Player Features and Ideas Discussion

A way to keep more people in the game, my idea here is mostly for miners, is to have a way to hire npc security for a set amount and time while in station. They would stay with you while your mining. Alot of people may say that's what drones are for, but if you can hire the npc's that gives you a few extra drones to have mining instead of guarding. It could also be expanded to be hiring an player to be your security while you mine. I am sure there will be many viewpoints on this such as if you hire a player as your security and they betray you kill your ship and take your gear. Would all be part of the risk with hiring a player.

You probably should've kept reading as it's not a terrible idea. Also, being passive/aggressive on the forums while taking someone's point out of context (and getting it wrong to boot due to failure to read) is pretty bad.

I'd say to OP that hiring NPCs would be a non-starter as they, likely, wouldn't protect you well enough to matter unless they were "concord" like setup (instalock/jamscram/etc) at which point they are overpowered and unbalanced.

I think the idea of opening it up to actual player to player contracts through some in station interface (I believe that this is where you were aiming in the first place) would be an interesting dynamic allowing for beneficial or surprising outcomes for both the hiring player and/or the pirates (the merc could double-cross or renege on the contract and kill/loot the miner incurring a loss of collateral or something or the mercs could lie in wait, hidden, for the possible appearance of the pirates and would see them as allowable targets if they aggressed the miner).

In either scenario - it wouldn't prove to be an overwhelming or insurmountable advantage to either side baring pilot stupidity. It also furthers the in-game player economy, fosters player to player interactions and through those creates a higher likelihood of something exploding, thus completing the circle.

Not a bad initial idea. Just needs work.

"No" simply on principle.

If you want help, get players to help you.

I don't even mine but the hostility towards an idea that might increase the amount of combat related explosions (regardless of who is exploding) is a bit suspect coming from what I assume is a 'PvP' guy.

Instead of choosing, as you have, to view this in a completely negative manner that places the miner as the object of scorn and derision (whether that's where you see them or not is irrelevant to point) look at it for the potential to benefit you, the assumed ganker. More targets is better correct? This idea sounds like it might increase the potential number targets. Either through an increased (though false) sense of security it provides to said miners and their "security details" or through a larger number of targets and tactical situations (miners + aforementioned security detail). Seems like a win for you the ganker (or supplier of gankers) either way. Quitcherbitchin.

I agree with Fluffers here, hire players, but as a side note, if you mine in a proc or a skiff, and your skills with shields get good enough, you can bascially just ignore the rats as they shoot you, and whats funnier, is that if any pirate/ganker attacks you and uses a scram on you, the rats will instantly jump the ganker, also, if you are in a proc/skiff, and are tanked, chanse is youll be left alone, your pretty much to fast to be bumped, and it cost them more to try gank you in high then it cost you, my usual skiff setup is one T2 warrior/goblin, 5ecm drones, one salvage drone, and three T2 mining drones, that one T2 drone have no problem killing the rats in high, if i choose to, mostly i just ignore the rats

You should find a less dangerous occupation than mining. Low sec piracy might be right up your alley, since there's little need to pay for someone to defend you.

Exactly this.

When I first started playing I joined an industrial corp. We performed weekly mining ops and as mining goes, they were good fun. Massively more fun that you are going to have mining solo with a few NPCs watching you.

Oh and MMO!

funny, I would do it for my corpies*.

Just so long as they keep me stocked with ships, ammo, and modules.



*yeah, I know I'm in a 1-man corp ... looking for a new home and NPC corp is rubbish.

Or... hire PC security ships....

I will give a more detailed reason other than the simplistic nos that people are giving. CCP Seagull has stated that eve has a new vision in mind for the second decade, this vision involves putting more control into the players hands. There are purposes for NPCs that players should never fill; however, in this instance, I believe its more beneficial to leave NPCs out of the equation and just rely on hiring players to defend you.