Current mechanics on the test server allow players to engage in a hacking mini-game to reveal structure vulnerability hour and day. This is a good step, yet more can be done to enhance the ability of attackers to plan a structure siege or ambush a fuel transport.
Opening up ability to see fuel present (only the fuel bay) and approximate fuel use from all standup service modules (does not reveal what service modules are active) would open up the ability for attackers to plan strikes near low fuel / low power windows.
Furthermore, preventing structure owner’s ability to import/export fuel into the structure bay would cement the value of gathering this data.
Structure hacking has gone live. Fuel usage stats are already visible. Foster an Intel gathering network by opening that data up to public view via hacking.
Fuel Stats Encourage More Checks than Reinforcement Timers Alone:
The ability to check both levels in fuel bay and consumed units/day are far more variable than timers that can update once every 7 days. Consider the rise of an intel gathering Signal Cartel for fuel stats. In lawless space, more checks create opportunities for hackers to be ambushed.
Why though? that information serves no purpose if someone just comes on and dumps fuel in the station, and whit no set fuel bay size like the old POS I can put months of fuel in at 1 time if I wish. so why? it will only be usefull against those that have gone afk
You answered the point right there. Even before the addition of fuel caps and fuel bay lockout mechanics, putting years worth of fuel in a structure is in an of itself a ‘statement’ that gains wider visibility if exposed to the hacking mini-game.
If you’re willing to show off ‘fuel for the fuel gods’ in say a wormhole it become an epeen measuring contest.
This mechanic would only benefit wormhole space (which my group operates in) and would be worthless everywhere else. In lowsec serious indy groups keep fuel levels at 1+ months and in null they dump more than that in cause they’re lazy and have fuel to toss around. There’s no intel to gather from fuel levels. This mechanic’s sole use would be for wormhole siege corps to find targets with way too much fuel so they can hopefully get most of it in loot. Which isn’t fair cause in kspace they don’t get loot let alone a cargo scany way to find out what the owners have.
Fuel Intel gathering is a primer for fuel bay lockouts. Lockouts limit ability to add or remove fuel from fuel bay while a block installation is anchored and active.
