Vol Arm'OOO
Central Co-Prosperity Union
815
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Posted - 2016.06.17 16:35:21 -
[1] - Quote
The introduction of citadels - while mostly positive - has introduced something that imo is demonstrably bad for the game; namely invulnerable nullsec logistics. Specifically, in the past null sec groups would move jump freighters back and forth mainly through lowsec into highsec for sale and/or resupply as may be required. To do this jump freighter pilot would have to light a cyno - somewhere in an appropriate system - sometimes it would be on a gate, station or pos, depending upon the system and circumstances. In each case, depending upon the skill of pilot, luck and other circumstances, the jump freighter might be vulnerable to interdiction. For instance, the cyno might be lite too close to a station causing the jf to bounce or he might appear out of jump range from the gate. If it is lite on a pos - it would be at a perch allowing the jf to be tackled if the tackle can get there before he warps into the force field of the pos.
Now citadels have changed everything making logistics essentially invulnerable. An alliance sets up a citadel in its homesystem, the jf undocks from the citadel and is instantly immune because of tethering. The Jf jumps while immune to its destination onto another citadel where it is rendered instantly immune by tethering. Bouncing is unlikely because citadels have huge docking rings. The Jf then aligns to its high sec gate while tethered and warps in total safety to highsec.
The reason why this immunity has come about is because CCP has conflated POS'es and outposts. CCP stated that because a jf could jump straight to an outpost and dock - it wanted to retain that same usability for citadels. However, outposts were hugely expensive and could not be put anywhere. POS on the otherhand while being vastly cheaper did not afford the same protection. You could not jump into a pos forcefield to be immune. In fact, you could not garage door - where you have the pos offline jump to the tower and then turn on the forcefield either. Further as POS'es developed you could not lite a cyno within 25k of a pos.
In short for the price of about 1bil isk per citadel, a null sec alliance can now render its logistic chain wholly immune. This circumstances hurts the small pirate groups that live in lowsec the most. Many of these groups are all ready red headed stepchilden largely ignored by ccp. And while yes citadels can be destroyed - many of the smaller lowsec grps that preyed on the null sec logistics chains lack the wherewithal to go toe to toe in fleet battles with the null sec alliances as the reinforcement timers of citadels encourages.
IMO there should be no situation of perfect safety for a player, yet that is exactly what citadels currently afford the jf pilot. With citadels it is certainly odd that the most dangerous portion of the logistics trip to high sec for a jf pilot is now in high sec.
How would I fix this circumstance? Simple - as with POS'es make it so a cyno cannot be lite within 25k of the medium and large citadels. I would leave the xl alone as it is functionally the equivalent of an outpost and its cost prevents it from being abused for logistic chain immunity.
I don't play, I just fourm warrior.
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