The thought has been milling around all day, partially because of the DDF after launch thread, partially because of an interview with EVE Goonswarm's Alliance Leader The Mittani that PacalB linked to in that thread (the interview starts about 9 and half minutes in) and partially because ever since I've played EVE I've hated that 'Win at All Costs' mentality that that particular group prefers. It takes the fun out of playing for the casual gamer where one group dominates the game.
What worries me is what would happen to ED if that happened. And how could a group dominate Elite Dangerous?
Now because of EVE's instancing mechanics it means that the Goons would find it difficult to field large fleets in Elite Dangerous. However listening to the interview the Mittani describes how they work around that sort of thing in MechWarrior Online and World of Tanks, where they also have instancing/battlefield limits. Because Elite Dangerous isn't in the arena format I thought; If I was the Mittani, how would I dominate Elite Dangerous?
Obviously the mechanics would make it difficult, but not impossible to dominate completely the central Core Systems, particularly the hubs like Sol and Achenar, Alioth, Lave and a few others. What I would do there would be to observe traffic control /around/ those systems and position groups in key systems where they could dominate what I'll call 'The Principal Instance'. This is the instance that's primary in most systems and would only lead to a secondary instance if player traffic in that system ever went over 32.
A well planned laying out of forces could lead to a group like Goonswarm dominating certain key systems in a perimeter, either around areas of human space, basically blockading access to the inner core worlds or blockading access to the Frontier.
This may seem like scare-mongering, but the Goons are coming to Elite Dangerous and they WILL try to be the dominating force of the game. Their mindset calls out for it. My methodology above is how I'd do it if I had the numbers that the Goons have at their disposal (they have a LOT of people). Basically locking down key star systems by dominating the Principal Instance of those star systems with groups of players stationed around space stations in those systems or dominating the key hyperspace spot.
As for combatting it, there are a few ideas. A) The hated transponder or non-identificating of player ships. B) Random hyperspace spots, there's no one 'entry point'. C) Not giving corporation mechanics ever. For ever really good reason (like the First Great Expedition) there is another that will abuse the mechanics.
This isn't a post against griefers or PvPers (I'm actually pro-PvPer despite not being one as most people who know the history of my posts knows) it's how would a large group go about dominating the game within the mechanics and how could we stop it.
I think this is a bigger issue than the griefing topic (it's related but not the same) as it could be game and community destroying and it's better we discuss it now BEFORE it becomes an issue. Particularly because we know that it will.
Elite Dangerous is about one man, one ship, perhaps flying with a small group of friends. Small Gang Warfare if PvP is what you want, not EVE's mega-fleets. We already have one EVE, we don't need another.
Edit: And the Mittani already states the most impressive game he saw at E3 was... Elite Dangerous: http://themittani.com/news/e3-2014-elite-dangerous-impressions
What worries me is what would happen to ED if that happened. And how could a group dominate Elite Dangerous?
Now because of EVE's instancing mechanics it means that the Goons would find it difficult to field large fleets in Elite Dangerous. However listening to the interview the Mittani describes how they work around that sort of thing in MechWarrior Online and World of Tanks, where they also have instancing/battlefield limits. Because Elite Dangerous isn't in the arena format I thought; If I was the Mittani, how would I dominate Elite Dangerous?
Obviously the mechanics would make it difficult, but not impossible to dominate completely the central Core Systems, particularly the hubs like Sol and Achenar, Alioth, Lave and a few others. What I would do there would be to observe traffic control /around/ those systems and position groups in key systems where they could dominate what I'll call 'The Principal Instance'. This is the instance that's primary in most systems and would only lead to a secondary instance if player traffic in that system ever went over 32.
A well planned laying out of forces could lead to a group like Goonswarm dominating certain key systems in a perimeter, either around areas of human space, basically blockading access to the inner core worlds or blockading access to the Frontier.
This may seem like scare-mongering, but the Goons are coming to Elite Dangerous and they WILL try to be the dominating force of the game. Their mindset calls out for it. My methodology above is how I'd do it if I had the numbers that the Goons have at their disposal (they have a LOT of people). Basically locking down key star systems by dominating the Principal Instance of those star systems with groups of players stationed around space stations in those systems or dominating the key hyperspace spot.
As for combatting it, there are a few ideas. A) The hated transponder or non-identificating of player ships. B) Random hyperspace spots, there's no one 'entry point'. C) Not giving corporation mechanics ever. For ever really good reason (like the First Great Expedition) there is another that will abuse the mechanics.
This isn't a post against griefers or PvPers (I'm actually pro-PvPer despite not being one as most people who know the history of my posts knows) it's how would a large group go about dominating the game within the mechanics and how could we stop it.
I think this is a bigger issue than the griefing topic (it's related but not the same) as it could be game and community destroying and it's better we discuss it now BEFORE it becomes an issue. Particularly because we know that it will.
Elite Dangerous is about one man, one ship, perhaps flying with a small group of friends. Small Gang Warfare if PvP is what you want, not EVE's mega-fleets. We already have one EVE, we don't need another.
Edit: And the Mittani already states the most impressive game he saw at E3 was... Elite Dangerous: http://themittani.com/news/e3-2014-elite-dangerous-impressions
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