Player Features and Ideas Discussion

Been doing FW for a while now and it's great. I love it. I just wanted to say though that the mechanics can easily get a bit stale and some improvement to the mechanics to make it more dynamic and engaging would be appreciated. The problems I see with FW are as follows:

Issues:

1. The complexes. They are, well, extremely booring. Sometimes this is a good thing, because, they are a PvP arena and the focus should be on the PvP. This has pros and cons, but, something a little more engaging would be appreciated.

2. The game mechancis completely ignore the non-WT pirate element inf FW mechanics. There needs to be a game driven consequence for pirates who engage milita in the warzone.

3. The docking limitations inside enemy held space are completely circumvented with the new Citadels and Engineering Complexes. In many cases these can compeltely undermine a factions hold on certain systems. This can also create problems for neutral corporations who operate freeports, and who do not wish to invoke the ire of their occupying faction. Who in many cases are obliged to destroy these freeports - through no fault of the owners.

4. The faction police in highsec are a joke.

5. The missions are rather repeditive and seem unconnected with the war effort.

6. The system upgrade mechanics need to give additional and customisable benefits.

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Recommendations:

1. Create a nominal NPC presence of Faction Navy squadrons who warp to celestials (just like pirate rats) and who will engage militia, and citadels - or citadels which have allowed docking rights to the enemy militia. The NPC's agression should also be driven by standings. Such that they will also agress pirate neutrals who have shown a history of engaging militia pilots belonging to their faction. This should require FW corporations with citadels in enemy territory to actually man the defences on their structures during their vulnerable hours.

2. There should be a setting in the structure configuration to allow or deny services to either or both of the faction war militia. When selected, these docking rights will apply to any corporations, alliances, or regular militia on that side of the war. Allowing services to one militia makes it a legal target for the opposing militia.

3. More variety in the types of complexes is required and better synergy between the missions and complexes would improve the game. For example - there could be a global "mega-mission". With data banks which need to be hacked, or a supply convoy which warps through several systems (on auto-pilot) and needs to be escorted... More creativity is require here. with NPC's getting out of these deadspace sites and into the system at large. Completing those missions should be a major coup and award warzone control as well as LP.

4. There needs to be an option to selectively upgrade systems to give different buffs or de-buffs. Such as upgrading the economic, defensive, or intelligence gathering capabilities of a system. The current market buffs aren't of any great value, and some different system bonuses more relevant to combat or intelligence gathering would be appreciated. A system combat upgrade could increase the frequency of NPC patrols - or perhaps put FW defence towers on stargates. Intelligence gathering could allow militia to access a structure which will tell them the disposition of enemy forces within a certain jump range of the system. Giving a listing of FW pilot names and the systems they are currently in.

Responding to points two and three. There is currenlty, the way I see it, an issue with the structure docking limitation setups. As it is not possible for anyone to allow or deny access to NPC corporation members (such as regular militia) without also denying general public access. There needs to be the ability to designate FW participants as an access group. Which would include both regular and corporate memberships in FW - and would also keep abreast of changing alegiances as corporations join or drop the war.

There could be mechanical problems with implementing this, as there is presently no way of creating a denied docking override on a public access station. In terms of balance, however, I believe it is quite uncomplicated. As for wardeccing those freeports, we often do this. But, this is a problem not of the owner's making. As they have no way of creating a freeport which denies enemy militia access. It's a limitation in the citadel mechanics which needs fixing.

I believe that the default should be for a citadel to deny militia docking when the system is not under it's control - overriding this should come at the cost of NPC and militia agression against the structure during vulnerable hours.