Welcome to the eighth installment of the EVE Blog Banter , the monthly EVE Online blogging extravaganza created by CrazyKinux. The EVE Blog Banter involves an enthusiastic group of gaming bloggers, a common topic within the realm of EVE Online, and a week to post articles pertaining to the said topic. The resulting articles can either be short or quite extensive, either funny or dead serious, but are always a great fun to read! Any questions about the EVE Blog Banter should be directed here . Check out otherEVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!This month's topic comes to us from me, Ga'len at The Wandering Druid of Tranquility. He asks: "What new game mechanic or mechanics would you like to see created and brought into the EVE Online universe and how would this be incorporated into the current game universe? Be specific and give details, this is not meant to be a 'nerf this, boost my game play' post like we see on the EVE forums."
So in general, when I approach a system as complicated as EVE my first thought is to keep any additions simple. Sure I could write a three page dissertation on how to work out naught dot naught sovereignty, and it may even be something workable. Unfortunately it would take insane amounts of time to build, test and rebuild until it actually worked. For in iterative process like design, in a complex system like EVE it's better, in my opinion, to keep it small with a strong but flexible core concept.
In that case, my thought would be the introduction of two new modules and eight new ships. Tech one module, tech two module, four racial tech one ships, and four racial tech two ships. There would be BPOs available for the four main ships and tech one module, and faction BPCs from each faction's logistics corp's LP stores for the tech two ships and module. BPOs would be kept sparring initially, and distributed at through the stations that the tech two BPCs are also available at.
The module would be a "Large Tractor Beam" in the high slot, requiring 450 pg, and 200 cpu and limited to battleship class ships. The function of the module would be to drag ships up to 11,500,000 kgs, towards the ship initiating the tractor beam. The engine output of target ship will be cut by 45% assuming only this module is acting on it, and they will be pulled in at a rate of 200 m/s. If they turn into the pull, it will act as a speed bonus, and if they turn away it will act as a debuff. The percentage of the 200 m/s presently effecting the ship's forward speed will be a scale of -100% to 100% from 0 degrees difference to 180 degrees difference. Optimal range of the module would be 25km. Tech two variant would be 450 pg and 280 cpu as well as a range of 27km. Multiple modules can be stacked so long as they originate from the same ship.
The tech one ship class would be Tugboats, battle cruiser class but with the capability of using large tractor beams with a 25% fitting bonus. Cargo capacity would generally be about 200 m3 larger than usual, and they will usually have drone damage bonuses and large drone bays, their primary bonus though will be 5% per level to tractor beam range. On average they should have five high slots, and depending on their races primary tanking skills about six slots for their main tank with about three for the last row. Generally speaking, their shields and armor should be above average for BCs, but with few turret or missile slots. Movement should also be in the 100 m/s range, with Minmatar being the fastest at 135 m/s.
The tech two Tugboat, Fleet Tug, has almost the same bonuses as their tech one brethren as well as a 5% bonus to shield or armor resists per level. The natural resists should allow players to get 55% for their weakest resist, 65% for the second weakest, 70% for the second strongest and 74% for the strongest as base resist values. Cargo capacity is the same as a tech one tug before any bonuses. They should have 10% more shields and armor, and 20% more PG and CPU. 1 more high slot, and an average of 3 additional slots split between mid and low depending on racial focus. The replacement of the original role bonus to fitting, they gain the role bonus of being able to tug capital ships at an 85% reduction to the pull rate.
The only skills I would add would be (racial) Fleet Tug for the ship, and Fine Tractor Beam Calibration for a 5% bonus to large tractor beam capacitor usage.
All told, this would require one additional physics calculation, twenty five new items and two new skills. The primary beneficiaries are corporations who have already mastered most of fleet combat and are looking for some additional tactical diversity. If tech one tugboats could be manufactured and sold for under a hundred million, they would make ideal ships for cleaning up missions or even running level 3 and early level 4 missions.
