Player Features and Ideas Discussion

TLDR: Suggested changes for the criminal system that would make ganking more fun for all (Ok, maybe it still wouldn't be fun for the victims) and wardec system that would give incentive for experience players to move out into lowsec and nullsec for their content.


I recently read about how some believe the population of Eve Online is in decline when for many years it was always growing. I feel like Eve has always lost players on a regular basis. But would regain many after some large battle received media coverage. It's too bad we have to constantly bleed subscription numbers the way we do. I work with a lot of gamers and I often try to recruit people to Eve. However, 90% of the time people just shake their head. This game has a reputation and no matter how good our community can be (I think it's one of the best), this reputation hurts the game. The number one reason I cannot recruit more people to this game is non-consensual PvP. Don't get me wrong, I don't think non-consensual PvP should be removed. It's what makes Eve Online the game it is. But, there are mechanics in this game that people are taking advantage of that sometimes just adds frustration for new players trying to survive in a game that is already difficult to learn to play. I think Highsec was meant to be "relatively" safe. Which is fine, it provides a place for players to get comfortable with the game before they move out into Lowsec , Null and WH space.

The first thing I would change is the criminal justice system. Highsec shouldn't be more safe for criminals who don't undock until they have a target located and passively scanned using a non-criminal alt. These criminals are using game mechanics to protect themselves from the very thing they are inflicting on others. Criminals should not be able to dock up in systems where they are supposed to be banned from. I suggest a new system where a criminal cannot dock or keep a clone in any system with a security rating higher than their own security status deducted from 1 (Excluding Lowsec). For example, if a player has a security status of -2, he/she couldn't dock (or keep a clone) in a system with a security status higher than .8, -3 security .7, etc. Players should also not be able to log out in these same systems. If you disconnect, sorry your ship will remain there and be vulnerable to attack. Life can be tough for pirates making trips into high security space. This would keep criminals out where they can be hunted. They will have to actively evade those who want to hunt them while in Highsec.

The second thing I would do is remove the tags which repair security status. If you want to repair your security status, you should have to complete missions for concord or another faction similar to how you repair standings.

I would also like to see bounty payments adjusted based on the security status of the defeated player. The lower their security status, the higher the bounty payment. Of course this should never exceed the value of the ship for obvious reasons.

The next system I would change is the wardec system. Currently we have corporations that spend their time wardec'ing any and all corporations they see as convenient targets. If you want to PvP, you really should be moving out into lowsec , null and WH space. It's like watching that race car driver who doesn't want to move into the next class because he doesn't want to give up his winning streak with the rookies. It goes something like this: Corp A wardec's corp B, C and D. Then they hang out at the local trade hub and other places they are likely to encounter their war targets. While their war targets either dock up or lose ships. If they dock up for the week and lose no ships, maybe Corp A will get bored and choose to not continue the wardec the following week. If they put together a fleet to fight, Corp A calls all their buddies and puts together a larger fleet made up with 50% logi and station camps them. In the end, there is still very little PvP. Just one corp inflating their egos to make up for the fact that they can't survive out where skilled pilots live.

Wardec's should only be possible after some sort of trigger. Like maybe a pilot getting kill rights on a player from another corporation. Or maybe some theft that involves a pilot receiving suspect status after looting a can. When pilots can no longer get easy kills in Highsec, they will start looking for them in lowsec , null and WH space. This would provide more fights for everyone.

1. If you are a criminal you should not be allowed to dock.

2. wardecs are fine.

3. sec status should not be repairable at all, you made a choice deal with the consequences.

I think no matter how much incentive you provide, if they can get free kills with no risk in Highsec, that's what they are going to do.

Ganks in empire are part of CCP's economic controls OP.


WH, low sec, 0.0....in theory they make their billions of isk but they also lose a few ships in the process as well. this is control. My usual example. One time in 0.0 I solo bagged a prechange officer spawn. Over a billion payout just like that once drop sold off. this a few years when 1 billion isk was 1 billion isk. Good ole days. When 2-3 billion in the wallet had you a space rich player. Now...I am lower middle class upper lower class with that few billion...sigh.

And not even 2 weeks later I burned half of that easily on pvp losses. Give and take. I was given 1 billion, the game took some of that back. I wrote it off as offerings to the eve gods. They gave me a lot, I gave back a little to keep the karma flowing.

Some isk barrons break this theory, yes. Many though live paycheck to paycheck as it were.


Enter empire. Enter a world where no non-consensual pvp. Bears would make isk with little to no risk. Since after you learn how to missions run well...you don't die in missions much anymore. this would jack up the economy (more). enter the ganker. The pvp you won't agree to lose some isk for the billions you are making, they will force you into it.


Put another way....if you won't lose your 250mil for every couple billion you make by choice they will make it happen regardless. Thus order restored to the economy in some way.

The same repertoir. "CCP this, CCP that".

The whats of crime and the way hisec is really does not contribute to the problem.

There is only one thing that is the problem of virtually anything dealing with justice: it is not justice, it is vengeance.

You see, people are not rewarded by doing what is considered right any time a person doing what is considered wrong is given a safe guard.

As repent do not repair the damage of a sinner, and second time exam dont make people get taste for study, forgiveness dont dissuade criminals.

There is one unique change to the system that would equate conditions for criminals and non criminals, bear with their choices.

By choosing to be a loyalist, I give up piracy profits, I give up the sovs, the nulls, the big things that make a name in EVE, in order to be only one more in service of my empire. The lesser thing that empire would do to honor my commitment is to not forgive those who repeatedly squander its space. That is the only thing wrong.

Wardecs arent the problem, the system of crime flagging is not wrong. The only thing wrong is that you can over and over again get back being trusted and do it again and again.

The only change that need to be made, as the population of EVE clearly surpass 3 fold from the time it is the way it is, is that criminals must bear the loss for their acts in hisec. In old times, perhaps this would make virtually half of players be banned from hisec for good. Today there are much more players, much more corps and etc. There is no reason to keep forgiving the enemies of a given empire by just shooting some couple hundreds of NPCs.

That one single change would just make everything else make sense.

Edit.: On a second thought, maybe the idea of changing wardec sounds good. But the thing that would make sense is consider an aggressor who destroy no ship for 2 weeks be considered loser of a war and be banned from wardecing the same corp for a time.

I really think you are missing my whole point. There is an opportunity for quite a bit of fun here. Gankers playing out their bad guy lifestyle while evading other players and giving other players someone they can hunt.

LOL. The docking part is in the original post. I am not against ganking. Everyone just reads a line or two and makes the assumption that I am. I also didn't say they shouldn't be able to fix their security status. Just said it shouldn't be so easy.

Hard to do? To hunt down a ganker you would have to combat scan him down and catch him. This change would basically require he be at the keyboard and actively watch for someone hunting for him. No worse than being in low or null imo.

I did consider suggesting nerfing the Concord mechanics to make it more of a fight with the possibility of escape. But thought that it could maybe get a bit out of hand and people would flip out.

You DO know that gankers with low sec status are hunted by faction police, right? As in, if you're sitting still in a safespot, they will warp in, tackle you and kill you?

And that people already camp gates and stations waiting for flashy reds to come through?



Can you explain why ganking needs another round of massive nerfs, rather than just proposing them?