Corrain
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Posted - 2010.07.19 02:25:00 -
[1]
Most multi-player game designers make great efforts to minimize spawncamping. Why? Because it's a horrid playstyle that ends up causing players to find something else to do. Get the fights away from the NPC gates and stations. The fighting should be taking place in belts, at customs offices, at exploration sites, etc.
To scratch the itch of getting away from blobs, virtual reality within virtual reality (gasp!) could be employed. The NPC manufacturers and merchants have gotten together and decided it would ultimately let them sell more items to have a virtual arena pod pilots could fight in. Upshot, someone gets to make the rules for ships (hull limits, hull point values, tech level limits, num pilots per side limits, etc.) and scenarios (start at opposite gates in the system, warp to beacon, etc.) The captain of any opposition force might be allowed to negotiate rules as in trade window until both sides commit.
But, to cover the expenses of the mega-t3 virtualization tech, it is "run what you brung." You get a virtual copy of the ships entered into the match, and the losers' ships are forfeited to the NPCs (destroyed, all intents and purposes). Keeps the risk level up there, though that level can be agreed upon beforehand.
Optionally:
--The matches could be viewable to other players in a browseable interface. Perhaps for a fee.
--No killmails
--Killmail-style results, win or lose, displayed on Eve Gate page though.
--Could be fun.
--Could be a better outlet than the /duel puffery, cheating and whining outside of trade hubs (dare we dream?)
--Could be a way to fight "for real" *cough* without blobs or with cheaper ships/fittins
--Could encourage more "actual" fighting, found quicker with less running. Which might mean more ships and modules destroyed (perk for industry).
--Could be fun... yes, said that twice. Would be a sad testament if far more combat took place in a system like this than in low/null/fw. But maybe that would be a kick in the pants for CCP. Or... we can just walk around in MMO bars and /emote. Would like to see what something like this could be like with 1/10th the development that has gone and will go into Incarna.
( ) <- planet (not to scale)
--EhonVonnre |