I’m sorry but I have to be blunt here; these changes are awful. I want this server to succeed just as much as everyone else posting in this thread, and a lot of the decisions that both Eleon and HWS have made over the last six months have only served to push people away from the server and the game overall. This is an example of that. This isn’t inflation, inflation happens rather naturally as cause and effect. This is forcing eventual inflation artificially by basically scamming people. With inflation, the price of a gallon of milk goes up, but it’s still a gallon of milk. What’s happening here is the gallon of milk is still being sold for the full normal price as a gallon of milk but you’re getting scammed and it’s only half full so you need two of them. Supply and demand should be what decides market prices, not micromanagement.
If you’re trying to burn OCDs, there are better ways to do it - like make changes that help people play the game more. People, especially pvpers who don’t actively go mining that much anymore, naturally burn through resources as they play the game, and it’s usually a much more enjoyable way of burning resources than sitting in a base for the duration of a real life day waiting for your cpu extenders to craft. Crafting speed should be made faster, so people can go play the game more and burn more resources. Repair speed on repair bays should be made faster so they can go play the game more and burn more resources. Just about anything that helps people play the game more, should be made faster. All of this slowness only prevents people from playing the game, and adds to frustration.
New players are getting squashed by these changes far more than veteran players. Just imagine being a new player in this environment compared to when everyone in this thread started. Everything costs multitudes more to make, the loot almost everywhere is bad, traders/commodities have been overly nerfed; why did you manually make heavy armor sell for less than light/medium armor? Imagine losing half your tank as a new player taking out a POI only to get a single epic pistol as a reward… and then the new player realizes the deconstructors have been stealing half their resources the entire time; which isn’t stated anywhere. If they manage to make it to the market, they get price gouged by certain people who scheme the market with alts. The micromanagement and nerfs and constant changes to make the game slower and grindier are pushing a lot of people way, including veterans who just want to play the game - not do the same grind they’ve done hundreds of times, and DEFINITELY not a worse grind. However, the veterans that remain though could actually become even more wealthy because of these economic conditions that are being forced upon the server, which is the exact opposite of what’s intended here.
So, can we actually talk about this and find something that helps the server and everyone; not just market schemers who get richer as the world burns around them?
I agree it would be great for pvp! When I hear things like “force combat” though, get a little nervous.
Force those who want to combat to certain locations, yup. Force everyone to combat for certain mats… not so much.
However, come up with mats or items that are only used in pvp, and restrict those would make sense to me.
A shield that isn’t worth much against an npc target, but works very well against human opponents.
Electro-magnetic ammo that doesn’t affect npc, but has stunning/disorienting effects on a human crew.
Alien encryption/decryption CPUs that help decipher the opponent’s shield modulation.
Whatever really, anything important enough to a pvp faction that it would be worth locking down a system or planet for, and fighting over… but that wouldn’t wind up making pvp a requirement for people who only want the pve side of the game.
The costs are what have kept me from going pvp so far at all.
I don’t need pvp, but many of my ingame chatters like a fight now and then, and also like to get the rp for killing, so why not. I get to do some pvp, try it a bit more, and have a blast on discord
But so far i have stayed away
I think in RL, micromanagement happens through the Fed raising/lowering interest rates, tariffs, taxes, just printing more money, etc.
Having said that, what could be used in-game?
In an old game called Jumpgate, the devs had server-wide missions for new in-game structures.
So, if a new fuel station in X system would be awesome, the devs would put one there only when a certain amount of resources had been deposited by a deadline. It was open to the whole community and had huge requirements. They only got completed if a lot of people contributed.
They had 3 major “origins” much like we have Federation, Outcast, Freelancer.
So, they might propose a new manufacturing hub to whatever faction can deposit x-y-z resources first.
Or one side gets a new weapon if they can make the deadline, while the other side gets a better shield if they make the deadline. Either side fails and things are gonna hurt a while.
Every new season brings goodies created by Rex. Maybe those goodies should be earned by the community through resource deposits by end of season?
I’m sure we have pvper’s in every origin, so maybe make some of the materials HAVE to be deposited in pvp sectors… meaning a faction might want to blockade the depository in a certain system, while other faction has to defend their haulers and get to the depository.
Sure I don’t pvp but it wouldn’t depend on me, or maybe I suit up for the greater good, or at least supply the popcorn.
Or, just lower material costs and be done with it I dunno.
