Bartholomeus Crane
Gallente
The Crane Family
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Posted - 2008.08.13 21:15:00 -
[1]
In a complex system certain parts of the system will reach equilibrium.
Looking at the Titans as part of the complex system that EVE-online represents, what we see is that not enough time has lapsed for an equilibrium to be established.
It is anyones guess where that equilibrium lies, but already many players, me among them, are worried that the Titan equilibrium lies somewhere where it is not desirable (i.e. breaks the game).
One way of reaching an equilibrium is through economic means, but without daily maintenance for having Titans, my idea is that the number of Titans will be such that it wealthy alliances will be able to maintain so many Titans that none-wealthy alliances will never be able to catch up. Furthermore, establishing equilibrium through economic means is both difficult to achieve and easy to disestablish. Meaning that even with a daily maintenance for Titans, the equilibrium could be or could over time become unsuited to the environment.
This leaves warfare. Although this is not an easier means to establish equilibrium, it is more direct, and therefore more easy to control. What I'm talking about is establishing a balance based on the means to build Titans and the ease of their destruction. One could argue that this balance is currently out of wack. In a way, Titans are too easy to maintain in relation to the effort needed to destroy one.
There are two ways to go about this, both are a nerf, and therefore, both will be unwelcome (i.e. lead to the Whambulance). One is to make Titans more difficult to manufacture and maintain, thus giving the alliances that already have done so an unfair advantage (again). Another is to make Titans easier to destroy, thus upsetting the alliances that went through the trouble of making them (who are not without influence).
The long and the short is that neither solution exposed above will make CCP very popular. Yet it is a choice they have to make. I personally don't envy the devs that have to make it. Unfortunately, the longer the solution is delayed, the worse the problem will become.
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