Destructible Outposts ?

There was quite a bit discussed here but the #1 request the CSM made is that we want to blow up stations. Destructible Outposts are going to be absolutely key to any kind of sov revamp. In the past, for Dominion, the idea was to have wreckable stations that you would be able to repair. Progress on several fronts has apparently made it possible to completely destroy player built outposts. 'Possibly' does not mean with 100% certainty that it will happen, but it's looking more likely than ever before. Obviously the mechanics of what to do with people's stuff need to be worked out but I feel like CCP is now on-board with the fact that big explosions are good things. I'm very curious to see where all of this leads.

Another big topic in this session was how NPC stations in 0.0 affect null sec warfare. Looking at ways to put more control in the hands of the players is something else CCP Soundwave and his team will be looking at this next year.

The old 'Farms & Fields' topic came up again, along with moon goo re-balancing and other sov / null sec-related incomes. There is a lot to do here but for the first time in years CCP seems to have the resources and the mindset to actually tackle and resolve many of the old issues that continue to plague us all.

The CSM reiterated its desire for destructible outposts. The CSM noted that prior to Dominion, punitive wars of conquest were possible and occurred regularly, yet due to the costs of the Dominion system alliances cannot engage in punitive conquest. (Under Dominion territory must be occupied and paid for, rather than razed and claimed with only a minimal POS footprint, as under


the previous sov system.) The CSM believes that destructible outposts would allow alliances to burn each other’s territory down without needing to occupy and inhabit that territory.

The CSM is completely united in its desire to see destructible outposts, and views the question as a “when," not an “if”. The CSM noted that there are a number of ideas about how to best implement destructible outposts, ranging from complete destruction to a repairable wreck to a system that moves the assets in the destroyed outpost to the nearest NPC station.

CCP asked for ideas about how to handle asset distribution from a destroyed outpost. The CSM offered the idea of a ‘forced fire sale’ initially conceived by CSM Two Step, where the assets lost in a destroyed outpost are automatically put up for auction, ensuring that the victim gets compensation for the lost assets as a large part of the auction fee would go to the owner of the items. CCP suggested that as an alternative, the lost items could be impounded in the nearest NPC station, or some equivalent.

The CSM recognizes that the question of lost assets must be handled with sensitivity and that in the modern gaming environment CCP cannot just blow up everything in a station and have it vanish forever.

CCP asked if this feature might be a disincentive that inhibits players from moving to nullsec; the CSM noted that outpost destructibility should not be implemented in a vacuum, but rather as part of a package of other improvements to sovholding nullsec.

CCP and the CSM agreed that the question of asset destruction or distribution must be handled with extreme care.


Station Services on NPC Nullsec Stations

The CSM noted that the most optimal alliance type in terms of income and power projection presently has no sov at all; the so-called ‘Iceberg’ alliances which live in NPC stations, amass supercapitals, and hold high-value moons for income. (This is because the largest sources of income available to alliances are technetium moons, which have no requirement of sov-holding, and these income sources are easily defended by a large supercapital fleet. By contrast, holding sov is a drain on alliance income.)

The CSM noted that if outposts are going to be destructible, it is important for CCP to balance NPC nullsec stations as well. The CSM advocated adding station services to NPC nullsec stations which can be disabled, like the services on a conquerable station. Unlike a conquerable station’s services, which need to be repaired by players, these NPC station services would regenerate over time.

The CSM stated that something like this is necessary so that sov-holding alliances can retaliate against non-sov alliances using NPC stations as risk-free launchpads for invasion against sovholders. The CSM noted that it doesn’t wish to have an entire region of NPC stations disabled, which is why regeneration of disabled services on NPC stations is needed. The CSM is concerned by the use of NPC stations in large-scale alliance warfare, but at the same time does not want retaliatory attacks against the stations to unduly impact small-gang activity.

CCP offered a suggestion of having a capital-only docking service added to NPC stations that could be disabled. The CSM agreed that this might work, as long as the service would regenerate over time.

CCP asked if station service hitpoints are too high. The CSM said they are fine, as they are supposed to be difficult to disable. CCP asked if they should be turned into a target for small gangs, with lower EHP; The CSM said no.