Hi, watched several of the EVE Vegas sessions today.
Enjoyed the one on “Winning EVE”. Then watched CCP-Burger on future of PVE. Let me say up front I’m a big fan of AI and procedural development and have done some work myself in that space. However, I had some concerns …
The “Winning EVE” session broadly celebrated the different play-styles that people bring to EVE. The PVE session had (for me) a flavour of Socially Engineering EVE players into fleets to experience the “best of EVE”. As someone who enjoys EVE alone, by choice, this concerned me.
Taking the most pessimistic read on the presentation, high-sec would become medium-sec, with fleets of AI controlled NPCs “seeking out content” (direct quote), Given that the typical high-sec fleet at any one time is most likely 1 ship (which could be anything from a shuttle to a BS), what do you realistically expect the high-sec player to do if/when an AI fleet lands on them?
I’m all for content, and you can drop anything you like into high-sec, so long as I need to go looking for it. If it comes looking for me, that’s a game-breaker.
When did that happen? I only watched the stream yesterday and the only few things I recall hearing them say was about Resource Wars and the new Forward Bases that should act like a mini shipyard.
Besides, doesn’t AI already seek us out in Asteroid belts? If it comes after us then it is kinda providing the taste of when players do come after us, which is what everybody should be on their toes about.
If you mean the NPC mining fleets, then yes, its the next iteration of the same tech. Belt rats are not the same thing at all.
With the NPC mining fleets I felt there should have been some clues as to what might happen if you engaged them - I lost a Proc - lol. Some text when you/they come on grid like “You find an Astral Mining Fleet working this belt. They may be happy to share, but may frown on interference”, maybe.
The EVE Vegas preso said that as well as forward bases, the Guristas and Blood Raiders would be patrolling hi-sec looking for “content”. One example was that they would attack inactive structures. I just don’t want to become their “content”.
And I should add, that I totally know that high-sec isn’t safe. And I’m cool with that. Like I said the average high-sec fleet is one guy. I’ll take my chances.
An AI fleet, that’s not on Local, doesn’t sound fair.
This is a game about learning afterall, and we learn loosing ships.
… Or by opening google or EvE Universiti Wiki page.
I am actually quite happy seeing something stir up in high sec since you can’t really have a big issue on conflict with players without being on War, are these patrols on any system or just the systems where the bases are? Cause if its only where the bases are then its a great tip for High Sec players interested in taking these down to go after that and blow it up! Will the patrols also have Electronic Warfare?
Interesting! Gets me concerned but as long as those stay within the same system as the base, all good for me. PvE oriented corps will most likely enjoy these types of things rather than just spamming missions, just for the sake of variety.
This is my last comment (Should have been the first)
CCP-Burger was very pleased how the AI scaled up - quoted a 1500 ship engagement. The guts of my question how does it scale down for a single guy, in a random hull?
Instead of players doing that… though, it makes sense in the long run. Eventually players will replace these rats, and the PvErs will just deal with those players the same way. I keep forgetting that CCP wants to make PvE equal to PvP.
This, btw, is what CCP simply does. It’s politics. The most prominent, that sticks out like a wart from a forehead, are the protection button and suspect state.
Frankly, the FOBs sound like a kind of mini-Incursion content for mini-Incursion fleets (with mini-Incursion rewards). Just they happen to have a tougher AI which probably makes them more dangerous than regular Incursions until the players figure out how to game the AI.
Probably FOBs will become a kind of stepping stone for wannabe Incursion runners, but they will mean nothing to the average highseccer. CCP insists to add fleet content to a game that’s dying from the lack of purpose in being a solo PvE player, which is what most videogame players are and aim to be.
Mike Azariah - who asked so many questions, and covered so many bases - that when he summed up at the end and asked if anyone had a question… nope! lol. Covered it all.
I was waiting for a FOB dev blog to make comments in, perhaps we will get one which summarizes CCP Burger’s presentation.
I’m not sure how much of a problem these NPCs will be, because he also suggested it would take a number of days before the NPCs became bored that no one was interacting with them.
How often does it happen in highsec that a system can go days without someone coming along and poking at NPC’s in belts, near stations or gates?
All I know is, my Null-sec corp mates talked about this and as I had moved back to HS to relax while RL became crap again, I created a new corp to run the Resource Wars and FOBs. If anyone wants to team up for these things find me in game. I would love to be your friend for some group PVE. Playing with myself everyday only goes so far.
(Should have been the first)
