Mar vel
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Posted - 2003.08.31 22:28:00 -
[1]
Fellow Players -
Once again I have had the mis-fortune of being subjected to another instance of those happy cammpers in Battleships who sit at the gates waiting for everyone/everything that passes by.
This is now the third or fourth time this has happened in as many weeks.
This is a particularly sore topic at the moment, and I have plenty to say about it.
Our cargo was being transferred from one office to another as we moved locations. We had to go through 0.0 territory to make this journey, there was no other way (Solitude Region). At the very last gate, big surprise - two Battleships to wipe out eveyone trying to pass. My Indy wasn't even armed, not that it would do much good anyhow.
All of our cargo was in secure containers - supposedly indestructible, as they recently raised the hit points to assuage this "Exploit" in the last patch. When I resumed play, I EM'd the individual and asked what it would take to be able to re-acquire my cargo. Too late, he said, we blew it up. When asked why, I was told "because it was fun."
Well the tragedy here folks is one that will repeat itself repeatedly. In those supposedly indestructible secure containers was the entire contents of our Corp's BPs and gear - 6 weeks worth of accumulated game play, and somewhere in the neighborhood of 60-100m worth of BPs. Irreplaceable, and even if it were, it would take another 6 weeks to build.
Now I don't have a problem with getting blown up for traversing a 0.0 system. I do have a problem with losing 6 weeks of gamplay because secure containers are blown up. What's the point, then?
I also have a big problem with the fact that the gap between the have / have-not's is widening. Only people in Battleships continue to prosper. Only the "select few" who get BP's of Miner 2's control a ridculously expensive trade market. When I discussed with the head of Techell, the main supplier of Miner 2's, they said they weren't in it for the money, and wanted to let everyone share in the wealth. Really? Is that why there's a 2 week waiting list for Miner 2's? Is that why they sell for 5m and cost 50k to make? Sorry- that just doesn't make sense to me, just like all of my equipment getting blown up, or being repeatedly killed by Battleship "Gate Campers", or losing my ships due to network lag or drops while engaged in combat.
I want to make it clear that I truly love this game - but sensibility says that the time investment is too great to continually be thrown backwards, never getting ahead, and always at the mercy of people who have played / accumulated longer. Sure, it's just like real life - well that may be true, but I want a GAME that's like real life, not another instance of opression, meyhem, extortion, and generally foul circumsances. Life is difficult enough, why re-live that twice?
Under the circumstances, what will prevail will be roaming Battleships with bored owners podding everything in sight, and mega-corps who get all the "special enhancements" for the game (e.g. Miner 2's). The new people will be stuck in .6-1.0 territiores, and even the more experienced will never be able to travel into anythng under a .5 system without risking utter destruction. New corps will diminish, competition will stagnate, and that will be that.
Of course given my luck, CCP will decide to implement new conditions as a result, long after I'm gone.
Given that our Corp, and my character has lost everything as a result of this incident, and given the lack of protection for such circumstances, I don't think I'll be able to return to play, even though I sincerely want to. Good luck to you new guys - you'll need it. And for those of you who are responsible for such poor conditions -shame on you for ruining such a great game.
Mar vel
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