CELESTA AUNGM
Kang Lo Directorate
Gallente Federation
516
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Posted - 2015.04.09 18:37:00 -
[1] - Quote
I'm one of the players who has to say "Yes" to keeping Ringers in your PC battles.
Please remember that, unlike ANY other mode of Dust, the PC mode is initiated and inserted at the ambitions of an EVE-Online player. Just like in that "Battle for Caldari Prime" video, there is going to be an Eve Player who sees a prize she wants, can't get it using her spaceship buddies, and HAS to hire "a contractor to do the job".
How is she going to pick which Merc Corp to do the job? Maybe by our social advertizing, or word of mouth, good-faith recommendation, etc, Prevail-Command Corp will say "yeah, we can do it for you--we're tops in this kind of work".
Just like a Client, the Eve Player doesn't know (doesn't need to know--you don't want her to know your personnel business) WHO Prevail-Comm is going to bring to that battle. That burden of success is on Prevail-Comm. The Eve Player is gambling/relying on what she can't see, and hoping Prevail-Comm will just WIN the danged battle for her (CRAP who they use, as far as she's concerned--Just give her a fine finished product).
Of course it's to the enemy team's advantage to put personnel restrictions on Prevail-Comm---any safe assumptions the enemy can make about what Prevail's track record, or what mechs they will be bringing to the fight, ALL BEFORE the fight even gets going,GǪ is every "enemy's" JACKPOT DREAM--Yeess Please!
 GǪBut that's not fair-open combat to have "rules" about how Prevail can't be allowed to bring a secret weapon (aka, a Ringer that the enemy wasn't intelligently equipped to safeguard against---but still wants to consider itself a "competent" enemy). And it's not fair-open combat to require that Prevail-Comm report all its intended players to the enemy before the match. And it's not fair to Prevail-Comm to say they are a "mercenary corp for hire", but they can't make any kind of temp-hire or temp-contract they want as part of running their own business and backing up that assurance that they will WIN the battle for that EVE Player who agreed to hire them.
I respect the analogy of this combat-game as a sports-game (where coaches are allowed to know about and study the opposing team's players)GǪ but the Dust/EVE dynamic is about betting your wealth on a RISK. And you can't have a Risk without "blinders" (like NOT knowing what the red you're shooting at will pull out of her coat pocket; NOT knowing if they are going to bring in a Minmatar Titan ship for reinforcement; NOT knowing if they will use really good Dropship-transport players in Day-2 of your PC match). Even "real" combat has Blinders.
Okay, I have no problem with attaching some sort of "subcontractor fee/tax" to "hiring" a Ringer, and maybe making this an added dynamic that Prevail-Comm has to consider as a drain on their agreed price with the Capsuleer-client. I think that might be really coolGǪ and it could open the "Solo" player to a whole private ISK enterprise "hiring" themselves out like Western Clint Eastwood, as a temporary troubleshooter for needy corps.
But never eliminate Ringers completely. I prefer risky unfair Dust slaughter, over the "everybody-play-fair-n-nice" sports match.
Universe of good wishes for the 49, especially CCP Eterne...
No story can have life without writers and publishers.
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