Matthew
BloodStar Technologies
4
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Posted - 2013.01.17 20:55:00 -
[1] - Quote
Firstly, I have no problem with the principle that we can't just wake up one morning and find a Modular POS solution has appeared fully-formed. But I would assume that at some point there are going to have to be some big step-change projects. If nothing else, the way CCP have been describing the POS Code for years now suggests that any significant change will have to come with a complete ground-up rewrite of the underlying POS simulation engine.
I guess what I'd like to see is that, ok, things are going to have to come in stages, but these are the stages, and the final vision is still intact. I guess I'd like to see something like:
1) Write a new POS simulation engine that can run the existing POS, but is also extensible and flexible enough to handle the rest of the plan (a bit like how Crimewatch seems to have been done). While this wouldn't immediately get rid of the existing POS difficulties, it would presumably at least eliminate some of the bugs and general reliability issues. If this new simulation engine could run both existing and new POS mechanics, it would also give more options for managing the transition (which is presumably a big concern in all this)
2) Start to develop small starter elements of the new vision. Quite where this starts is open to debate, but something along the lines of previous "Homestead" proposals might work in terms of being small enough in scope to be a step along the path (e.g. simplified access control, no need to tie into sov etc, small number of new art assets). This might also be a good fit for the goals of encouraging bottom-up economic activity in null, usage of space etc in conjunction with other changes that could form one of the coherent themes being looked for.
3) Build up and out, migrating existing functions from POS and introducing new functions in a series of steps alongside other supporting changes in key themes (e.g. overhaul the manufacturing, lab and refining arrays alongside any changes to Outpost facilities and measures to address the issues of mineral supply in null).
4) Eventually everything has been modularised, everyone has swapped their old POS arrays for the new stuff, lots of new people are running new structures that deviate from the narrow traditional POS paradigm, which is enabling far more, and more interesting, gameplay across all areas of space, impacting on everyone, not just those actually fuelling the POSes.
My main concern with what I read in the minutes about this was seeing these changes being downshifted with language like
Quote:only affect the group of people who manage POSes
This seems to be in direct opposition to the very encouraging talk elsewhere about focusing on Enablers and Instigators, such as:
Quote:the 10000 combined instigators and enablers become as equally valuable as the much larger lurking population .
POS in their current form are already both providers of enablement, and targets for instigation. Improving and expanding them would multiply that impact significantly, while also directly supporting other changes to achieve the wider goals and themes being looked at. And while those goals won't be achieved just by sorting out POS, I don't think they can be achieved wihout sorting out POS. |