Player Features and Ideas Discussion

The Watch List is a huge tool for free information in every region of space in Eve.

I can add hostile super pilots into my watch list and immediately know as soon as they log in. If I see multiple super pilots logging in, I know that there is something going down that I should pay attention to.

I can add other WH pilots in popular holes to my watchlist. If I'm rolling holes and see some well known escalation pilots logging in, I know to roll to their hole to pay them a visit.

I can add Poitot Dot to my watchlist to see when he is going to roam around Deklein in his multiboxed maledictions looking for AFK ratter kills. And probably just dock up while he's online because I'm terrible at this game.

I can tell if pilots move to another system or set up a log off trap in my system based on adding them to the watch list.

All of this information is gained all because I added names to a list. That's it. Seeing when a character logs in is extremely valuable information- knowing when key pilots from your enemies are offline gives you an advantage. Knowing when someone is online allows us to evaluate play patterns to identify our prime window to strike or defend.

"But this means that people can spam with watchlist requests"
There could be an option to reject all watchlist requests. Also, watchlist spamming someone could be treated exactly the same as convo spamming someone- with the CCP Hammer.

"But this means that I'd have to go click stuff to let people see me online"
Once. Yes. But this also allows you to see who wants to watch you and figure out why.

"What happens with our existing watch lists?"
Everyone's watch list would probably be deleted to make this happen. Which is fine. I don't expect the vast majority of players to have more than a handful of players watchlisted that would actually accept their request.

The Watch List, I believe, is an information tool that is a vital part of EVE.

For reasons that could be said better by other players, removing its ability to give this free information would simply make the game environment dull.

A better compromise would be to send a notification to a player when he is Watch Listed, regardless of the 'Send Notification' option being unticked.

While I agree that the free part should be removed I believe that there are ways for making the information available for a price. One option would be something similar to kill rights except reversed; any player can put a price on someone's head along with a per reported sighting payout and any other pilot can anonymously (dem spais) report a sighting for a bit of cash. This system would have to either have a cooldown between reported sightings or allow the one seeking the info to be able to disable the reports at any time when they have enough.

Which means you basically want to see the very point of the watch list removed. Their point is not primarily to see people log in/out who are friendly to you, but of people who are not. I have a couple of friendly people in my watch list, but the vast majority are people where I have an elevated interested in knowing when they are about to ruin my day. What you suggest is that massive conglomerations of players have an unfair advantage over smaller groups as these massive conglomerations have far more resources in terms of disposable alts to spread round and watch for people; thus turning a leveled play ground where everyone has the same advantages and disadvantages into a mountain range with deep chasms where you, among other equally resourceful entities, sit on the mountain tops and a big chunk of other entities at the bottom of the chasms. Sounds wonderful.

Whether a player has logged in or out is only one part of the necessary information to determine actions. You do not necessarily know where they are, what they are actually doing and how the rest of their group is set up at that moment. These are all things you need to use actual players to find out and Watch Lists are the way to trigger actions to have a closer look at what's going on. Do Watch Lists prevent kills/losses? Only in very rare cases as not nearly enough people use the full potential of the WLs. Therefore, I do not see any need for change.

This is a good idea. It could be something set-able in corp/alliance to auto-allow watchlist requests for members and for everyone else you need their approval.

Also for HS, agents location services could be improved so that you can pay for different levels of information.

I just want the ability to reverse my watch list notifications. So it says I'm online when I log off.

This is the same argument I see used when people say that local should be removed. Not that local is a bad thing just that it should stay because because.

I personally feel that watchlists should stay as is, they allow for some intel to be gathered without being intrusive or requiring you to be actively visually watching said individual, how else are you supposed to know that Timmy has come online, and you can now convo him to buy his 150k drone damage amplifiers in whichever market hub he is in. BTW Timmy only does private contracts for set prices to reduce the amount of tax he pays.

You just killed the mercenary business.

No.

I'll agree it needs looking at but this basically invalidates it as a tool.

If you want this then I want remote access to locator agents.

This just makes Supers even safer. -10

If you're getting the willies from the mere thought that people know you're online.....Maybe you should rethink your line of ships.

id be open to the idea of merging watchlists and locator agents somehow. Or making the whole job more player driven.