Lexander Morinex
Caldari
LDD Investments
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Posted - 2008.08.28 06:23:00 -
[2]
 Originally by: LaVista Vista
I still think, at least from my point of view(Which is obviously obscured) that removing T1 loot is an obvious thing to do for a major expansion like MIDAS. And based on all I have heard, while there's a few down-sides to removing T1 loot, it seems like there could easily be an agreeable compromise. Just think about all the competition all the rogue drones get for their alloys. They should have absolute monopoly 
Though I agree that T1 loot is probably a silly idea in general, I don't think it will produce the gains that people are really hoping for. The issue in the game isn't so much the presence of minerals through T1 as the narrow focus of players.
The vast majority of items in the game are of limited used on a good day. Most T1 loot is only good for minerals and that introduces a lot of minerals into the game. Remove that supply of minerals and everybody might jump for joy that 'mining is worth doing' but the reality is that miners are already mining.
The problem is basically inflationary. You remove that many minerals from the supply without compensating losses in ISK and the value of everything goes up. That may seem the boon of players everywhere, but there is a catch, and it is a big one.
First, most items in the game are of limited use, and if you make people manufacture them then nobody will even bother. The end result will be an inevitable focus on a few 'demand' items that will go through 'boom/bust' cycles as manufactures repeatedly over then undersupply those few commodities. In the meantime, the steady flow of ISK will eventually overwhelm the supply of minerals.
Loss based PvP suffers from the problem that players need to replace losses, or they eventually give up. If you reduce the rewards for missions while increasing the cost of replacing items due to scarcity then you have really hammered the PvP players. They might cave in and mine, but hi-sec is not exactly suffering for miners so that is a limited avenue. For good or bad, mission loot is a fast way for a lot of players to fund their war efforts, while giving new players and alts access to cheap hardware.
I know that some people want to be 'elite' and make everybody suffer to get to the top. That is fine and dandy but if you discourage new players (by reducing rewards for missions while making industry and mining the source of income) the game will die, and it will die more quickly than some like. Massive ISK inflation without corresponding benefits to new players can be a serious problem.
- Lexander Morinex
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