Wormholes

W-Space just contracted Herpes's (or more specifically Harpy's)

After reading CCP Fozzie's long preamble about how they're not against WH residents, it seems most of the changes they're making are providing incentive for the majority WH residents to move out.

In general the changes they're attempting to make are targeted at increasing WH traffic and PVP. The uncloseable frig WH is a perfect example. As most folks noted above, this doesn't help the WH resident because they're not going to put their 1bil clone in a 50mil frig and even if they could swap clones, most WH residesnts are still unlikely to go frig roaming. It does however enable null corps to blob WH corps.

Before CCP introduces a series of changes that are generally intended to increase the opportunity for PVP encounters, they need to ask themselves who lives in WH space and why (assuming CCP in genuine in wanting to keep players in WH space).

Based on my several years of experience in WH space (I've lived in a C2, C3 & C5), I would argue that most WH corps are small corps who wanted a section of eve they could call their own. With the exception of a few large WH alliances (and I really mean only a few, most who live in WH space know who these large alliances are and have them watchlisted), the average WH corp is not a hardcore PVP corp. Many live in WH for the good PVE and industrial capabilities. That dosen't mean they don't enjoy PVP, they're just not looking for it 24/7. I would argue that for those who live in WH space, it provides the perfect balance of PVE & PVP. They can make decent isk in PVE with an acceptable level of risk and they get PVP on a fairly consistent basis as well.

The proposed changes throw this balance out of whack. None of the small WH corps (the vast majority) are going to mine or run anomalies with these nearly unlimited mass frig holes open (or can't safely close hostile holes). As it stands I almost never see miners in WH space anymore when I'm hunting due to the changes made to grav sigs a while back. Without a consistent flow of isk, these corps will be unable to fuel their POSs and hence will be forced to pack up their bags and leave.

I enjoy WH PVP. I want more of it. If anything, I need CCP to reduce the risk so that more people are willing to move into WH space and give me more targets to kill. As it stands today, it's not difficult to get a fight once you've found a target, the challenge is finding a target. The challenge of finding targets isn't due to a lack of connections (I usually have more in the chain than I have time to scan). It's due to a lack of active players. These changes will push most of the existing WH corps out of their system and there will not be a flood of PVP centric corps to fill the void. Hardcore PVP corps already have vast swaths of space in EVE (all of Nullsec & most of lowsec) and the challenges of living in WH space outweighs the benefits for these folks.

If CCP wants to increase the activity in WH space, I think they're going about it entirely the wrong way. Think about your target segment. Who are they? Why do they live in WH space? How do we entice even more like them to do the same? How do we increase their level of activity?

Not looking forward to Frigate Online making its way to WHs

While the main concern is about the new low mass limit holes for frigs, I'd like to point out from the dev blog..

"We will be significantly increasing the spawn rate of all the existing wormholes that originate in W-space, as well as adding a whole new class of random wormholes with unique properties."

I'd very much like to know just how significantly please, since this change more than any other has the potential to turn the current wh meta on its head.

significantly Like this : http://i.imgur.com/HllCqZL.png

As an EvE player since 2005, and a long time denizen of wormholes that:
1. Was one of the first pilots, that move into a wormhole when they were introduced;
2. Was part of an experienced wormhole corp that got evicted by a much larger corp/alliance;
3. Was part of a small alliance that tried to rent from one of the larger ones, only to be evicted by yet again another larger force;
4. Moved back to wormhole space, and flew with one of the larger PvP alliances, that evicted other wormhole groups from space, only to watch the alliance crumble due to drama;
5. Left the larger groups to start up my own smaller band of wormhole dwellers; and
6. Currently inhabits a C2 with a band of close friends.

I play EVE because I love the sandbox. I love to feel that I can control my destiny in this game. I love solo to mid-sized gang pvp (1-30 pilots each side). That is why I keep going back to wormhole space.

Now let me explain why I greatly DISAGREE with the proposed changes (Creating more random wormholes & adding special small ship un-collapsible wormholes):

#1 The proposed changes ONLY benefit larger corps/alliances.