PS. Take all hard numbers with a grain of salt. I never write down exact numbers in a first draft design spec, since only play testing can get you to the point where fine tuning is possible.
This month's topic comes to us from me, Ga'len at The Wandering Druid of Tranquility. He asks: "What new game mechanic or mechanics would you like to see created and brought into the EVE Online universe and how would this be incorporated into the current game universe? Be specific and give details, this is not meant to be a 'nerf this, boost my game play' post like we see on the EVE forums."
Ga'len my friend, you are one bright star in the New Eden universe! But seriously, game mechanics? Who do you think I am, Hilmar? Listen, before I wreck havoc to the inner workings of EVE, I'll let game design and game mechanics to the Intertubes Gnomes and stick to what I know! Socializing of course!
When I'm not blogging or making a podcast (been a long time) about EVE, I'm either running missions, transporting ore from a mining operations back to a station or a Phoenix Labs POS, or mostly likely docked at a station, chatting in 4 or 5 different in-game channels! I've always thought that there was a more entertaining way to chat with a few corp mates while docked, waiting for a corp ops to start, or at the end of a long mining session.
Back at Fanfest 2008, we had the chance to see the development of mini-games during the Walking-in-Station demo. Well actually, we've only had the chance to see one of these games, but it struck a cord. Flash forward a few months, and we still don't have WiS, but why couldn't we have those mini-games?
Why couldn't I play with a mate in another station, 30 jumps away? The opportunity exists to create mini-games that could be as addictive as SecWars, or Defense Grid for that matter. And I'm sure that we could come-up with 10 of these together quite easily. You could play for fun, for ISKs, for modules, ships, or whatever you want to gamble. We could have tournaments, just like we have the Alliance Tournament! Or we could simply have a one-on-one! Oh the possibilities!!
List of Participants:
- CrazyKinux's Musing, EVE Blog Banter #8: Care for a little game of SecWars?
- The Wandering Druid of Tranquility, Wow, that new thing is so shiny!!!
- I am Keith Nielson, EVE Blog Banter #8 - Return of the Top Gun
- Once More from the Beginning, 8th EVE Blog Banter May 2009 Edition
- A merry life and a short one, EVE Blog Banter #8: In the Year of Our Awesome
- Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah, Planets
- Helicity Boson, Bantering the blog
- Achernar, Unique adventures
- Ecliptic Rift, OOC: EVE Blog Banter 8: Standings and secondary factions
- The New Edener, EVE Blog Banter #8
- Journey to New Eden, Eve Blog Banter #8: What new mechanic should be added to Eve?
- One Man And His Spaceship, Blog Banter 8 - Something new to ponder about
- Life, The Universe and Everything, Blog banter 8: mentorship
- EVE Guru, EBB 8: Yarr! Prepare to be boarded!
- The Ralpha Dogs, Greed Is Good, Greed Works
- Rifter Drifter, Blog Banter 8: Strategic Gunnery
- A Mule in EVE, Expanding EVE
- Letrange's EvE Blog, 8th Blog Banter
- Roc's Ramblings, Blog Banter #8
- The Nude Nerd, Blog Banter #8
- Scop's Log, Blog Banter #8: "We're caught in a tractor beam! It's pulling us in!"
- Speed Fairy, EVE Blog Banter #8: Charisma Tanking
- Industrialist with Teeth, EVE Blog Banter #8: It’s Like Tetris for OCD People
- Diary of a Pod Pilot, EVE blog banter #8: Killing in the name of
- Talk Unfraid, Physical Communications
- Sceadugenca, EVE Blog Banter #8: Fighter-Class Ships and Sqadrons
- Kyle Langdon's Journeys in EVE, 8th Blog Banter
- Into the Unknown, Eve Blog Banter #8: Player Bases
- EVE's Weekend Warrior, EVE Blog Banter #8
- Life in Low Sec, Blog Banter #8: The Exasperation Factor
- Symptom of a Greater Cure, EVE Blog Banter: #8 - Tug Me Away
- More to come...
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