Tags 4 Sec - CCP Delivers

CCP has delivered the unicorn of low sec.

Read the Dev blog. It is good. Grape skittles good.

Or, should I say CCP Masterplan has? Now, yes we know there is Team 5.0. They are the ones who have been touching low sec all over. But, the real reason only one person writes the dev blog is because they want all of the glory. Right? All of the hair pulling and back stabbing that must go on as Dev's struggle with eah other in the throes of mortal ombat to deliver a dev blog must be because of the glory it gives.

I don't and won't worry about CCP's  backroom dealings to enslave the populance. I'm to busy bedazled by the changes. Or should I say? Gizoogled? For the true interpertaion of CCP Masterplan's words, without all of those silly nicities put in to blur the origional's raw power, under the cut lays the Dev blog in what I fell is probable, true format.

WANTTOTRADE: TAGS FO' SECURITIZZLE STATUS
02.05.2013 14:13
By CCP Masterplan

Yo there, so peek-a-boo, clear tha way, I be comin' thru fo'sho. I hope dat mah playas enjoyed Fanfest last week as much as our phat asses done did. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! This dev B-ta-tha-L-O-Gizzay be a gangbangin' follow-up ta tha Fanfest presentation where I introduced Crew Five 0's 'Tags fo' Securitizzle Status' feature comin up in Odyssey. If you was present fo' tha talk, or peeped it on tha live-stream, then you gonna have some scam of what tha fuck you bout ta read. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! If you missed it [Why would you miss it?] then read on ta smoke up what tha fuck is comin ta a low-sec system near you soon.

[As soon as tha presentation be available on YallTube, I'll post a link here]

FOR DEM PLAYAS WHOZ ASS DON'T LIKE SCROLLING, HERE'S THA FIVE-LINE SUMMARY:

We is addin some freshly smoked up pirate NPCs (non-player characters)

• These NPCs will only step tha fuck up in asterizzle belts up in low-securitizzle space
• When capped, these freshly smoked up NPCs will drop a freshly smoked up type of pirate tag
• These freshly smoked up pirate tags can be taken ta a CONCORD station (in low-sec space) n' turned up in all up in tha freshly smoked up 'Securitizzle Office' station service
• Turnin up in one of these tags will raise tha securitizzle statuz of yo' character

NOW LET'S TAKE A MO' DETAILED PEEP THESE CHIZZLES:

To begin with, I'm goin ta list a shitload of tha goals dat our crazy asses had when startin dis project. Right back up in yo muthafuckin ass. Some of these came from tha high-level goals fo' tha Odyssey expansion itself.

Give playas a reason ta be up in space. In particular, ta be up in low-sec space.
Add suttin' unique ta low-sec dat gives gangstas n' visitors a resource worth fightin over
Add a alternatizzle method of raisin securitizzle status via tha proven market mechanics
Provide a alternatizzle way ta git back up in ta high-sec fo' 'reformed' outlaw playas. Our thugged-out asses have had playas dat would rather stop playin altogether than grind they way back up by cappin' NPCs

But we still need ta respect tha sandbox!

Reflect tha DUST 514 storyline progression

Da freshly smoked up NPCs represent tha pirate factions seein profit and/or juice by supportin tha clone mercenariez of DUST 514. This support has caused local CONCORD officials ta offer special rewardz ta capsuleers whoz ass keep dis freshly smoked up menace at bay.

NEW NPCS

We addin four freshly smoked up classez of NPC ta each of tha five pirate factions dat populate low-sec areas: Sansha, Guristas, Angels, Serpentis n' Blood Raiders. Each faction is ghon be gettin tha followin freshly smoked up NPCs:

[FACTION] Clone Soldier Trainer: In charge of funds, shiznit n' localez used up in tha preparation n' deployment of clone soldiers loyal ta tha faction.

[FACTION] Clone Soldier Recruiter: In charge of scoutin vulnerable areas - remote hoods, isolated outposts, interstellar colonies n' other places dat hold human game - wit tha aim of brangin up in freshly smoked up recruits fo' tha pirates' clone soldier programs.

[FACTION] Clone Soldier Transporter: Responsible fo' tha swift conveyizzle of clone soldiers ta they intended destination.

[FACTION] Clone Soldier Negotiator: A fixer whoz ass establishes contracts between pirate-trained clone soldiers n' dem playas whoz ass might employ they skillz.

These NPCs is ghon be found accordin ta tha regular faction distributions yo, but only up in asterizzle belts up in low securitizzle space. Da different classes will vary up in hang-up n' rarity. They is ghon be mo' common than office/faction spawns yo, but less common than tha regular pirate NPCs dat you peep up in tha belts, n' you can put dat on yo' toast. They will put up a reasonable fight (includin rockin warp-scramblin effects) so come prepared dawwwg!

Once you've found one of tha freshly smoked up pirates n' capped it, you should go n' check tha wreck. In

addizzle ta some random loot, each NPC will always drop one tag.

NEW TAGS

There is four tag types (one fo' each class of NPC) n' all faction versionz of a given class will drop tha same type of tag. Da tags can be freely looted n' sold on tha market like most other commodities.

If you horny bout raisin yo' securitizzle status, tha straight-up original gangsta step is ta acquire a cold-ass lil collection of tags (via whatever means you find appropriate). Da quantitizzles n' types you need will depend on yo' current securitizzle status, n' on how tha fuck high yo ass is lookin ta raise dat shit. Each tag type only works fo' a specific crew of tha securitizzle status spectrum, so if you wish ta go all tha way up from -10, you goin ta need a shitload of each yo. Here be a cold-ass lil chart showin tha boundaries at which each tag can be used, n' how tha fuck nuff tags is required ta bridge each section:

Tags can only be used ta raise a securitizzle status between -10 n' 0. If you wanna git higher than zero, you need ta do dat tha old-fashioned way.

