So it should be no news that some of us used to really enjoy the small scale pvp highsec wardecs used to provide in the earlier years; or the mechanics for highsec griefing.. or baiting greifers…
I for one would love to see a return of those mechanics and im sure others would too, now im not proposing the entirety of highsec should be reverted but i think that utalising npc factions and corps, fractures and those same mechanics in specific places would liven up highsec destruction and gameplay whilst leaving highsec as is still in its current state.
The basic idea is to relegate this type of wardec to a more ‘‘letters of marque’’ style gameplay within either a constellation or even region, though id prefer const.
The idea…
A corporation has to work for standings with an npc corp to be able to attain certain allowances within that area, mostly this will be through missions as has always been BUT some missions within the diaspora should be targeted towards other corps serving other npc corps in the same area; not all missions should be pvp orientated (i wont go into detail for tl:dr but think rescure or salvage the same objective or mine out a specific belt or.. hs fracture)
Player corporations should be limited in the amount of these types of contracts they can take, upto 3 seems like a good number. Upon securing a contract through these operations and for a limited time only these player corporations should be charged with delivering certain resources from specified resource areas - i had initially thought that bringing in some sort of r64 npc owned athanor would serve the purpose (better ore for players/riskvreward) but upon review and with this new mechanic i think hs fractures with npc’s providing the orca/porpoises would serve better and two fold; you protect the npc mining gang, mine to make isk but also have to refine/pay a certain amount in npc corps station.
Anyway, just cus i miss hs wardecs and griefing griefers…. back in the day when people would mine in bs or ospreys lol… but not all were strictly mining…
I also miss the complexity of greifing mechanics, being able to set to corp only and so on; i somehow feel that a lot of code players would probably feel the same but im not sure.
I feel i should mention that this sort of setup shouldnt interest large wardec groups like blackflag who are more mercenary hs denial groups but to target more niche solo and small gang type players by giving a smaller target area.. though the war should probably extend through say 5 or more jumps from target area the objectives should remain in one constellation.
Its also what ive come to think after roaming for countless hours with no content or being super blobbed, wh probing for targets and even facwar tends to end up blobby or nothing; i feel this may also be a good way for newer corps of newer players to get into pvp and fight on a more even and fun scale, being able to move away from bigger groups and still engage somewhere and so on.. i should probably add id rather the devs see this and comment than your average eve player who for some reason only wants you to engage in the game in a very specific way.. usually to their benefit.
tl;dr
reduce scale of operations making it less enticing for larger groups specifically hs merc groups.
re introduce complexity and destruction in hs (or away from big groups that many do not wish to join).
REMEMBER npc corps wont want to deal with capsuleer corps that offer too much competition for them.
introduce a mechanic where small groups or new players can choose whether they want to operate in area or against the others that are there.
Introduce mission types that pit players against each other either in timed races to complete an objective (pve) or vs directly (pvp).
add some complexity back, add grey areas that many actually enjoy.
Make the gameplay so that a corp has to be smaller and has to have players that are willing to not just mine, mission or pvp.
Make it so that even outsiders can do something other than gank… using old school mechanics.
Make it potentially lucrative so that players can at least recuperate losses (this can be tracked and with a little effort on programmers part implemented in such a way that although it may seem extremely lucrative; it could just be above break even; ie - any money making could simply scale to slightly above losses whilst retaining the appearance of being $$£££ but also appearing quite normal within the behaviour of normal gameplay)
REMEMBER that this is what started eve and many of those that have quit is because the game does not offer this anymore.
And also remember that mechanics can be fine tuned to keep it level and fun whilst not straying away from what eve is.. for example new players in new corps could be the only ones that can take contracts around new/career systems…
I like the idea of wardecs being tied to constellations instead of global. For example, your corp could be wardecced but still safe in Jita unless the wardec covers that constellation. Each constellation war could cost 100M. Thoughts?
Regional wardecs are dumb. That would be like the US only fighting Germany in Europe during WW2 and ignoring the entire African campaign because it’s a different continent.
I feel it would have to be tied into some sort of objective rather than a simple wardec otherwise theres simply no reason to be there much the same as typical highsec wardecs?
