What exactly did I mean?
Let's face it, the interior of Florida is a friggin' Hell Hole. Swamps, humidity, bugs, alligators and waste-land as far as the eye can see. If you've ever been there you know what I'm talking about. But imagine it BEFORE Walt Disney decided to plant his magical kingdom there and transform the natural waste-land into an artificial waste-land that attracts millions of tourists every year. No insult intended for anyone that lives in Central Florida, but it is pretty horrible.
But it has Disney. And Disney begat an entire industry of like-minded tourist attractions that caused Central Florida to thrive over the past half-century. It isn't a Hell Hole anymore ( well, the humidity, bugs, alligators and trailer parks still survive, but so do a lot of other things that aren't so horrible, including a lot of very nice people. Not one of which knows where anything is, don't get me started on that hellish adventure! Back to our story ).
Low Sec is Central Florida in the 1940s. Full of hardy souls who trap Alligators for their skins, rejects from the coasts, retired millworkers, adventurers looking for their pot of gold, and those that really just don't care what the rest of you think. Disney and Air Conditioning haven't yet arrived.
All of us that live in Low Sec love it for its natural beauty. In fact, most of us think it is the purtiest darn place in all of New Eden. But even we have to admit that jobs are scarce. The heat isn't the dry kind. And our neighbors are kind of pompous truth be told. High Sec gets all the goods and Null gets all the glory. And best we not talk about the precious ones living in the Spa Lands of Wormhole space.
What can be done? What should be done?
How can we get those rich folk from up north to drag their sorry asses down to Low Sec and spend their Madison Avenue salaries in our neck of the woods? We need a serious attraction. Something that you simply can't get anywhere else. We need a Disney World. Or Land. I always forget which is which.
I have some idears I'll shove at you good readers. Feel free to mock them in the comments.
• UNOBTAINIUM
I don't know what else to call it. But it is a mineral that can only be found in Low Sec belt rocks. You need this mineral to do important things that carebears do in order to make the things we buy. This seems like a pretty easy one to swallow and I'm not sure why we don't have this already. I've been asking for it for a really long time. So duh.
• PIRATE CONTROL
So every pirate corp/alliance has a home base. Stay Frosty owns Hevrice, Shadow live in Goinard, Brave Newbies just moved to Bart, BrB lives in Osti, etc etc. These systems are known to us that care and to those that fear. Why not make it more official? How about a system of "Pirate Controlled Systems"? Based purely on activity a Pirate group could obtain control of a Low Sec system officially, it shows up on the overview or something. This system is Stay Frosty's or something. Much like owning a Null Sec system but without the structure reqs. In exchange, that pirate group can tax activity in that system and reap the rewards for protection rackets, ratting, mission running and FW activity.
Details to be determined but this is such a weird idea that just popped out of my head I need more time to think about it. But I like the idea of it.
Those are just two and I'm sure I could come up with more. But the idea is to give Low Sec something of its own. Something other regions don't have.
To be honest I'm torn. I like Low Sec just the way it is right now. Do I really want to turn it into a Theme Park? An over-developed waste-land of water parks, miniature golf emporiums and cheap eats?
To quote Civilization, maybe "the old ways are best"?
Comments
Here at The Amamake derpartment of Tourism we launch a big commercial campaign during AT XI broadcast to attrack people to our Amamake Theme Park Universe, hope it will work !
Perhaps lowsec should get sole possession of one or more of the ABC ores on which nullsec currently has a monopoly. What if, for example, Bistot were removed from nullsec altogether and was only obtainable in lowsec space. In that way corporations and alliances wishing to obtain it would have to deploy mining fleets which would have to be actively defended and be much more vulnerable to PVP attacks than the heavily defended moon harvesting arrays belonging to nullsec entities. In this way lowsec would attract mining fleets from nullsec and highsec alike.
