Community event that cements market hubs into the game AS market hubs and transform market hub stations into one of a kind trading stations

EVE Technology and Research Center Player Features & Ideas
1

There should be a community driven event where players can donate isk, complete missions and events (like hauling components) to build grand market hub stations.

The event would be something like -

”The empires have come together to recognize capsuleer market destinations as true market hubs. To fund grand building projects the empires have created Isk donation and mission projects. These projects determine the scale and grandness of the new market hub stations.”

The more isk and projects that are completed, means the size of the market hub station (and complexity) increases.

It could be a week long project (or longer) with special rewards as well as the top 100 could get their names placed on the station.

The station would have tiers, each increasing greatly and increasing the ‘perks’ of the trade stations.

These stations would be one of a kind architecture for each empire and there should be counter play for the event.

Tier 1 would be lets say 1 Trillion isk and 20 billion m3 of materials delivered. This would be a basic ‘trade’ themed structure with a couple undock points.

Tier 2 would be lets say 2 Trillion isk and 40 billion m3 of materials delivered. This would be the basic station with 4 undock points, additional decor like advertising and the top contributor would have their name on the structure with a plaque recognizing their contribution.

Tier 3 could be 3 Trillion isk, 60 billion m3 of materials. This would be built on the previous and would have 6 undock points, the decor, ‘Concord patrol’ windows where extra concord ships are on station to respond and they will respond with remote armor repairs to the victim ship.

you get the idea.

The goal - An isk sink that allows players to alter the game world. It should also have counter play options that rob the materials, or could use the faction warfare mechanic that the pirate nations ask to destroy ships hauling materials for the empire factions for the project. If the project succeeds the meta game of ganking and camping in those market central hubs change greatly.

The event could also start with Caldari transforming Jita to a major hub station. Then the Amarr empire, not wanting to be outclassed start their own project a short time after. The rewards could be limited time skins for that faction, mostly for trade ships, but combat ships as well (since haulers will need escorted).

2

You do realize that the existing market hubs were all chosen (ad hoc) by the players, right? And that if players decided so, a new one could pop up tomorrow and an old one could go away? EVE has a player-driven economy. We all have agency to decide where we want to buy and sell, be that in Jita or at some station in a backwater system. We don’t need CCP to designate (or “cement”) official trade hubs in the game. That reduces player control.

1 Like
3

People have tried numerous times to move the trade hub away from Jita. The closest anything has gotten to actually working was when the current structures were introduced. For about a month you were shopping in either Jita or Perimeter, but that didn’t last long before it all went back to Jita.

4

in reply to both comments, the only thing I’m suggesting is changing the STATION that are the trade hubs into something more trade like, while creating an isk sink to try and help reduce inflation. Like the actual station model, not where it is or how it operates.

Just an opportunity to change amarr to something more closer to jita 4-4 for example.

5

It’s still a visual change that establishes official trade hubs, thus discouraging player agency to establish another. It’s bad enough that CCP has already done that with Jita, but the damage is done. People forget that Jita wasn’t always the trade hub of New Eden. Before Jita, it was Yulai. CCP broke up that trade hub by eliminating the inter-empire highway connections.

Changing the station models won’t do anything to increase the regional trade hub traffic. If you want to do that, break the hisec inter-empire connections.

EDIT:

Sorry, my machine was counting down to a reboot when I wrote the above, so I had to be brief. I think the purpose of your suggestion was to bolster the secondary trade hubs by making them look “official” like Jita? Sadly, I don’t think that will have any effect on increasing trade volume in Amarr, Dodixie, Hek, or Rens.

Jita gained its monopoly by being reasonably close to all four empires (once upon a time). It’s now only convenient to three. When Niarja fell to the Triglavian invasion, the distance from Amarr to Jita increased 5x from 9 jumps to 45. I recall everyone saying at the time that the loss of proximity to Jita would kill the Amarr trade hub. As someone on Reddit recently showed with actual numbers over time, Amarr seems to be doing better now than before.

So my point in brief was that visual upgrades to the other trade hubs won’t do anything to break the Jita monopoly. Tearing down hisec connections between the empires might stand a chance to do that, if CCP created a reason for people to live in each of the empires (i.e., something unique to each).