I think you underestimate the eve community. One of the most dedicated gamer communities out there.
Remember when CCP introduced titans and said there will allways only be a handful of titans in the game? If it’s somehow farmable and has a drop chance, we will find a way to mass produce them.
Lore wise sure, you could argue that they reverse engineer them or find another reason, no problem with that. But for the (pvp-) gameplay it would be a disaster.
You know, speaking as someone who tends to look at the game through a lore-centric lens, I wouldn’t really mind if the current AT ships were renamed into “Tournament-Issue X” and their original names were given to new, less OP ships. It would make the original AT ships equivalent to the Gold and Silver Magnates and Imperial/Federate/Tribal/State battleships: souped-up versions of a more conventional hull that still have incredible value.
That said, with the lore about many of those ships they would have to be pretty difficult to acquire, probably only through storyline events for someone who performed a great service to whichever faction created them.
But that’s just my opinion. I’m sure many of you will disagree.
I agree. My theories of how they are gained are just that. And also the whole being less OP I also agree with, at least in terms of balance.
I just want to fly them or a variation of them. Like the Etana that was mentioned before which is essentially blops logi. That alone might make actual blops fleets a bit more viable and not just a ganking affair.
Granted there are T3C variations that can meet that criteria they’re not quite the same in my opinion.