There are many colonization threads, but most of them include creating new regions or systems. However, many players forget that we already have empty space that is almost completely unused; Jove Space. Many players have talked about this during tangents, so I decided to throw a thread up.
The method for settling would be rather simple, the only method to enter parts of Jove space is via wh’s. Players would build jump gates and anchor structures to completely colonize the empty space. CCP said that they wanted to see a shifting network of Jump gates and this would be a great way to get such a feature.
The ‘colonization’ of Jove space would be heralded with new structures and sites.
1.) Jump centers - A structure that increases the number of jump gates per system from one to three. Only one can be anchored per region and would presumably have a great fuel cost.
2.) Colonial stations- unlike current upwell stations, this station would be the only way to gain ‘sov’ in a region. It would have no tether, constantly be vulnerable, and would have about the same stats as a keepstar.
3.) ‘ancient’, ‘precursor’, and ‘primeval’ wreck sites. These sites would be ancient combat sites between sleepers and jove ships. The sites would have a bunch of cans and wrecks that contain a combination of blue loot and new jove loot that would be moderately valuable. ‘ancient’ would be the least valuable and least rare and ‘primeval’ sites being the rarest.
4.) Jovian Jump Gates- A new jump gate that has a very limited range, only 4ly but you can get the parts for it by salvaging jovian wrecks and jovian gates
This expansion wouldn’t be without challenges though. Sleepers would consistently spawn to attack structures and gates as well as players.
Wrecks of jovian gates would be scattered around systems that could be scanned down to be salvaged. Pieces of these parts could be used to make the new types of jump gates.
What if only one of those consolations was used. It had outward facing jump gates only (i.e. you can only jump out to current space). The only way was “jump errors” or “jump glitches” I.e. bridges, portals, and player gates aren’t 100% you have a certain chance of error, that dumps you into this region.
The region wouldn’t support sov or structures, some decaying structure may remain that allow limited repairs or fitting, but no clones, reprocessing, hangers, manufacturing, markets. Has no loot, but does have roving NPCs (sleepers, drifters, triglavian, don’t care really).
Would have interesting effect on power projection since no guarantee 100% of fleet arrives. Would be fun exploration. Would lead to some interesting meta of local chat or fleet chat for resource re-balancing to get back out, or selling or trading in local chat and using jet cans to cross load (lots of scam opportunity there).
And since the only way out is the remains of defunct failing jump gates, everyone has to haul out anything they want to keep. Also makes for some interesting gate camp mechanics since you have exit chokes, but no resupply for your camp.
For extra fun, perhaps weapons fire in the vicinity of empire owned gates would trigger them to have the same error. Then gankers and gank victims both end up in this area. Gives a way for hi-sec players to end up there, and gank corps can gamble Concord vs gate error.
(Edit for clarification - not sure this is realistic, and I’d rather they spend dev time elsewhere, but i’m actually curious to hear this get picked apart from a mechanics/meta view)