No weekly CSM update this week – sorry guys! Busy putting out fires in meatspace, and besides, I really can’t think of how to spruce up “It was a quiet week because everyone is still heads down on Crius” for the third or fourth week running, the inspiration just isn’t there. Hopefully this week goes a bit better and I can swing that next week.
Anyway.
Different topic, a bit off the cuff. When you think about how many people you see in space in EVE, what comes to mind? In particular, what comes to mind out in nullsec? Probably not much. How many times have you heard it said (or said yourself) “I went roaming and all I saw in twenty jumps were three ratters that safed up instantly” or something along those lines? Hyperbole, perhaps, though on the other hand…
Pilots in space, as of 12:45 a bit earlier today. Granted, bad example – I’ll have to grab something during prime time later this evening when I get home, maybe on the weekends as well. And yet how much of a difference might it make, really? That’s a lot of white dots out in lowsec and nullsec – hell, a lot of white dots in Empire too. Needless to say, I and the rest of the Goonswarm directorate are probably some of the very few people in the game to hear complaints that space is too crowded, rather than the opposite.
What’s my point here? It’s this: someday, after CCP finishes the epic quest that is “rewrite basically the whole game” (that is, after all, essentially what the roadmap given at Fanfest is), CCP Seagull’s colonization vision comes to life, those player built stargates are finally going to happen, and they’ll lead to some kind of new space. At least, that’s what the idea of “colonization” would suggest now, isn’t it? It’s not a theme that makes much sense if they just lead to the same places you can get to now. So, take that population, cut it in half, throw it out beyond the player built gates. Then imagine how much less active space seems, new and old alike.
No, I don’t believe “make new space and leave the old unfixed to drive everyone to the new” is the plan, as some vocal assjackets have expressed in the past. CCP wants their game to be vibrant and interesting, no matter where you live. I’m just concerned that it might be self defeating. Food for thought this fine Monday morning.
The Third N 
Well as long as they make space feel bigger and make changes to power projection, and maybe figure out a way for the little guy to grab a piece of space, that might change the map some. But without the above, I don’t see much changing. Not a lot… hrm.
Though keep throwing unique content at lowsec and that could brighten up a bit more to.
LikeLike
For the ‘little man’, I’d like to see player built accel’ gates for POS construction in deadspace pockets. It’d add an extra dimension to the game, I think.
LikeLike
And who exactly is going to be able to assemble one of these fabled gates? Anybody else except CFC or PL will hotdropped by either power for the lolz/tears. Casual review of map stats would show significant cynos and gate use – leading to heightened interest in a particular system or constellation. That’s not even factoring potential espionage.
LikeLike
Well, as long as the new space can’t be accessed from High Security space, the overall density of the map won’t change much…
LikeLike