Mine was an old fourm post. Rivr gave a much better link. We’ve basically just finished with D.
Observatory arrays:
Dedicated to intelligence gathering.
Service module possibilities: Being able to increase, decrease or block Star Map filters in the solar systems they’re deployed, act as solar system wide D-scan blockers, disrupt ship intelligence in the solar system, take over player tracking capabilities from NPC agents or be able to affect or pinpoint cloak users. We are considering basing their effectiveness through a network coverage (like cell phones) so that a single one may not be that useful, but maintaining a bunch of them in space could give a significant advantage.
So basically… every null system would end up having whatever number is needed to maximize cloaked ship detection.
Add to that…
Gates:
Service module possibilities: Being able to affect warp speed in a solar system (positively or negatively), affect jump capabilities for capitals, alter ship movement inside a solar system, allow vessels to travel to other solar systems and modify wormhole spawning behavior.
So you can make it so wormholes to potentially hostile space also spawn less frequently. Or limit jump capabilites in the systems you rat in.
Basically a ton of “safety” stuff to limit the impact of removing local… but mostly for the residents of the null system, not interlopers (who lose local with no replacement).
Not surprising any of that was never implemented, its a little over the top.
Umm… they’re literally working down the list. The various citadel releases gave us A, B and C.
We just got refineries… that was D.
Observation arrays are E.
They haven’t implemented everything suggested as “possible” from that document… but they’ve been following that road map. Observation arrays are likely coming. After that we’ll get “gates” (which will replace jump bridges and possibly add additional functionality. After that comes the IHUB/SOV replacement using a citadel mechanic instead.
It’s all pretty much there.
You guys are aware that on the last fanfest they showed us the roadmap and told us observatory arrays was not even on the roadmap for at least 2+ years. I doubt it will be on it this also, let’s wait and see.
It’s not only NS that was waiting for those arrays, “some” guys in HS also clinged to the hope that it would replace watchlist functionality that was removed nearly 2 years ago.
No it is not, ranges are not listed, mats/costs are not listed, what it takes to destroy them is not listed. In fact very little is listed.
Is it 3 to cover a system or 20? Can 1 be destroyed by a frigate or a fleet? Is it a tactic to send in a small fleet to trash the network or is that not doable? Is the cost of covering 30 systems that are empty 90% of the time worth it? Do I have to visit each one to add fuel, every day week or month?
All those things matter, not just what capabilities it has.
Of course the details matter. You were making comments as if people were making up the features that were being discussed for observation arrays. We’re just talking about what CCP has publicly stated. The exact implementation will determine a lot, but it’s clear the plan will be to give null residents some intelligence/security measures through these structures… and those who aren’t residents will lack those features.
That is going to tip the balance toward the residents of an area as opposed to the hunters/invaders.
That all depends on the details, trashing those arrays could become a sport 
In any case there is no mention of that being a replacement for local.
There have been vague statements in the past from CCP people in “remove local” topics to the effect of saying that they think local is overpowered but need to implement some alternative intel gathering methods before nerfing or removing local… specifically along the lines of believing that “local” type intel should not be free.
Most people have interpreted that to meaning observation arrays. While that may not be the final result… it’s a logical guess based on what CCP has told us.
Now in the end, the replacement (whatever that might be) will likely not be as powerful as local is from an intel perspective. But it will likely mean that whatever intel is available is mostly available for the locals as opposed to local… which is evenly available to invaders and locals.
Right now it’s even… everyone has local. The replacement seems to be that whatever intel is available is going to be there for the locals only. That suggests (at least for those who aren’t too lazy to use the new intel) that the advantage in terms of making sov space safer will edge toward the locals… not toward the invaders/hunters.
If in fact they give the observation arrays (with any of the abilities mentioned) but leave local alone… sov space will become exponentially safer.
I’ve never gotten that impression at all, in fact the impression I got was they were “addressing” afk cloaking not local even though the two are frequently discussed together.
They don’t give 2 sh*ts about AFK cloaking. It’s fine and not an exploit of any kind.
CCP have indeed been rumbling about local chat being overpowered as intel and that they are considering options at this stage. Many folks assumed observation arrays were something to do with this.
Except when they described the new array they only mentioned cloaking and not communication, but really they meant communication.
Got it!
Aww, man.
If they remove local, then all that work with the speech bubbles was for nothing.
–Faux-sad Gadget
I’m just going to toss this monkey wrench into the whole local thing.
Right now we have two systems for local:
- Everyone shows
- You show after you talk
What about a new third system? That is something like “you enter chat when you type”? Or in other words, when you chat you can see and be seen. If you don’t type, not only do you not show in local, but you can’t see anyone else in local. No names no counts until you type, and then you only see the count and names of those who are talking.
well make it a 1 min cooldown for both parties. You dont see local for 1 minute and you dont appear in local for 1 minute
The skinny is this: an equitable solution that reaches a compromise for both parties could have been reach 13 years ago.
The fact this hasn’t happens tells you everything. It can’t be done.
The “you show after you talk” system works like you’ve specified, in that you can’t see anyone except those who talk AFTER you’ve entered.
So, to clarify what I think you’re suggesting, you’re asking that if you enter a wormhole system where two people are chatting away having a heated conversation, that you do NOT see that ongoing conversation unless you type something in the channel first. Like a ‘hello.’
It would be a cool idea in principle, but if you look at how Local is used, there are two separate needs:
- To chat. Typically only used to insult the other party. People don’t socialize in Local, they socialize in the corp channel, or on custom channels.
- As a list of the pilots in the solar system, complete with the red-neutral-blue color coding from the People and Places / Contacts settings.
Personally I would love to see the two functions separated, because we have different needs for each:
For chatting, I’d love to have “signed” chatting in empire space, and anonymous chatting in w-space or 0.0. With no links to names and no lists of names appearing. Let the speakers identify themselves if they so wish.
Anonymous: Anyone here?
Anonymous: Yeah, we’re here, what do you want?
Anonymous: Uh, help?
Anonymous: Who is this?
For the list of pilots, I’d love to have a list that’s separate from the actual chat box for the Local channel, and then CCP can implement whatever controls they want for that list, from immediate listing as soon as you enter, to delayed listing, to no listing at all, even if you speak. And of course I’d love to have a narrow list of names that I can put on the side of the screen without it taking extra space.
Anyway, I think anonymous chatting would be a better system than “you must announce yourself before you can hear anyone.” Because nobody’s going to announce themselves. Local chatter is like General Discussion, full of shitposting, not worth hearing anyone. Nobody’s going to make themselves known just so they can see ascii spam or dick jokes.
Or, CCP felt the balance was fine the way it is and not worth the cost to change.
The balance, right, is that what we’re calling a game about conflict where the primary goals are to kill other players and that one of the biggest obstacles to this is knowing that someone who doesn’t like you just entered system.
The only people you catch in sites are the newbies and literal AFKs and that’s not balanced distribution of grievance tbqh.
Local must go!
How long u need, to realize this!?