Mar vel
   |
Posted - 2005.02.25 12:42:00 -
[1]
If opening up the map is the objective, then the easiest way to achieve this is create urban sprawl in reverse. By this I mean that there has to be an ultra-quick way to get deep into 0.0 - BUT (heh) - there also has to be a reason to go there.
I will use an example from one area I am intimately familiar with: Lonetrek - Pure Blind, Tribute, Genesis, Fade, Venal etc.
All of these areas currently have less than a half-dozen (6)entrance points from primary Empire space.
Obe
Saranen
Torrinos
Check out the map here:
<p><a href="http://www.empirecomicbooks.com/public/eve_prop1.jpg">Eve Map
proposal 1</a></p>
Each of these three spots is a major gank-point. Billions of dollars is lost at each of these locations daily, both going into 0.0 and coming from 0.0. But I digress...
So the objective should be several fold:
1. De-centralize the current cluster-f*** that centers around Yulai/Jita/Niy/Lustrevik/Rens. There are simply too many people who do nothing all day except sit in local and chat and smack-talk each other to death. This forces people to explore, which is a primary element of this game.
a. Provide more quantity of agents in fringe areas.
2. Provide entrance quickly into 0.0 with less risk to travelers and less opportunity for gate campers to profit from sit around in groups of BS's and Inty's waiting for the next victim.
a. provides a richer experience to the players who have not experienced 0.0 or are afraid to becuase of losing their investments (ship, clone, implants, cargo, etc.)
b. Makes it more difficult for gate-campers to set up shop all day/night. Make them work for the kill - this also provides a richer experience for those that strictly want to be pirates or pvp.
I want to be clear that I do not envision spreading out or adding more gates - this is unecessary.
Part of the experience of going into 0.0 is the "unknown" factor.
Could be that you get out there and have a blast - most people do.
Could be that you actually get back into Empire - if you can get through the blockades at the choke points. Less often than more.
my proposal:
1. Employ several Worm Holes in each part of Empire Space.
The Catch: You have no clue where you're going to end up - but it will be deep behind chokepoints. Provide some sort of mechanism to get back in a similar fashion.
2. Make the NPC rats that show up in 0.0 gates re-appear like they were right after Castor was deployed. Man, I never saw so many people traveling in pods without campers around. It was awesome. There's nothing like a gang of Gurristas popping up next to the gate that includes a couple of Ravens/Scorps and a full complement of support craft to deter gate camping - or at least make it incredibly tough. Make the re-spawn random timing so people don't sit there and chain them - and make the AI intuitive, meaning that if all of them are wiped out in less than 5 minutes, that the next spawn is massive, and so on.
3. Make gate guns in .1-.3 systems pack some serious damage. I watch every day while 2-3 very skilled BS pilots sit at the gate in Aunenen and shield tank the gate guns indefinitely (or outright destroy them) while at the same time they are ganking people left and right coming through from Nonni. IMO, that's garbage. The worst part: If you're attacked, you cannot fire back without losing SecStatus and/or being fired upon.
The result: More people willing to venture further out towards 0.0 space.
4. Make more full stations in 0.0
People must have a reason to go to 0.0. If you want settlement, then you must have commerce. Using my example of Pure Blind, if I go out past ROIR-Y, there is absolutely nothing for a dozen jumps in any direction - and the stations that are there are controlled (conquerable), and restrict acccess to "non-friendly" people. Isn't the time for conquerable stations past now that POS's are in-game? Increase the number of NPC stations, and do not put any limitations on who may use them. Result: this increases the number of distributed areas of congregation, develops new markets, new centers for play and commerce - and, of course, new opportnities for piracy and combat. "..build it and they will come.."
5. Make more connections to/from 0.0 systems to each other. 0.0 (Alliances who have to protect against multiple fronts will be a lot less likely to sit upon their laurels at specific choke points (in my case Obe, Torrinos, Saranen, but this also applies to A2, HED, etc.).
I cnanot envision how a change in the map (given the current layout of systems in Lonetrek/Forge would yield more entry points: there is simply nothing there to utilize. So my suggestion focuses on working with what is in place currently and changing that to effect a change. - for what it's worth...
Name: Mar vel
Title: CEO
Corporation: Interstellar Overdrive
Playing since: 7.13.2003
|