I kinda like the mine field where it's at. I think it should be 'moved' closer to the center of the system and made a little longer though.
I also think a corsair station should be added on their side of the minefield as a counter to Palermo. I like the few planets in the system, and the wrecked station to the right as you come in from theta. Most of the system is void of objects though, I think either some wrecks (even non-lootable) and maybe a scrap field should be added to the right / upper-right areas of the system.
The minefield should have a big-ish gap somewhere in the middle between palermo and the corsair station (if one gets added), and corsair/outcast NPC's should be actively fighting within that gap.
edit-
Oh, and I'd also like a jump hole somewhere in the middle (outside of the minefield of course, maybe over in the proposed scrap field) leading to somewhere besides theta/alpha. The new jump hole should lead to somewhere neutral-ish, perhaps sigma 19.
The jump hole to omicron theta should be removed and replaced with a jump hole to omicron gamma to balance things as well.
I agree with the first point, and think that increasing the minefield size, length and height wise is a good plan, If it wew made spherical, the way to the Theta side should at lease be maze like, that way the Outcasts know the way through, but not the Corsairs necessiarily
I agree. My vision of Eta is somewhat the same, with a few tweaks.
Make the minefield ALOT wider and taller with one or two "secret passages" and alot of wrecks in the middle.
Fix the patrols so that they are on thier proper sides.
Add a dockable corsair dread or base somewhere on the corsair side.
Offer missions against the outcasts from the corsair base.
Offer missions against the corsairs from palermo.
Turn that derelict station in the middle into a new freeport.
Move the jumphole from theta to gamma in the upper left.
This indie Corsair thinks it's great, but could use a Sunbucks.
This indie Corsair would also like to see the system poof.... It just feels too much like a magical stadium built for my amusement than an actual system.
this outcast thinks that indie corsair is a crazy old coot, but honestly i dont think a dockable corsair base should be added in...... its just way to close/next door to alpha for that to be done, i can just see it now.... corsair cap ships docking on there coming into alpha en mass destroying everything with theyre pew pew's and then leaving to go back to theyre base 5 mins away.... i honestly think its to close, hell its hard enough as is to notice when theres a full scale invasion coming to alpha or for the corsairs to notice theres a invasion coming to them in gamma nevermind if they where in the system righ tnext door logging on en mass and rolling in.
i personally like to warn people were coming before i go invading but not alot of people are like me and tend to just roll in without uttering a word or even when the place is empty
personally, i consider the whole system an annoyance - something that does not need to be there and is just put there to stretch the distance from alpha to gamma.
but since its there - and since we stick to it.... i would much rather see:
- a normal minefield - one that you can fly through... but one that you take some good damage in if you try.
- gaps in the minefield that allow rather safe passage, and if you wanne make things difficult, you create safe passages not only horizontally, but also vertically ( players tend to think only in 2d, and not in 3d )
- strengthen the stationary defenses - instead of stations, i would much rather like to see stationary battleships / dreadnaughts there. places that are actually worth retreating to.
- NPC patrols only on their own sides - if thats possible.
why a normal minefield? - i don t like the "ancient" minefields with their impenetrable characteristic. - they are not really realistic. - a minefield does not mean that i cannot pass it at all, it means that i m at some great peril when i try - but i still "can". - these minefields though are impossible to pass - there could as well be a solid brickwall - it would make no difference. - so its not a minefield to me, but just a barrier.
i don t know if damage of normal mines can be adjusted - but i would love to see two separate mines there - a dende minefield ( like that in Tau between bretonia / kusari ) that is difficult to steer through and impossible for warships, cause they get stuck. - and some gaps where the mines are not as dense, but are of different kind - maybe nova damage-like - so that they allow warship travel, but can actually damage them ( even if only when someone else shot their shields down )
but the whole minefield should be meant to be passed and not really searched for a passage. - when you fly a fighter, i think you should be able to take the shortcut directly across the mines, - it should be dangerous - but still, you shouldn t need to fly 60k to find a passage.
when you re flying a warship - you d have to look for a passage ( one of many, i d say ) - and the mines in there should be numerous enough to slow down the travel ( so you cannot cruise through ) - if you re now picked by bombers - and your shields go down - the mines should rip you apart ( bombers doing the artillery from afar )
why battleships and not stations? - stations simply don t offer ANY protection. their guns are a joke and their aiming sucks. stationary battleships with stationary BB guns can make a real difference. - a defender pulling back to one of those can survive an attack - and those stations are a threat to even enemy battleships.
the result is
a more dynamic zone. - the fact that fighters can slip through the mines anywhere and warships can be picked whiel they slowly navigate through the mines is more beneficial than flying "around a solid barrier" - especially when everyone knows after a while where to fly to. ( so that the whole idea of the minefield is nothing but annoying people to take a longer and indirect route instead of a direct one )
the own sides jumpholes should be guarded by at least 4 heavy stationary platforms with lasers and missiles ( since its mostly vanilla patrols - the missiles are helpful there ) - since attackers would simply "slip" through the jumphole, such defenses wouldn t be worth much, but they hold campers back.
additionally to that, i d suggest to make the battleshipstations there sell the top gear of the faction - so its actually worth going there. ( cheeta thrusters / infernos for outcasts; supernova, type 8 armour for corsairs )
if ETA is really THE frontline - its logical for the corsairs to have a base there in the shape of a battleship at least ( they have a battleship in 47, too - cause the hessians took over the casablanca base )
Two spawn spheres overlapping each other only the middle will do the job to keep NPCs at each side and having middle a battleground. Omega-5 is the vanilla example of how two-side battlefields like that should be done.
I'd personally prefer to get rid of Eta as a whole!
but since we can't - Signed under Jinx's ideas.
Normal minefield - best across the whole system, respective NPCs on the respective sides and battleships instead of crummy, inaccurate and simply ugly stations.