#2 The proposed changes significantly increase the risk to small corps/alliances, with NO increase or reward.

#3 These changes combined with the proposed change to the mass-based-spawn-distance-after-wormhole-jumps amplify the risk and diminishes the feeling of control for small corps/alliances.

One of the greatest benefits of wormhole space is knowing the mechanics, and having the ability to use those mechanics to ones advantage. This advantage is directly related to being able to collapse a wormhole, or put enough mass through so that it diminishes the likely hood of someone else (or more pilots) coming through. This gives smaller groups a feeling that they can have some control of their space. It allows them feel that they can control the level of risk. That is precisely what brought them from High-Sec to W-Space (more risk, but more reward).

By increasing the amount of wormholes that can spawn, only increases the risk. For larger groups especially those in higher class wormholes (many of which are PvP corps/alliances) the level of risk is insignificant. They have the numbers to quickly and safely crash any connection they don’t want. If they sustain any losses they generally have the ability to easily support ship replacements programs, or individually generate the ISK in higher level sites to cover any losses. Smaller groups will now be required to spend more time collapsing wormholes than engaging in the activities that they came to W-space to take part in. If they feel that increase in risk is too great, they will either log off, or move out of W-space (neither a good option for the W-space game). Having 3-4 wormhole connections in my C2 are more common than you think. Why would a small corp/alliance want or need more? Or is it because you want the larger PvP corps/alliances to be happy? How happy are they going be with less targets in W-space? Additionally larger groups already have the ability to rage roll and flood a chain with scouts grants them ability to look for fights, they don’t need to create another chain to be scouted (they create them at will).

By having wormholes that only allow smaller signature ships, with little to no possibility of collapse only benefits those corps/alliances with the greater numbers. This totally removes a wormhole dwellers feeling of being able to mitigate the risk. (Notice I keep say feeling, because it isn’t reality) If I was a tinfoil wearing type, I’d have to think that this is the one proposed change that CCP is taking money from the Goons to make happen. This change would allow them the ability to grief all wormhole residents. All they would need is to seed one scanning alt into any wormhole alliances home, and wait for this new wormhole to open into null. Once found it would become BURN [Insert J-Signature Here] DAY. This kind of stupidity that cause players to log off! Less people online = less fun. Granting the ability to use null-sec tactics (blobing) in wormhole space is NOT the kind of changes that will make wormhole space better. It takes away the uniqueness of the W-space, that we who live & play there… Enjoy!

The "intention" isn't to kick the small corps out, but that is one thing that will happen.

The intention is to let bored blue donut folks IN. Same as big spawn distances if you try to collapse normal holes.
To feed easy kills to people.


Although the appeal of parking a cloaky scan alt in every nulsec I get a connection to and leaving him there for 16 hours has appeal. If by some miracle he got blown up, a no-implant alt in a heron is no big loss, They can't be collapsed so you could just go to work or whatever and take them home at the end of the day.

If they can come in, we can go out.

Excellent idea - anything that promotes more PvP with ship classes other than T3 gangs is good for W-Space.

SHIP CLASS FIGHT ISSUE...

Problem:

I think the only flaw in the proposed model is the fact that there is nothing to stop those on the other end of these new small holes bringing what they like to the fight (as has been pointed out by several people). i.e. a handful of T3s with a few logi will melt a big frig/destroyer gang.

Solution:

I'd suggest that these small holes are only warpable by frigates and destroyers (I'd prevent HICs as well as will be OP). This way you have a grid either side of the hole where only your little ships can play. Of course they can warp off from this grid and be engaged elsewhere in any given system.

Totally agree.
Just waiting for end of sub and going to suspend account till time they'll add something good for small gangs.

The frigate blob will not get used by a wormhole corp wanting to roam null, but it will get used by the nullsec blob who wants to get a thousand frigates or destroyers into a wormhole, knowing that it's impossible for them to get trapped.

Seems like another nerf for w-space corps to me.