In light of the many DUST PvE threads, I thought IGÇÖd post my GÇ£visionGÇ¥ for how DUST could implement PvE in an interesting way that is closely tied to EVE, and also has the elements of PvP pirating, and potential for brutal backstabbing. I think this system would be reasonable in scope, and certainly less ambitious than many of the other proposals. It also has the potential for being expanded through iteration over time by adding things like 0-G combat, or fighting in a vacuum, different structures, different NPCs, different scenarios, etc. It's a very "New Eden" way of doing PvE IMO.

It begins with an EVE player fitting their ship with 2 new modules, a clone torpedo launcher and a CRU, as well as buying clones from the market (i.e. buy them from PC corps selling spare clones). The EVE pilot will scan down a site via probes and fly to it. They will target the siteGÇÖs wreck and launch several clone torpedoes whose nose penetrates the hull of the wreck, creating a seal and then opens up allowing the merc access to the interior of the wreck. The clones need to recover some highly valuable new resource (such as a special datacore or something). Each torp will contain a single clone (perhaps a full squad).

Once the squad has boarded they will progress through the drone-infested wreck interior. They share coms with each other and also the EVE pilot. As the Mercs progress to their objective, fighting drones, they may trip security traps, these may release waves of NPC rats that will attack the EVE pilot. There may be opportunities for the EVE pilot to assist mercs via targeted bombardments of the exploration wreck as well. Perhaps Mercs could gain access to the wreckGÇÖs weapons systems and help take out rats by activating/repairing/recalibrating the wreckGÇÖs turrets.

Now it may be possible for competing EVE pilots to also scan down this particular site and launch their own team of mercs to hijack the objective and/or take out the first merc squad. If in hisec, the EVE pilots cannot directly attack each other without concord reciprocity (unless flagged per usual EVE PvP mechanics), but they can assist their own clones and use targeted strikes to take out the competing merc teams without getting Concorded. Once the objective has been recovered, the merc squad will need to make it back to their torpedo for extraction. If one of your mercs gets KOd, they can be needled back as usual, but if theyGÇÖre completely killed, theyGÇÖll need to respawn in the EVE shipGÇÖs CRU and get re-deployed via another torp, expending one of the clones in the EVE pilotGÇÖs cargo, and torp ammo. This incentivizes good fits. Mercs are paid ISK for their trouble by the EVE pilot via contract, and the EVE pilot recovers the resource to sell on the market. If your EVE pilot is destroyed or abandons you, the Mercs will be forced to suicide to return to their quarters, getting nothing for their trouble. Alternatively they could contact another EVE pilot via chat with their current system info to sell their services and get a ride home + payout from the new pilot. e.g. Corp Chat > Hey, we lost our ride home, Any EVE pilots want a {valuable thing}? Come scan us down, weGÇÖre in {system}. 10mill ISK.

The key to this concept is making the resource valuable enough that EVE pilots can pay DUST mercs well and still make better ISK/hour than most other activities.

What do you think?