A Scientist's Life in Eve

OK last but one part.

First up is Alekseyev Karrde:

If elected to the CSM, if you could do 1 thing to improve gameplay for players like me, what would you want to do?
Give 0.0 alliances, big and small, the flexiblity to upgrade systems to give them the industrial capacity and resources to not just fill their alliances industrial demands but export stuff mined+ manufactured back to empire for sale. Currently Jita gets exported to 0.0, I’d like to see that flow to be profitably reversed for those alliances who favor industrial development

Generally this is along the lines of where things need to go, and rumblings from CCP suggest that they want to reverse the flow too.  However, implementation is going to be a major thing and hopefully not just achieved by dual-wielding the nerf bat.

What is the one thing in Eve that you think needs the most attention, and what one thing would you want to change to improve it?
It’s a tie between the sov system and lowsec in general. However of the two, I think sov is a higher priority due to its prominance in EVE’s public image.

I’m a bit torn on this.  If anything (and although I’m not involved and have never tried it) I’m inclined to think that Faction Warfare is probably in the biggest need of love, but then Inferno may make massive inroads into this so maybe my ramblings are a moot point.

Following the “summer of rage” and Incarna, when and how would you advocate CCP developing Walking in Stations, or would you prefer no further development at all?
CCP just announced the creation of Team Avatar. They’ll be doing WiS + char creator stuff via a ground up rethinking of WiS based on value added to gameplay, in addtion to helping out with UI fixes. I think having a small team take that approach while still contributing to UI fixes is a solid approach and I support it. Flying in space should be the overwhelming focus of development but WiS should still be on the backburner; we dont need another Abandoned Feature.

Yes completely.  Abandoned features are easy targets for people to pick on, but the method of developing it appears to reflect the right approach to balance of features – this is after all spreadsheets in space internet spaceships.

Second up is Mu’ad Diib:

If elected to the CSM, if you could do 1 thing to improve gameplay for players like me, what would you want to do?
Whilst I’m a frequent miner I’m not really an industrialist on your level so to a degree I’m grasping at straws. I guess the main improvement that I’d suggest would be an upping in the capacity of stations to allow for more production slots.

Having said this, I recognise that this might not be the change you want or need.

The thing is, I’m not really standing on the basis that I know exclusively what’s best for other players. My position is clear on this.  I don’t.

What I do know is this: Being an accessible and independent candidate is really important for proper representation. If I’m elected, I’ll listen intelligently to the arguments, ask pertinent questions where I’m unsure and then I’ll intelligently and articulately represent your needs truthfully and with integrity.

Flattery is a fantastic way to start an answer!  It did end up being a bit of a politician’s “I don’t really know” answer, but you get the feeling that the intentions are sincere and good.

What is the one thing in Eve that you think needs the most attention, and what one thing would you want to change to improve it?
Fundamentally I feel that there’s not enough democracy within the game, (both in terms of the way that CSM candidates are elected and in terms of how CSM representatives advocate on behalf of the players who have voted them in). I think this means that partisan changes are often called for and happen that don’t necessarily represent the best interests of the community.

To bring this back to your question, my aim would be to strongly advocate for a democratic system to be put in place that will allow players to suggest and vote on changes directly, (rather than exclusively via a representative group) so that game evolution is more in line with the democratically expressed wishes of all of the community, not just via the flexed muscles of the super powerful blocs and elites.

More crowdsourcing exercises could have merit, as long as the direct message that the CSM have the platform to deliver (i.e. face-to-face) isn’t diluted.  The question remains though, if the organised vote en mass and the individuals don’t, then you still get the same result.

Following the “summer of rage” and Incarna, when and how would you advocate CCP developing Walking in Stations, or would you prefer no further development at all?
I’d have to say that personally I find walking in stations a bit of a distraction form the main game, however this is just my own view. What I think does need recognition is that for some players, walking in stations is an exciting development and on this basis it should probably be developed further.

Having said this, should it be developed to the detriment of other aspects of the game, like flying in space for example? My resolute answer to this would be no.

My core belief is that the enormity of the game and the highly complex nature of Eve society means that development and support for aspects of the game should be, wherever possible even handed for example I don’t feel that high sec space should be prioritised over low sec, or the other way round. On this basis I think both flying in space and walking in stations are important features of the game and I’d like to see and equal amount of development invested in both these aspects.

As long as candidates recognise that something other than “their” game style exists, then there is hope for the CSM.  Sometimes, however, a real focus on just one thing is needed to ensure balance across all areas of the game, and that shouldn’t be forgotten.

