Shidhe
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Posted - 2005.01.06 17:55:00 -
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Edited by: Shidhe on 06/01/2005 18:01:31
To restore the honour and swashbucklingness (??), not to mention the profitability, of piracy?? Hmm... Economics!
OK - here goes...
1) Contrived game mechanics such as the ransoming protocol mentioned earlier will just seem - well, artificial, and wont make anyone happy.
2) End instajumps? The failed gatecampers call again ... `it wasnt fair, we were in BSs, but he had a MAMMOTH!'. You have lots of shiny new ships and equipment - use them!!
As far as the gameplay goes, the requirements are-
a) REASONABLY safe access to low sec space for everyone
b) A niche for everyone, including pirates
We need to
i) Discourage gatecampers - maybe a random occasional (1/day?) visit by Concord on a gatechecking patrol would suffice?
ii) `Legitimise' piracy - OK, the big problem:
* Make a BIG difference between three levels of aggression: Damage, ship destruction & podding. Police dont have time to investigate every call, and will assign a much higher priority to murder (podding), than to a damage report. It will be possible to do piracy (stand and deliver) in most space, but there will be a big incentive for the pirate not to inflict more damage than necessary.
The change of getting away with shooting up a ship would vary according to the sec status of the system, and maybe with a piracy skill (like limited bribery of officials or knowing their blind spots). Podding would bring a response in any Empire space. Piracy at sentries or stations would, like mugging outside a police station, also bring an instant response.
What about a module (very short range, takes some time) that would remove cargo from the hold of a webbed vessel - `send a boarding party, and relieve them of their dubloons me harties!!' (OK, I am getting a bit carried away here, but this sort of theft would make problems with ransom a bit less).
Make it a bit easier to work off neg sec status - also remember the skill Fast Talk!
Not perfect (!!!), but something like this might allow pirates to do their thing (good for EVE), and allow law abiding people to get on and do their thing (selling arms to pirates...).
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