I feel like a massive missed opportunity with Equinox was not integrating the SKINR feature with new PVE/Exploration activities, instead just dumping all SKINR boxes into already established content (such as dropping from the abyss, killing faction spawns, looting already existing data sites, etc). I feel like integrating SKINR and the features (such as dropping sequencers, skin design elements, and other unique trinkets) would have been best done with unique new combat sites.
PARAGON COMBAT SITES
These deadspace sites are operated by the Paragon corporation, owned by Evermore intended for the distribution, storage, and manufacturing of SKINR items such as sequencers, designs, and nanocoatings for the Paragon Hub. These sites are not undefended however, with presence from Evermore’s security corporation Villore Sec Ops providing internal security to ensure the sites are well defended, because of this defending ships will mostly feature Gallente hulls, but the site will deal omni damage by NPC combat drones.
NPC enemies present at the sites will not warp disrupt players, but will use a large variety of EWAR (Tracking/Guidance Disruptors, Sensor Dampeners, Target Painters, Neuts, etc) to add to the difficulty to the site. The main objective is to go through an acceleration gate to a Paragon facility to destroy a central structure (Distribution Center, Storage Center, Encryption Center) which will become vulnerable after destroying 3 waves of enemy rats with a boss rat at the end (that can drop additional items) Players can also attempt to risk their ships by hacking a data can which can manually disable the invulnerability of the central structure, but failing the hack will spawn in a much stronger reinforcement wave with warp disrupting rats as well as broadcast the site via a Paragon distress beacon allowing anyone to warp to the site to kill you making it a risk vs reward situation.
Additional data hacking cans to control site defenses (such as deactivating sentry towers and EWAR towers) and give additional rewards will be present. Besides hostile Evermore ships, the site will also feature other hazards such as EWAR AOE structures similar to Triglavian Pylons, Mines placed around the site, and Sentry guns similar to the EDENCOM Gunstar. Some sites in low sec and null sec may also feature volatile corrosive gas clouds which will directly damage the structure of the ship.
Site Names
- Paragon Design Element Distribution Center (Spawns from 1.0 to 0.3) Difficulty on parr with Level 2-3 missions or DED 3/10. Tank needed to sustain the site DPS: 150 EHP/s, meant to be done in a T1 cruiser. (Boss: Paragon Security Magus)
- Paragon Design Element Storage Center (Spawns from 0.4 to 0.0) Difficulty on parr with a DED 4/10. Tank needed to sustain the site DPS: 350 EHP/s, meant to be done in a T1 Battlecruiser or a Navy Cruiser. (Boss: Paragon Security Proteus)
- Paragon Design Element Encryption Center (Spawns from 0.1 to -1.0) Difficulty on parr with a DED 6/10. Tank needed to sustain the site DPS: 600 EHP/s, meant to be done in a T1 Battleship, or a T2 Heavy Assault Cruiser. (Boss: Paragon Security Sin)
Site Drops
As part of your efforts to raid Paragon sites critical to the operation of the Paragon Hub, lots of unique rewards completely unique to these sites can be looted from the wrecks of either the final boss rat, or the structure itself.
- SKINR Boxes (large quantities drop from the final structure destroyed)
- Unique Limited Design Elements and Nanocoatings (Dropped from the Boss rat)
- Encrypted Paragon Data Caches (Either an ISK Token or item that can be traded with various LP Stores such as Deathless, Thukker, and Pirate LP stores)
- Corrupted Wetware Evermark Database Arrays (Rare item used to trade with Deathless and Pirate LP Stores)
- Flayed IRIS Synapse Cords (Used to make new Paragon Implants from BPCs dropped at the site)
- Intact Paragon Sec Ops Microprocessor (Used to make new Faction Modules)
- Various BPCs (for new Paragon Implants designed for SKINR as well as new Evermore Faction Modules and potentially ships)
- Compromised Paragon Admin Sequencing Console (Used to take away the PLEX cost from sequencing a SKIN by magnitudes of either 1, 10, 25, or 50: very rare drop)
New Faction Modules made by Evermore would mostly be centered around mobility hopefully providing new niches for players to exploit
- Evermore Micro Jump Drives (Shorter spool time, jumps to 125km instead of 100km, shorter cooldown)
- Evermore Micro Jump Field Generators (More passengers carried, shorter spool time, smaller sig radius penalty when activated)
- Evermore Burst Jammer (shorter range than sentient or t2 jammer 10km, but with much stronger jam strength with base 10 strength compared to 8 of the sentient jammer)
- Evermore Warp Core Stabilizer (+3 warp strength instead of +2 but the drawback is more severe penalties)
- Evermore Interdiction Nullifiers (longer cycle time, shorter cooldown time, balanced by more crippling penalties)
- Evermore Covert Ops Cloaking Device (Less time needed to relock)
I would like to imagine that site drops would average for 10-30m for high sec, 40-100m for low sec, and 60-150m for null sec. These sites could be done in around 10 minutes, but would be offset by it’s rarity making it unfeasible to mass chain these sites preventing too many items from entering the market.
Other notes:
-Could add escalations to the sites to an even more deadly site to get even more stuff.
-WH sites maybe?
-Potential new Evermore faction ships (Gallente, Minmatar?) with an emphasis on mobility, my personal initial faction ship lineup would be a Command Destroyer, Black ops Battleship, and Carrier with bonuses to MJFG capacity (such as the carrier being able to drag one extra capital ship with it) and Conduit capacity (such as 30->40 conduit capacity for the Black ops Battleship and 5->7 conduit capacity for the carrier allowing it to conduit 42 ships instead of 30)
Anyways give feedback depending on how dumb my ideas are, thanks for reading this massive block of text.
TLDR
- Add scannable Paragon combat sites to be the primary source of SKINR stuff, new implants for SKINR as well as Paragon faction modules which could reshake the meta
- Engaging sites using enviromental hazards as well as NPC Ships, emphasis on risk vs reward such as a shortcut which could reveal your location & tackle you for other players to exploit. Intended to be medium difficulty for all players to enjoy
- Different from other PVE, almost all of the site value is in items instead of ISK tokens preventing the site from being a direct ISK Faucet.
- Potential new faction for ships with bonuses to conduit and micro jump field capacity? Idk lol