Player Features and Ideas Discussion

And yet after 10 years we're still tossing the baby out with the bathwater when in fact the actual problem is solvable without either one being needed!

Over dramatization of the issue. Automatically knowing if someone is in the game with a specific character from anywhere in the game is OP and needs to go.


I know all you guys want to keep padding your KBs with easy spoon fed kills, but really, this game shouldn't be about that. The discovery and the chase has always been more fun than the actual catch.

The discovery should not be automatic. The chase shouldn't be the race to the nearest locator agent, and the catch should be more than just a stat on your KB.

The watch list makes the discovery of prey automatic, the locator agent makes it simple, and with that it makes the catch trivial as compared to what it could be.

I am still convinced that the watchlist should remain as it is, basing on the earlier arguments.

But if it cant be avoided to change it, here a couple of proposals (not touching the local dscan discussion). It affects watchlist and locate as it closely connected:

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(1) Keeping old agent style
- remove the standing requirements for locater agents for a few main npc entities - reason: no one, also the newest char should be excluded from location services but the agents are limited.
- keep the standing requirements for locater agents for the rest - one shall benefit if he took the effort to grind standing to locate more.
- make locating an opportunity that new players know that mechanics - same reason, every one should have access
- remove the isk costs on locating - similar reason: for older players it is not relevant but prevents new players from using it,
- keep the locating delay to avoid mass using

Locator lvl 1:
- gives region of target
- gives on/offline status

Locator lvl 2:
- gives constellation of target
- gives on/offline status

Locator lvl 3:
- gives system of target
- gives on/offline status

Locator lvl 4:
- gives system of target
- gives status if docked or undocked
- gives on/offline status

Risk vs. reward: Then watchlisting and locating is an act of travelling to different agents which involves risk and effort.
Accuracy vs. effort: The better the information the less agents available and the larger journey, especially if the standing requirements are lowered only for a few main faction entities.

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(2) New station service
Get rid of the old agents based locating. Provide a station service. Everyone can locate without any requirement, no costs. The balance comes from delay only. One can choose from different level of accuracy.

Locating lvl 1:
- gives region of target
- gives on/offline status
1min result delay
5min delay for repeated use on the same station

Locating lvl 2:
- gives constellation of target
- gives on/offline status
3min result delay
15min delay for repeated use on the same station

Locating lvl 3:
- gives system of target
- gives on/offline status
6min result delay
30min delay for repeated use on the same station

Locating lvl 4:
- gives system/station of target
- gives status if docked or undocked
- gives on/offline status
9min result delay
45min delay for repeated use on the same station

Risk vs. reward: to locate more people you have to travel around
Accuracy vs. effort: faster locates decreases accuracy

I am not sure I understand what you are saying there.

Are you saying taht I should log my 2 accounts and, if I want to, say, catch you, I should visit every one EVE's 5000 odd system to see if you're somewhere, and that without knowing if you are even online?

Unless you have moved behind me by jumping your ratting Super and then I will have to rake New Eden 2-3 time more, just to be sure.

Edit: Or maybe, I want you not to find me, ever. All I have to do is sit in a dead-end and keep a scout next door.

A character hiding in a dead end system and never coming out isn't impacting the gameplay of others too much, nor is he gaining any real advantage by being there.

I question anyone who has to track and kill a specific character in any game.

I would also settle for the agent spitting the name back at you and refusing to run if they aren't online ,
tbh it never sat all that well with me that they work on you even when you are off line.

I agree with this: Give my a structure that make the job of Locators and I'll be happy.

You didn't read my previous post, I was answering and provoking someone to give an answer on his suggestion about removing Locators and make players find other players by themselves.

You didn't answer my question at all, you just wrote some flipping comment on my P.S. edit.

The question was: How am I to find a player if I don't know he's online and have to rely on scouting most of New Eden to find him, not knowing if he's even online. If you are being honest, you will know it is not really possible.

Also, a lot of players specialize on tracking and finding other elusive players, or are just plain mercs and have contracts to fulfill. or maybe its an emergent gameplay, right, and you want to find taht guy who ganked your freighter last week and make him pay. Plenty of reasons.

I belive you or a corpmate/alt corp ended up on the wrong end of a scram by Hisec mercs where you thought you wouldn't be found, or you lost a super to players camping you.

Now don't get me wrong: I will adapt to Watchlist removal, but we need to get something to balance it out, like the agent (or structure, whatever it is) flat out refusing to do the if the player is offline, for example.

Oh we will adapt, we could pump out a lot more wars than we currently choose to.
it's not like we have to replace ships all that often anyway.


I'm really curious though, as a compromise how do people feel about the notion of locators refusing to run on offline players?

Maybe with some hints from a locator Agent, you could narrow down his normal area of operation. A locator agent should never give you exact location with only time being the balancing factor against spoon fed intel. But it certainly could give you some information that needs to be evaluated.

Though it could be quite problematic if he is quite nomadic.

Hunting a specific character for in-game reasons should take some effort, by more than one player.

Why should only one side need to put the effort in?