I've been wandering about this. Assuming you don't have enough organisation to get 6 in a dropship to the objective at the start, is it better in domination to get to the point as fast as possible, arriving piecemeal? Or is it best to give up the initial hack in favour of arriving in force and hopefully overwhelming the enemy?

Getting to the point unsupported can be pretty risky.

In my experience, the worst thing you can do when you arrive at the objective at the start of a Dom is to try to hack the point. The guy that does this is usually the first to die. Try to hack CRU's, put down Links, and intercept any incoming oblivious redberries before attempting to hack the point.

Remember: If an objective seems to be undefended, you can bet your ass that there's a squad of Shotgun Scouts lurking nearby...

Tho risk aversion, social status whoring and fragile ego are human externals, I'm thinking the proclivity not to fight was spawned and carefully nurtured in vets by our own CCP.

The passive in-match skillpoints were a poison that worked it's way into the mentality of the vets(it should now be removed from noobs because matchmaking).

The laughable anti-AFK measures that were 'overlooked' for years. Still are, afaik.

The lack of a differential payout mechanic for WP/sp that rewards a 100,000,000 sp vet in full officer gear and squadded with 5 similar monsters the exact same WP for killing a noob as it rewards a noob in a starter medic fit for killing that vet. In an mmo with a deeply asymmetric playing field.

A New Eden contract 'system' that was really, truly all warm and fuzzy on the inside. Can you imagine the Serpentis contract manager saying 'Oh, i'm sorry little merc, is the battle making you feel uncomfortable? Well that's ok, don't you worry just come over here and have a sit-down and a nice cuppa tea. No need to fret about these things because we'll still pay you when all the hubbub dies down.' The serpentis i know would throw that poor merc in a vat of nanite goo and fish out his implant later - there's good money in implants.

An endless supply of New Eden corporations willing to employ serial contract breakers.

A nice 'Redline Lounge' where players can entertain and amuse themselves, or just take a nap if they're feeling sleepy while their teammates fight, die and are bankrupted by impossible odds.

So CCP negligence/game design has served to compounded what is least admirable in human nature. Perhaps the answer is those mercs are spoiled goods now and they just need to die and new blood take their place.

I hope not, tbh, would much rather keep the vets. Some better student of human nature will have to solve this problem.