Next up is Mike Azariah:

If elected to the CSM, if you could do 1 thing to improve gameplay for players like me, what would you want to do?
Damn, one thing?  Wardec mechanics.  It is WAY too lopsided with almost all advantages going to the agressor.  I know CCP has said that there are changes to it coming but if it is not enough then more work will be needed.  This is an issue that hits almost every damn player in the game except station traders.

Yep, war decs affected me to the point I ended up creating out of Corp alts to sell stuff and to move stuff.  I’d rather do it all within one Corp, but that could end up attracting unwanted attention (freighters undocking and being followed, market and contract orders being observed etc.).  Something to change this would be welcome, having experienced the effect of griefers “stopping” people playing how they want to.  As long as we keep the focus on the fact that Eve is a sandbox, and we don’t want to end up with effectively PvP “shards” and non-PvP “shards” due to a change in game mechanics.

What is the one thing in Eve that you think needs the most attention, and what one thing would you want to change to improve it?
See above…

Short and sweet, unlike some of Mike’s posts (obvious troll is obvious troll).

Following the “summer of rage” and Incarna, when and how would you advocate CCP developing Walking in Stations, or would you prefer no further development at all?
I have NO problem with them expanding on WIS and look forward to character interaction.  Locked in a cabin is not gameplay.  Just as long as they are reasonable in their resource allocation so that FIS does not become the red-headed step child (btw if you are a red headed step child no insult is to be inferred)

I’m not, and if I was no insult would be taken.  How different would things have been if CCP had launched with a door that opened, Corp and Alliance rooms in stations they rent office space from, and establishments to meet and play sub games like EOH etc.

Last for this post is Vincent Athena:

If elected to the CSM, if you could do 1 thing to improve gameplay for players like me, what would you want to do?
For your first question my “flip” answer would be to make everyone understand that doing one change without balancing it with other changes will almost certainly lead to disaster. But as that is most likely not the sort of answer you are looking for, Ill give you a change I am proposing to help make null sec industry more relevant.

Currently null sec industry has a major competitor: Hauling in stuff from hubs like Jita. This works due to the mineral compression effect: Reprocessing an item delivers a greater volume of minerals than the volume of the item. I always thought this odd, its like melting down a car and getting a volume of steel greater than that of the car.

What I propose is all items in eve be reset in their volume and their mineral makeup so that no item reprocesses into a volume greater than itself. With this change the best way to get items in null sec will be to build them there. This change will require making many modules require more high end minerals, and less low ends, resulting in soaking up some of the present oversupply of high end minerals. This will also increase the demand for industrialists in null, and may entice rent takers to lower their rent fees to get more out there.

Massive massive change proposed here, and I could see that it could flip a switch, but the thought and planning of how it could be implemented is huge.  Mineral compression is bizzare – I use it all the time and transport Carriers in a single industrial ship etc.  Potentially revolutionary, but also potentially could cause major damage to Eve and its economy.

What is the one thing in Eve that you think needs the most attention, and what one thing would you want to change to improve it?
The thing I think needs the most attention in Eve is balance. I mean that very broadly. Not just ships, or modules. For example, CCP efforts on the game need to be balanced, a proper mix of fixing problems, completing old features and developing new ones. Another example: the high sec war mechanics need to be balanced: A way for those who hate war to avoid it balanced with a way for those who enjoy it to get it. There are so many other examples. In all of this there is one rule I think we need to go by: This is a game. Players play it to have fun. No game change will change what a player enjoys doing. It will change their behavior: They will avoid those things they dislike while doing those thing they do like.

The unique thing about Eve is its sandbox, and the players that set up home in that sandbox.  We’re probably the most adaptable bunch of gamers on the planet – every time CCP does something that could very slightly be abused (e.g. reprocessing POS modules etc. when PI was introduced) some people find it and make billions.  What other game could that possibly happen in?

Following the “summer of rage” and Incarna, when and how would you advocate CCP developing Walking in Stations, or would you prefer no further development at all?
Incarna: I personally was really looking forward to it, and was quite disappointed with what we got. As there are still many players who want more Incarna type content (meeting rooms for role players, alliance war rooms, establishments, gambling, booster trade) I think CCP should develop it and deliver it, with a balanced amount of developers doing the work. I also think we need player designed content (clothes, accessories, room decorations, furniture, ship skins), with CCP vetting the designs for… issues. The vetting would be paid for with Aurum or its replacement. That’s actually an interesting use for Aurum as its essentially money.

Generally supported.  The trend here for candidates is to suggest that WiS is developed, but not at the expense of spaceships.  I personally do think CCP need to do something to develop it and make it worthwhile.

Only one more part to go, which I’ll try to complete over the weekend.