Posting again to update my previous post.
A few points from a null-sec resident.
The patch was marketed as reinvigorating null sec, the marketing team did a great job.
This still stands, I think everyone did a great job of marketing the patch and explaining the new features and functionality. I also believe that at it’s core the functionality added to the game was all a really good concept.
After the release of the power requirements, it does seem to be the opposite of ‘reinvigorating’ as it has nerfed sov null’s ability to customise null-sec massively.
Since the release of the deeper systems in Equinox, it’s all been pretty poor news from a null-sec side. Metanox mechanics for repairing structures and carrier changes were fantastic, and are creating good content. The same for the old Skyhooks although I do agree a window of some description was needed.
The isk generation activities in null are still outstripped by other areas, the new mining anoms are still tiny and for the price of holding sov, fueling upgrades, and deploying ships into null you get roughly 30m per hour in a site.
This is the same as Ishtar ratting.
With current prices it takes;
10 hours to buy an average battleship hull
16 hours to buy a fitted T3C
96 hours to plex an account for one month
This can obviously be improved upon by running CRABs in supers, or capitals, but again the risk vs reward is just not there.
With the high barriers to entry of generating ISK in null, it leads to fewer reasons to engage, greater hesitency, less large-scale fights.
Anecdotally (and potentially your data can back it up) Eve was at it’s best during large conflicts. That’s when people knew they could take fights and replace their losses easily.
There’s already very few conflict drivers in null and Equinox makes it worse by stagnating income, reducing the ability for alliances to build tall, and reducing content opportunities with the skyhook windows.
As it stands I believe a starting point to truly ‘reinvigorate’ null sec would be to;
- Increase ratting bounties from new Equinox sites
- Introduce group ratting anoms with payouts similar to Incursions at a high power cost
- Increase mining anoms to have similar payouts to pre-equinox R16 mining
- Hire an economist
- Allow small gangs to disrupt null upgraded systems