Player Features and Ideas Discussion

What if there were no gates to travel between systems?

Think about it. You would have an inter-system warp drive, like Star Wars (hyperdrive) and Star Trek (warp engines) have.

Systems would still be reachable via the connections they have now but instead of initiating warp at a gate, you could initiate an inter-system warp (transwarp?) from anyway the same way you can warp inside a system now. Instead of toddling on over to this fixed gate in the local area you just GO.

For warping you would select the target system (and point) to go to that is within reach (i.e. connected) to the system you're in, just like now. However, maybe based on a skill (TransWarp Tuning?), you could pinpoint where you want to turn up. Higher levels obviously include the features of lower levels. If you wanted to jump to a random location (scouting?) you could do so.

Untrained: Jump to target system, random location
Level I: Celestial within target system, within 100 km
Level II: (as above) within 50km
Level III: Stations selectable, accuracy is 30km to point selected
Level IV: Celestial, Station or Bookmark within target system, , within 20 km
Level V: Accuracy to within 5km of point chosen (or station docking distance + some random factor?)

What would this mean?

No gate camps and no slow-boating. Before the pirate tears come QQ'ing along, think about it. You can traverse into high-sec much more easily if you're not coming in at a single point of origin. No gate guns. It means faster travel for EVERYONE. Space is then just SPACE, not areas delimited by gates that are placed in an apparent random location around a system. It opens up low and null sec for everyone since I think everyone agrees it's the bottleneck border systems that are a problem for the uptake of those regions by the populous. You're never going to have high-sec population move to low/null while gatecamps are commonplace.

Let me say that again, CCP, so you understand this I hope: You're NEVER going to have high-sec population move to low/null while gatecamps are commonplace.

For implenting it, it wouldn't take much really. The game allows you to initiate a session change within a gate's perimeter, we'd simply make it possible whereever you can already engage your intra-system warp drive already. Targets to travel to could be shown on the overview like gates already are (Maybe default to having a navigation tab on the overview, but configurable just like now)

e.g.

O - System (random)
O - System (Moon I)
...
O - System 2 (CBD Corporation Warehouse - Moon V)
.. etc.

So your solution to people not playing in low sec and null sec, is to make null sec and low sec more like high sec? Erm, no. As the above poster pointed out there are already ships and tactics designed to avoid camps, learn to use them or stay in high sec.

As for your unwarranted assertion that players will not move where the ISK is, I ask you this: why did null sec depopulate after the anomaly nerf?

Furthermore, I have recently noticed an increase in the number of players in wormhole systems, specifically since the incursion nerf. The corresponding drop in nanoribbon prices would seem to support this observation, and I have also seen considerably more people in null, low sec and wormholes mining since the drone region changes.

Whilst my observations can't be confirmed or denied until CCP Diagoras releases some interesting statistics, they certainly do suggest that player's behaviour does in fact adapt to mechanics changes.

No, I think that EVERYWHERE should be able to move fast. You suck at comprehension.



I didn't say that, I said that there are MANY more high-sec residents than low/null and I think gatecamps are to blame for blame for that. It's a sentiment I've seen echoed before that low/null is fine once you're there but getting there is a PITA.

Gate camps are not sacred cows.

That being said, balance must exist. The design of the game created gate camps as both a convenient zone line between systems, and a bottleneck to trap people.

Space is vast, like you said. Teaching people to hunt across wide spaces, however, is difficult. A lot of them need doors to hide behind to have fun.

To enact change like this, probing and hunting in general would need to become more convenient.
Also all ships would need available means to do so, (or be forced to travel with those that could).

Remember, this is a game, and ultimately gameplay needs to be the highest priority.

More like an idea for removing pvp

There are only a few places you can be sure to find a fight in eve. And giving everyone a free safe spot when they jump in system would make things worse.

This would reduce all fights in eve to jumping belt ratters, and structure shoots.

Although the idea of removing Stargates is great it is not as simple as it seems OP. It would require introduction of many new features and dealing with many issues.

Scanning/dragging system
Ability to scan ships during inter-system jumps
Ability to drag those ships via bubble-like mechanics
Ability to counteract scanning/dragging via special modules/ships ( jumping with solo freighter would be suicide and using fleeted escorts, which can counteract scanning/dragging would become a necessity ). Of course counteraction would not provide immunity.
Travel should still take a lot of time ( it would just become less tedious but riskier at the same time - no gate guns and NO CONCORD intervention when you are caught in between systems )
Initiating this kind of jump would need to take some time ( much longer than initiating intra-system warp ) and on most ships it could be like lighting a cyno ( to certain extent ) so players nearby can see what is going on but they can't warp to you unless they scan you first. Of course it wouldn't apply to covert/exploration vessels.
Adding fuel usage would also be nice

Then it wouldn't reduce camping but it would make it more dynamic, mobile and interactive, thus - less boring. Travel would become riskier and it would also require cooperation for some ships (escorts), which is a good thing.

Unfortunately it will never happen.
Oh well, one can only dream.

From my understanding, gates are necessary at this time because they provide choke points that all pilots must pass through. By removing them and allowing people to jump anywhere in a system, with high enough skill, there's no way to catch anyone, which, while great for the average logistics route, makes space feel alone, isolated, and safe.

I am not opposed to removing gates, I'd like to see new systems in kspace, with no existing gates, where we have to build our own entrances. However, it's a big change that takes out one of the fundamental game mechanics and a basis of the plot.

You misunderstand.

There are very many logical and realistic ideas flying around, but none of them are worth the effort if they make gameplay dull or pointlessly difficult.

Your idea makes sense from a story telling aspect, yes. But it destroys the structure that promotes pilot interaction and conflict.

Call it artificial if you like, but these choke points to travel keep the mechanics simple enough to be in a game like this.

Let's be honest, that's pretty rare. Most players now will pod their way up, and have their ships moved by jump freighter or a carrier run.

Podding as in blood jumping.

Move med clone to corp office: self destruct pod.