I'm sure Mynnna and the CFC would be happy to sign up for this since it aligns very closely with the Risk/Rewards doctrine they've been pushing with CCP, and sending their industrialists into lowsec to mine high value minerals would stimulate exactly the sort of PvP content they say they want Farms and Fields to generate.
Which is why this "Pirate Controlled" idea is starting to really build in my brain. I may write more about it tomorrow.
PI is a good deal in low-sec, if you can get your hauler around safely.
I don't know if system control is such a good idea. It might be nice to have some sort of system influence, though I'm not sure what. If you make the benefits too good, it'll draw the attention of the big coaltions.
Now I said something(s) on Twitter so let me elaborate a bit.
Low Sec Disneyland Proposal -
LowSec "Sov" could function similar to nullsec sov. However, the systems themselves will always be under the control of their respective Empires so full control via SBU/TCU/IHub will not work (in my eyes). It's vitally important that the small gang warfare be preserved. If LowSec is turned into NullLite, it loses that small "arena" feel. So, let's lay out the requirements.
-Preserve Small Gang warfare.
-Reward Pirates for their way of life. (Beyond the loot and presitge)
-Increase travel to and from LowSec, thus making it a more target-rich environment.
-Keep with the Risk/Reward structure central to the game.
I will attempt to address each one of these with why they are important and how they can be used to craft an update to LowSec in later posts.
These are some of the things I belive this would add:
Real mining corporations that would and could hire protection to mine in dangerous places like Amamake.
Pirate corporations heavily guarding a system to increase the ISK/h to attract victims.
Real exploration with people looking for forgotten and untouched systems that have grown.
People spreading out in highsec and nullsec as everyone "carebearing" next to Jita or in that nullsec pocket would kill the ISK/h.
My two cents.
As for system sovereignty without the sovereignty requirements? Nice try but join Faction Warfare instead.
What I'd like to see is shorter missions, similar to the FW ones, which can be done in a short amount of time, but without the long travel time of a FW mission. Whilst they're at it, I'd also like to change the flavour text to give it a more 'outlaw' feel.
Now I know that each time I enter in the game that I am going to at least kill something. Sure I would like to see some improvements. I would like to see more target variety besides only the the dudes that you find in the plexes. Which most have 3 stabs and a cloak. I guess CCP will certainly better it. Let's see.
As long as those so called "Pirates" don't change their mindset willing to give others who are not so much into PvP the chance to support a certain area of LowSec with other means of gameplay this will never change. LowSec would be much more a place worth living for Carebears if they would be given a chance to somehow make theirselfes a home in LowSec without always having to fear "PewPewKids" that can't withstand to shoot at a worthless target.
I personally would like to settle my own 1man-Corp in LowSec, mining in the belts, doing exploration, setting up a POS, producing goods for the certain constellation I'm in in order to enrich the local market situation and therefore make it a bit more independent from HiSec. And I don't talk about having the same kind of safety like in HighSec, absolutely not, and if there would be a chance to get a kind of protection from the local Pirate Corps, supporting my playstyle, I would immediatly wrap up my stuff and move out there to LowSec. But the current mindset of the LoWSec people is to deny every other playstyle than "ShootingEachOtherInTheFace-PVP".
And again: As long as this mindset is dominatn in LowSec no Unobtainium and no Pirate Control will change anything down there.
- Level 5 Missions
- Lack of Bubbles
- Lack of Bombs
- You will always be able to dock at your station, even if someone else tries to take "control" of your system.
- You are closer to high sec in most cases, making it easier to maintain stock of supplies
- Gate guns in Low Sec
- Security Penalty Status for Combat
- Lack of Sov Politics
I have never lived in Low Sec, so feel free to tell me I'm wrong on any of the above differences, but those items above are the ones that jump to the front of my mind when I think of Low Sec.
We just moved 40 jumps from high sec, with no decent trade hub for 20-30 jumps. It makes keeping fitted ships ready to fight very difficult and expensive when it is possible. I can see myself moving to low sec someday to try something new.