Low-Sec still has issues with its risk verses reward. In some respects it is more dangerous than sov-holding null-sec but the rewards are not much better than high-sec. So why bother with low-sec? CCP has done a few things over the last few years to improve things. The DED sites bring in the PVE farmers, as does the Tags4Sec. But still, I'd like to see more opportunity to draw people into low-sec so they may explore Eve further and try to blow me up.
Actually why not reward people directly for blowing me up?
If a Caldari or Amarr Militia pilot blows my ship up, then they get loyalty points to spend in the discounted militia store. The actual amount of LP depends on my ship value plus the destroyed modules and cargo value, its max insurance worth and the estimated current value of a Loyalty Point as calculated by CCP. This is carefully monitored to ensure nobody can make a profit by making an alt in the opposing militia and blowing them up repeatedly for profit*. In a decent fitted ship this LP payout can easily be over a few thousand LP. A good pod (no ship value and no insurance value) can make even more if they have good implants.
Now this only applies to faction war. If you are not Amarr or Caldari miltia you'll normally get nothing for blowing me up. I don't know why, its weird, but for some reason I don't get bounties placed on me that often. Guess I need to smack more in local or something.
However, I am not only a Gallente Militia pilot, I am also a -10 pirate. I say pirate, but the reality is I don't gank neutrals on stargates or at stations, or hunt them down. However, if a neutral turns up at my faction war plex, well he's not there for sight seeing is he? Also if you are in an asteroid belt then you are asking for it!
Should neutrals get some automatic payout for shooting such scourge of low sec as myself? Don't CONCORD want a more safe low-sec? Why do they have gate-guns and issue security status hits if they don't. I would think CONCORD would love to see law-abiding citizens dispensing justice in those areas they cannot.
So, how about CONCORD LP for killing capsuleer (player) pirates?
Surely capsuleer pirates are more of a threat than those of the Guristas or the Angel Cartel? Take the level 4 missions Worlds Collide or Angle Extravaganza. How many ships do you kill in those missions? How much are you outnumbered? 50 to 1? 100 to 1? CONCORD pay bounties in ISK for these run-of-the-mill NPC pirates. I think they'd reward players better for taking down the much more powerful capsuleer pirates.
Why not expand the faction war LP system for player kills to giving all pilots LP points for killing pirate players in low-sec? There needs to be a few ground rules:-
1. The victim must be a full pirate, at least -5.0 sec status or worse.
2. The person collecting the bounty must be positive sec status. No LP for pirate-on-pirate or wannabe-on-pirate.
3. Payout is only applicable in low-sec systems.
The mechanism should be exactly the same as the faction war mechanic. The value of the destroyed ship, module and cargo that is lost plus the maximum insurance payout is taken into account and is compared. The estimated value of a CONCORD LP is calculated and a suitable pot of LP given out to the person getting the final blow and those in his fleet that are on-grid.
This is to make sure that people cannot farm LP and make a profit. The value of the destroyed items must always be greater than the value of the gained LP.
Of course one of the benefits of being in faction war is we get a discounted LP store. A Vexor Navy Issue from the FDU store is significantly cheaper than the Federation Navy store. Could this we done with CONCORD? Could corporations and alliance sign up the DED? Every member needs to be positive security status in the same way standings are used in militia when signing up? May be this is a step too far for the moment?
However I think the LP for pirate kills could really work. How good could that be? Suddenly we have got people looking to farm us pirates!
* Yes, when this first came out the Goons worked out they could fill the cargo bay with little used items, inflate the market prices of those items artificially and make a fortune. This is an exploit and I know a few people to be perma-banned for this "printing of ISK".
If a Caldari or Amarr Militia pilot blows my ship up, then they get loyalty points to spend in the discounted militia store. The actual amount of LP depends on my ship value plus the destroyed modules and cargo value, its max insurance worth and the estimated current value of a Loyalty Point as calculated by CCP. This is carefully monitored to ensure nobody can make a profit by making an alt in the opposing militia and blowing them up repeatedly for profit*. In a decent fitted ship this LP payout can easily be over a few thousand LP. A good pod (no ship value and no insurance value) can make even more if they have good implants.
Now this only applies to faction war. If you are not Amarr or Caldari miltia you'll normally get nothing for blowing me up. I don't know why, its weird, but for some reason I don't get bounties placed on me that often. Guess I need to smack more in local or something.
Should neutrals get some automatic payout for shooting such scourge of low sec as myself? Don't CONCORD want a more safe low-sec? Why do they have gate-guns and issue security status hits if they don't. I would think CONCORD would love to see law-abiding citizens dispensing justice in those areas they cannot.
So, how about CONCORD LP for killing capsuleer (player) pirates?
Surely capsuleer pirates are more of a threat than those of the Guristas or the Angel Cartel? Take the level 4 missions Worlds Collide or Angle Extravaganza. How many ships do you kill in those missions? How much are you outnumbered? 50 to 1? 100 to 1? CONCORD pay bounties in ISK for these run-of-the-mill NPC pirates. I think they'd reward players better for taking down the much more powerful capsuleer pirates.
1. The victim must be a full pirate, at least -5.0 sec status or worse.
2. The person collecting the bounty must be positive sec status. No LP for pirate-on-pirate or wannabe-on-pirate.
3. Payout is only applicable in low-sec systems.
The mechanism should be exactly the same as the faction war mechanic. The value of the destroyed ship, module and cargo that is lost plus the maximum insurance payout is taken into account and is compared. The estimated value of a CONCORD LP is calculated and a suitable pot of LP given out to the person getting the final blow and those in his fleet that are on-grid.
This is to make sure that people cannot farm LP and make a profit. The value of the destroyed items must always be greater than the value of the gained LP.
However I think the LP for pirate kills could really work. How good could that be? Suddenly we have got people looking to farm us pirates!
* Yes, when this first came out the Goons worked out they could fill the cargo bay with little used items, inflate the market prices of those items artificially and make a fortune. This is an exploit and I know a few people to be perma-banned for this "printing of ISK".
I like this.
ReplyDeleteSadly, I believe that some theory crafter somewhere, has already developed a "scam" that will profit billions in ISK by perverting the mechanics of the gameplay and violating the intent of the gameplay.
This is what EVE players are good at. And known for it.
I'd also have to have a long, careful thought of the unintended effects with this kind of arrangement, beyond the ISK printing loopholes. Mainly, my desire would be to prevent null-sec alliances from profiting in any way, shape, or form.
Also, it should reward small gang gameplay (<12 ships) and heavily penalize anthing larger than that.
It should also not be an extermination level event for pirate. Scum they are, but we need every variety of biofilm and slime we can get in EVE.
Give the rats their own LP store. Have it accessible only by pilots of sec status -5.0 or lower, and have it stocked with a few pirate faction modules or ships, based on the region.
DeleteIt's a good idea. I'd like some reason to shoot at the pirates that warp into my plex... beyond clearing their presence from the Empire's justly claimed space, of course.