Shadow of Cerberus EVE Community Forum

Perhaps Some Reasonable Changes to Sovereignty Mechanics

If you try to make sovereignty mechanics harder on the big guy, you will only end up making it doubly hard for the little guy.

Yes, making sovereignty more accessible for the little guy will make it easier for the big guy. There is no way around that. But, just because you make it easier for the little guy to have some effect in sovereignty nullsec, does not mean that the big guy is just going to automatically roll over everybody.

Two things will stop the big guys from rolling through nullsec, taking everything in their paths. Other big guys. And costs.

This post isn't about a nullsec revamp. It's just about a few "reasonable things" changes that could make sovereignty mechanics a tad more bearable for everyone, and allow a few more options for the little guy.

Have you ever tried slow-boating a freighter through nullsec? It's rarely ever done. Even with large support fleets. For good reason. It's a good way to lose a freighter.

Infrastructure hubs only fit into freighters. Basically CCP is telling everyone that unless you own a titan you shouldn't be thinking about owning space. Because if you want to place an iHub, you don't slowboat a freighter to the location, you titan bridge it in.

Super simple change. Lower the m³ of infrastructure hubs so that they can fit into a jump freighter.

If a defender wants to actually defend a system that is under attack, they should have to show some good faith in their desire to defend. If they do not wish to defend, then the system is easier to take.

iHubs and stations currently have two timers. Basically reduce these structures to single timers, unless a defender shows a desire to defend, at which point a second timer is added.

How does this work? Any time during the first reinforcement timer, the defender has to drop some amount of "fuel" into the structure. The amount of "fuel" required is such that a jump freighter is necessary for the refueling. The cost of said "fuel" should be in the neighbourhood of 50M to 100M ISK. Enough cost to show intent. If the defender does this, then a second timer is added. If the defender does not do this, then the attacker only has to deal with a single timer.

This allows uncontested space to be conquered more quickly. It also encourages to sov-holding entities to make choices, especially when they have multiple systems under attack.

Reduce online timers for SBUs from three hours to seven minutes. Basically a fifteen minute process, eight minutes to anchor, and seven minutes to online. This three hour business is simply another way to frustrate players and keep them from actually playing the game.

This allows players to get to the business of attacking systems more quickly.

It takes too many ships to threaten a system effectively. Reduce hitpoints and resistances on all sov structures across the board. Perhaps by 50%.

Sure, that means that the big guys can take systems more quickly, but it also means that the big guys are under increased threat.  If Black Legion and friends were to attack five different systems across CFC territory at once, the CFC would be hard-pressed to defend them all, even given force projection.

If groups like the CFC and N3 want to own a third of nullsec each, they should be under constant stress of attack. This makes guerilla actions against the big guys more viable.

Reduce the base cost of sovereignty from 84M ISK per pay period to 10M ISK. This allows little guys to afford a few systems or a constellation of sovereignty to play around with.

Increase the cost of jump bridge upgrades (Advanced Logistics Network) by 50% (i.e., make force projection more expensive.)
Source: Perhaps Some Reasonable Changes to Sovereignty Mechanics

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