This is an idea I have presented before, but I believe it is relevant given all the PvP / PvE discussions lately:
Theory:
The main reason for the PvP hatred is that it doesn't happen by choice. Being blown out of the sky for no reason can happen anywhere, any time, with little to no consequence for the attacker. For PvE'ers that aren't specialised in combat, or even good combat pilots that haven't spent a large amount of time engineering, there is very little to do about this other than escaping (which still wastes time and is annoying compared to not being attacked) or moving to PG or Solo.
Solution:
Ensure that the different system security states actually mean something, AND give incentives for moving into more dangerous areas of space.
1. System Security. The security response in a high security system should be near instant and overwhelming. The defending ship should only have to be able to survive say 15 seconds before the attacker is swarmed by god-like system security ships and nuked to oblivion. Scale this progressively down to where low sec is more or less like medium sec is now, and anarchy is just that, anarchy.
2. Security State. Make the system security state obvious. Make a tutorial that explains to new players that they should remain in high sec systems, plot routes through high sec systems, and only take missions to high sec systems if they wish to remain safe.
3. Rewards. Make rewards for taking missions going to low sec or anarchy systems considerably higher (twice?) what you would get for a similar mission in high sec. Same for CG's - higher risk = higher reward. Ensure that this is true also in Solo by populating low sec systems with aggressive highly engineered pirates, bounty hunters and psychos.
4. Locations. Spread the system security states out according to some logic. Make some areas of the bubble dangerous, others safer, create crime hotspots, maybe connected to large material deposits (gold rush style).
Summary:
In short, make PvP a player choice even in Open. Stray out of high sec and you risk getting shot at. For me this would mean that instead of getting killed and thinking "what an ing *** he was" I'd think "damn, I should have stayed in high sec because I suck". It would be my choice to risk leaving high sec for a higher reward or a lucrative CG.
Would this entice anyone else back into Open? Edit: Assuming of course that you are interested in player to player interactions at all - if not then there is no reason to not be in Solo
Theory:
The main reason for the PvP hatred is that it doesn't happen by choice. Being blown out of the sky for no reason can happen anywhere, any time, with little to no consequence for the attacker. For PvE'ers that aren't specialised in combat, or even good combat pilots that haven't spent a large amount of time engineering, there is very little to do about this other than escaping (which still wastes time and is annoying compared to not being attacked) or moving to PG or Solo.
Solution:
Ensure that the different system security states actually mean something, AND give incentives for moving into more dangerous areas of space.
1. System Security. The security response in a high security system should be near instant and overwhelming. The defending ship should only have to be able to survive say 15 seconds before the attacker is swarmed by god-like system security ships and nuked to oblivion. Scale this progressively down to where low sec is more or less like medium sec is now, and anarchy is just that, anarchy.
2. Security State. Make the system security state obvious. Make a tutorial that explains to new players that they should remain in high sec systems, plot routes through high sec systems, and only take missions to high sec systems if they wish to remain safe.
3. Rewards. Make rewards for taking missions going to low sec or anarchy systems considerably higher (twice?) what you would get for a similar mission in high sec. Same for CG's - higher risk = higher reward. Ensure that this is true also in Solo by populating low sec systems with aggressive highly engineered pirates, bounty hunters and psychos.
4. Locations. Spread the system security states out according to some logic. Make some areas of the bubble dangerous, others safer, create crime hotspots, maybe connected to large material deposits (gold rush style).
Summary:
In short, make PvP a player choice even in Open. Stray out of high sec and you risk getting shot at. For me this would mean that instead of getting killed and thinking "what an ing *** he was" I'd think "damn, I should have stayed in high sec because I suck". It would be my choice to risk leaving high sec for a higher reward or a lucrative CG.
Would this entice anyone else back into Open? Edit: Assuming of course that you are interested in player to player interactions at all - if not then there is no reason to not be in Solo
Last edited: