Excellent thread! The first thing I'd do is form a new events team comprised of admins and devs who's job is to process a new events system and implement changes based on the outcomes of faction earned sieges.
The second thing I'd do is make an official addition of an Official Faction 'challenge system' to allow for factions to conduct (earn) organized challenges over control of select locations/objects. From then on, that new team's #1 job would be processing OF requests to begin event sieges as they come in, and release sub-patches to activate the sieges or to update after we have an outcome. An example of such a system can be found in my threads list. This would shift most story changes to player [faction] driven outcomes, limited to an adjustable set of rules. This system would ensure that story changes occur as regularly as players earn them, hinging on actual in-server activity to propel the system.
Some things I think should change ASAP:
-Remove PVE zones, bring back older style NPC spawns (gunboats/cruisers)
These pve zones are the new economy, and it sucks. They make it far to easy to make fast cash, people can power grind for hours and make hundreds of millions without any interactions, or even leaving a single system. It has killed the economy and seems a drag on performance.
-Remove Multiboxing ban
Time to get as many ships online as we can. Fighting with more than one ship at a time is pretty much hopeless, so who cares if they come across a few ships hauling ore? More to pirate, or more to blow up. Plus we could make more use of carriers.
-Remove Techcompat plugin
If you think about it, by barring a huge amount of crossover equipment/ship combos, we remove a huge amount of reasons to roleplay and enforce RP consequences the entire time...on a roleplay server. It never made much sense, just let it all play out inrp. If someone wants to try using illegal weapons, and make super cool combos, let them, it will only stimulate more to do in game during encounters. Not to mention, any processing that goes on to enforce against mismatches gets removed and we may get a more smoothly running server.
-Add a completely Neutral atmospheric docking point (allowing transports) to the back side of every populated world. (Bring back smuggling).
This would also make it possible for unlawfuls to say they have been visiting lawfully controlled worlds. Basically, if even unlawful transports have one place to dock at on a capital planet, they will try to smuggle again. Even if it's legal cargo, an unlawful transport is still a smuggler. Having the extra option open to all will increase traffic on both sides, and warrant law enforcement to keep a watchful eye more.
-Introduce consumable ammo for defense platform respawns
Base placement rules are fine to me, the risk comes from defense platforms. I would make it a top priority to change the mechanic to require 100 units of some kind of ammo commodity (munitions/armaments) to respawn a defense platform. Technically, a POB could be reduced of its potency just by attacking the defense platforms first, depleting the base's stores of ammunition. The other benefit, would be an addition to the 'real' economy of useful commodities that would generate more need for player supply efforts/economizing.
-POB core 1's need a bump in starting HP and to start with greater storage capacity, better turrets, but much higher build cost.
They also could use some serious default turrets. Too many core 1's go down too fast for players even to notice. They come, lose their POB, and only get driven away by the extreme uphill battle an open POB has to establish itself. The balancing factor should then become the value of a base construction. Base building is too easy for new arrivals. The pitfall for new players is that they can do it too soon after just starting. Add the need for 1 unit of one additional commodity (could be added to capital planets) to build a POB, and give it a 100 million credit cost. So in this new mode, a POB core one could start with 200 million HP (not 20) start with more powerful base turrets, get 60 000 units of starting cargo space, but cost at least 100 million just to build. Then people will need to earn a bit before building, and really give it some thought before risking that kind of expense.
-Set a rule that you cannot siege POB's unless at least one of the declaring individuals/factions also owns a
POB at core level 2 or higher.
It would not need to be public but claimed by at least one individual or faction as an 'HQ' base. Building and maintaining a POB to allow an individual or group to lay siege to other POB's would become standard procedure, and allow for fair battles. No POB attack would come without the ability to counter it with a return attack, or harassmet, if you know where the other side's HQ POB is. If you don't you can get scouting/spying.
-Bring back NEMP's (less potent, lower value)
Everyone loses it at the concept of fighting uneven battles, or the possibility of their faction's bases being sieged and captured by other factions via a challenge system. Yet this can be easily countered by re-introducing a less potent, yet still highly advantageous NEMP weapon. It would only need to be programmed to inflict high damage, not instadeath. Instead of instakilling, just give it like a 500000 hp damage. It may kill smaller ships, but only highly damage large capital ships. Anything would do, and at least all factions would have the ability to build up their arsenal to help compensate for times they are outgunned. Smaller factions like unlawfuls would make the most use of these during attempts to capture lawful stations. Yet smaller corporations defending against unlawfuls may also find they want to keep NEMP's to help ward off waves of attacks. They won't totally win a battle but may help slow down an attack's momentum. It was also really cool to have these to work towards earning, dealing/selling on the market.
-Bring back jump trading
JD4's went totally worthless and it was a huge waste. Jump trading never hurt anyone, it took a huge effort to get that far. I would support (if possible) blocking jumping while containing ores, gases, scrap, salvage, etc. That would mean you couldn't jump the most valuable commodities, we could say they are too difficult to jump when unrefined due residual radiation/ high density, or whatever. But, then, we could still jump trade lesser valued commodities and POB supplies, without effecting major trade routes. That way we could still have a specialized industry for jump supply of bases, and allow for the ability to build far outlying bases.
-Add a system of earnable development options
The one thing that will keep the server functioning is ensuring progress won't be blocked more than encouraged. We need to prevent bias and favoritism by laying out some basic moves players can make to develop changes based on in game achievements and commensurate RP. Options could be added so players can earn bare minimum, yet challengeable changes. Such as,
Building a Jump Gate
Building a trade lane
Building a Mooring Fixture
Building a docking ring (in these cases, on existing planets/moons, or into new ones to signify new colonization). (Costing X units of scidata, or X units of industrial grade ore to purchase)
And keep in mind that with a new challenge system, NPC bases that are built into planets/moons, etc, may be subject to capture by faction challenge. All such changes could be also earnable 'moves' whereas building an object could simply require filing a request for one of the listed 'RP projects' which could cost saved units of ore or scidata. That way, players and factions can always be at work building up materials or currency to keep their options open. When they have enough to spend, they 'buy' the change. Under this mode, the best way to counter player efforts, is in-game. It could be called an 'Official Faction Construction System'.
For these options, most factions would be in the market for the materials to get their new object/station. Technically, there would be a variety of options work towards these goals, or to counter a faction's efforts. The OF challenge system would mean challengers could capture someone else's new docking ring, and after holding it long enough, self destruct it. Or, keep it for themselves. Either way, both systems being linked to OF's give much more perks to maintaining OF's, where currently it can actually be a detriment to bother with officialdom. In both systems, the main driving forces on the server will undoubtedly be OF's that can maintain themselves. With any luck, we may even need to raise the standards for officialdom, not lower them.
There's probably a few more things I'd get to, but this would be an epic start!
![[Image: G38aJ6J.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/G38aJ6J.jpg)