Planetary control

Posted by prometheus09 on August 15, 2009

The Captains Log 15/8

A contest by Crazy Kinux

 

The goal is to write an article on planetary control and how that would be implemented in EVE. Your article needs to cover what features, game mechanic, game design you would like to see implemented if (or when) planetary control/exploration/exploitation becomes available in EVE.

You’re required to write a two-part article. The first part needs to be a fiction piece that tells a story based on the feature (or game mechanic, game design, etc…) that you would like to see implemented, while the second part would be the actual description of how that would work in game. Each part of your article needs to be a minimum of 300 words (600 word minimum for the whole article).

I’ll be judging the entries and will pick the 5 best articles, amongst which I will randomly choose the winner. This lucky blogger will get to interview a CCP Dev during a podcast with yours truly! Details on the podcast will be provided to the winner prior to the show’s recording.

Part 1

I had been sitting in the Enemies core system since the war began. I had flown around the system in my Buzzard watching them turn it into a Bastion. The entry gates where so heavily bubbled you had fly over100km before you could even warp. The system was cyno jammed so no capital support could get in. They had their battleship and support fleets sitting at the gates ready to destroy anyone who attempted to enter their system. Their dreadnaughts and carriers were at standby at the several outposts in the system ready to reinforce any breach in the armour. Then there were the titans; 27 of them, all in the one system ready to release colossal amounts of energy into space to destroy the fleets that would inevitably arrive. I sat here watching all of this happen. Watching them build their defences. Watching them leave that one tiny chink in their armour unprotected.

I initiated warp to the nearest space elevator, an immense structure protruding out of the planet bellow carrying up resources to be utilised. Some of these resources were used by the space elevators and the stations attached to them. Some was used by the owners to build new ships, modules and ammunitions for the war effort. Most of the resources though went into fuelling the outposts in the system. There were few war vessels this deep in the system as most of them were on the gates or out patrolling the surrounding systems. The patrols that went around to the space elevators were there to cower the civilian population into submission due the recent acts of insurgency, thanks in part to my alliance who had been funding local groups of insurgents.

I leaned across the dashboard and opened up my comm unit.

“Fleet command this is Prometheus09, I am in position and ready to receive the rest of the fleet.”

“Fleet command to Prometheus09; light your cyno and prepare to receive the Phantom Fleet.”

It was time. The defences that had being built up in this system meant nothing to me and my brethren. I uncloaked and lit my Covert Cyno and watched with glee as 300 Stealth Bombers bridged into the system. Every wing had their own target. The space elevator next to me was quickly reduced to scrap metal. Concussion bombs were launched at the unsuspecting enemy battleship fleet that were stuck in their own bubbles reducing two thirds of their fleet into shiny bits dust floating in space. All the while more space elevators were crashing down to the surface of the planets they were tethered to. The enemy tried to respond, they truly did. The insurgents though did their job and locked down the docking bays in the outposts preventing the inevitable response that was to come. When it did come it was too late. The damage had been done. The outposts wouldn’t be receiving any more resources and would soon drop sovereignty in the system, paving the way for our capital fleets.

The beginning of the end was at hand.

 

Part 2

What was all this about?

Basically that short story was about a new method of gaining and taking sovereignty. Under this new system there would be three core structures that would contribute to gaining sovereignty.

1. Outposts: They would basically do the same thing as they down now but also gain sovereignty.

When an enemy attacks an outpost it would be similar to POS bashing – you put it into reinforced, the stront time kicks in and you come back and finish it off. Once it is done it switches over to the attacking force and can’t be attacked again for a set time.

1. Mini Outposts: As the name says they mini outposts. They can do less things (only ship fittings, repairshop, cloning etc) no offices, refining or any of that. They would be vastly cheaper then outposts need fewer resources and would also be destroyable. They can also be upgraded into full outposts.

To take it out follows the same process as full outposts only at the end of the process they are destroyed.

1. Space Elevators: These would be tethered to plants and attached to stations in space. Their job is to haul resources from the planets so that they can be used by both types of outposts. Again these structures would be fairly cheap.

Destroying them would only require a reasonably sized battleship gang to shoot it for a half an hour or so (unless you have 300 stealth bombers). Once they are destroyed another elevator cannot be placed at that resource point for 12 hours or so due to wreckage from the old elevator (though other elevators can be placed at unoccupied resource points).

 

Ok from the story above you would have also noticed that there were multiple outposts in a system. This would be one of the new features available. However, the number of outposts you have in a system is dependent on the resource value of that solar system. Each planet in effect would get a resource value from producing the three main types of resources, minerals, gases and food, though rock planets would produce an abundance of minerals, gas giants would produce more gases and earth like planets producing more food. The resource value of a planet would then determine how many space elevators that planet could have. On a good note I wouldn’t make anyone haul all these resource from a space elevator to the outposts, this would be done automatically by the civilian population (unless the enemy pays them not too)

So this gives an attacking force two possible ways to remove sovereignty in a system.

1. Attack the outposts in the system and either claim them or destroy them. This would require a conventional fleet and capital support.  
2. Destroy the space elevators to stop the flow of resources from planets to the outposts effectively cutting of their fuel. The attackers then could put up their own elevators and outposts. While this may seem easier it is not that easy as you would have to destroy a good number of the elevators and then prevent the enemy from putting more up (remember they are cheap) as well as protect any that you have put up. I would envisions this being done by multiple gangs.

Well that’s my main idea over and done with but there is one more part to go.

Insurgency

When you dock at an outpost you would have the option of paying to create some insurgents (as most alliances don’t allow anyone but themselves to dock you would need a spy in the alliance). Basically you would pay insurgents and gain insurgency points with them (if the station changes hands these are reset). Once you reach a certain number of points you are able to get the insurgents to commit an act of terrorism. Eg preventing ships from undocking, preventing them from docking, knocking out station services, blowing up elevators etc. The more ISK you spend the faster you gain points.

Counter Insurgency

Of course people need a way to counter this, which is again done by funding counter insurgent agencies. The more money you spend the more likely you are to find insurgents. If the enemy is spending large amounts of money it will be easier for you to find the insurgents, while if they are spending less it will be harder for you and you will have to invest more money to find them. Once you locate the insurgents some insurgency points will be removed from the enemy (the more you spend the more you remove, though it is all in relation to the difficulty of uncovering them).

 

In both cases for insurgents and counter insurgents everything is done overtime and is not an instantaneous process.