Player Features and Ideas Discussion

This is going to be quite a lengthy post, so, please bare with it and let me know what you all think.

From my observations there is a great deal of possible functionality missing from PI. Its not what it could and should be and seems to be more of an after-thought than a well developed part of Eve Online. I dont know how true this is, but I have seen that there is room to make PI something interesting and something that will make planets worth fighting over. I propose a system where POS'es require a regular supply run from Planets owned by that particular Corporation and it would go a little as follows.

Leading on from the forum thread here, the Planetary Interaction proposal could be further expanded. As a planet becomes more and more developed, it will have more and more 'Supply Slots' available to it. Planets could be given 5 levels of development, each with an ever increasing number of these slots. It could go a little something like this:

• Level 1: Low Development Level. No Supply Slots are available to the planet at this level.
• Level 2: Low Development. 1 Supply Slot is Available at this level.
• Level 3: Average Development. 2 Supply Slots are available at this level.
• Level 4: Above Average Development: 2 Supply Slots are available at this level.
• Level 5: High Level of Development: 3 Supply Slots are available at this level.

So as a planet develops over time, it becomes more useful in the supply of POS'es for the Corporation. This is an automatic development that can be tied into the consturction of cities on the planets surface, its population and facilities available. All of these can be used to determine the level of development of the planet.

A planets development level can be affected by orbital bombing of the planets surface, destroying the infrastructure that has been developed, reducing its level down to nil if the bombardment is thorough enough. This means that Planets now become a tactically important part of the game.

POS'es would require weekly supplies provided only by planets. At a time and day set by the person managing the planet, said planet will spawn a supply convoy per supply slot that is being used. The corporation can assign 1 supply slot to 1 POS within a certain distance from the planet. Lets say a base of 5 jumps. In order to make use of these supply slots however, a space port must be constructed on or around the planet.

The size and capabilities of the space port and the supply convoys it spawns is entirely dependant on the level of the planets development as follows:

• Level 1: Supply Convoy of 3 Freighters spawned. 4 Frigate Escort.
• Level 2: Supply Convoy of 3 Freighters Spawned. 3 Frigate, 1 Cruiser Escort.
• Level 3: Supply Convoy of 3 Freighters Spawned. 2 Frigate, 2 Cruiser Escort.
• Level 4: Supply Convoy of 3 Freighters Spawned. 2 Frigate, 2 Cruiser, 1 Battlecruiser Escort.
• Level 5: Supply Convoy of 3 Freighters Spawned. 2 Frigate, 2 Cruiser, 2 Battlecruiser Escort.

These Convoys follow the shortest possbile route from the planet they are spawned from, to the POS they are to be supplying. For ever week that a POS does not recieve supplies, all of its effective statistics, shields, armor, damage, ranges etc...are reduced by 25%. Upon the 4th week of not recieving supplies, the POS shuts down.

The Effects this will have on gameplay are quite dramatic. It will encourage small scale fights while Supply Convoys are escorted by players. It also means that attacking a supply convoy is a viable means of 'Blockading' a Corps territory.


Defending planets also becomes important with this system of POS supply. This means that new option could become available at planets. For example, you could have the ability to construct MASSIVE Ring stations around planets in order to defend them better.

Anyway, this is my idea, let me know what you think.