The Thing About Cynos

 

Image by Kopakapat, Deviant Art

As I often do, last week I posted something on Twitter designed to garner a reaction from the community. I've been doing this for over a decade now - but each time it happens a lot of people get their pantyhose in a knot over it. This one was no exception. How dare I have the temerity to even suggest that cynos in low sec space possibly need a fresh examination - and, heaven forbid, possible changes. I've been called "stupid", "idiotic" and other words more in the last few days than in a long time. And I haven't even made a single suggestion yet.

I've decided that I won't be making a single suggestion. I believe that Cynosural fields in low security space should act differently than they do in other parts of space. As an advocate for low sec I believe this could potentially bring further differences to play in our space and open up potentially exciting game play options. I believe all of that to be true. However, unlike Warp Core Stabilizers, or Frills on the Vagabond, or Player Memorials, or any of the dozens upon dozens of causes brought up in these pages over the past 13+ years - I am not an expert regarding Cynosural fields. And I freely admit it.

My play-style is PvP and Solo PvP primarily in low security space. We don't really use cynos for anything other than moving assets or the rare BLOPS fleet for fun. I don't think there is a single ship in my hangar that currently has a covert cyno fitted on it. Might be. Might not be. That's how much we use them. I just can't say for sure. And while I do have bigger ships I very, very rarely use them for anything other than home defense or events. That just isn't what I do inside of Eve.

I posted what I did on Twitter purposefully to get opinions about the issue and hear what people think. It started a debate on our own Discord and in other Discords - it did exactly what I set out to do. Again, nothing unusual about it. And what I learned is that everyone, and I mean everyone, has their own opinion and many of those opinions are foundational and hard-earned. Many player's entire reason for being is wrapped around cynos. And there doesn't seem to be a consensus regarding what to do with them. If anything.

I've operated in Eve just fine for the past 15 years with these things and I figure I can do so for another 15 years or more. So why bother? I'm not a Dev. I'm not on the CSM. I can sit by and watch a fleet of Incursus get hot-dropped by a bunch of Marshals and Redeemers and move on with my game. I can watch a suddenly active and engaged low sec environment where players are living under the constant threat of roving cyno-fitted Proteus' that will drop the hammer on anyone stupid enough to engage them. And I can say nothing about it. Why? Because there is literally nothing that I can do about it. And neither can you. And if that doesn't just perfectly encapsulate the situation - then I don't know what else would.

I'm just going to ignore the problems inherent in the Cynosural field situation as it exists. Just like we all have to ignore the proliferation of Supers, or the countless other issues that plague our game. And while I never want to ban anything, as I've stated countless times, I do believe that changes are long over-due. What those changes might be? Well I'll just keep my opinions about those to myself.

Who knows, they might have made Eve more fun and engaging for everyone.

But we'll never know. Back to my corner now.