Also massively onboard with the idea of a wider range of CPU / Size class restrictions for different playfields. It promotes PVP on a scale that more people can experience, and also means you have to be intelligent with your building and designs, rather than just sticking 50k Xeno blocks on a CV etc.
I’d love to see PVP systems with T2 or T3 restrictions on them.
Imagine a pvp field where shields (cpu t2 and under) aren’t allowed! Every shot matters, every block matters, do you spend your precious cpu on better guns, more armour or more thrust? It would be fantastic!
Seen a few people talking about rare mats and where they should be, I dont think they should be anywhere but pvp systems, reward for the risk, plus lets be honest… if you get ganked, its 100% your fault for not paying attention, you should always be scanning in pvp systems and have a warp lock to get out… so I dont feel sorry for anyone who cries they got killed in pvp trying to mine rare mats lol.
Inflation was probably needed, was a bit sudden, again I’m relatively unaffected. TEAM may need a rework as well with the changes there. In terms of helping smaller pvp factions:
make Eton <20 faction members i.e. small factions only. Have reward include T2gennies/extenders
Have bridges/matrices as option for T2 certificates for TEAM. T3 drains them and is very expensive for new players. T2 could offer them for the turn ins. 1 each or suchlike. Newer factions could then easily have extenders for pvp and would not require spending a lot of rare resources at that point. Can also still get VIP with enough hard work if they wish. Would make a TEAM a level choice rather than all or nothing that it currently is.
I think RVR are about the only alliance I’ve see/heard of on lava/iceworld for a long time (HQ missions aside). Encouraging spread to those areas is probably a good thing (to get resources).
Trader packages are still an option and only cost credits and RP.
You wont have all these problems if you would be willing to stop to be hoarders.
TLDR: In my opinion best would be to change model to Battle Royal style where one season is one round and has real end as everything else has. This prolonged pack to OCD/unpack from OCD gameplay isnt exciting.
Wipe all at the end of season, transfer something like HWS ingots only. Make Hall of fame, play for “who will be best at … this season”.
At least at start of season everyone will be more or less equal, there will be real demand for miners. Resources will cost a lot and it will decrease in time. And so on…but it will be dynamic, but still much easier to balance as no matter how unbalanced it will be theres always safety reset at the end of season.
I think this because this is my 14th season on HWS and I play for the fun of it, I wouldnt mind gathering only enough resources to support any activity I want to do and loose the rest at the end of season.
And I also think that have to fight in lower Tier vehicles at start of season before enough resources are gathered to be even able to craft T4 isnt a bad thing.
As it is now its OCD mud, it takes huge part of game out of game and creates need for this balancing. Actualy I also think that vanila volume and mass is also good but will reather leave that
You aren’t the first to say this, and you won’t be the last but it isn’t a good idea.
This is your opinion, and not everyone shares that opinion Some people find “being hoarders” a fun part about playing. Then people can stop worrying about resources and what not and just play without having to mine or whatever.
But if I’m right some other comments will come soon enough and tell you other ideas about why it isn’t a good idea.
Dark Im a bit sad you keep considering me being new player
I know very well what will follow, I was there many times. Thas why Im not going to argue about this.
Anyway good luck with balancing cost between new players and 5 years old.
It can be hard to keep track of everyone veteran, but I don’t consider you a new player I think you’ve been here just as long as me, maybe even a bit longer than me.
I saw it all I would say. We didnt need Gold planet as we was fighting for iron. When we had enough we were fighting for sathium. Then we had all that so Rex made GG as there wasnt anything to fight for…and it grows up like WoW.
Would be nice to see how much resources and cash we all together make and how much we spent with all that recycling.
You know we were even fighting for wreckeges, dismantling them manualy, so poor we were. It was huge fun I have to say, especialy when enemy came…
To me it seems everything had much higher value so it felt much more rewarding. Its like when you starting new game you are so happy when you can dismantle XL Thruster.
Im happy I was on HWS during these early times as with OCD it will never repeat.
Simply put, from gameplay perspective is not that bad to be poor, can imagine its very funny and heroic fight in lower Tier HVs for example. If you achive victory then even more.
I dunno.
Some people find “being hoarders” a fun part about playing. Then people can stop worrying about resources and what not and just play without having to mine or whatever.
I think you’ve been here just as long as me, maybe even a bit longer than me.