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A Piece of a Conversation

(A partial thought)

I was in a discussion where the question, "What did CCP plan for low sec when they made it?" cropped up. I chimed in and said, "I think that low sec just happened and we, the players, ran with it."

Eve is split into four basic areas. High sec, low sec, null sec, and wormholes. However, only two of those areas were part of Eve's original layout. That would be Empire Space and Null Security space.

Doing the history blogs has been fascinating. The original Eve had no COncord. That is well known. JUst as the fact that Concord was originally tankable. Before Concord there was faction police. Gate and station guns were put in later. The security status gradient was just that. A gradient. It seemed to affect resources and agents. Later exploration came along. It was somewhere around the development of things like Concord, criminal flags, and such during the end of the first year and into the second that low sec came into existence.

I may be absolutely wrong but I think low sec as its own, unique area, was unintentional. It was supposed to be more dangerous Empire. I've written before that there are 'themepark rails' under some of Eve's structure which is simply due to its age and growth. But, similar to the way that wormholes were supposed to be for day trips and not for living. Low Sec appeared as CCP started to mold New Eden.

I feel that it matches some of the irregularities. There are no barriers other than the popup when you jump into .4 sec. I'd love to find when that popup was added. Perhaps, I will. Consider that sov did not exist at first and null sec was just null sec. The dronelands were added at a later point. Faction Warfare was not an original addition as well. In a way, I think it was the start of defining Low Sec by CCP. Which also makes sense if one looks at the war mechanics and rules.

The entire purpose of rehashing that was that I got asked about my opinions on low sec by someone who wanted to quote me. Quotes feel weird. It is not that I am ashamed about anything that I say. It is that quotes feel weird.

I had been asked "What is low sec" and "Why do I think low sec is broken." My response was some of the above. I think that low sec grew into what it was instead of being created as what it was. Because of that it suffers. It seems broken because it is incomplete. They feel the same but to be broken is to have a mechanic that is not working properly vs not having any mechanic.

And mechanical was an important word to me. I said that sov null is a mechanical part of Eve. The groups there have learned those mechanics and used their talents and abilities to master them. The mechanical parts of low sec are more limited outside of faction warfare and I think that is a great thing.

I think that the unexpected organic growth is what gives the place so much individuality. If every area was created neatly by mechanics I believe we'd have a lot of overlap. People tend to use current mechanics they like to fix problems. That means you hear suggestions to fix Null using complexes similar to FW and to fix FW by using Sov type mechanics. Wormholers have to keep their sticks at hand to beat off people trying to remove the annoying feature that make wormholes what they are.

To me, homogenization is a curse word in Eve. I love that things are different. I want to preserve the differences because with it comes the ocean of opportunity that is gameplay.Null needs to be fixed. Low is starting to develop some definition. Wormholes need some petting. High Sec needs some new curtains. It is a constant game of work but whatever happens the areas of space need to maintain their individuality.

Comments

  1. I want to say the popup warning for lowsec was put in during either Rev 1 or Rev 2. Trinity as an outside possibility. It wasn't long after I started playing, and it all starts to run together back that far.

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  2. Homogenization is bad? Tell that to the guys who pretend to force the use of PvP fits for PvE...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I do my PvE in 'PvP fit' ships (though to me there are only fits and there is no such thing as a PvE or PvP fit, just a fit).

      And I don't think anybody wants to force anyone to fit a certain way. The issue usually comes up when players claim 'but I can't defend myself fit like this'. And while that might be true, that is a consequence of the choices that player made and not a flaw with the game, nobody forced you to fit a certain way after all.

      Nor would I ever force anybody to fit one way or the other.
      Just don't complain when your fully passive cap regen + active tank fit dies when somebody applies a neut to it vOv
      You make certain fitting choices and then those choices have consequences in certain situations that is really all there is to it.
      Or really do complain, just don't expect to be taken seriously :)

      Delete
  3. The fact that Low Sec was generally "unplanned" is the source of its true power, it is after all the only truly sandbox place in all of New Eden. It is, or was, a perfectly blank slate upon which the concepts of "pirates" and "good fights" and more were built by the players. I said "was" because the introduction of FW and certain other constraints have, over time, removed some of the blank slate from the game. It is more and more becoming yet another defined area within a system of definitions.

    Those of us who love Low Sec need to fight the encroaching power of increasing definition. The more we define Low the more we kill it. Solidify the borders, add content worthy of interest, and then let the players drive the rest.

    We'll take good care of it.

    ReplyDelete
  4. -perks up at the mention of wormholes and reaches for his stick- who said what about mywormholes?

    ReplyDelete

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