Player Features and Ideas Discussion

IF, DUST lasts and continues to at least grow, then a few ideas i was pondering came up. Use pre-existing mechanics but introduce DUST players to make it more random.

Example:

The newly made POS siphon deployable that draws PI away from the POS. So instead of making it, its own standalone, automated deal, change it.

Call it a beacon, skirmish, orbital drop party, whatever. The name isn't important. Anchor it outside the POS, and this creates a zone where a DUST match can begin. This fight affects only a small portion of the available PI in the POS, about the same as the siphon.

So, how does DUST intertwine from there? Well the rough idea would be something like this:

DUST players have 2 sides. The defense (hired mercs) and offense (mercs hired by the one dropping the beacon). If no defense is mounted by opposing side, then siphon acts like it does now. Automated, free PI (maybe even at a slightly higher than current rate, to actually make it annoying).

If the owner of the POS hires merc's, then a fight becomes eligible. Should be a standard DUST affair (maybe new levels, since its a moon) from there. If defense wins, no PI lost, and hired defensive merc's make extra isk (maybe set amount from person who hires them). If offense wins, they win the PI and isk.

So maybe the defense contract would be something like:

5m contract split between players
if they win, extra 250k each (or something, i don't know DUST economy and prices)

Prices and such are changeable, i'm using the numbers very loosely to mainly illustrate the idea.

This doesn't change anything about indy/POS that isn't already happening now. But you can pre-preemptively hire a DUST squad to defend your POS. If someone drops a beacon when you're logged out, your hired squad can defend and prevent you losing any PI (if they win). If they lose, oh well, then you lost alil PI, just like what a siphon would do anyway (assuming the owner scoops the loot before you log in).

Its relatively cheap for EVE players to defend that POS in a new way, and might make it more worthwhile for DUST players, since they feel like they're accomplishing something, rather than a grindfest.

Anyway, was just a rough idea. I generally agree with the other's sentiment though. The EVE players needs to have just as much control of their own stuff, that has spent days/weeks/months setting up, to not have it destroyed or radically changed after a single DUST game, that they have no control over. Quite possibly when they aren't even logged in.

Reminds me of a battle in BR-5...wherever that was and alot of interesting stuff that happens in eve...so your passive isk isn't working? What to do, what to do? Moon Goo is a terrible idea too, but everyone lives with ~80% of the good stuff being in one area of space controlled by a strong alliance...what to do. Hmm? Maybe you hired the wrong mercs? Seems to me like the "planetary colonies" would be a merc's home stomping grounds no? Maybe they should have control of it.

I realize how much this sounds like I want to take PI away, and I really don't but honestly it is a broken system that the Yulai Accord really sounds like it is there to prevent, and I know people argue PI is a renewable resource not a finite material like ore but I see little difference considering how extractors are deployed.

See the "Or anyone else ingame" bit? That includes such options as everyone else in the game showing up to kick the other guy for no reason, or the other guys being distracted by something shiny. I'm not concerned with EVE vs EVE or Dust vs Dust being horribly one sided, that's part of the game. Sometimes the enemies arrayed against you are so dedicated or stubborn or large, that their victory is certain.

But nothing you can do in EVE can ensure you not lose a critical Dust match. No amount of Isk or EVE friends can ensure victory in a scheduled, X v X match. If all the Goons and all the N3 and all the Russians banded together in an attempt to not lose a DUST match where a planet is being attacked by some random console pubbies who don't have any interest in EVE, the absolute best they could do is outfit the defenders, be ready if orbital strikes are possible, and pray.

To me, that's bullshit.

P.S I do not do PI. I do no industry beyond building faction ships from BPCs I get while ratting. I do absolutely nothing that would be directly effected by this, I just think it's absolutely ridiculous.

No. I care nothing for the politics of bunnies, or of highsec wardec corps. Mercs are paid on slight retainer to to a job, then bonuses dependent on how well they do it. Their personal beliefs are irrelevant to me, for they are only a tool.

I believe that the games should have meaning to each other, but that the actions of Dust Bunnies should never significantly inhibit, prevent, stop, or damage an EVE players holdings.

Maybe Dusties could fight over a section of POCO tax so that victory mean reduction or exemption from NPC taxation, or a reduction in industry costs, or Valk could be used to accelerate increases of FW changes, or increase military or industrial indexes in nullsec.

I am fully against DUST or Valk stopping, damaging, or directly reducing any players SOV, PI, POS, Markets, Contracts, Local, the abilities of ships, or system upgrades.

Dust and Valk should be tools that can contribute to the well-being of an EVE group or individual, not through causing significant grief to another group, but primarily through effects that assist your own faction. Small influences like siphoning part of a POCO's Export Tax or ESS bonus would be acceptable though, as long as it did not impose a prohibitive penalty.

Because people were asking for planetary development for EVE. Not for planetary development that can be held hostage by console players, or even PC Valk/Legion players.

Integration should have benefits for everyone involved. Not motivated by penalties for the loser. Through attempts to create greater integration, so many DUST advocates support things that try to promote DUST by making losing a DUST match have significant penalties to the loser.

But as many people know, negative reinforcement is a really **** motivation for getting involved. If you want people to get involved in DUST, introduce benefits for controlling things through DUST/VALK, but not massive penalties other than losing control of the bonus for losing a match.

Some potentials benefits of controlling an area through DUST/Legion/Valk could include:

Reduced NPC POCO tax in highsec/(lowsec if it has NPC tax)
Increased POCO yield at planets where you have both control and the POCO
Siphoning part of a non owned POCO's Export Tax revenue.
Increasing or decreasing the rate at which military/industrial/strategic indexes increase in nullsec
Control rate increases in FW space if the system is held by allied forces
Decreased job installation costs when holding enough localized space
Increasing bonus from ESS's when the area is help by freindly forces.

Just a few examples.

But the long story short is that things like crippling PI on a loss does nothing to get EVE players actively involved in DUST other than attempting to hire defenders and pissing off EVE players. Same with all other "lose and _____ penalty" effects.

The stick is a ****** motivator, if you want EVE involvement, you show them the carrot for getting involved.

Sorry if this contradicts your tightly held desire to go around razing PI setups to the ground while cackling maniacally and annoying people.