So let me get this straight: I am supposed to spend my time contacting people outside the game to arrange small gang duels. And they are going to agree to fair play because we are all jolly good gents with high standards of gamesmanship.

Are you high?

Crosi, I think you are letting your love of Eve cloud your vision. Look at how you play the game, in your own case. Linked up and solo.

Are YOU contacting all the smashing chaps who can't wait to meet you and your buddies for a duel?

It's fantasy. Not only is it fantasy, it is not what it says on the tin. EVE promotes itself as a sandbox where gangs of friends can engage in interesting PVP pew.

It does not say on the tin that EVE is a game where, of you don't have a job or need money, you can spend your life trying to organize space ship pew pew between likeable and forthright groups of smashing chaps who are, in fact, a most devious and wretched collection of rapacious pirates.

IIRC the 'OGB is killing eve' was covered early on by cearain, along with everything else he doesnt like is also killing eve since his punisher/kestrel anti newbro solo gameplay is the only thing that will save eve.

Lets not bother considering the reality that the built in playerbase is getting older and moving on to real life responsibilities, and eve as a niche game that attracts a weird demographic in a market with substantial churn that ties up a lot of younger gamers in the perpetual and rapid cycle of disposable novelty games, is failing (for obvious reasons) to attract substantial numbers of new players in this gaming ecosystem.

Nah, its because of OGB that eve has terrible player retention. Most newbros quit before they even know what an OGB is, because of OGB?

The objective of CCP going forward is to try and change eve substantially enough to be more appealing and accommodating to new players without alienating their older established player base. They have not done a very good job so far and continue to take massive risks in the hope that they know what they are doing.

Unfortunately, i dont think that the core of EVE has a mass appeal. Its a game of great patience with great payoffs. Patience is not an attribute in abundance with modern gamers.

IIRC the 'OGB is killing eve' was covered early on by cearain, along with everything else he doesnt like is also killing eve since his punisher/kestrel anti newbro solo gameplay is the only thing that will save eve..

Nah, its because of OGB that eve has terrible player retention. Most newbros quit before they even know what an OGB is, because of OGB?

The objective of CCP going forward is to try and change eve substantially enough to be more appealing and accommodating to new players without alienating their older established player base. They have not done a very good job so far and continue to take massive risks in the hope that they know what they are doing.

Unfortunately, i dont think that the core of EVE has a mass appeal. Its a game of great patience with great payoffs. Patience is not an attribute in abundance with modern gamers.

IIRC the 'OGB is killing eve' was covered early on by cearain, along with everything else he doesnt like is also killing eve since his punisher/kestrel anti newbro solo gameplay is the only thing that will save eve.

Since we can't reasonably describe OGBs as AFK, we need a term that accurately describes the type of gameplay.

Something like "non-piloted, inactive alt" seems to fit the bill nicely. Whatever it is, it's terrible gameplay.

There have been sincere efforts to engage and retain new players, and to try to create PVP opportunities that break down the blob meta.

efforts to try to create PVP opportunities that break down the blob meta.

IIRC the 'OGB is killing eve' was covered early on by cearain, along with everything else he doesnt like is also killing eve since his punisher/kestrel anti newbro solo gameplay is the only thing that will save eve.

Lets not bother considering the reality that the built in playerbase is getting older and moving on to real life responsibilities, and eve as a niche game that attracts a weird demographic in a market with substantial churn that ties up a lot of younger gamers in the perpetual and rapid cycle of disposable novelty games, is failing (for obvious reasons) to attract substantial numbers of new players in this gaming ecosystem.

Nah, its because of OGB that eve has terrible player retention. Most newbros quit before they even know what an OGB is, because of OGB?

The objective of CCP going forward is to try and change eve substantially enough to be more appealing and accommodating to new players without alienating their older established player base. They have not done a very good job so far and continue to take massive risks in the hope that they know what they are doing.

Unfortunately, i dont think that the core of EVE has a mass appeal. Its a game of great patience with great payoffs. Patience is not an attribute in abundance with modern gamers.

But wait no, must be the links. Something anybody that's willing to fire up another account or use an existing alt account could have.

Whichever side of the argument you stand for, you end up bleeding players out of the game.

It could just as well be that that anybody has no attraction to firing up a mandatory 2nd account.

Except that making boosts AOE will further strengthen the blob while many boosting chars will be out of a role. This will evidently lead to chars unsubbing.

If boosts become AOE, they will be 1. easier to destroy because of the fact that they are on grid,

this is how this scenario will turn out the blob will have more logi and keep thier booster alive, the little gang will have thier booster raped and the big guy will win. stop thinking from a solo pov and start thinking bout gangs. i have a booster and honestly think the best way to solve them is get rid of them all together.

TLDR:- Facing a big gangs booster on grid will be actually harder than probing and killing or command destroyer jumping and killing ogb ones

So what has actually changed?

1. Effect of boosted attributes from Warfare links: None (yet)
2. Effect to the the attribute bonus's to all the hulls concerned: None
3. Any hulls removed that provide links: none, one hull type added
4. Effect of links to combat inside novices: no longer possible
5. Effect of links to combat inside smalls: no longer possible
6. Effect of links to combat inside mediums: no longer able to provide many links from one hull (so they'll bring Falcons or Rooks that will show on their killboard performance and mark the pilot)
7. Effect of links in limited complexes: change dependent on "allowed ships"
8. Effect of links in other combat circumstances: links need to be within 6000km. Still only vulnerable to high skilled probes and at nullifying effect not at a significant risk of loss.

Without a further change nothing has really happened other than pilots have been denied "elite level" performance in zones theoretically designed for "low entry level" combat.

If they implement area of effect to the modules it may be the wrong choice but, so far there is very little either side should complain about. The prolific and widespread use of links will be reduced because there is now a choice to avoid targets with links in place. However, they still have plenty of options and more fights under their influence will occur outside plex acceleration gates.

I thnk there are some justifiable increase risks from the changes so far. It will be harder to setup links on the move and in unprepared areas (more BMs inbound).

If solo pilots can fight against blobs, so can small gangs. Just because some, or most, solo or small gang pilots can't directly compete against blobs, does not mean we should keep this broken game mechanic as it is.

6000km AOE just means the same gameplay after a BM has been set up.

Creating a scenario where one sides engagement choices let them have boosts and another side cannot due to other engagement choices will not lead to more content.

WTF are you smoking? There hasn't been a change to this game that I can think of that hasn't been a direct buff to blobs.

So you want evenly matched battles, like in call of duty?

Then he should go play Call of Duty. EVE isn't Call of Duty. EVE is a bit more realistic.

That's already in the game. It's called Alliance Tournament. It's not around all the time. It has a point value system and a limited number of participants. Prizes. Every year.