If relative resources or objectives could be met utalising npc function theres also no real reason why it couldnt be implemented in non facwar lowsec.
I guess I mean the idea to be a more limited war based on objectives but not ‘‘capture the flag’’ that is facwar where those involved simply sit inside an area and really do nothing unless attacked; dont get me wrong facwar has its place i just dont feel it has all that much going on and doesnt quite get players heading specifically towards each other.
I think possibly in the real world it would come under border disputes except instead of land its about being able to gain permission to gather resources in a specific area; in essence three phases
+*gaining permission to work with entity in specific area (standings/pve, limited PvP engagements)
+winning the contract to work (full PvP, limited standings/pve)
+fulfilling contract (resource gathering/reappropriation of funds due to losses, open to griefing, limited pvp)
its a little hard to simplify completely but that would be about it.. and of course the mechanics surrounding it would need to be changed somewhat but as long as those mechanics didnt effect the space around which i feel they could be designed too there shouldnt be an issue other than time on design etc.
As examples limited pvp could be a bit like the abyssal proving grounds in that players are specifically pushed towards another to fight, this could be completed by using limited engagement timers and an area bookmark to fly too (lore wise this could be a generic patrol or assasination as examples)
Pve could be normal missions for the entity (npc corp) but also time based rescue or retrieval (repair or salvage/loot)
All out PvP is as it sounds as is resource gathering albeit in more centralised local, which is why i mentioned fractures - the npc factions and corps should hold control over something afterall.
Of course player corps would have to set windows in which times they operate if only for objectives for resources and missions that target others, at other times they would still be subjected to the same rules just that it would be important for their window to be the same as anothers if content is to happen..
The content should be the driver that escalates so only in content windows and specifically vs others is where your ‘rep’ really goes up, this would help to ensure that in areas where players are fighting the whole thing works a lot faster (say a few days) and in other areas where there is no opposition it could take for example, a month to work on just getting the ‘‘permissions’’.
It is hard spreading players out but also getting them to engage.. i feel also large nullsec blocks should not be able to enter into these sorts of assignments as large power blocks they would be direct opposition to npc corps and as such not exactly prime operators (basically if your a large corp you dont want to employ a larger corp that could take all your work away from you)
What an odd thing to say, you’re aware WW2 was an intercontinental/global war right? And that other more regional wars have existed such as America in Vietnam? Korea, the gulf war and so on? In fact there have been far more regional wars than there have intercontinental…
I say regional as in regards to your use of the word and its relation to geography within the game this idea being more akin to an interstate or border war rather than total world war.
Thats kind of the issue with current wardec mechanics, its over simplified and doesnt really create content for all - in fact more of the opposite; but it has its place.
What im attempting to convey is that there are many vets of the game that prefer this smaller more targeted style from lows guys who used to simply ‘own’ a system, griefers, solo wardeccers and a plethora of other players that have left a game because the mechanics have been changed to basically exclude their playstyles.
But also if done well it could also provide a good system for new player groups to get into pvp without having to compete with mr 250 million sp 6 bil fit frigate and 20bil implants set….
it used to be less…
But yes a little silly, i think highsec wars were intended to be something else which worked for a while when people were on an even par but degraded with changes to basically people greifing noobs or campng specific pipes or systems like jita; i think that perhaps in the idea of a mercenary contract for access denial the current system still works for big groups (think goons paying someone to dec horde and ‘deny’ free movement in hs) or indeed for structures.. i mean.. if you have the coin…
I just dont think they work for ‘fun’ type stuff or for newer folks; and i have no issue greifing say ten noobs with one character.. or a corp of 50 with 3 toons but there is or hasnt been balance since the past when, like i said, people were on more of an even par.
Which is why i dont want to change the current iteration i just want to add something else - mostly for bored vets and noobs where they can choose the areas of operations (therefore their opponents), times of engagements and so on.
TBVH id probably have the wardec system tie in with nullsec sov too, like youd have to dec an alliance to take their capital constellation.. but not the surrounding regions.. dont ask me for details on that its way tl;dr and includes lots of other little things that tbh nullseccers wouldnt want unless its was super duper profitable… and safe…
