Player Features and Ideas Discussion

A Solar System is a relatively small slice of space in EVE. The typical system that isn't a high sec mission hub (with infinite volumes of "content") can barely support 3-5 players, if you're lucky.

There simply isn't a lot to "do" in most systems. In Null Sec you end up with the i-hub sanctum/signature running which is good for ISK grinding, but even those support a half dozen players at best.

The issue is 2-fold.

1) Solar Systems are tiny for our spaceships. It takes about 30s-60s to cross one on average. The D-Scanner (which I love) can scan most systems in one sweep. Local makes it immediately obvious how many people are in each solar system. With experience you can figure out who they are and what they're doing in about 60 seconds.

2) The amount of "stuff" in solar systems is minimal. Generally, exploration sites that appear are either minimally useful to do, or already being competed for by other players, or has been mined already by players before you arrive, and so on.

---

Attacking the 2-Fold issue.

Issue 1 :
The experience of how large a Solar system feels can be changed without changing the physical parts of the Solar System.

1. Change Local Channel so you have the ability to hide from local if you are hunting or want to hide from being hunted. High sec local channels can remain the way they are. Low Sec intel can either be set to delayed... or if CCP is willing, you can "Bribe" the local intel network to not show you temporarily.

In Null Sec, I think local should be controlled by the SOV holding alliance in some fashion. Systems can be set to show full local in some systems, or in other systems turned to delayed mode to hide a fleet or miners, etc. This of course is a 2 edged sword, but an option that Null Sov might find very entertaining and functional.


2. D-Scanner (which I love) can be less accurate information based on proximity. This does a couple things. It makes information more granular but at the same time enhances your information.
I.e. If there is a ferox at max D-scan range, it will show up as a "Spaceship", if it's within 8AU, it will say Battlecruiser. If it's within 4 AU it will say "Ferox". If it's within 2AU it will show the ships name too.

Although there is less information, it actually gives you more information based on how far the ship is, etc. It also means you can mistake a friendly for a target, or vice versa. Imagine being told you have "Backup coming" of 15 battlecruisers, and you see them on scan and think the cavalry is arriving, when in fact it's an enemy fleet of similar composition warping in to the fight.


These 2 things would make a solar system "Feel" bigger. It would take a little longer to find targets, and by that nature more targets will fill up the space over time because they feel "Safe" from perfect intel.

---

Issue 2

The amount of things in Solar Systems is pretty minimal and can also be a bit disingenuous to its value. It's important to control how much valuable material comes into EVE. There's a lot of time spent bringing in "Trash' basically, that has some value to someone, but in general in large volumes is pretty useless.

The issue with "Stuff to do" is in part that there is a big reliance on NPCs to generate the content for daily activities. This goes back to the catch-22 of "if there were more players in a system with more stuff to do, there'd be more player interaction", but there isn't enough stuff to do in a system so that we can have the player interaction to have more stuff to do.

:headache:

One of the upcoming features that will fix this IMHO is going to be the new POS system that is centered around the idea of being much more flexible, detached from Moons and may provide places for people to have "Deadspace" locations in the middle of space. Although not necessarily combat related, these kinds of places as residences could become interesting points of interaction to "fill up space".

Otherwise, the usage of more coordinated player activities would be valuable. For example Incursion systems can support around 50 players actively working. Perhaps the Ring Mining if valuable enough would be a big boon to the economy and activity of the average player. And start to support more players on an industrial level (Which means more manufacturing/production, and less ISK faucet which creates inflation).

Ring Mining and POS 2.0 would be a really healthy step towards more "things" in a system.

There are 2 personalities typically at play here :
1- PVPer Personality, wants more rewards in bigger clumps in shorter bursts in order to PVP more
2- Industry Personality, is willing to take less rewards more consistently in order to generate his income

Understanding these two personalities will go a long way to making content that fits the right kind of people in EVE to fill up Solar Systems.

But without addressing the problems from Issue 1, you're going to end up in a tough situation with getting players to feel that a solar system is big enough for you.