Changes to Hauling

EVE Technology and Research Center Player Features & Ideas
1

Here are some ideas I have to change the way Hauling works in game inorder to make it a viable Career choice.

Hauling as it stands in the current games lays all the cost and risk to the Hauler with little to no rewards. Players demand large sums of ISK as deposit for their goods, Larger than most players , especially new players, can afford. Haulers place deposits on cargo and roll the dice every time they leave the station.

My Ideas will incorporate all levels of the game , Haulers, Manufacturers, PVP, and pirates.

Manufacturers will produce secure cargo containers of different sizes and security levels. The containers will be more like Fedex packages, You can pay for different delivery types ie Standard, Express etc. Players will pay for the containers in 2 ways. 1, the container itself and then shipping. Shipping cost will be based on a percentage of the Value (TBD), plus length of route and security lvl of start and end systems. Players can also purchase insurance similar to ship insurance. Only the recipient of the container can open it (more on that later)

Haulers can find the container (maybe using the new Freelance system) and may choose not only what to haul but which part of the leg to haul. For example A player may choose to deliver large loads of containers between trade hubs such as Amarr and Jita and leave them where other haulers can finish local deliveries, This allows players to choose between ā€œsafeā€ hauling in HS or dangerous lower sec deliveries Using different ships and methods. The idea here being that players delivering the ā€œsafeā€ routes will get a smaller percentage (but able to carry more packages) of the pay out for delivery than the Players finishing the delivery to hazardous locations.

Pirates. The containers can only be opened by the recipient at first. If the containers are stolen they are locked for a period of time (TBD, week? month?) At which time a minigame similar to but harder than Data and relic hacking allows players to try hacking the container. Maybe a chance to add a new skill set? I think it would be cool to give them One chance at a time with a cool down timer. In order to hack a container it must be anchored in space and can not be moved until it is successfully hacked. Upon the first hacking attempt and until successfully hacked the containers will emit a signal similar to an anomaly that can be scanned down. There needs to be a mechanism for people trying to recover the cargo container to do so for a reward. Not sure how to separate them from the pirates. Also you might set a limit on how many time a player can try opening the container at which time it locks permanently, Then you can add in Illegal tools such as , lock picks , explosive, Item that have to me manufactured in Null sec .

2

are you among the different hauling corps? is this brought up in ā€œhaulers channelā€ what might this add to the game

3

Nope, Just someone who thinks hauling could benefit from being an in game mechanic instead of just "mostly " a contracts thing. I know there are Hauling missions. I think it might make non mission hauling more accessible and add new game mechanics that could benefit all types of players as i laid out in my post

4

The price of the materials/items to be hauled determines the collateral. Anything less than market value and you are expecting the items to be stolen.

Payments and rewards: You pay what the market will bear. The couriers determine whether they will put up the collateral and the reward for the travel. Too low, the contract never accepted and the client will have to reward higher.

Hopefully, Freelancer will prove the client and the hauler with a few more tools. We do not need gamey rules to make it ā€˜betterā€™.

1 Like
5

The good folk at PushX and Red Frog have built very successful eve businesses as space truckers.
They are very good at what they do.

5 Likes
6

EVEā€™s shadow fleet! :laughing: I donā€™t think I can catch and kill one before concord intervention. Another broken mechanic?