Consider This

Hey there,

After posting a response to the very good blog A Scientists Life In EvE I got to thinking a wee bit. There is a famous quote by a certain Napoleon Bonaparte which goes like this: An army marches on it’s stomach.

Currently force projection is too easy. From the building of the supercap to the ability to get it from point A to point B, it is too easy. I suspect that the actual refuelling component of that force projection is about right though (though a combination of carriers, transports/blockade runners and jump freighters). But the rest of it, inclduding the ongoing maintenance of huge supercap fleets (i.e there IS no maintenance cost)… definitely too easy.

We have some fairly major changes coming up with inferno, including deletion of drone goo. The war on bots also is having an affect on mineral prices. With Hulkageddon and Burn Jita also waiting in the wings, there are going to be some very hungry people. Fuel is unlikely to be impacted too much, however the building of ships and ship equipment is going to take a serious hit.

Manufacture —-> Move —-> Deploy

The ability to force project is reliant on those three things and the upcoming changes takes a great big stick to the manufacturing component. After all, you can’t fight a war without ammo, guns, or the ship to mount them on.

So, what’s going to happen? I have no idea how things are going to pan out, but can see a few things happening in the future. The rise of the mining corporation for a start. The need for more co-operative gameplay from the more warlike in attitude. The greater use of infrastructure upgrades in SOV space. The logi pilots being treated like minor deities 🙂

All in all, I don’t view these things as bad by any stretch (with the exception of people becoming even more risk adverse). It may lead to greater concentration on hitting supply lines to tie up a numerically superior fleet. It may lead to a more true competition over resource, rare ores and minerals.

In any event, if there is one thing this game has taught me it is this: the people who play EvE are the most devious, smart, motivated and down right sneaky group of folks you could wish to meet. The future is bright.  I can’t wait to see how the playerbase adapts.

FS

H