I know nothing about you? I didn't even mention NS in my post. I merely pointed out that some people created a problem that spilled over into the generally community and forced CCPs hand into making changes. Its not my fault you saw yourselves in my description of the problem. You can justify whatever you did all you want and discuss your "rights" as much as you like. Wont change whats already happened.

What i was stating was not opinion it was just fact. If things hadn't of gone down the way they did CCP wouldn't have to fix a created problem. Im just saying dont blame CCP for trying to clean up a mess. Blame the folks who made a mess in the first place.

But if it makes you feel better, im sure NS are not exclusively to blame.

Its very simple. There was a freedom, people used it in a way that was detrimental to the community at large, so that freedom was removed. Maybe next time cherish the freedom instead of exploiting it and you wont lose it.

Its not about being a CCP fanboy. Its just the way life works.

I supported it too, and still do despite Kane's support . The only thing I would do differently is still pay out the losers some reduced multiple of what the winning team gets to partially compensate for their equipment loss while ratcheting back even further the "default destruction" payout. CCP took it to default 100 clones killed. Even with that default, there's still a pretty good "window" of ISK between the clone pack cost and the battle payout. 30m to be precise. Doling out a bit of that to the losing team could soften the huge ISK-based risk from playing a battle even if you paid nothing for the clones.


The key to PC's success now lies with whether the current landowners have the balls and the drive to correctly assess the situation and move accordingly. The only way that PC can remain a fun game mode and at the very least maintain its player base, if not grow it, is for current landowners to:

• Restrict the number of districts they own to a realistic maximum
• Be willing to give away excess districts to practically any team willing to take them
• Provide ubiquitous training to those up-and-coming teams who want to enter PC with no conditions attached

Without this level of restraint and dedication, the same downward trajectory in PC playing population is set in stone.

In the past there was a lingering incentive to shut out new corporations and control as many districts as humanly possible because of ISK generation. Additionally mid-range corps were given a rather sad incentive to push out newer corps since they were always on the chopping block for getting cut from PC by high win ratio corps. If those same high win ratio corps have even a small amount of insight, they should now be acutely aware that taking any corp out of PC is just shooting themselves in the foot.

Long story short- everyone who likes PC and wants it to continue being at all active now has a good reason to get new players into the game and get them up to speed. Even if they become your competition tomorrow, better some competition than none.

That's actually a lot more stressful and a lot less profitable than the alternative. The higher you push your win ratio with these new mechanics, the higher your profits. The exchange is that burning all participants out of the game is going to remove your ability to participate at all.

The problem with PC has nothing to do with any donut or passive isk or the clone pack price.

The problem with PC has to do with ringers.

Only allow corp members to participate, limit corp hopping, and make more highly variable the production of clones.

Viola, PC problems are solved.

But what do I know?

Oh I get it just fine, Sota. I just think that mechanism has an inherent instability that's been present since day one and has yet to be overcome.

As I understand it, in Eve, you can't instantly teleport from one battle to the next, yet in Dust you can. This has allowed a consolidation of power that is damaging to the game, IMO.

Do you think today's merc-friendly PC is in a good place?

I don't.

We've been trying to implement "creative solutions" for what, a year now. How's that gone?

What part of broken PC don't you get?

If you have a creative solution to this problem, I'm all ears.

I offered mine, and instead of considering or commenting on it you brushed it off with a wise-ass comment.

That's disappointing, as I thought you were a deeper thinker than that -- but perhaps I'm mistaken.

Moving past that....

There are a large number of very successful competitive games that do things very similar to what I've proposed. Oddly enough, I'm not aware of any successful FPS games where mercing like in Dust has been successful. Are you?

So I guess you don't have any creative ideas, but instead prefer to troll....yet I'm the one lacking social skills and thinking powers?

You are certainly entitled to your opinion, please allow me to retort in a way you seem to prefer and with the words of someone wiser than us both:

Any fool can condemn, criticize, and complain, and most do.

Are you a fool?

I'm calling you out on creativity, beause you've offered, well, nothing but criticism.

Moving past that, I don't think it's tunnel vision, and I'm not punishing anyone except for the good of the game. To the contrary, I thought it was a creative way to implement PC in a way that takes what works in other games and apply that to the unique universe of PC/MH -- but I suppose that's a matter of perspective. And speaking of perspective, of course, if you're one of the few that have profited from the unbalanced game/broken PC mechanics, I can see why you might consider it punishment and/or tunnel vision.

If you have such great social skills, attract other players to your cause, and dominate. You will still have the freedom to interact with others how you please, but you have to choose a team and play with them to get better as a group (you know, requiring social skills), rather than jumping ship to the highest bidder, stacking timers, and sitting on your hands. At least now, with the most recent set of changes, sitting on your hands inside the donut doesn't print isk like it used to, but the damage has already been done.

If my ideas reek of tears, it's because I think this game can be so much more, but we're saddled with a universe and competitive gameplay that's simply broken, and, frankly, always has been -- and that is sad...at least from where I sit. Because I've come to grips with the fact -- likely before you were even a glimmer in your dad's eyes -- that I'm not going to be the best at any game, or even in the top 10% -- and I'm cool with that. I have plenty of fun playing with the friends I've made in this game, win or lose...I'd just like to see a game that's fun to play that offers something outside pub stomping or the inevitable stacking of teams that the current mechanics have driven us to.

Let's also remember, I'm saying this from a leadership position within the donut now, albeit a less profitable one with these latest round of changes.

Again, if you have any bright ideas, I'm all ears. Hell, I'll even take some constructive criticism...but if you would rather troll, please find another victim...

I would never do that...unless you do it first. That's not the way I roll. (I know, my troll-fu is weak. :) )

I'm in a bit of a rush now, but will comment in depth later on your idea.

In the meantime, I thank you for taking the time to post it....Lead