Space Yurts and Ghost Sites

So we have our space Yurts on the server. In case you are wondering what a Yurt is, in our time it is a small potable igloo-shaped home used in Asia. In Eve Online it is a deployable home from home.

It is 50m3 in size packed and you drop it and anchor it like any other deployable structure. Once its in space, this is what you get:-

 

The short stats are.. well... it has a fitting service (like a carrier) and 3000m3 of cargo space. Good for storing and swapping modules, not much cop as a forward base for reshipping. You can stick a packed frigate in there, but there is no way to assemble or launch it so no point.

I tried scanning it down, and got some weird ghosting. There were two mobile depots showing up on the probe scanner but on D-Scan there was only one. Anyway I was able to scan it down fairly easily with sisters combat probes once I found which one it was!

DRACKARN! KILL!

Four volleys from my Naga and it was space dust. It drops a wreck you can loot from.

For me I don't really see much use for this thing tbh.

CCP have also announced another Rubicon feature. Ghost Sites.

Basically these appear to be PvE NPC pirate research centres where you can hack the databank and steal their stuffz. Their stuffz being mainly blueprints for a new faction implant set (the first one to be crafted by players) that gives a bonus to warp speed, materials to make these implants and blueprints for the new depot type deployable structures.

These are timetrial sites, and when you enter one, a hidden clock starts ticking. When the counter reaches zero space-ponies are released, Nyan Cat does a fly past and you get covered in Amarrian custard.

OK, not really, the site detonates in a fecking big bang which will likely destroy your ship!

There appears to be the potental for pirate rats trying to stop you hacking the site, but these have no bounty and no loot so farming these is pointless. The idea for the site is to get in, hack and get out before the pirates say "Oi! That capsuleer is stealing our hard earned research. ACTIVATE THE SELF DESTRUCT!"

The countdown is to be hidden so you have no idea how long you have. I assume CCP has made a formula that randomises the time, may be even linked to the quality of the loot. Something like 3 minutes +/- 0 to 45 seconds.

Nothing really there to interest me personally. The implants are niche. With the interceptor rebalance, warping changes and this implant, 'ceptor pilots will be keen to get one of these. Then again if they are really expensive are pilots going to risk them in null-sec and wormhole space? Many won't risk low-grade faction implants in low-sec even. That might limit their appeal. Time will tell but I don't think these are going to be anywhere near as popular as a Slave or Snake set. Outside of PvP I do see freighter pilots eyeing these up, especially after the warp changes meaning their slow-boating becomes slooow-boating in Rubicon. As freighters are 99% confined to warping around high-sec, I think some freighter pilots will splurge on some new hi-grade implants to cut off a chunk of their time spent in warp.

Me? I'm assuming their will be an acceleration gate to enter these Ghost complexes. These sites do not have to be scanned down and will pop up apparently. Whether this will be straight onto overview or in the scanner window like faction war plex I don't know. I guess CCP don't want new-bros to warp to this funny thing and then DIAF when the site goes boom as they "explore" without reading any pop up thoroughly. So if I come across one I'll grab a Cockbag Thrasher and sit outside it on the gate. Surprise!

One thing that does make me happy is that the blue print for the Omega implant only drops in low-sec and wormhole space. Along with the tags-4-sec introduced earlier this year it goes somewhat further to balance the woefully unbalanced risk vs reward in low-sec. Anything to atract more people to low-sec, so I can shoot them, is a good thing!

I'm a bit surprised that the loot component required to build all of the six implants only drops in high-sec. I assume CCP were worried about supply and cost if it dropped in more dangerous places. PI materials and Trit are also required but I doubt the demand for these implants will make any sort of ripples in the PI market whatsoever.

So two new bits of Rubcon... not really much for me personally.