Game and it’s concept is great on paper, and absolutely true, however that reflected the game 10+ years ago.
The reality is that current state is very bad. Big groups own everything and starting/small-medium corps cannot get sovereign space by force, only by “renting” from the biggest alliances but in the end it still belongs to Alliance.
Group PvP has mind-numbingly boring meta n+1 and solo PvP has meta with kiting that you cannot even response to and just have to sit and watch while you die to t1 frigate because you cannot have a counter to them, that is if you even find a real man who solo PvPs and not in big gangs or runs away like a rat.
Also if you die, it’s gg with your entire fit, as now everybody can lookup your death fits and knows what you are flying with the same ship when you enter the system, so they have massive advantage over you and there goes element of surprise.
What could fix the game?
Restrict corps to 100 members, Alliances to 5 member corps. 500 members total is more than enough and will immediately break up sovereign space stagnation and increase warfare everywhere. Maybe increase claimable systems too.
Less API - Current API system is too big, it gives away way too much intel to your enemies, you should not just copy paste a guys name who just jumped into system and know all his fits.
Delete local player count - Again, gives away intel, make it like in wormholes that you will not see who is in the system if he does not speak, that is a massive game changer, much more interesting to scout and use dscan.
Remove PvP meta - make massively more modules and ships, nerf kiting, nerf fleet sizes, make it useful to bring as many different ships as possible, not just same doctrines + logis, boost solo pvp viability
So in essence, make EVE actually dangerous and fun.
Why can’t small groups not get Sov Space by force? PRovidence is owned by small groups. Cloud Ring is as well. Pure Blind also has smaller groups. Scalding Pass, too. Then there is NPC null sec from where you can easily harass sov holders into giving up.
Removed local hit small groups much harder than big groups because they have the means to organize scouts, gate checker characters, defense fleets, activity schedules and so on. They also have the means to work around your cute alliance numbers limitations.
make it like in wormholes that you will not see who is in the system if he does not speak, that is a massive game changer, much more interesting to scout and use dscan.
I know the solution to your problem: Go live in W-space. This seems to be what you want, and the game already provides what you want. There is no reason to do more. W-space is depopulated enough as it is. Use your enthusiasm, get your group into a wormhole and live the life you want to have.
One quick look at a sov map will tell you that this is false. Plenty of smaller groups to fight that are not protected by the big 4. I would respond to the rest, but with the premise already flawed, I’ll let others do that.
Blackout was a “disaster” in the sense that many players in null chose to simply logoff rather than play without local intel. Had Blackout been made permanent, it likely (if we take null players at their word) would have meant a lot of account cancellations. AFAIK, nullsec does not represent the largest block of EVE players, but it’s still huge and important for the marketing of EVE. So if null dies, likely so will EVE. That kind of disaster is not what we need.
The rest of your suggestions are game-breaking as well. Your corp and alliance limits are not only arbitrary, they would impact a fair number of highsec and lowsec groups in addition to the nullsec blue donut. That’s a lot of potentially dissatisfied customers. As for fleet sizes, EVE is known and marketed for it’s giant fleet battles. Nerfing that would be self-defeating. Adding more modules and ships would only add to the game’s already immense complexity, and within a short time, the new ships and mods would become min-maxed and optimized just like the rest.
As for the API, you can’t change human nature. People who measure themselves by stats on a killboard will find a way to get their stats on a killboard, API or no. The only way to stop that is to rid the game of killmails. And considering there’s some not-insignificant percentage of EVE players who only seem to play for killboard stats, that might also be a financial blow to CCP.
TL;DR: if you want to kill EVE, do all the things you suggested.
I would have definitely cancelled my accounts. I got pain in my fingers from continuously pressing dscan because null sec, unlike W-space, does not have the luxury of closing down systems completely. Constantly dscaning to see what is around me, was bad enough for 2 months, I certainly would not do it for years.
Instead of one goonswarm we’d have goonswarm 1, goonswarm 2, goonswarm 3, goonswarm 4 etc. like groups already have overflow fleets when the fleet size of 250 pilots is crossed.
This suggestion makes the game more bothersome, but doesn’t change anything about the status quo. As long as grouping up is beneficial, people will group up.
If you wish to play without local and with small groups you can do so in Pochven or in Wormhole space.
I can see the value of removing local chat from null sec and I would agree with your suggestion, were it not that CCP already tried this a few years ago with ‘Blackout’ and nearly killed the null sec population.
On hindsight I do not think ‘no local’ is balanced in parts of space where cynos exist.
A game cannot ‘remove the meta’, at most you can shake up the meta by making changes so that new optimal strategies have to be found.
Optimal strategies will always be found and thus there always will be a meta, this is not something you can simply remove from a game.
Sonds to me like the stagnant toons occupying null sec would all log off moving aside for those who are interested in living in nullsec without local. This seems fine.
True. Although, I have considered that local in sov null should perhaps be an upgrade, not a default feature. Just like deploying a cyno jammer, the sov holder would have to deploy/fuel/defend a “local node relay” or somesuch (which could then be knocked out in a tactical strike before the arrival of a larger fleet).
It would only be “fine” if the changes to nullsec then drew in more paying customers interested in homesteading the new Wild West, than are lost from those leaving the game because the status quo was changed.
I don’t know that would necessarily happen. And if it didn’t, CCP will have just driven off a lot of paying customers (and from what I’ve heard, those who make up a big percentage of the “whales” playerbase).
One way to find out.
I present a possibility, new players hear all the huge null blocs just got demolished so there’s a chance to carve out their own piece of the galaxy. Good or bad in the mind of a new bro?
500-1000 members is not small, small is couple dozen or so.
These player are the ones we need to get rid off anyway, they are a waste, superior players will take their place, this is good.
As the rest of your text, my changes are intended as game-breaking, as current game is trash and boring, everything needs to be changed. Those players that do not want those changes, because of their safe current status needs to be replaced, i don’t care about their satisfaction.
Then go find another safe casual game, EVE is supposed to be superior elite PvP game, it’s supposed to be dangerous and hard, not for the likes of you
It’s a start, it will make betrayals easier, in the future nerf them more and more until they are no more.
His point is it would make guttig significant portion of the corps/alliances assets easier, because there would need to be more “Admin” rights users to hold all of the different corps.
Absolutely. CCP could just roll the dice and gamble the future of EVE, their company, their employees’ livelihoods, the enjoyment of their existing playerbase… All to see what happens. I mean, it might be awesome. What’s there to lose except potentially everything?
I don’t live in null-sec so I don’t necessarily have the information to make an informed suggestion for improving things. I will agree that null-sec has become stagnant (I don’t think that’s any serious revelation, though).
PRovidence is owned by small groups. Cloud Ring is as well. Pure Blind also has smaller groups. Scalding Pass, too. Then there is NPC null sec from where you can easily harass sov holders into giving up.