Since this thread has turned into a general discussion about ideas to fix sov, I'll throw in a few ideas I'd like to see.

Small gangs should matter.
Sov structures shouldn't need supercapitals to deal with. Supercaps can be used to deal with other supercaps.

I'm thinking of making attacking a constellation more like a bank heist. There's a big central structure, plus a number of smaller structures that have to be dealt with around the constellation. Nodes, if you will. Have the central constellation structure armed to the teeth, with possibly upgrades such as a strategic weapon, long range scanners, or supercapital construction bay. The smaller nodes can be destroyed or hacked (the faster but non-permanent option) by players using the hacking minigame. SInce the hacker will be exposed during this time, it'd be good to have escorts. Small, fast moving hacking gangs could hit these nodes while the main fleet moves towards the primary target.

Destroying the nodes does not help weaken the sov structure. Only successful hacking will do this. So, a big fleet of capitals could attack it as they do now (losing dreads to its powerful weapons), or a smaller fleet can be clever and disable its defenses before hitting it.

Nodes could have number of different purposes when hacked.
* Disable local for a time.
* Lower shield strength on the main structure to greatly reduce its resistance.
* Disable placeable sentry guns throughout the system.
* Disable sensors place around the constellation which provide information on hostile fleet movements.

Etcetera

Oh, and this plan would work better if jump drives weren't a thing. Having to move a big fleet around is a disincentive to bring one. Small, fast fleets would have an advantage.

We have been making the sacrifice. How do you think all the other groups were eliminated? How do you think the largest battle and losses ever recorded in video game history happened (B-R). For 6 months straight I put giant supercapital fleets on the field and sat tackled perhaps longer than any other FC in the game. Throwing trillions on the field daily just hanging my longfellow in the wind let me tell you its stressful. The Wrecking Ball is the extreme edge of what can be done and fielded in Eve Online. I threw it into the wind several times. So when you "say grow a pair" I say "Can you even see this level"?

So to claim system players must anchor TeritorailClaimUnits, then they may place Hubs there for benefits . To contest sovereignty they have to deploy SovereigntyBlocadeUnits in order to have possibilty to shoot Hubs which has dual reinforcement timer, one for shields and one for armor (days). Now with ability to deploy as much forces as want to anywhere they want...no wonder null is empty. This is tremendously boring. For how long have you guys been playing this way? This is most hardcore game community i've ever met.

You want to claim territory shoot TCU and anchor own. Why using BCU? (who get this insanely idea, what is this? chess?). Reduce the TCU EHP a lot. 20 man suicidal raid should get this down (cruisers maybe).
Remove timers from HUBs. You get attacked? Defend the thing and/or repair it.

You should know better by now. I read everything.

Where is the money suppose to come from to buy the stuff built by industry?

Ok so you mine moon material. You can either sell it or you can make something of it and then sell that something. Either way, you will be exchanging items for isk with another player.

Loot from rats/players. You can sell them or reprocess them. You can make something of the reprocess material or you can simply sell it. Any way you look at it, you will have to exchange with another player.

Mining. Again, you are making something with it or you are selling the material. Either way, you will be exchanging items for isk.

Steal/siphon stuff. What do you plan to do with that stuff to fatten your wallet with isk? That's right, exchange with another player. Item for isk.


At which point non of these is a trade off for CONCORD placed bounties which generates new isk into the economy. Since none of those example generates new isk.

Moon goo, asteroids, ice, salvage from spawned NPC wrecks, etc. These introduce new materials into the game. If the game maintains this inflow of material but loses a big portion of it's inflow of new isk (which removing CONCORD bounties would do), then the value of the materials will drop and along with everything made from them.

So how is this a good thing for your average line member given that a planet would be alliance level income?

Not all of them, most don't cover fully, and in my case the vast bulk of my costs are not covered due to my special interests (I think I get like, 10% back on my harpy variation).

So again, how does this help average joe?

Outside of strat ops you don't get full payout on losses and if you want to go into some areas of fly expensive toys you get nothing.

So no, its not a small exception and that's from the best SRP on offer.

Do you have any idea how big our bills are?

Cold war superweapon arms races are not cheap affairs.

the thing is though with the current way money moons work being tied to a pos that can be protected or attacked by an almost infinite escalation force or in other terms the "apex force" will mean even if you have occupancy sov goons and n3/pl will still spilt the map 50/50...

remove pos from moons replace moon mining with PI on moons.

or move moon min to comets that have to be scanned and actively mined. that would achieve the raidable objective and the occupancy objective of actually having to live in the space to get its benefits.