Haha, around 1Hr 15min in when farfrompukin talked about riverine's corps. I started that aution in fleet chat, started the bidding @ 5mill. Was fun times. O, and river's bomber was fail fit...but not surprise there...
I think you guys are on to something with the whole use your LP to buy protection thing. However, if you were to broaden the scope of your idea, make that protection available from the major faction NPC corps in high sec, and you just fixed low sec (because lets face it, most high sec carebears do not have pirate faction LP). I've got lots of more ideas about this, probably more then should be put in this post.
First low-sec becomes similar to null sec for sov purposes. However player owned alliances could NOT hold sov in these systems. The system sov would be: 1. Concord uncontrolled sov – as systems currently exist. 2. Racial Faction controlled sov – System controlled by a certain racial faction 3. Pirate Faction controlled sov – System controlled by a certain pirate faction
How Sov control would work…
Each faction would be allowed to anchor faction territorial claim units (FTCU). These FTCUs would be built from BPCs that could only be purchased with LPs. Once an FTCUs is anchored for a particular faction then members of that faction may attack the faction warfare dungeons to attempt to claim that system for their own (ie claim Sov of that system). Once a faction controls that system they may place a faction territorial upgrade hub (FTUH). FTUHs would be built from BPCs that could only be purchased with LPs. FTUHs would not be upgraded with modules, but once placed would grant system wide bonuses to that faction based on the time the faction controlled the system.
FTUH would always be attackable. FTCU of opposing faction would only be attackable when they did not control sov of the system.
It would be possible to remove sov from a faction using current faction dungeon system resulting in the system being turned back over to the Concord faction. Sov benefits would only be gained by a faction claiming sov by placing a FTCU in a system.
Example of bonuses: Level 1 (0 to 1 week) Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +2.55% bonus Industry – Miners for the faction receive +5% bonus to mining yield Sov – Gate guns & station guns will not fire upon faction that holds sov
Level 2 ( 1 week+ to 2 weeks) Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +5% bonus Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon -.5 to -1.0 of opposing factions
Level 3 (2+ weeks to 3 weeks) Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +5% bonus, 2% bonus to resists Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield, one asteroid belt spawns in system same as normal sov mechanics with mining upgrade Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon -.1 to -1.0 of opposing factions. Controlling faction’s players may launch a defense beacon (stealing earlier idea). Once launched the defense beacon will call one level one (Cruiser Frigates) wave of NPC faction defense forces (using Sleeper AI) that will remain for the duration of the beacon and defend the player if attacked.
Level 4 (3+ weeks to 4 weeks) Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +7.5% bonus, 4% bonus to resists, NPC sites spawn as per normal mechanics Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield, two asteroid belt spawns in system same as normal sov mechanics with mining upgrade. (ABC ores spawn) Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon all opposing factions. Controlling faction’s players may launch a defense beacon (stealing earlier idea). Once launched the defense beacon will call one level two (Frigates, Cruisers, Battle Cruisers) wave of NPC faction defense forces (using Sleeper AI) that will remain for the duration of the beacon and defend the player if attacked.
Level 5 (4 weeks +) Combat – LP gain for faction kills in system receive +10% bonus, NPC sites spawn as per normal mechanics (higher end sites spawn) Industry – Miners for the faction receive +10% bonus to mining yield, three asteroid belt spawns in system same as normal sov mechanics with mining upgrade. (ABC ores spawn) Sov – Same as level 1, plus gate guns & station guns will fire upon all opposing factions. Gates now have NPC faction forces patrolling gates & belts. Controlling faction’s players may launch a defense beacon (stealing earlier idea). Once launched the defense beacon will call one level two (Frigates-Ewar, Cruisers, Battle Cruisers, BS) wave of NPC faction defense forces (using Sleeper AI) that will remain for the duration of the beacon and defend the player if attacked.
Oh one thing to add... I think that miners that belong to the faction that holds sov in a system should be able to receive LPs based on the amounts of ore mined.
This would an additional incentive to promote miners (targets) to actively mine in low sec.