Many people complain about the inherent advantage older players get than newer ones, because there is basically no way for a newer char to get more skill points than an equal char.
Proponents of the current skill system claim (with a good degree of truth) that newer players can become just as proficient as any older player at doing any one thing, but that older players are just proficient at more things.
As I sit here, typing this up, I haven't really played much EvE for the past week or so. This is mainly because I'm waiting for Amarr Cruiser V to finally finish (5 days from now) and let me fly the Curse (Neuting from 30km away? Hell yah)
Currently, there is only one way of 'catching up' with the older players SP wise. That way is by purchasing a character (for a large isk sum) from somebody else made. I don't really like this 'solution', namely because it requires that you literally become an older player. As I sit on 4 billion + isk, I don't really want to buy an Uber PvP char (which probably costs 10b +) because I've invested over a year into Lanissum.
Instead, I'd like to suggest a few alternatives to purchasing an entire new character.
1. Instead of transfering the purchased character, the new character's skills (and assets, etc) are merged with yours, and the new character ceases to exist.
Pros: You get your SP's, they get their ISK, CCP gets more disk space, you don't have to trash your precious main.
Cons: Can't really think of any, although if you change your mind, it's not like you can just resell the char. (Well, you could, but then you'd basically be doing the same thing I'm trying to avoid here)
2. Instead of buying a character, you buy individual skills (pay x isk to finish a currently training skill now). The exchange rate would probably have to make it more expensive than buying a new char (I think that rate is about 200mil ISK/mil SP, so maybe 250m ISK/SP?)
Pros: You get exactly what you want, right now, instant gratification.
Cons: CCP doesn't get their $14 fee (kinda lame, since all they do is a quick database manipulation -_-)
3. Instead of buying a character, you pay to increase your training rate for a certain amount of time (or SP). Similar to the current noob 'x2 training bonus until 1.6 mil SP'
Pros: You get what you want.
Cons: If you just want to finish a skill NOW, too bad. And you better have a plan for all that extra 'bonus training' if you don't want to waste it.
I most prefer #2, although #3 would do in a pinch (namely because it's 'already implemented'). I especially like the idea of being able to actually catch up to older players without becoming one of them.
What do you think?
What It's Like
7 years ago
5 comments:
I'd rather have choice one, just because I don't like the idea of 2 or 3 and being able to pay isk to get skills...at least with buying a character...the work was done by someone...if you just go pay x isk to an npc...the isk just disappears, and the sps just...pop out of thin air.
Now you got my brain rolling, gonna have to make a more in depth post now :D
Heh, I didn't really take into account farmers and the ilk when I first wrote this, maybe after some more comments here & in the eve-o forums I'll revise some of the ideas.
My friend and I were discussing this just yesterday and came up with a couple ideas. First was increase the skill training speed while you are logged into the game. Make it 2 or 3 times faster training or even higher. We also thought about the ability to take and pay CCP a fee for a "custom" char. Someone once stated that an average char trains about 1M SP per month. Assuming that is true you pay CCP 15 dollars per 1M skill points you want your character to start with and then you go through and pick the skills you want to have on your character. Essentially for 150 US dollars you could have a character with 10M skill points that you distributed where you felt and then log in and start doing what you like. Not saying the idea is great but it does help alleviate some of the issues new characters have.
Eh, I thought of the 'faster training while logged in' too, but then you'd just have every1 afk'ing. There'd have to be some other activity requirement.
It was touched on earlier, but any method of paying x amount of isk for skills would be exploited by farmers.
For that matter, even #1 could be exploited...
Start a new toon, train a skill to 5 using the 1.6mil SP 'boost', transfer lvl 5 skill to your main, rinse..repeat
As much as I hate waiting too (currently 25days for BS 5 on my main), I think the current system is a pretty good compromise.
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