Trabber Shir
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Posted - 2008.07.05 14:41:00 -
[1]
 Originally by: Serenity Steele
Can anyone suggestion solutions to the distribution problem that don't require changing agent quality?
I'll try answering this question: Yes.
Aside from lag the biggest thing I hear my fellow mission runners complain about is the tedium of moving a base on the rare occasion you move. I believe it may be possible (while causing great whining) to use the storyline mission system to capitalize on this.
Currently every 16 missions or so we get a storyline mission from a special storyline agent that is very nearby (seldom more than 2 jumps if operating from a hub). Typically we run the missions for the agent by visiting their home station for accepting missions and drop off objectives etc. but operating out of our own home station in terms of ammo supply, changing modules, the salvage ship ...
I propose the system be changed to force a major move every couple storyline missions. For this both the agents and missions would have to change as follows
The agent:
1. The agent should be a normal agent, not a special storyline agent.
2. The agent should be the same level as missions that led to the storyline.
3. The agent should be within 3 quality points of the average quality of the agents the player has been working for.
4. The agent should be in the same or similar division as the agents the player has been working for.
6. The player should meet normal standing requirements for the agent.
7. The agent should be far enough from the players main agent to be inconvenient.(no less than 4 jumps)
8. The agent should be in space with a similar sec rating (+/- 1).
9. The agent should be in a system that is less busy than the players primary agent.
The mission:
1. Must be long and multi parted. (preferably 10+ parts)
2. Must have parts that are worth 10 jumps to salvage(5 each way to get the salvage ship)
3. Should engage multiple rat factions in the series. (different damage and resists)
4. Should include several mission types. (throw in a mining or large courier, force them to bring their other ships)
5. Should have at least one deadspace complex that restricts ship sizes to too small. (frigate for lvl2, cruiser for lvl3, ...)
6. Should pay extremely well and have exceptional loot for its level. (hopefully reduce the whining a little)
7. Should have a more significant standing impact than standard storyline missions.
This type of storyline should not replace the current storyline missions entirely but rather happen every other storyline at the most frequent and the frequency of these relocation storyline missions should be a function of how crowded their current system is.
The logic behind this system is to try and force the mission runner to move most of his possessions (or at least ships) to a less busy system where there is less lag and an agent comparable to the one he has been using. Hopefully, the slight difference in agent quality will be less of an inconvenience to him than moving all his stuff back and, as a result, he will simply start using the new agent.
In addition, the requirement that the new agent be in a less busy system means that if you are already operating out of a low traffic system, you should almost never have this happen to you.
An obvious problem is identifying your home system, for this I would recommend just looking at the home systems of the agents that gave you the 16 or whatever missions that contributed to you getting the storyline and choosing the mode (the one that appears most often). The algorithm is not perfect and I'm sure if this got implemented CCP would come up with something better.
Another big problem with this is that it would require a lot of work by the designers and probably programmers.
Finally, the issue that kills this solution is that it will receive virtually no support from the mission running community, except for those of us that avoid the hubs anyway and wouldn't be affected.
So, all that to avoid modifying the agent quality system.
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