Echo Mande
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Posted - 2011.10.19 11:38:00 -
[1] - Quote
Reading the original devblog, some of the dev responses and part of the thread I've got the following notes, suggestions and comments. I do lowsec PI with blockade runners, allowing me to get materials for my POS in quiet systems.
1) Locking people out of the COPO is in my opinion a bad idea outside of sovereign 0.0 space. In your space you can make (some of) the rules but in lowsec or even NPC 0.0 the sovholder should make the 'rules' on this, IMO to favor trade (and take their cut).
If a lockout is added in sov and WH 0.0 some general changes should be made to both encourage ninja-PI and allow a sovereign COPO owner to profit from his COPO. Those changes are to allow non-sovholders to plant command centers (I'm thinking of Providence and non-sov renters here) and adding larger capacity cans launchable from the launch pad (where else?) with less cooldown. If CCP feels the need, let those larger launched cans become probeable (with difficulty) a certain time after launch.
Adding a lockout in lowsec would IMO be a particularly bad idea because what will almost certainly happen is that lowsec 'leet PVP' alliances (read: sadistic sociopaths) will plant COPOs for the express purpose of locking them and the planet to others (particularly plasmas or lavas), griefing anyone interested in lowsec PI and padding their killboard. Their reasons for this and for their shooting any other COPO will almost certainly boil down to 'NBSI', 'lulz' and 'tears'. They'll feel secure in this due to most indy players not having capital fleets on call. If the griefers want to grief PI toons let them (try to) catch the haulers.
2) It hasn't been stated yet how many runs will be on the BPCs. Personally I hope they are not one-runs due to the large number of COPOs that will be needed. This might also be a good time to make POS, sovereignty and COPO structures buildable in a POS structure. Not allowing this will severely penalize the WH crowd due to their having to haul gantries into their WH for anchoring instead of building the gantries in local stations like the low-/null-sec crowd can. Having these structures buildable at POSses will also help make deep nullsec and WH systems less dependant on stations/highsec/Jita.
3) The changes proposed to the PI infrastructure are welcome but aren't the once that are IMO really needed. The road changes, for instance, would be a lot better if they were inversed (current load at 20% grid and CPU). To IMO really improve PI and PI production capability, the following changes ought to be made. First, allow warehouse and launchpad capacity to be expanded to at least triple base capacity (preferably more). Second chop ECUs in half, for half current base cost, grid and CPU for half the number of heads. Third, allow warehouses and launchpads to distribute materials automatically on an hourly basis. Optionally reduce warehouse grid and CPU use (half them and half base capacity?) to make them popular.
4) the current hit points seem to make POCOs targets for dreads, bored gangs and supers. The rep requirements should also draw people to logistics (bring Basilisks) or triage. I assume this is part of a 'make ordinary capitals popular' campaign. Do the posted HP values include or exclude resists?
5) While I am opposed to taxes in principle, CCP needs its ISK sinks. Is setting standings-dependant taxes being considered? Is the taxing of non-sov PI taxes (call it 20%-40% of gross PI taxes) being considered? Will the base tax levels CCP is thinking of be published somewhere?
6) Will extra roles be created to anchor and administrate COPOs? Larger corps are notoriously stingy with equipment and starbase config roles. Will COPO administration otherwise be protected (passwords)?
7) A transition period ought to be considered.
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