Fletcher Hammond
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Posted - 2008.08.27 20:37:00 -
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Admittedly, I only read the two CCP updates, without reading everyone else's suggestions. Its a long thread, and I'm at work. Forgive me.
My concept of how this might work is like this: First, in game, hit F11 (or whatever your corresponding key is to bring up the 4 maps).
To control a system, objective X must be completed (which could be the aforementioned presence at a gate.) I feel that this should be non-trivial however, a presence over the course of an entire downtime cycle. Once the system is captured, you are able to anchor *certain* modules near the gate that must be fueled, much like any POS. However, rather than the fuel being inserted into a tower or the like near the gate, it could be centrally controlled if there is an outpost in system - if not, perhaps some sort of silo would be needed near the gate. This allows an alliance to "dig in" to the system, developing it to their liking. There are some obvious advantages to not having your fuel stored near the gate. If it IS stored near a gate, that's an additional target for anyone attempting to warp into the system and take it.
For a single system, its obvious that nothing major could be anchored near the gate - possibly non-automated, smallish guns, or some automated passive defenses such as hardeners and such.
Next up, is the constellation control level. Once you have control of a constellation, you get more options for anchoring defenses. However, in order to be somewhat balanced, assume that these defenses can only be anchored on the INTERIOR systems of the constellations. i.e., Automated turrets and such on systems which don't share a border with another constellation, giving an alliance a "core" of systems which are heavily defended, and "border" systems that must be defended with players. Of course, a system which shares a border with only constellations which are alliance held could be considered "core." While only one border system would need to be disrupted in order to lose constellation sovereignty, the additional defense would offer a larger measure of safety within the core systems.
Finally, there is region control, working much like the constellation control - by controlling a region, interior constellations have access to even heavier emplacements (jump bridges? cyno generators? webbers and scrammers at the gates?) Attacking an interior constellation when the region is controlled should be near impossible, however, attacking one of the border systems of a border constellation should be feasible for a small, organized guerilla force.
To the idea of not having "automated" defenses, I say that they should be hard to obtain, and would need to be fueled much like a POS, but automated defenses would make regional and constellation(al?) sovereignty feel more secure.
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