Warfare & Tactics

Hey guys,

[WARNING, LONG POST AHEAD]

after flying in Factional Warfare for quite a long time, I found a lot of things, that seemed unlogical or outdated with regards to actual Factional Warfare mechanics, goals and lore and also noted things, that limit fighting and faction force projection, and promote boring farming. I would like to make FW a better and more dynamic gameplay and fuel it with new mechanics, that can actually make system conquest and player cooperation in gangs and fleets more fun and rewarding while making newbros participate. And make capitals usable in FW.

I came up with some possible solutions, and I would like your feedback on this. CCP feedback would be lovely

Current situation:

1) System control is all about station in system, or just about the fun of tanking it, or for tier points. There are NO REAL BONUSES for upgrading the system and anyone can assault any system, no matter how far behind enemy lines the system is. Isnt that strange?

2) Fighting over systems, or focused assaults on systems are unprofitable and only a handful of dedicated corporations and alliances in FW do them. Rest just farm LP (which is in my opinion not healthy for FW in general, which should be about fighting mostly which should pay for itself).

3) Players are spread around the warzone, with majority of new players in FW not knowing, where the fighting is, or how to effectively contribute. A lot of people is just trying to farm LP solo and not get cought. This is not what FW should be about in my opinion.

4) You do not feel any difference, while flying in your faction space, or enemy faction space apart from icon in the corner, or station docking possibilities. There is no system wide bonus to allied forces in conquered systems, which makes conquering systems almost unprofitable, as you lose offensive plexing possibilities while not gaining any advantage apart from possible station docking.

5) Third parties !! Pirates roaming FW area are huge nuisance and they limit possible force projection of factions. I know that it provides some sort of content, but I would love to replace that content with FW content, see capital battles between factions, but nobody will use capitals with neutral power blocks imediately hot dropping them with supers. Content in FW should be mainly about interactions between warring factions, which are severely limited by third parties.

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Solutions, and proposed new machanics:

1) SYSTEM UPGRADE BONUS:

Lets make a meaningful system upgrade bonus:

Bonus to allied ships per upgrade level of system:

+2% to Shield, Armor and Hull HP
-2% to Shield Booster (+ Remote) and Armor Repairer (+ Remote) cycle time and capacitor use
+2% all turret, drone, missile and smartbomb damage
+4% warp speed and warp acceleration

(no targeting and damage projection bonuses to keep ships susceptible to EWAR)

All the above bonuses increased by 50% apply negatively to neutral players in upgraded FW system.
Additional -3% to all Shield, Armor and Hull resistances to neutral players per system upgrade level.

Current bonuses for manufacturing and trade can stay as they are.

Lore and effects: The idea is to make defender WANT to upgrade the system (thus naturally supporting tier progression AND CREATING LP SINK), have a defenders advantage and be able to intercept enemy in warp in upgraded system. Lore-wise: Factions deploy something like links, providing bonuses to allied ships in system. Only upgraded systems will provide these bonuses scaling with upgrade level, so unupgraded systems will be third party heavens. Upgraded systems will keep third parties out, or if they have balls, will leave them fighting in disadvantage. I believe game mechanics are already in place , it can use incursion, or WH effects coding. Assaulting enemy upgraded system will be a daring task for enemy faction and will require some numbers, or EWAR support, or just a good ship. From my experience, bonuses like I propose are not a game changer due to the sheer amount of strategies and fits used in FW, but they will motivate, give little edge and help a bit in fleet fights.

2) HOW TO MAKE ENEMY WANT TO ASSAULT UPGRADED SYSTEMS:

To promote attacking upgraded systems and prevent stagnation in conquering activity, I propose these bonuses when attacking enemy upgraded systems

+20% bonus to FW complex capture LP payout per system upgrade level, both for offensive and defensive plexing

This could make upgraded systems focal points of combat and defense, providing lot of stable content. But as you will need more numbers sometimes, how to make it profitable?

I propose to increase LP payouts of complexes when several players are capturing one complex at once and sharing LP, to at least +50% LP payout per another player capturing complex, capped at some fixed number of players involved. After that, the cap LP amount will be divided. Goal is to make capturing in enemy upgraded systems, even in gang, more profitable, than going for the unupgraded system to farm LP solo.

But this will put more LP into the system. Solution?

