EVE General Discussion

So I put this here as it's more of an idea/concept, than an actual information, and thus wouldn't fit too well (to my understanding) in the Exploration section. So without further ado, here's my falling asleep idea:



For this example, let's pick on the Serpentis. You're flying about space, scanning, and you find an Active Serpentis Outpost. Unlike the typical site, this one is not a forgotten remnant or remains of battle. This is up and running, and is protected by frigates (in high-sec, anyways).

You can destroy the frigates or tank them, either way, the frigates themselves don't offer too much (relevant bounty to system security, and same with potential loot).

However, you have the same type of hack-able nodes, which runs on the standard loot table for that system's security/site difficulty/however they manage it.

In the course of your hacking, you will have X percent chance of stumbling upon information that leads to an escalation. Keeping the Serpentis as an example, this information you've gleaned from their systems lead to a specific point where a Serpentis convoy will be. Due to this, the time frame is reduce (30 minutes? An hour? Something where you can't say 'I'll do it tomorrow').

You set your course, make your way there, and warp into the pocket. Sure enough, on warping in, you find the convoy. A handful of frigates (in high-sec) guarding an Iteron. Destroy (or don't) the frigates. To get the loot from the industrial hauler, you'll need to break through its shields (with pew), and once the shields are gone, set to using your Hacking module. A successful hack will cause a 'loot spew', only in this case, it's your hacking the ship's cargo controls to jettison the hold's loot.

If there is loot (the information didn't specify whether the convoy was making a haul, or returning empty), in high-sec, it would spew three containers (low/null could have more containers). In them you would/could find an assortment of loot: meta 4 modules, random tidbits of things, standard relic/data site loot, blueprint copies (standard, faction, story line, etc), and of course, everyone's favorite; faction loot. The containers wouldn't contain all this, but would just be an example of some of the potential drops. Like all good RnG, it very well could contain none of the above!

For low/null areas of space, the guarding ships would upgrade: low-sec would be a mix of assault frigs and cruisers, with additional defenses; sentry turrets, for example. Null-sec would be more dangerous still: cruisers/BC's, and the convoy might have a battleship or two.

The difficulty of finding this site would be between a Sleeper Cache, and the system's standard for regular data sites. So, not something you could find right off the bat, but not something you'd need Level 5 skills for either. Some happy medium of time/skills invested.

The market for most meta items is already pretty depressed.

Meta4s are "just plain better" and about to be written out of the game.
Most of the meta1s are just not very good, but there are exceptions. If these escalations were rare and dropped things like boost amplifiers and the meta auxiliary power cores, they might actually be worth chasing.

Now now bumble, isn't the redirection to feature and ideas the job of Doc Fury?