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I guess this just comes down to whether you think the "relatively simple" mechanic is better as number of corp/alliances or number of players.

I think the latter is, though a bad indicater of power, a huge amount better than the former.

PS: I'm not trying to make highsec safer or wars less common or more consensual, I want more glorious deaths not less.

So now you've got all that off your chest would you like to address the specifics of my proposal?

Most people don't read the forums. All they can do in-game is solicit offers, look at their war histories, and make determinations that way. A trash "merc" corp can glom onto wars and have a kickass undefeated streak, while still being trash. A quality merc corp can fight hard and do stuff, and have the same record, but fewer members.

Who would you hire? The larger undefeated corp, or the smaller?

Limiting allies would eliminate the dogpile and record-inflation of no-effort gank corps, or at least reduce it.

We are going to be addressing that in the next phase of crimewatch work that Team Five-0 has planned. This is general aggression issue rather than a specific war issue (since wars are just another form of legalised aggression, much like loot-theft and kill-rights) and we want to fix the general problem of interfering in someone else's fight.

So yes, it is going to be sorted, but no, not in an Inferno point release (and so let's not derail this thread away from 1.1 feedback)

The arguement is (and I really don't think its a good one) is that mercenaries are being disadvantaged by the fact that random hisec trade hub raiders offer their services for FREE.

ie "good mercenaries" can't make any money from being defensive allies. Because everyone is choosing the free ones.

Also,

traditional merc contracts (where entity A pays entity B to wardec C for some purpose) are being ruined because entity C can call in free allies and make it difficult for entity B to complete its job.

The first stage of the argument is a bit bunkum because it assumes that any entity would be paying for "serious mercs" on receipt of a random trade hub griefing wardec and the answer is no.

The second stage is a little more convincing but isn't resolved by the Inferno 1.1 changes either. Nothing would stop GS (or anybody else huge) from allying for free with anybody wardecced by a merc in new eden in the new system. Instant blob same result.

So basically these changes do not boost mercs or the merc profession in any way. All they do is protect large alliances from the gameplay consequences of their actions,

There is a different solution needed.

I understand what you're trying to do, but please stop requoting yourself in every post. It's OK to turn the other cheek and ignore people once in a while.

Yeah fair enough, guess its okay if I link them instead :)

If you're going to keep linking to it, can I keep linking to Soundwave's post that smacked it down? I mean, that's all that matters, really - getting anyone to affirm "yes this is a good idea" is just you seeking validation.

If I was wardecced by an entity that wanted to blow up my towers I'd consider hiring mercs to help defend at the reinforcement timer. I wouldn't be adding freebie "mercs" through the ally system. There is a world of difference between getting defenders for a specific purpose and simply reacting to a generalized trade hub ganking dec. But that pretty much goes for anybody else. No small entity that gets randomly decced and never sees its attackers is going to hire "serious mercs" to defend them -



Come again? How does that work ?

A number of others have pointed out the silliness of this question. According to CCP's reasoning, the attacker must pay more for more targets. If only high sec targets count then large null sec alliances should cost less. Obviously the assumption is that equivalent numbers will do something else. Some possible other motives are: area protection (make high sec as hostile as null sec), unify towards an actual threat on null sec territory, or deterrence against large vs small wars. There are probably many more reasons to create numerically equal sides.


Thank you for your entire response. At least now I understand why you are doing this and I even like the goal, although I disagree with the method. Thinking as a mercenary's customer these changes do not change the reasons why I would not hire a merc corporation. The war system needs a method by which a defender can actively remove the war declaration by fighting (and hiring mercenaries to do that fighting).

The free allies seem to be high sec ganking corps. These corporations provide one function, area harassment in trade hubs. Given significant numbers of opponents in non-industrial ships and they will dock. Now let us look at Noir.'s (a merc corp) list of services and compare that with these new allies and the solution suggested.

1) Declarations of War
2) System/Regional Assault (0.0 or anti-piracy)
3) Asset Denial
These three require focus which high sec gankers do not seem to have outside of the trade hubs.

4) Small/Medium POS Destruction
A free ally is looking for cheap targets not coordinated actions to benefit you.

5) Surveillance/Reconnaissance
6) Consulting
7) Scouting/Escort
These seem like generally non-war related items, and require communication, which a free ally is not likely to bother with.

8) OPFOR
Unless you fancy docking games an opposing force needs to be someone with some coordination.

9) Force Multiplication
Requires coordination, again not in the province of free mercs.

10) Corporate Expansion/Alliance Creation
Not wardec related.

From my perspective, the only three reasons to hire a merc outfit remain the same both before and after this change. 1) Harass someone you don't like. 2) POS destruction. 3) Training. Perhaps there are other cost effective tasks that mercenaries can do that I have not heard about. Based on this perspective what mercs need is a real way to benefit people not methods to hinder war dec defenders.

If you want to aid mercs add a method for defenders to actively fight against a war dec. Mercs can then be hired to reach this goal when the corporation does not feel it is capable. It seems like this idea has been dismissed by CCP because they think it constrains the activity in war. This is wrong.

A new option besides hide or fight a more powerful enemy could make the wars about fighting, which would encourage the hiring of mercs. The old wars were boring because you felt like there was nothing you could actually do to change the situation or encourage a fight. Allowing the defender to try and end the war through an activity will cause the inferno you actually wanted, instead of boredom that often results.