3) NERFING LVL 4 FW MISSIONS

Honestly, lvl 4 FW mission payout is overpowered. I am able to make 1 MILION LP in one or two days of concentrted missioning,when I have the time. Thats just too much. Of course I love the ISK income, but it demotivates me from going to the frontlines and actually fighting. The LP gained through missioning should be earnable through fighting. Make system upgrades expensive.

4) SYSTEM CLUSTERING (just experimental idea :))

Each captured system gives +20% to the total contested point value of allied neighbouring system, making them harder to capture. Capped at 100% for example.

So, what do you thing guys?

Did you read it far enough, to get to the LP reward bonus for plexing in enemy upgraded system? Also when roaming, 70% of time I fight enemy faction throughout the entire warzone. Sure, neutrals add some content, but this content could be replaced with faction fighting if focal points of interest are created.

Well you are working with the idea, that both sides wil be even in numbers and ships. Yes, if that happens, defender will have an advantage. Which is what he should have in my opinion. It could get some stacking penalty with player links, so its not too OP. Also, it can be a lower margin, just to be still felt but not make a too much of an advantage. Still, being even in numbers rarely happens. Its true that its a stagnation factor, that I hope would be offset with LP rewards. But yea, I am not sure how that will work out in reality. It would need some mass testing.

I do realise the importance of station in system, I would just like to see more depth in the systems conquest and other factors as well, not just the station itself, which is of course great. Maybe decouple the tier from rewards and make tier entirely dependant on number of conquered systems?

The problem with neutrals is, that they are generally much stronger in both numbers and ships, whan any FW faction. That makes larger faction battles never escalate, becase neutrals would come and decimate bowth sides. Thats the issue I would like to adress. Maybe cynosural field inhibitors for neutrals at least?

What the hell man? Change that attitude. I am not butthurt. I want to make FW deeper in strategy with more fleet and gang fights. Does that seem like a crying for better solo pvp? Its not about screwing anyone. Is any party somehow screwed in my idea of FW, except neutrals? Changes dont mean screwing. People will get used to changes. All my idea of FW is, is somewhat isolated arena, where FW factions clash over systems with massive fleets and capitals not being afraid of neutrals. Doest THAT seem like crying because of getting blobbed? Neutrals screwing over FW factions in FW space is in my opinion bad, almost everyone in FW hates being limited by neutrals while doing FW objectives. Only other faction should limit you.

Or does this idea screws your multibox alts so you are butthurt? YOU pretty much sound butthurt to me.

nerf the svipul.

and after that you will cry about the next ship.

Disagree with the bonuses concept.

The only thing FW needs is a clear front line. Systems not connected to a system your faction controls should not be plexable by you. Non-FW systems owned by your faction count as control, so when you lose control of the warzone you can still attack any border systems.

This would probably need more stargates created for additional entry points into the FW warzone to make it harder to lock a faction out.

Source?

CCP should warn people that Fac War is a social experience. You need to talk in your chats, you need to join a corp, Solo is not how eve is ment to be played. That is why when you see epic solo play people be like WOW!! That was TIGHT!! The FW system is only broken in the case of why are Gallente and Minmatar on the same team. All Nations should shoot all nations! Two sided PvP is very hard to make interesting. They should add some sort of system that makes moving suppiles in the warzone more lucrative if anything.

We will always see complaints about FW, it is just a little more boring then people would like to see it.

I've seen enough of these threads to figure that FW is not likely to be high on CCPs list f things to revamp.

My two cents as a FW bitter vet to 'change FW' is as follows:

Faction Coalition commanders all get together in a mature fashion (yeah I know!) and discuss how they can influence their coalitions and FCs to create a unique player enforced FW experience. For example in mechanical terms Red vs Blue was always 'just a high sec war dec' but the community involved made it more than this and created a mutual experience. I know most of the main groups in each faction have the capacity to pull this off because for one thing I've worked with individuals from all of them at one point or another.

For example do you want a pitched battle to last for a week? A four way conflict? 'Special events' like trying to get a convoy from one system to another against an opposing force suitable to your engagement capability?

Neutrals have a place in the warzones and Gal Mil have had some success fighting them in the past. Perhaps every so often such a community could form 'FW Voltron' and give the Pirates a surprise.

Laugh if you want but that sort of community wide effort is the only real way FW will change for players who want to have the best possible experience. Waiting for CCP to implement mechanics changes of any sort is not a great Plan A.