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Maybe CCP has something up their sleeve for the future, but from here it looks like Drifter Incursions were a colossal failure for the reasons I mentioned. Don't get me wrong, I feel for CCP as this is a persistent sandbox game and they can't pull the standard MMO trick of using power creep to incentivize players to run the new content. So they are forced to make unpopular changes like these increases to NPC taxes to balance the new content without breaking everything.

Of course, humans in general, and especially Eve players it seems, get complacent and entitled. They do not like change. So of course some of them are going to whine and complain about how CCP hates them and their game is ruined by any change. But CCP has to look a the bigger picture and stay true to their vision when they make decisions, not listen to the self-interested complaints of whatever group is on the losing end of a change for the greater good of their game.

It would have been better if CCP spent those development hours used on Drifter Incursions on some other PvE improvements that would have been enjoyed by the wider player-base rather than on the few dozen people that actually bothered to run Drifter Incursions if they didn't have the fortitude to remove the completely min/maxed Sansha ones. Replacing this beaten PvE content would have been unpopular, but would have been the correct choice to breathe new life into group PvE and will have to happen eventually. But they didn't for whatever reason and all that development effort was more-or-less wasted.

It seems Team Game of Drones is not willing to make the same mistake. For citadels to be used, they need to be better than NPC stations. There is not enough room with the current numbers to make them significantly better than what the NPC stations offer, so that means change is in the air.

Clearly enticing people with carrots is better than whacking them with a stick. But when you are constrained by an interdependent economy or established game mechanics (think jump fatigue), sometimes that stick is necessary to put risk/cost vs. reward back into balance.

I do wonder, Pedro, if you could ever write a argument that doesn't imply the people you disagree with are in some way indolent, lazy, risk averse or just generally 'the wrong crowd'. In that post, you managed to get all 4 in one paragraph! Well done!



Let's test out this hypothesis CCP. Initially, make no changes to NPC taxes and stations at all . That way, we can test exactly how attractive a Citadel will be without forcing players to play as you wish them too. Gradually, as functionality is transferred to the Citadels, you'll be able to study the transfer of population without tainting your samples with altered conditions.

If, after a year has gone by and all functionality has been transferred, very few players are living and occupying Citadels, then let's start on tax increases for NPC stations and Outposts. That way, we know what attracts players to Citadels, and what doesn't. I'll support you 100%, and so will all the other opposition.

By the way, unsubscribed count: 1, biomassed count: 1, as measured in full players.

It's worth pointing out that the attraction of insects to vinegar or sugar has, so far as I know, not been studied. (Or if it has, I can't see the paper.)

However, a more appropriate aphorism would be "You catch more flies with **** than vinegar." (A far more observable thing.)

The point being that flies like ****. Ask an Eve player if they like to be punished, and the answer is a resounding no.

And I think Pedro has decided to ignore me

Sometimes you need to punish. People will not leave the safety of NPC stations even with this tax, you need a rather large difference to get people to give up on huge safety.

If CCP had a crystal ball, I think that this game would be essentially unrecognisable.

They might've got around to walking in stations by now though!

HTFU is only ever valid if it support your point of view. In every other situation, it's bullshit.

I think we should forbid people docking in NPC stations if they have a negative faction standing, corp standing or security status. I think NPC stations should be forbidden to people who hold sovereignty. I think if your corporation standings to a faction are negative, you shouldn't be able to interact with anything in their space.

All of these are punishments that would force people to move to Citadels. All of them will be condemned roundly, I imagine, by Code. and null-sec alliances for being 'anti-sandbox'.

Because CCP decided that 'no nerfs' was their baseline for introducing new things: see the Crius updates. Everything that was possible before Crius in Highsec was possible afterwards if you did the right things and had the right standings.

We were obviously lax in presuming this sensible philosophy would continue.

Ah, you think of it as banning, whereas I see it only as a sufficient method to force people to use these new Citadels.

How about Docking Fees then? 100 million ISK every time. They're not banned, but it's a strict punishment.

(I fully expect to see these comments from all of us purged by the ISD, but let's keep the farce going for as long as we are able.)

Have you tried Planetside 2?

It's actualy pretty good now. The time they've had to adapt to player feedback has really improved the game. Not to mention the introduction of new content which is designed around player feedback and the regular balancing passes they take.

It's worth a look, I promise.

It even has the official TheMittani(tm) seal of approval for being "The best"(tm)...

Before the ISD's stomp on it:

Player feedback improves the game.

New content which is designed around player feed back improves the game.

Balancing is nice, good job with Module Tiercide.