TLDR: Discussion on how to improve Player Interaction in High-Sec.
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Abyssals: Some filaments can generate a suspect flag at specific security levels. I think this is working as intended.
Duels: Still seal-clubbing; needs an overhaul. A return of arenas perhaps?
Ganking: Other than the proliferation of multi-boxed fleets, is it in a good place? Gankers will say no, natutally.
Mining: Some of the ores that were removed from high-sec have been reintroduced. Was this too little or do we have a good balance now? Is moon mining crippled?
Missions: Other than a lack of new content, missions are still in a good place. Level 5 missions with suspect status?
WarDecs: This has improved with the structure requirement - so small groups aren’t seal clubbed to death, but any group that drops a structure gets hammered. There probably needs to be a happy medium here for small groups.
PvP - more consensual (or not!) More opportunities to steal, etc. And yeah, I know Arenas would be heavily stacked in favor of vets - but it could still be fun for new players (especially if you can enter as different ship classes, bet on the outcome, etc.)
Duels are just seal-clubbing and completely pointless.
Its important to treat players and anyone else for that matter with respect. So the premise of “How do we increase player interaction” seems wrong. It makes it seem as if players are just chess pieces.
So the real question is how do you improve the value of the game (For high sec players in this case) and perhaps the biggest reason people stick to high sec is because they dont want PVP. So you can overhaul war decs so it becomes feasible for individuals to own structures in high sec, and you can buff CONCORD so that people dont have to undock in fear
I kind of figured, but in that case, I would have titled the thread, High-Sec: Enhancing Opportunities for PVP. That would make your narrow intent more clear. “Interaction” could mean a number of things, e.g., joining fleets together, mining together, participating in chat, forming or joining corporations, etc.
I think the place to start would be for the game developers to ask players who avoid PvP combat why they avoid it, and what would encourage them to engage in it. Of all the surveys I have taken I have never been asked anything like that, so I’m not sure that they really know.
Anecdotally, it’s fear of loss. Loss of material goods (obviously), loss of “progress,” and for some, loss of reputation (zkillboard). I think that last one can’t be understated. I sometimes wonder if killmails were a design mistake. People might feel better about risking a loss if it was a temporal thing, and not something inscribed in their permanent record.
Now, me personally? I don’t usually engage in PVP other than avoidance. I also don’t post to zkb. The only killmails for me are the ones others have posted there. Why? I just don’t find offensive PVP very interesting. I get more of a rush from slipping a gank or escaping a gatecamp than I do from shooting someone else. My most exciting memories in EVE are the times I almost got popped but made it out, still in hull. That’s fun for me.
Seeing as how I started this thread, I’ll weigh-in. I’ll avoid combat if I’m in a PvE fit, it’s an obvious seal-clubbing effort (duels, theft) or it’s pretty easy to ascertain I’m being baited (ie: the player’s buddies are almost certainly hanging around with an Orca to re-ship). If I’m hopelessly outnumbered that’s also a reason to “bug out” and run for the gate.
An obvious way to fix this would be to redesign many PvE activities (missions, etc.) so that you start using PvP fits to accomplish the same goals. Right now most (all?) NPCs are immune to energy warfare to an extent - and aren’t PvP fit, either.
All event sites being made for Marauders or at least assault frigates.
I used to hate constant wardecs against our newb corp when I was starting, but it made ■■■■ happens and untimately those were the most fun times I had in EVE. Due to the costant threat we had to stick together, cooperate. Nowadays everyone plays solo even in a corp. No reason not to. I get it that wardecs might have been a little bit opressive, but limiting it to structure just killed PvP and it is now gamed by everyone with “holding corps” which I don’t think was intention.
Barges and Exhumers gained too massive EHP buff. Makes them not worth to gank, which shows. They are cheaper now than when I started. Exactly because nobody ganks them. Except few diehard gankers who are doing it for fun, but you can count them on fingers of one hand. But okay, I do agree it kinda makes sense. Let them be this tanky. Make them more expensive to build. And remove the Orca swapping mechanic. That is reason why are the massive mining multiboxers ignored by gankers!
As for events. It seems to me that in the old times where the events were doable with t1 cruiser it lead to more PvP and more stealing and suspect baiting. Since players were often using just a Vexor or Caracal they were more willing to shoot the thief or steal themselves. Likewise, if you wanted to steal and suspect bait you could fit some t1 cruiser to do it and not get obliterated by NPCs inside the site. But is it what it is, players themselves asked for this, they wanted harder sites where they could use their Marauders they trained so long so it is what it is.
The usual melodramatic BS you are so full of. All the more ironic given that you are posting on yet another character that does not appear to have ever undocked or engaged with anyone.
The reality ( sorry to introduce a concept you have never heard of ) is that highsec is boringly safe. Undock in fear ? You’re having a laugh. I regularly sit in full alpha shot range of 7 or 8 Tornadoes. Fear ? No…it adds excitement to the game…being both predator and prey. It means I have to be constantly alert…unlike those miners who ‘play EVE’ by being AFK and then wonder why their ship is in pieces when they return to the screen from watching Netflix.
CCP should not be altering the game for people who are not even playing it. People who’s biggest ‘fear’ is that they’ll return to their screen and find their ship gone.
Its not so much that people desperately want to play solo. Its more that people want a much looser collective association with greater freedom. With a corp you are ultimately fighting someone else’s battles, going along with someone else’s ideas, and so on. I wish CCP would introduce a new grouping called an ‘Association’…just a group of people who get together when they feel like it, and with no overall command. I suspect it would be really popular with all those ‘solo’ players who do actually want some association now and then.
A player would be able to be in an Association and be in a Corp, if they wanted. They’d be two entirely separate things.
A little bit oppressive? They were completely oppressive. CCP’s own numbers backed this up. I’m going off memory, but it was something like 2-3 major alliances that were responsible for almost all high-sec WarDecs.
I remember having to fold and create several new corporations because our 3-man group came under continual WarDecs for an entire month. It got so bad that we had to default to an NPC corporation just to finally be left alone.
So yeah, the major power blocs seal-clubbed WarDecs to death and probably lost CCP thousands of players in the process. Then they made structures worse with the whole core thing - which basically green-lit structure bashing for the same major alliances to seal-club high-sec groups again.
The COM system, to give a GREEN FLAG on to another player that just broke the LAW, is old and clunky. A blinking RED SKULL means you are FREE TO FIRE???
People with a bounty on their head, WHY they require ME to do ANY kind of action other scramble the guy, kill him, and get the reward…
Instead you must click here, there, in the meantime target is gone…
Or you scramble him and NOW you are RED BLINKING SKULL and CONCORDED…
