Hey everyone, my name is Bluedagger, most call me Blue.
I’m the CEO of a medium-sized USTZ wormhole corporation called New Jovian Exploration Department (NJED). I have been leading this group for over 11 years now, and for that entire time we’ve been living in low-class wormholes. Ever since the creation of Anoikis I have dabbled in what it has to offer. It was only after hearing the stories of an up-and-coming exploration corporation from Rixx Javix’s podcast that I decided to really take a leap. I’m very glad I did. I learned more than I ever had from the past decade, found a playstyle I was excited to be a part of, and got to fly with hundreds of people who I will never forget. And today, I want that for other capsuleers as well.
Low-class wormholes are the most numerous, populated, traversed, and destructive areas of Anoikis, but they are also one of the most stagnant, underutilized, and seldom updated spaces in the entire game. The capsuleers that choose to make it their home are usually smaller groups who want to feel like they can stake a claim in a wild, unpredictable land and make a story, and a profit, for themselves. They risk everything. With no asset safety or guaranteed control of your own exits, this can be brutal for casual players without contingency plans, but it’s also a part of the excitement and peril all wormholers can feel.
I want to focus my efforts on two problems that have been eating away at not just low-class, but all habitable wormholes:
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PvE Same-ness - Loot is set, the NPCs are set, the mechanics are set. There is no difference in the type of loot depending on class, only its value. What if we could add a reason to rat in lower class holes? What if C1-2 dropped Frigate/Destroyer-related items, C3-4 drop Cruiser/Battlecruiser, C5-6 drop Battleship/Capital? Sleeper/Drifter overseer spawns? Random escalations? Jackpot scenarios? So many avenues available to mix things up. Rogue Drone Fabricators have been a decent start, but there’s far more to be done.
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Lack of Conflict Drivers - Let me be clear - evictions are a normal part of Anoikis. While most of the time I don’t want to evict anyone, I still want to interact with them. If they log off or stay docked, what meaningful impact can I make? Run their sites? Why do that if the next system has the same ones without anyone living there? Shoot their less meaningful structures? No thanks, it would mean committing more than 24 hours to do something unmeaningful. It is too easy for a defender to simply avoid conflict without any consequence at all. The only conflict that truly matters right now is the fight for your home. We can do better. Possibly reverse bounty multiplier that spawns more dangerous and rewarding sites as a system is heavily farmed, an ESS-like system that can be raided, or less critical infrastructure structures that can be interacted within a single play session.
I love wormhole space. I want others to love wormhole space, too. I cannot see myself anywhere else. Wormhole space should be risky, random, and rewarding. Exploring the unknown is what got me out here. I want to try to help drive a new migration of capsuleers here where they can feel like they’re able to get something special and unique out of it and, most importantly, be willing to fight for it.
I want to keep the scope of my interests clear and concise. While I will always be representing wormholers, I plan to keep pressure on FC that the above points. I want to be a channel for feedback from players to get their input into the development discussions in these areas. Even if it’s simply guiding FC with a few nudges to get on a better path, I will make sure wormholes are a part of the discussion and not forgotten.
If you’re interested in getting in touch with me or other fellow wormholers, especially ones residing in low-class, I encourage you to drop in to our community Discord: Local At Home. It’s a work in progress, but it’s an effort to establish a social space for dwellers of spooky space. I hope to see you there.
Fly dangerous,
Bluedagger