Inner Sanctum of the Ninveah: Low Sec = Wild West

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Low Sec = Wild West

Welcome to the twenty-first 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 to crazykinux@gmail.com. Check for other EVE Blog Banter articles at the bottom of this post!

This month topic comes to us from @ZoneGhost who a few month ago asked "Is Low Sec the forgotten part of EVE Online?" Is it? I'd like us to explore this even further. Is Low Sec being treated differently by CCP Games than Null Sec (Zero-Zero) or Empire space is? Can one successfully make a living in these unsecured systems where neither Alliance nor Concord roam to enforce their laws? What's needed? Or is everything fine as it is? * * * * *
The biggest problem with low sec is that people who wish to not be pirates (aka anti-pirates) cannot enforce security without incurring the wrath of security status loss (requiring a lot of work to regain through boring ratting/missions) and coming under fire from the sentry guns if you engage hostiles whose sec status has not dropped below -5.

That being said, I don't think low sec is all that bad as people often claim. Its OK in my opinion to have a part of space not populated to the brim with pilots. Some wilderness to get lost in and sneak around in is fine, the danger of pirates around every gate a nice tension compared to the relative peacefulness of high sec and security channels of null sec.

Perhaps some increase in rewards in low sec is warranted, and perhaps some aspects of the criminal element like smuggling, black markets, bribery, bounty hunting could be addressed. I have some rough ideas but I know a lot of people like Mynxee of Life In Low Sec have been making tremendous efforts to address Low Sec and make it more vibrant so I'll defer to their expertise on the issue.

I will say that I would like to see some ability to claim systems in low sec for corporations/alliances much like space in 0.0 is claimed. I don't know what that would entail but I think it would be really cool to have little empires in corners of low sec that have some security and some advantages over just living in a station in unclaimed low sec.

Participants:

3 comments:

Kenza8:59 am
Quite true.
If only the sub-profession of an anti-pirate is made...
Check out my post and advise.
TQVM

http://omnisarcanumofeve.blogspot.com/2010/09/is-ccp-indifferent-to-developing-low.html
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Calderus Rex5:11 pm
There have been some good ideas on this banter, and I'm sure Mynxee's work will produce a GREAT combined plan. And you make some good point KK.

One thing I think people are missing though is that part of what makes low sec special is that it CAN'T be dominated by a single (large) group and there is no reason to live there other than PVP. Giving it uniquely valuable resources and/or sov-lite may fall under the law of unintended consequences and basically turn it into a flavor of 0.0.

I suggest we don't put unique, static resources there or you will turn it into another form of 0.0, where the valuable resources attract teh blob.

Your post sparked a few ideas - maybe treat it like a Wild West gold rush with resource hot spots that are discovered, consumed in days or a month, and then disappear to be discovered elsewhere. There would be periodic gold rushes in different regions. Sprinkle a few more small scale static resources, like the static 2/10s, which are great for 1-3 pilots to support themselves, but no where near attractive for corps or alliances. And then reduce gate gun timers from 15 mins to 5 and you've created a dynamic environment that encourages PVP but discourages huge blobs from taking permanent residence.

Nice post though m8.
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Mat Westhorpe1:55 pm
I didn't read this post until I'd published my blog banter, but I think we're singing from the same song-sheet.

I would love to see corporations within single systems gain benefits by banding together to form posses and local enforcement fleets. Essentially mini-alliances. The mechanic could be perfect for the formation of smaller multi-corp organisations which may then evolve into an organisation capable of expanding into nearby null-sec.

This would still allow pirates to thrive in the wilderness areas, but would create a frontier-town/homestead type community.

I want it. And I want it now.
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Low Sec = Wild West

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