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Public labs need fixing.... Desperately

Author
Valei Khurelem
#1 - 2011-12-26 10:53:25 UTC  |  Edited by: Valei Khurelem
So I was getting a bit bored of mining every time I wanted to make ISK and thought I'd experiment with invention, copying and research. Being new to the whole thing I tried out invention first because I wanted to try my hand at making tech 2 stuff, I get a message saying I needed copies and thought Okay, no problem, lets see if there's any installations on the station that I can use then I found there were all these people keeping the installation for themselves doing ridiculous queuing for almost 30 days, so then I thought they couldn't possibly be using all of them.

So I did a search for the entire constellation thinking there was bound to be a small system out of the way somewhere that had what I needed, guess what I find? All of them taken up by jackasses who are deliberately queuing up their jobs to 30 days or more in some cases because they don't want anyone else using 'their' labs.

I've made a screenshot to highlight the stupidity of the problem and it repeats itself across every station in the entire region, do you think you could maybe fix something that is clearly breaking an entire industry?

Lab exploit

If I were to make suggestions to fixing this, why not have it done like how you do offices? where you pay an amount of ISK to create a lab or any other activity and then perhaps even specify the duration. If more and more people use it say like in Jita then they should have to pay a lot more and anyone who would abuse this system would quickly get their wallets taken out.

Oh and look! I found a great ISK sink that would actually help people a lot :)

By the way the only work around for this I've been able to find before anyone mentions it, is getting a high sec PoS, why should I? Not only is it going to be ridiculously expensive for a new account like me to run but also it's going to take away ISK from me that I'd much rather put into manufacturing or getting new ships.

"don't get us wrong, we don't want to screw new players, on the contrary. The core problem here is that tech 1 frigates and cruisers should be appealing enough to be viable platforms in both PvE and PvP."   - CCP Ytterbium

Tarryn Nightstorm
Hellstar Towing and Recovery
#2 - 2011-12-26 11:29:15 UTC  |  Edited by: Tarryn Nightstorm
It's not an exploit, it's just a relic of a mechanic that was put in place when PCU-count was one-third what it is now.

Solution: More--many more--lab-slots needed.

That said, there are still a (very) few copy- and ME-research slots at worst queued up for just a few days to a week--Hell, they're even open sometimes, though that's luck of the draw. You just need to travel to the arse-end of nowhere losec to find them, so go through different regions, and fire up the covops cloaky for a road-trip.

Star Wars: the Old Republic may not be EVE. But I'll take the sound of dual blaster-pistols over "NURVV CLAOKING NAOW!!!11oneone!!" any day of the week.

Valei Khurelem
#3 - 2011-12-26 11:55:53 UTC  |  Edited by: Valei Khurelem
This just shouldn't simply be the case, not in a game at least anyway.

I don't agree with the idea but the solution, let's have an infinite number of them instead but the more you make the more ISK it costs to maintain them, that will encourage people to go to quieter systems as well, I'm pretty much in the arse end of nowhere where the most players that come into local are about 20 or so. If there aren't even installations available here then there aren't going to be ones anywhere in high sec and as for low sec, you know the situations going to be exactly the same because of how gankers and pirates are all going to be hiding in the stations and will want something to do while they wait.

You shouldn't force players to rely on luck in games, if you're going to do that you may as well be making an EVE interactive movie instead of calling it a game.

"don't get us wrong, we don't want to screw new players, on the contrary. The core problem here is that tech 1 frigates and cruisers should be appealing enough to be viable platforms in both PvE and PvP."   - CCP Ytterbium

Valei Khurelem
#4 - 2011-12-26 12:05:39 UTC
Just as an added note, the reason I think we should make the labs infinite is because it would be also easier for CCP in the long run, if you just added more labs and the subscriber base grows they're going to have to keep adding and checking, if it's infinite then they could just fix it and forget about it.

Unless you're of course suggesting that CCP code it so that there's a lab for one player in each system, which I think would be possible but pretty ridiculous to do I just think this way would be a lot simpler and again, gives something for rich players to **** away their ISK on.

"don't get us wrong, we don't want to screw new players, on the contrary. The core problem here is that tech 1 frigates and cruisers should be appealing enough to be viable platforms in both PvE and PvP."   - CCP Ytterbium

Velicitia
XS Tech
#5 - 2011-12-26 14:04:46 UTC
NPC labs are fine.

If you want available labs, throw up a tower for your corporation.

Assuming that a large tower is 300m per month to run, and NPC labs cost you 1k install and 1250/hour to run and you're running 30d jobs. (I have no idea if 1250 is a reasonable number, or if it's way low or way high -- I haven't bothered with NPC stations in years)

NPC Lab -- 901 000 ISK per month per slot. 10 slots is costing you 9.01 million.
POS -- 416 666.66 ISK per hour to run. Assuming the same 10 slot activity, each slot is costing you 41 666.66 ISK per hour.

So it comes down to whether or not you think the extra 40k ISK/hour is worth it. If you're also doing manufacturing in the POS (because, hey, why not), then the per-slot cost on the POS drops to a little over 20k ISK if you keep all twenty slots free.

Now, you also have the advantage that your jobs are completing 25% faster by using a POS for research or T1 production. So that job that takes a full 30 days in an NPC station only takes 22 days or so in a POS.

One of the bitter points of a good bittervet is the realisation that all those SP don't really do much, and that the newbie is having much more fun with what little he has. - Tippia

Valei Khurelem
#6 - 2011-12-26 15:41:50 UTC  |  Edited by: Valei Khurelem
Oh bloody hell, Why don't people actually read posts?

Don't you know how expensive it is for a new character to run a POS by themselves and how long it will take? Not to mention the loyalty points you need to grind just to get the standings with the right empire faction so you can use it in high security space.

Of course you do, you're just posting without reading properly, I shouldn't have to pay 300 million ISK just to do something as simple as copying blueprints.

Valei Khurelem wrote:

By the way the only work around for this I've been able to find before anyone mentions it, is getting a high sec PoS, why should I? Not only is it going to be ridiculously expensive for a new account like me to run but also it's going to take away ISK from me that I'd much rather put into manufacturing or getting new ships.


Quoted a section that already answers your.... Whatever that post was for your convenience.

"don't get us wrong, we don't want to screw new players, on the contrary. The core problem here is that tech 1 frigates and cruisers should be appealing enough to be viable platforms in both PvE and PvP."   - CCP Ytterbium

Velicitia
XS Tech
#7 - 2011-12-26 16:47:18 UTC
OK, I admit I missed the last paragraph in your OP. No need to get hostile.

It's not an "exploit" by any means that other people can choose to throw in jobs that will run for 30 days -- you can do it too. Seriously, 30 days in a NPC slot will get you like +9 ME on a battleship BPO, maybe +10 if you have the +4% (or is it +5%) implant ... if you're running with capital ships, it'll get you +1 ME. You're also very mistaken about the "saving a slot for themselves" assumption -- if someone cancels a job it doesn't end the slot timer.

Since you don't want to throw up a tower, you have a few other options:

1. move out of highly populated space
2. look at lowsec
3. look for BPO research services
4. join a research alliance for a while
5. wait in line at a NPC station

One of the bitter points of a good bittervet is the realisation that all those SP don't really do much, and that the newbie is having much more fun with what little he has. - Tippia

Valei Khurelem
#8 - 2011-12-26 17:01:24 UTC  |  Edited by: Valei Khurelem
I mentioned before yet again that I was already in a low populated system, the rest of the options are unrealistic and I don't want to be with an alliance, as for waiting in line for a month, no thanks, by that time I'll have trained for an orca.

The only options I have realistically are:

. ***** about this problem until CCP fix it, because it is a huge design oversight

. Avoid researching altogether and focus entirely on mining skills which is a shame because I'd really like to get into blueprints at some point

Also you don't need to worry, trust me, If I was hostile anyone would recognise it :P I just get irritated when people blatantly don't read posts and then argue with me as if I haven't, I've met some total wankers who've done that type of thing before.

It's a problem and it needs fixing, that's what we're supposed to be using this forum for anyway isn't it?

