03-14-2018, 04:36 PM
After gathering some experience as a POB owner and being somewhat in tune with the drama around POBs over the years, here are some thoughts on them, with solutions/mitigations to problems.
Technically, they’re a great addition to the mod that has potential to be fun and creative and give people more reasons to play. But there are ways in which they also do harm to gameplay:
Therefore I propose the following fixes. They require no mod changes or programming, only changes in rules and IRP laws.
1. Creation of dedicated areas for POB construction, where bases are protected by IRP laws and server rules as long as they obey certain laws/rules. Admins should offer to move existing bases to these locations on request, and manage those zones if there’s no government or faction willing to manage them in a reasonable non-abusive way. Part of the placement would be to have certain "slots" with fixed /pos positions available for construction. These will enable to build neat rows and keep them from blocking traffic. Wreas would differ in nature and have differing laws, but should focus activity onto certain areas. For example:
2. Building bases closer than 15 k to mining fields and jump holes/gates (but not trade lanes) will be against rules and they also receive no protection from attack via rules or IRP laws (admins should offer to move bases that currently violate this).
3. All bases should have their crew (and thereby food/water/oxygen consumption) and wear and tear damage decreased dramatically, so people don’t become slaves to their bases, can keep them unattended for longer, and don’t have to spend so much time doing boring and detrimental things. I think it’s possible to do that without additional programming already.
This would require adding the following rules:
-Bases built closer than 15 k to mining fields or jump holes/gates will be deleted by server administrators, and receive no protection against attacks from players.
-Bases situated in protected areas may only be attacked if they violate the area’s regulations. Protected areas are collectively managed by admins, official factions, and governments.
And the following IRP laws:
-Bases manufacturing equipment must be built in designated industrial areas.
-Designated low Budget zones provide protection for Core 1 bases which follow the rules of the regulations of management.
Technically, they’re a great addition to the mod that has potential to be fun and creative and give people more reasons to play. But there are ways in which they also do harm to gameplay:
-Bases currently give players the opportunity to completely destroy other players’ creations and hard work, which has already caused countless players to leave and unmeasurable amounts of hatred.
-Bases currently give players the ability to block or “own” areas of space, inhibiting other players’ freedom.
-Bases currently force owners to invest time shipping food, water, oxygen, and alloy, while taking care to avoid pirates and people who want to harm their base. Every additional hour spent doing boring shipping avoiding interaction is an hour less having fun interacting with people, because people have limited time to spend on discovery.
-Bases currently spread players out, away from busy routes and activity hubs, because bases tend to be built in remote or secret places. That leads to even less player interaction.
-Bases currently give players the ability to block or “own” areas of space, inhibiting other players’ freedom.
-Bases currently force owners to invest time shipping food, water, oxygen, and alloy, while taking care to avoid pirates and people who want to harm their base. Every additional hour spent doing boring shipping avoiding interaction is an hour less having fun interacting with people, because people have limited time to spend on discovery.
-Bases currently spread players out, away from busy routes and activity hubs, because bases tend to be built in remote or secret places. That leads to even less player interaction.
Therefore I propose the following fixes. They require no mod changes or programming, only changes in rules and IRP laws.
1. Creation of dedicated areas for POB construction, where bases are protected by IRP laws and server rules as long as they obey certain laws/rules. Admins should offer to move existing bases to these locations on request, and manage those zones if there’s no government or faction willing to manage them in a reasonable non-abusive way. Part of the placement would be to have certain "slots" with fixed /pos positions available for construction. These will enable to build neat rows and keep them from blocking traffic. Wreas would differ in nature and have differing laws, but should focus activity onto certain areas. For example:
a) “Industrial zones” where factories may be built. Base construction must be requested on the forum and obey naming, positioning, and reputation requirements. These zones should be near IRP industrial bases (Baltimore Shipyard in liberty or Planet Akabat in Mu for example), with good visibility to all players and attached to trade lanes or busy routes. The bases should be encouraged to allow public docking and buy materials needed to build equipment.
b) “Low budget space colonies” Kind of like a trailer park, where players can build core 1 bases to stash and exchange their stuff. People are free to build as they please in those areas, but will have their base destroyed if it violates the trailer park owners rules (no excessively stupid placing, no prohibited goods or factions, no weapons platforms, no factories). These zones should be in “cheap” places that aren’t central but still close to a lane or base (for example near planet Pittsburg for liberty lawfuls or near Niverton or Gonzales Station for unlawfuls)
b) “Low budget space colonies” Kind of like a trailer park, where players can build core 1 bases to stash and exchange their stuff. People are free to build as they please in those areas, but will have their base destroyed if it violates the trailer park owners rules (no excessively stupid placing, no prohibited goods or factions, no weapons platforms, no factories). These zones should be in “cheap” places that aren’t central but still close to a lane or base (for example near planet Pittsburg for liberty lawfuls or near Niverton or Gonzales Station for unlawfuls)
2. Building bases closer than 15 k to mining fields and jump holes/gates (but not trade lanes) will be against rules and they also receive no protection from attack via rules or IRP laws (admins should offer to move bases that currently violate this).
3. All bases should have their crew (and thereby food/water/oxygen consumption) and wear and tear damage decreased dramatically, so people don’t become slaves to their bases, can keep them unattended for longer, and don’t have to spend so much time doing boring and detrimental things. I think it’s possible to do that without additional programming already.
This would require adding the following rules:
-Bases built closer than 15 k to mining fields or jump holes/gates will be deleted by server administrators, and receive no protection against attacks from players.
-Bases situated in protected areas may only be attacked if they violate the area’s regulations. Protected areas are collectively managed by admins, official factions, and governments.
And the following IRP laws:
-Bases manufacturing equipment must be built in designated industrial areas.
-Designated low Budget zones provide protection for Core 1 bases which follow the rules of the regulations of management.