail with my other alts' killboards. Not sure why you need it, but wasnt hard for me.


I'll take my words back and offer you an apology.

To my defence (for my snotty attitude) I can only say that month long heat wave (no ac in my apartment) is getting to my nerves. Badly so.

My sincere apology.

th.
Mario Putzo
#1053 - 2014-08-04 15:46:59 UTC
Tchulen wrote:
Mario Putzo wrote:
Structure timers are the worst part of the game right now. If you aren't around and are not capable of stopping someone from flipping a system over an afternoon, you don't deserve that space...plain and simple.

Giving people days, heck almost a week of timers to form up for and fight is the very reason why there are essentially 2 coalitions ruling in NS. It is a very ****** mechanic that doesn't do anything other than force an N+1 mentality and lots of hand wringing over some fictitious issue dubbed "Power Projection"

Honestly getting rid of reinforce timers should be the very first step in the process of a sov overhaul.

How is removing timers going to change anything? It still forces people to have the largest numbers (or as you buzz-worded it, "n+1 mentality"), spread right around the clock, in order to have any chance of holding onto what they've currently got. Removing timers just perpetuates and increases the "n+1 mentality".

Don't get me wrong, I think the timers have to change but I do think you're putting way too much emphasis on them. A lot needs to change, not just the timers. If you just removed them it would just exclude all smaller groups completely because anyone could flip the system, not just the 2 big power blocks.

EDIT - Not to mention the fact that the big power blocks could steam roller without the timers. You would say goodbye to HERO and Provi as it would take a matter of a couple of days to flip the entire regions without the timers and without serious other mechanic changes to compensate.



Well you really said it best yourself: Spread people out. Ideally something like Squads in Systems, Wings in Constellations, Fleets in Regions. Then when an engagement breaks out, the Regional Fleet will collapse in, and if reinforcements are needed a call can be made to neighboring fleets or what not.

The secondary goal of course is to provide risk for massive fleets. Currently there isn't really any risk moving 3000 people to the South from the North, the safety net of timers allows for plenty of time to return should your areas come under attack. Moving your fleet across the galaxy should result in a more immediate risk...removing timers provides that risk.





X Gallentius
Black Eagle1
#1054 - 2014-08-04 16:37:25 UTC
Why the big push for "freeports"? Shouldn't you just make it so that the stations can be conquerable, and that anybody can put up a station in any system they want?

Snot Shot
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#1055 - 2014-08-04 16:48:39 UTC
X Gallentius wrote:
Why the big push for "freeports"? Shouldn't you just make it so that the stations can be conquerable, and that anybody can put up a station in any system they want?


As soon as you can get your assets stuck in a station then you'd end up with the same situation we have now where no one uses 90% of them out there. Freeport and maybe adjust docking radiuses and you'd have more people using them from all over EVE and more player interaction in areas that use to be desolate etc.

There is so much that could be done with these stations to make them drive content. Having to shoot them through timers, repping their services and locking people out with docking rights just stagnates the game.

Make players need to hack the services and then "fuel" them for their Alliance or Corp that wants to use them. There’s another isk sink and content driver etc. We need to think outside the box with these stations instead of limiting people’s game play with them.
.

Twitter = @Snot_Shot  - “If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"

evesnotshot.blogspot.com

Anthar Thebess
#1056 - 2014-08-04 17:11:28 UTC  |  Edited by: Anthar Thebess
Snot Shot wrote:

no sov


I cannot agree more.
But no one will accept eve without sov now.
So we have too work something out that will help current situation.

As for the supers dropping on lone cruiser.
Yes you are right , what im saying that it just should not be so easy to move those supers across regions in the first place.
From my perspective whole hotdrops and cyno bridges is nonsense.
I would like eve to have some points you can defend in order to secure a part of space.
Something impossible with jump drives , titan bridges and after introducing Mobile Depots also with Black Ops.
Mario Putzo
#1057 - 2014-08-04 17:57:46 UTC
Anthar Thebess wrote:
Snot Shot wrote:

no sov


I cannot agree more.
But no one will accept eve without sov now.
So we have too work something out that will help current situation.

As for the supers dropping on lone cruiser.
Yes you are right , what im saying that it just should not be so easy to move those supers across regions in the first place.
From my perspective whole hotdrops and cyno bridges is nonsense.
I would like eve to have some points you can defend in order to secure a part of space.
Something impossible with jump drives , titan bridges and after introducing Mobile Depots also with Black Ops.


Well defining natural choke points is easy. CCP just needs to increase all regional gates beyond the ly limit for all jump drive options, and then allow Capitals/Supers to jump these Regional Gates. Inside a given region jump drives will be unchanged functionally meaning you can pretty much go where ever and drop whatever in the region. But no more interregional stuff, you must take the regional gate.


This kinda knocks two birds with one stone, and leaves somewhat of a defenders advantage within the region. Along with removing timers this makes regional gate systems key to being able to handle security in an area. In doing so however I would think anchorable bubbles would have to be removed. An active gate camp with dictors or hictors should be required to lock down the other side of the gate.