"don't get us wrong, we don't want to screw new players, on the contrary. The core problem here is that tech 1 frigates and cruisers should be appealing enough to be viable platforms in both PvE and PvP."   - CCP Ytterbium

Velicitia
XS Tech
#9 - 2011-12-26 17:24:58 UTC
no, not a "Low Population" system -- LOWSEC ... i.e. 0.4 or lower.

One of the bitter points of a good bittervet is the realisation that all those SP don't really do much, and that the newbie is having much more fun with what little he has. - Tippia

Valei Khurelem
#10 - 2011-12-26 19:58:22 UTC
Velicitia wrote:
no, not a "Low Population" system -- LOWSEC ... i.e. 0.4 or lower.


yeah that's not realistic either lol, considering I can't even afford a hulk yet I don't have enough of a surplus to go waltzing into Lowsec.

"don't get us wrong, we don't want to screw new players, on the contrary. The core problem here is that tech 1 frigates and cruisers should be appealing enough to be viable platforms in both PvE and PvP."   - CCP Ytterbium

Aqriue
Center for Advanced Studies
Gallente Federation
#11 - 2011-12-26 20:22:26 UTC
lol OP is a newb.

Fun Fact: There are more then a handful of players.
Fun Fact: Many players, have multiple characters for research (main runs POS, alts use stations. up to 11 each = 33 jobs an account. Some people have 2, 3, 6, and 25 accounts!).
Fun Fact: Limited Resource (lab slot) with a longer que time, Unlimited Resource (POS) with a higher cost and shorter que time
Fun Fact: EVERYONE WANTS TO DO RESEARCH AKA PVP action going on BOW CHICKA WOW.
Fun Fact: Priceless, for every other newb demanding something needs to be fixed its already in game.

People are not dicking around when they set up lab slots to screw you over. They are making a freaking que line, longer then your skill plan. So don't complain, plan how you want to set up your POS and start aquiring the materials (isk, faction, POS material ect) because the POS is the better option.
Valei Khurelem
#12 - 2011-12-26 20:27:48 UTC  |  Edited by: Valei Khurelem
That's what is called an exploit you halfwit, next time you try to call me a noob don't detail exactly how people abuse the crap out of this system and end up proving me entirely right.

I have every right to complain as a paying customer if someones using an exploit like that to gain an unfair advantage over other players.

"don't get us wrong, we don't want to screw new players, on the contrary. The core problem here is that tech 1 frigates and cruisers should be appealing enough to be viable platforms in both PvE and PvP."   - CCP Ytterbium

Feligast
Brutor Tribe
Minmatar Republic
#13 - 2011-12-26 22:14:47 UTC
So, let me get this right.. you know the solution to your problem is already in game, but because YOU think it's "too expensive", you're demanding CCP change a major game mechanic to suit you?

And people call nullsec people arrogant. Roll
Danika Princip
GoonWaffe
Goonswarm Federation
#14 - 2011-12-26 23:12:23 UTC
Wait, what? How is this an exploit? it's people using the labs as they're intended to be used. Research takes time.
Tippia
Sunshine and Lollipops
#15 - 2011-12-26 23:34:04 UTC  |  Edited by: Tippia
So… what's the problem again?

It's an non-issue — NPC slots are not meant to fulfil everyone's need, but rather to create competition over available resources and to promote the myriad of solutions that exist to this intentionally designed problem scarcity.

People using the system as designed is not an exploit.
Your unwillingness to use the many workarounds to your perceived problem is not a flaw in the game.
Since you are the one making the bad choice, you've pretty much forfeited your right to complain about it — as a paying customer, all you have the right to do is to compete with the others using the same tools they do. If you can't (yet), then you should maybe try something else (or try later).

…oh, and gaining unfair advantages is pretty much the name of the game in a PvP-centric game such as EVE.
Velicitia
XS Tech
#16 - 2011-12-26 23:37:36 UTC
Valei Khurelem wrote:
That's what is called an exploit you halfwit, next time you try to call me a noob don't detail exactly how people abuse the crap out of this system and end up proving me entirely right.

I have every right to complain as a paying customer if someones using an exploit like that to gain an unfair advantage over other players.



wait, back up... where's the exploit?

