Warp gates, a way for pvp players to shoot each other and shorten pve routes.

[Gottchar]

The idea isnt new, I just have not seen it in a while.

 

Warp gates which are neutral premade structures located in pve space, somewhat close to planets, which can be used to get to other warp gates, but with a control station in pvp space, where the connection can be set, and a price for travel.

 

Route shortening

It creates a third way for long distance travel (the others being warp and slowboating). So even without adding and direct reward, controlling these is worth your while, as the group in control can travel cheap and quick, while being able to set up a cost for non-group players, in quanta/kilogram. Any non-group players planning to use the warp gate do not risk anything, worst case they arrive and see the price is higher than they expected, and don’t use it.

 

Getting money for pvp

No cargo that got deleted last minute, no elements with lost life or anything, just cold hard cash as income for controlling the station, and cheap travel for mission haulers. All this while even being willingly payed by the pve players.

 

Some communication required, in a dynamic system.

Any gate can only connect to one other gate, which often may not even lead back. The system map shows gates and their current destinations, rates and owners, plan your course and contact any pvp org controlling a gate you might want to have changed. Ask nicely or maybe pay a little.

 

PvPers shooting each other

Now the pvp players can shoot other pvp players, who like that sort of thing, and still get paid by the PvE players

 

Think about it this way:

Currently Mr Rabbit is sometimes shot by Mr Looter and sometimes by Mr Raider. Mr Rabbit is unhappy and the other two would rather have a proper fight.
With this idea, Mr Looter and Mr Raider shoot each other, and whoever is better gets to control the gate the happy Mr Rabbit uses for his transports, and pays for.

 

Fineprint:

This requires, amongst other things, a new system map, which is long overdue anyway, and likely a rebalancing of the npc mission rewards.

Edited February 24, 2022 by Gottchar

[ELX987]

Warp gates will be another way to give instant gratification, which is detrimental to this game as has been shown already, 

 

the only way i see warp gates really working is to bring people to a 2nd solar system, which would be not the best thing for NQ to focus on right now.

 

while yes this would drive PVP, which is a game saver for DU at this point, this In my opinion should wait for now.

 

good idea, not good timing for implementation

[Taelessael]

4 hours ago, Gottchar said:

...This requires, amongst other things, a new system map...

A new map is already on NQ's to do list for the next big patch.
 

 

As for the idea in general... 
-It can't be fuel-free. We'd need some kind of substantial cost (fuel) associated with its use. 

-It shouldn't be as fast as warp. Quick-travel is fine, but the speed of warp is already pushing it a bit too hard given the low cost, and if you make it cost more than warp then nobody will use it anyways..
-It shouldn't allow mission packages to be moved. Part of not being able to warp packages is because it would allow people to make mission runs too quickly, and part of it is so that pirates can have targets. Much as I wouldn't mind the same or more cash faster with fewer Legion and Anarchy ships to avoid, the pirates do need to be able to play too.
-It can't just have 1 point of contest in pvp space. Having only a single point of contest for pvp players would just allow the org/alliance with the biggest navy to concentrate all their forces at one spot, destroying smaller competitors that would try to attack said locations. Multiple points of contest (such as relay stations that need defending along the travel route in pvp space) would allow smaller groups to try and do their thing without having to first fight through the entire navy of a much larger org all at once.

[Vazqez]

piracy is thievery Pirates are parasites

 

not being able to fast warp travel with mission packs is a mistake

 

piracy is destroying this game

 

you just need to calibrate the consumption of warp cells better

[Taelessael]

13 minutes ago, Vazqez said:

piracy is thievery Pirates are parasites

...

piracy is destroying this game...

Your like or dislike of pirates is irrelevant, haulers that keep an eye out and strategize properly avoid all the pirates 99% of the time (I am one of those mission-haulers), so they aren't that bad.

 

16 minutes ago, Vazqez said:

...not being able to fast warp travel with mission packs is a mistake...

Not being able to warp mission packages keeps mission runners like me from destroying the economy by pulling 18million quanta-loops every hour or so without penalizing non-mission-runners that want to warp by requiring them to spend the same number of cells costing the same amount of quanta I could afford were I running such warpable mission-loops.

[Vazqez]

you don't avoid pirates Pirates don't know you're flying

 

when the Pirates find out what missions you are doing, they will find you and destroy you

 

 

[Taelessael]

16 hours ago, Vazqez said:

you don't avoid pirates Pirates don't know you're flying

 

when the Pirates find out what missions you are doing, they will find you and destroy you

They know I'm flying, they know where I'm flying, I have an org-tagged ship and I know they don't like my org (player drama), and they've taken shots at me when I've gotten lazy about avoiding them. In over 100 pvp-space missions I still haven't lost a ship, and I do pay enough attention to radar to know it isn't for lack of them knowing or trying. 

Stay clear of the pipes, take care to avoid anyone seeing your final path away from the pipe, and be both willing and prepared to just turn back in to the safe-zone to go find a different direction to exit it from if you spot a anyone waiting in pvp space.

 

It isn't hard to avoid them, it just takes time and effort.