I absolutely LOVE your concepts, though there is one small thing I'd like to point out:

civilian, industry, and military operations go hand in hand in hand with each other. Without one, the others will fall apart or never grow very much.

If anything, one can implement this as a synergy bonus, to further encourage people to do things that would otherwise not be done. (like dropping a civilian command center on a plasma planet). Using the example, if several people can get together and help one guy get his civilian PI going, the others will have their military and industry PI doing all the better, and the civilian guy reaps the fruit of his labors and serious respect.

Just some thoughts.

I For an idea as massive as this, I'd gladly help out however I can!

oh, and along with slave pens (Amarr), get Brothels (Galente) and Casinos (Caldari)

Then figure something out for the minmatarr

The skills your after... I included as upgrades in my suggestion.

And PI was more profitable when you had to reset each individual extractor. Less people willing to put up with 3 hours of clicking. Now we all just spam 20 accounts each and reset them all in the same amount of time, flooding the market in cheap stuff.

We can make PI even easier... but in order to offset the flooding... we need to create more demand for PI goods at the same time or risk reducing PI goods to the value of veldspar. God forbid.

Research Institute (new -> 100 employees, 450 power grid, 900 CPU, 2500 isk daily operational cost) 2 slot lab, 0,5 modifier, 4 different types:
i) Amarr Research Institute GÇô Invention bonus???
ii) Caldari Research Institute GÇô Copy speed bonus
iii) Gallente Research Institute GÇô Productivity bonus
iv) Minmatar Research Institute GÇô ME bonus
* Research institutes will enable the manufacturing of datacores using existing PI mechanisms, i.e. Select the blueprint from the list and manufacture over time.

The Amarr are not really known for their creative mindset. Rather efficient and quick mass production.
Gallente are more likely to be the creative guys.
I'd suggest to exchange the boni of Gallente and Amarr.

I was going to suggest something simpler to start....like...right click on temperate planet > land at any one of 1 to xx spaceports(must have unique names/enviroments...not just a 'door') with agents > courier missions > off world transport of goods/passengers > encoounter missions > intercept escaping smuggler in Millenium Falcon (sorry!) .....what have you > with a whole new class of ships.

GRR, just had to re-type all this......

My thought is that each planet should have one single central trade hub that controls import/export to orbit (and related taxes) plus trade planetside between players and corps.

If players want to move items off world then they need to move items through this hub, paying any taxes which are set in place by the owning Corp.

Hubs can be owned by podder corps or Dustie merc units. Podders can hire NPC merc resources (weekly fee, more isk=better troops) to claim ownership over the hub. This will allow the ownership of the hub to change hands, but also populate the planet with AI troops for Dusties to fight against. If there are no Dusties then Eve pilots will have a mechanism for cliaming control. their troops could also gain benefits for control if the eve corp can get a Cap-ship in orbit and use it to bombard enemy positions.

Players could then move PI commodities to this central store and use it to set-up large scale production chains with corp members (giving them something else they need to defend).

All taxes from moving items will be set by the corp in control and will be an additional income stream. Any other player/corp who wants to use the planet will need to pay the taxes or take control of the Hub, through hiring sufficient npc-mercs or Dusties.

What this will give is a reason for Dusties and Podders to interract, reasons to hire them, NPC-AI for the dusties to combat and influence for Dusties over eve corps (and potentially sovreignty etc...)

With no caps in highsec, dusties can be introduced to combat in high-sec systems, then move onto the more complex game (with additional experience/equipment etc) buy moving on to low and Null-sec systems where the rewards along with the challenge/risks would be higher.


Keeping it simple, this would integrate the two systems and give players from both communities things to fight over, reasons to engage and benefits from having ownership.

SM.

Where's the EVE-Dust link? Ultimately there has to be something for Capsuleers to hire DUST or NPC mercs to do. Part of running PI will be managing mercenary attacks/defenses. This must be incorporated into the ideas presented here.

You mention "downtime" a scary number of times in this article. The developers are desperately trying to remove all dependence on downtime, with the aim of having EVE running 24x7. Don't require any dependence on downtime, describe "at downtime" things in terms of a discrete event happening a number of hours from certain conditions being met, or steady progress at a particular rate.

PI must include DUST by design, not by bolt-on after the fact.

If this topic can make 3 pages of positive responses and/or another 30 odd likes... I will be posting it over in the Assembly Hall with some additions.

Then spam every PI alliance in Eve hoping to garner enough support to push it to the top of the next CSM refocus list.

... or control which players can or cannot buy items from planetary cities.

Screw this. I don't log on to spend hours doing PI. I do it to fuel my pos and put a little extra isk in the pocket.

Making things more complicated for the sake of making things more complicated benefits noone ultimately. Besides, how in the hell do you expect these populations centers to pop up in a wormhole? Yeah, civilians will realltechnically "y go for that...

I think you have your requirements down with excess (especially likes, damn!)

so, let me get this right...

As a capsuleer you are already immortal and may call yourself a god if you will. (lovely intro movie when you start the game for the first time).
But now you actually want to Qadhafify yourself to rule your own planet????

Come on how much more unrealistic can it get.

I beg you all to keep science fiction possible and not start adding elves and dwarfes and orcs into the game.... THANK YOU!!!

Best darned post ever! +1

Your PI 2.0 is a fantasy story and that's exactly why i bring elves, dwarfs and orcs up.

Science fiction is based on advanced technologies that are very much possible to happen in a short or long period of time.

Do you see us on planet earth being told what to do and pay tax to a plonker in a space ship???

I find it so incredibly sad that people are adding so much freaking fantasy to the genre.