Each tag is worth 0.5 pointz of securitizzle status, so that's 20 tags between -10 n' 0.

We straight-up expect certain tag types ta be mo' in-demand than others.

Each tag has a associated ISK fee. This 'processin fee' is paid ta CONCORD along wit tha tag when you turn it in. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. [This value is still up in balancing, n' is likely ta chizzle before release]

NEW STATION SERVICE

Once you have yo' tags, you need a place ta turn dem in. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. Fortunately, we've gots dat covered hommie biaaatch! To incentivize capsuleers ta hunt down n' bust a cap up in tha freshly smoked up pirates, CONCORD n' DED stations up in low-securitizzle space have opened a freshly smoked up steez - tha Securitizzle Office.

These Securitizzle Offices is scattered across 45 low-securitizzle stations. Like all station facilities, they locations can be highlighted on yo' star map:

Take yo' tags ta one of these stations, drop dem up in ta yo' hangar, n' tha Securitizzle Office is ghon be available:

Here you can drag tha slider ta tha right accordin ta how tha fuck much of a securitizzle status bust you need. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! Da tag requirement n' ISK cost will update, as will tha text describin tha consequencez of tha resultin status. Once you aiiight wit tha deal, click Exchange Tags ta complete tha transaction. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. Da tags n' ISK is ghon be handed over ta CONCORD, n' yo' securitizzle status is ghon be updated up in return.

SO DO DIS MEAN I CAN NOW LOOT CONCORD STANDING?

Dope question! Before I answer that, let’s rap bout tha links between Securitizzle Status n' CONCORD standing:

Both of these attributes is tracked up in tha EVE database by tha same single value. That is, if one is modified, tha other one implicitly chizzlez as well. This is limits what tha fuck we can do up in termz of hangin features on dis value – fo' example CONCORD agents would read/write yo' securitizzle status when you run missions fo' em. Committin a cold-ass lil crime dat lowers yo' securitizzle status could then cut off access ta certain agents, or even certain areaz of space (like fuckin tha Sanctum constellation).

In Odyssey, we is tacklin dis issue up in tha followin way. We is makin Securitizzle Status up in ta a freshly smoked up per-character attribute, which is ghon be straight-up independent of tha standin system.

Durin tha downtime on release day, tha followin process will run:

Each character gets a freshly smoked up Securitizzle Status attribute up in tha DB
Da (unmodified) CONCORD->character standin is copied up in ta tha freshly smoked up Securitizzle Status attribute

All CONCORD->character standings is ghon be wiped

Us thugs will then switch over all gameplay logic (like fuckin outlaw status, NPC bust a cap up in rewards, five-o response etc) ta use tha freshly smoked up attribute. Da Securitizzle Status attribute will maintain tha familiar -10 ta +10 range, n' is ghon be unaffected by tha various Social/Connections game (other than Fast Talk, which will continue ta improve Securitizzle Status gains from cappin' 'Wanted' NPCs by 5% per level).

So, ta answer tha original gangsta question: Do dis mean I can now loot CONCORD standing, biatch? No. Yo ass is ghon be able ta loot a increased Securitizzle Status wit tags+ISK yo, but not standings.

CHANGES TA ‘CYCLE-RATTING’

Da standings system is designed ta track relationshizzlez dat don’t chizzle mad rapidly fo' realz. As such, it uses fairly heavy cachin - typically chizzlez can be round 15-20 minutes oldschool before they git applied, n' each solar system has its own cache. One consequence of dis is dat chizzlez ta CONCORD standin received by cappin' pirate NPCs is heavily delayed. Y'all KNOW dat shit, muthafucka! Only tha phattest bust a cap up in per tick would apply (where a tick is tha total time dat a cold-ass lil chizzle takes ta works its way all up in tha cache layers). Furthermore cuz tha cache is per solar system, it is possible fo' a cold-ass lil character ta have multiple ticks up in tha pipeline if he is cappin' rats across multiple systems yo. Hence ‘cycle ratting’ be a way ta use limitationz of tha standin system ta accelerate tha rate of securitizzle status gains.

In movin tha securitizzle status attribute outta tha standin system, dis behavior will go away. Da pendin chizzle will follow tha character round as he jumps between locations. In effect, tha tick will become per character, not per solar system. There will no longer be a way ta have multiple ticks up in parallel across different solar systems. Da tick will now be a explicit 5-minute interval, startin wit tha straight-up original gangsta NPC bust a cap up in dat a cold-ass lil character makes. We is also rebalancin tha securitizzle status gains given by some NPCs as part of dis chizzle, so you might notice slightly different gains per tick.

WHEN CAN I TRY DIS OUT?

Us thugs will soon be uppimpin a hood test server wit these (and nuff more) Odyssey chizzles. Please give our asses yo' feedback - we straight-up interested ta hear it up in tha comments thread fo' dis blog. I be bloggin like a muthafucka up in dis biatch.

AND FINALLY, SOME GRAPHS

Durin mah Fanfest talk, I presented some graphs showin how tha fuck Retribution impacted PVP, particularly up in low-sec space. For mah playas dat missed tha talk, here is dem graphs again. I aint talkin' bout chicken n' gravy biatch. I recommend checkin tha recordin of tha rap fo' some raps/interpretationz of dis data, n' also some annotations highlightin particular pointz of interest.