Muratis
Caldari
The Littlest Hobos
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Posted - 2007.02.17 12:39:00 -
[1]
Reading through all the threads and posts on the problems with lag and blobs in the wake of the last weeks conflicts i could not help noticing that there was something missing from the varied solutions proposed.
There are numerous suggestions about how to disperse the blob; arbitary limits on pilots in systems, doomsday devices (bring bigger blob), proposed changes to the stealth bomber. They all missed one thing. In order to persuade players not to blob up you have to have a mechanic that requires forces to distribute, you must make blobbing the way to loose.
The following 'solution' isn't really here as a solution but to illustrate the point and will start just with dealing with blobbing on a grid rather than crashing a system;
Currently the tasks that attract huge blobs are generally the strategic ones, POS killing, station conquering, basicly the conquest of territory. Those tasks currently are focused on a very few key points in a system; a couple of gates, the target POS and perhaps a station. Similarly major tasks can be done sequentially, the blob can just move around doing one after another.
Assume the following mechanic was added to Eve ;
Every planet in a system where the defender holds soverignty boosts the defences of all POS/outposts in that system while no uncloaked hostile(or neutral) is on grid.
(For the sake of PSB say the blockading forces are interfereing with Planetary energy transfer arrays or some such)
The amount of a boost and the form (regen rate, resists) could be tweaked but if aimed at a point where the POS were effectively invulnerable unless most of the planets in the system were 'blockaded' the only way to destroy a target becomes to have forces at the POS (firing on it) and at planets. Conflict in the system ends up on multiple grids as it becomes important for an attacker to keep ships around the worlds of a system and for the defender to force those ships away from the planets (it might even give non capital pilots somethig to do rather than pester FCs for the state of the POS shields).
There is still the problem with gate choke points but at least there is now a need to spread forces out.
You could take this a step further with constellation sovergnty applying bonuses from each system in a constellation to an outpost system (claimed as part of the outpost interface) requiring that attacking forces are in multiple systems. And again the defender needs to hit those blockading forces. The huge blob war should spread out into a series of smaller conflicts between wings and squads across the area.
The use of planets is just for illustration. The underlying principle is that to get away from blob warfare that is hammering servers a mechanic needs to be sought that requires a force to do multiple things at multiple locations in order to succeed at a task, both in attack and defence and that having all your forces in one location will result in defeat.
There are many different options for doing something similar without using planets.
POS structures that re-inforce another POS unless they are jammed (though to make that entertaining you would have to tweak POS so that somethign other than dreads can survive near them) would be another.
The above doesn't pose as a solution to the problem but unless a reason for people to spread out is part of any further solution the blob will rule.
(OK now someone tell me what i didn't consider) 
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Harm Gently
Gallente
Naughty 40
The UnAssociated
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Posted - 2007.02.17 14:19:00 -
[2]
Agreed, breaking up The Blob will only be done by making it a disadvantage of having your entire fleet in one place.
Something that would force players to have several small fleets, attacking several systems at the same time, and making it an advantage is the way to go.
But afaik ccp has already stated that they're planning changes like these.
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