Gooder Eve is an on-going series that attempts to prod the Eve Universe into motion by suggesting ways in which it could be made gooder. These suggestions range from the serious to the silly, but each one is intended to start a discussion, engage your brain and hopefully start the ball rolling in new and interesting directions.
Recently the concept of Time Dilation has been introduced to the Eve Community. Or, as fans of The Matrix might call it, Bullet Time. The concept is simple, the Eve server acts in an adaptive manner to constrict "in-game" time when the load becomes increasingly heavier. The heavier the load, the slower time acts within the game. It is hoped that by manipulating the fabric of space-time, server lag can be better dealt with.
Which is all fine and good, and a subject worthy of an additional post.
But it brought to mind something else that has been nagging at the back of my brain. ( And credit to Angor Mau for bringing it to my attention earlier this week. ) If we are going to be warping time in relation to server lag, perhaps now is a good time to think about time in Eve on a more majestic scale.
New Eden is a big universe. The scale and wonder of what CCP has built for our enjoyment is truly remarkable. But have you ever noticed how small it is starting to feel? This is just a perception, which is the heart of space-time relativity in the first place. The perception of time has as much to do with actual time as the hands on a clock. Eve might be big, but you can sure get from one place to another PDQ.
And this isn't just a function of Jump Bridges, Cyno Fields, Jump Freighters and other instantaneous modes of transportation either. Although they certainly play a role. It also has to do with warping from one place to another. The other night I went on a quick jaunt North in my Vagabond. 17 jumps in less than thirty minutes. I wasn't burning, it could have gone quicker.
My suggestion isn't radical. It is simply this, to slow Eve down about 10-15%.
To return a touch of the majestic to the Universe we love. Eve has sped up over the last few years and no doubt the universe has gotten smaller. Maybe it is time to pull that back a tad? To give us all a little more time and room to spread our wings? Room you say?
Well one way to achieve this would be to simply (lol) make New Eden 10-15% bigger. To stretch it out a bit overall. This would screw with jump distances and bridges and cynos and whatnots, but maybe that isn't such a bad thing? Another way would be to make everything slower, but I prefer the bigger method.
Ok Rixx, this is weird. No one is asking for this and you've gone off the deep end. Possibly. On the other hand, just because no one is asking for something doesn't mean it is a bad idea. I think the more you consider this the more you'll start to think it makes sense. Or perhaps you have an alternative solution?
Majesty. Size. Wonder. It is space after all and it should take some effort to get from one side to the other. A little more effort, just a touch, could return some much needed majesty to the universe of New Eden.
What are your thoughts?