One of the bitter points of a good bittervet is the realisation that all those SP don't really do much, and that the newbie is having much more fun with what little he has. - Tippia

Tarryn Nightstorm
Hellstar Towing and Recovery
#17 - 2011-12-26 23:44:59 UTC
Valei Khurelem wrote:
Velicitia wrote:
no, not a "Low Population" system -- LOWSEC ... i.e. 0.4 or lower.


yeah that's not realistic either lol, considering I can't even afford a hulk yet I don't have enough of a surplus to go waltzing into Lowsec.



Train for a covert ops frigate (ca. 3 weeks to meet the prereqs, and get the CovOps skill up to at least level 4): Those are almost impossible to catch outside of zerosec if you're even halfway awake.

Star Wars: the Old Republic may not be EVE. But I'll take the sound of dual blaster-pistols over "NURVV CLAOKING NAOW!!!11oneone!!" any day of the week.

Misanthra
Alternative Enterprises
#18 - 2011-12-27 00:21:23 UTC
Velicitia wrote:
Valei Khurelem wrote:
That's what is called an exploit you halfwit, next time you try to call me a noob don't detail exactly how people abuse the crap out of this system and end up proving me entirely right.

I have every right to complain as a paying customer if someones using an exploit like that to gain an unfair advantage over other players.



wait, back up... where's the exploit?



there is none lol


Poeple who do this get the same wait times. I am a public user. The indy does me/pe fixing, other chars do copy work. I hit the same wait times op does. My only edge, an edge I paid for running 2 accounts sometimes when plxexing not possible since one char I did pvp in 0.0 and had weekends of losses in the hundreds of milliions), is I get dedicated ME research and copeies at the same time. No edge here....ME slots are different from copy slots. guy who has several ME alts....put his time in. Has 3 ME alts, took the time to learn metallurgy 5 3 times (i personallyy hated that train on jsut one char lol).



But I don't complain about it. No time or desire to maintain a pos, put my stuff in, get it when its done. Still earn some good isk from the process. OP you will have to think ahead and plan....how you make this work.

I for example know caps in the future for me. So many moons ago, I got fighter bpos'. had them a year, and not till last month have they actually been in my hanger. ME/PE research qeues (actual research or wating) for a year. thats long term planning.
When I am cap able, will make my own fighters plus overage for sale. Currenly check markets and hit fighters when its good. Year planning paying off a bit now, get better returns when I go back to 0.0 and lose fighters.

Example of short term planning from recent patch. Those in the know read dev blogs, cruise sisi. they saw new t2 items, t2 items not getting bpos'. Weeks out, copying of the t1 bpo's began. New patch, items hit, and in the invents went. this is how earyl sellers of t2 siege, bomb launchers, etc made some good isk. Th3ey got day 2 sales form people who will pay more to have the new sexy items and not wait a month for isk warring to stabilize the price.

Indy is about planning and taking chances. Publlc you have to add some prep time to it. Plan your research 1-2 months out. for ME. PE slots are easy to get with little to no wait. Copies with travel time you can find easy 2 weeks or less waits (all in empire, I do this often, change regions and find better wait times). Me, my consistent isk makers are always in copy. Worst case is my t2 bs'....month long copy for max run to run decrypts and 2 week wait time (usually find a station that has a week though). But it works out....if invention gods like me, I get enough t2 bpc's total it takes a month to run them out and bam...in come the new copies.
Velicitia
XS Tech
#19 - 2011-12-27 01:12:18 UTC
Misanthra wrote:
Velicitia wrote:
Valei Khurelem wrote:
That's what is called an exploit you halfwit, next time you try to call me a noob don't detail exactly how people abuse the crap out of this system and end up proving me entirely right.

I have every right to complain as a paying customer if someones using an exploit like that to gain an unfair advantage over other players.



wait, back up... where's the exploit?



there is none lol
(long explanation of how to plan around using NPC slots and other stuff)




yes, I know this. I'm trying to figure out how the hell the OP is jumping from "I have to queue for my turn" to "ZOMG EXPLOIT!!!"

One of the bitter points of a good bittervet is the realisation that all those SP don't really do much, and that the newbie is having much more fun with what little he has. - Tippia

Misanthra
Alternative Enterprises
#20 - 2011-12-27 01:33:31 UTC
my bad...should have clarified or use a joke tag lol.











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