Player Features and Ideas Discussion

The ability to simply sit still with confidence is something I've been vaguely annoyed with for awhile but has really become an issue with the latest patch (not really sure why, just seems more sensitive) It's too easy to accidentally double click in space without noticing it, and discover 5 minutes later that you're 100km outside POS shields, or your ship is on fire because you wandered out of Logi range, or your strip miner cycle failed because you're now on the other side of the belt.

It would be nice to have an option to just tell EvE to ignore UI movement commands and just stay put. Nothing to do with bump prevention or anything like that, just stopping yourself from issuing move orders.

Yes, that stops you, but doesn't prevent you from moving in the first place

So...basically you want something that prevents the possibility of player error. My vote is that you're just gonna have to learn to pay attention to stuff like that. Being good at a game begins to loose it's meaning if the game is modified to play itself for you. I strictly avoid using features like cruise control on cars for the exact same reason. Don't know how to shift gears? Don't worry, I'll take care of that for you. Don't know how to keep your brakes from locking up? Don't worry, I'll take care of that for you. Don't know how to maintain traction on the road? Don't worry, I'll take care of that for you. Don't know how to keep your foot on the gas pedal? Don't worry, I'll take care of that, too. Don't know how to stay within the proper distance to another ship in space? Don't worry, bro. I got your back.

Don't mistake me, I'm not trying to insult your intelligence by insinuating that you don't know how to do any of these things. I'm just illustrating my feelings about features like this and why I have those feelings. I think that being able to manually manage several different tasks simultaneously is very important. Nobody ever got good at doing something by having an automated program or subroutine do that thing FOR them.

Sorry, but I have to -1 this.

To be fair, the types of situations where these two really matter;

1) Require split second decisions in a very stressful situation.
2) Don't happen very often so you can't really practice for them.
3) Tend to happen suddenly and catch you by surprise.
4) Have potentially catastrophic consequences if you make even the smallest mistake.

I think handing these things over to a computer that can make decisions a few billion times faster than a human and never ever makes mistakes is probably a good idea. In fact its such a good idea that US law requires that all new cars sold in the US have anti lock brakes and traction control. These features save lives. That being said I do love my 6 speed manual.

Still, -1 for the OPs idea. Games shouldn't be designed to encourage players to watch netflix while playing them. [insert complaint about mining mechanics here]

Definitely a fair argument. I was a truck driver in the Marine Corps for four years, so I guess I'm a little biased. The only two features that I mentioned that our trucks had were automatic transmissions and ABS, even though the ABS didn't work on most of the trucks we had in Afghanistan, so I'm used to being required to make split second decisions in stressful situations while avoiding any catastrophic consequences. Having that ability continues to serve me to this day. I've never been in a collision with a vehicle that I had control of, and I've long lost count how many collisions I've successfully avoided despite how narrow the odds were.



Also a fair argument. It seems like you are looking at Eve from more of a managerial position. Not a bad way to look at things, to be sure, but I still can't condone the removal of the possibility for player error. For me, personally, part of the fun is knowing that I'm able to atrociously screw things up because of a careless mistake, and that I will probably be laughed at for extended periods of time.

My counter argument is that even a manager (especially a manager) should know how things are done and should be able to find his way around his workplace and perform all of the required tasks manually. Seeing as our ships are only manned by one capsuleer, each capsuleer is not only the manager of his ship, but is...well...the manager of his ship, not the manger of other people who follow your orders and carry out their tasks as part of a system where the manager technically can get away with not knowing/caring how the task is performed. (I hope that last sentence makes sense. It sounded a little confusing when I read it after typing it, but I don't know any other way to express that particular thought.)

Back when I was still pretty new in the Marines, one of my corporals told me something that has stuck with me. "There's a good reason that we make such a big deal out of the little things. If you know how to keep all of the little things in order, all of the big things will fall into place on their own. It's easier to keep the little things in order than it is to get all the big things BACK in order." So if you know how to manually keep your ship where it needs to be (a little problem), then you won't have to worry so much about scrambling to gtfo if things go sideways (a potentially very big problem).

can't really see how it would have a use in pvp as the client will ignore all commands to it.

I often set my max speed to be as small as i can make it and thus worry less about it.

They have this. It's the button labeled "keep at range..."

Higgs rigs.

I have to say i would love this... My favorite part of bastion has always been the ability to just render my marauders utterly immobile...

Hell if they made a MODULE that does JUST the "you cannot move" i'd fit one to every ship i own in a heart beat... Turn it on like a cloak and sit there without hassle...

I don't really see a problem with a "parking brake" option. I find it rather frustrating when clicking on something for information and ending up moving my ship out of position.

These are space SHIPS, not fighter jets. I should be able to lower an anchor and stay in one spot. My character may be the "pilot" in EvE-jargon, but she's captain of her ship, and issues commands to other off-screen crew members.

I understand that some may see this option as adding needless automation to the game, making EvE into 'easy mode' or some such. I'm a proponent for mistakes having consequenses in this game, but these should be tactical... 'Intelligent" mistakes... not misclicking by a few milimeters. No. If y'all want twitch-space-fighter-gaming, then hook up a joystick and install one of the X-Wing series... or wait for Valkyrie.

The types of mistakes that 'enhance' the game play should come from decisions --whether good or bad-- and not manual dexterity. Things like firing on the wrong target because you misheard the FC, rurning out of cap because you forgot to turn off your repper, having the wrong fit because of a lack of information on how to properly fit your ship, or even turning off the safety and getting CONDORdokken because your anger overrided your senses due to some smack-talk. These are the types of mistakes that make EvE an awesome experience. Having all the right information, and following orders to the T, and still screwing up because the computer decided that your clicking was just a hair too far away from the button is silliness.

I'm a proponent for any option that lessens this silliness and makes real decisions matter more. We're all captains in this game, whether that's a captain of industry, trade, a gang, or your own ship. And I personally would like to play that role properly, and leave the nit-picky stuff to the off-screen helmsman.

Besides, EvE is populated by a much older crowd than other MMO's... how much longer before we'll need automation just to play the game at all ;)


--Gadget