In regards to Black Ops, what I would do personally is reduce the total LY distance of Capital ships, and increase the range of LY on Black Ops ships + jump portals. With the Regional Gap set somewhere in the middle. This means you can black ops bridge over the gap, or jump over with your Black Ops ship, but you can not traverse it with titan bridges or other jump drives

This would make regional gate systems a key component in holding and taking sov, and essentially dictate territorial control.







Justin Cody
War Firm
#1058 - 2014-08-04 19:09:33 UTC
Vincent Athena wrote:
"Projecting power" requires having three assets in position:
1) The ships
2) The pilots
3) The players

So to stop power projection we need to:
1) Stop the ability for ships to be moved rapidly by getting rid of bridges and jump drives,
2) Stop the ability for pilots to be moved rapidly by getting rid of jump clones,
3) Stop the ability for players to be moved rapidly by limiting all players to one character and one account.

Anything less, and power can still be projected. Maybe with a little less convenience than now, but still quite effectively.


Edited for less wall of text and summarization -

1) Rethink the concept of how they should be used and the associated cost of use - perhaps the ships using bridges should be forced to carry the fuel with them in their cargo. Also limit their deployment to a system that has a certain upgrade status like FW where you have to continually pour in resources to keep it active rather than passive Sov Level that is gained purely by time since acquisition.

2) Jump Clones are OK and not OP.
3) No - CCP's bread and butter are the multiboxers and multiple account holders and it isn't game breaking.

Power projection has to do mainly with sov being introduced before carriers and dreads and supers and titans. It is a legacy system that has been *frankenstein'd* into working. Right now if I lead a large fleet into sov space nothing forces people to undock. I can in no way interfere actively with their activities. They dock up and go afk as if it was high sec. All these useless renters. If station services were more vulnerable to small and medium sized gangs and stations were destructible then there would be a difference to be made.

Part of power projection is how meaningful it is. And right now without tremendous super and capital support any action in null sec space lacks meaningful consequences.

Defenders should have a relatively easy time (not without counters of course) in moving assets around in a constellation...it should be harder within a region and a real difficult logistical task to cross regions. This perhaps would involve re-scaling the EVE cluster so that there is more distance in LY between constellations and much more between regions. Call it 'stellar drift'.

At the same time as these nerfs we should insist on a constellation based sov system with real rewards for living in that area. Of course Moon goo should become dynamic so that people are always probing and searching out the moon gold. That will help smaller entities grab a system that might have a series of dead moons that might some day yield goodies and the same areas won't always have the same value.

Dynamic True Sec also pl0x- more ratting = true sec gets worse so that farming is discounted over time regardless of system upgrades. That means upgrades initially improve a system but mitigate the economic damage of over farming. Again...makes people move around.

Allow the alliance to invite high standing empire NPC or pirate NPC corporations to have agents in Outposts. What a trip it would be to have a True Power Agent in Branch eh?

Modular POS's whenever you get to it cause I want my POS city! It would be a trip to have defensive POS's around an outpost to defend it...as long as towers don't have force fields.

More inter-regional gate connections. When re-scaling the cluster make sure that there are more jump points into and out of regions but make them really obvious and easy to blockade. Choke points are necessary for fighting to occur and represent part of the value a system has. Progressive Sov Tax - Marginal increase in sov cost as number of systems grows. So holding an entire region isn't linearly more expensive but instead more of a log scale. So lets define the magnitude as 7 systems and you have 1 constellation with 7 systems...puts you at Tier 1. Holding another 7 systems puts you at tier 2 which isn't twice as expensive...but 7 times as expensive...and upwards it goes for each tier. There should be bonuses for economic development using a Capital system in a constellation that make it more affordable to expand.

I have many more ideas and not enough room. Feel free to get me on skype fozzie :-P
Dr Cedric
Science and Trade Institute
Caldari State
#1059 - 2014-08-05 02:30:03 UTC
Seeing that almost every single post in favor of changing Sov Mechanics is also in favor of making it a "usage-based" mechanic, I will again link my proposal that lists a very doable way of counting "usage"

TL;DR:
You gain sov in a place by using it. You upgrade your sov by using it more. The more you use it, the more you can upgrade it. The more its upgraded the more useable it gets. The balancing factor is the cost of the next upgrade (in man-power, not ISK) and the potential that upgrading beyond your means makes your space more vulnerable.

Cedric

Feyd Rautha Harkonnen
Doomheim
#1060 - 2014-08-05 13:22:03 UTC

This may be conventional wisdom heresy, but if the goal is to shake up stagnation and drive more conflict through any null sov mechanic changes, you simply must tie ISK generation directly to conflict at the alliance level.

Sure there are additional tweaks around force projection and timers that need done, but EvE is clearly driven by ISK acquisition, so you have to harness that motivator at the individual, corp and alliance level to drive conflict.

F