You guys go on and on about how we didn't "win" these Beta stations. We only have them because you stopped playing the game.

The implication here is if PHM, CIR , Dom Alliance were still active we would own roughly what we did before you quit.
And you would be correct.

Then you are going on and on about how we can defend every Beta terminal now with SpT because it allows our relatively small force to rapidly deploy anywhere to counter an even smaller attacking force, because no one is playing the game.
And you would be correct.

Gee, whats the solution?

PLAY THE *** GAME!!!!

If you were playing in equal or greater numbers than us, you would have your Betas, we would fall back and hold the ones we could.

MUCH LIKE IT WAS FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF WHEN SpT WAS IN THE GAME AND NO ONE ***, RATHER THAN THE LAST 3 MONTHS WHEN NO ONE IS PLAYING.

Seriously, if whining on the forums to change a mechanic while not playing a game because you dont like the current political landscape, is not easy mode I don't know what is.

When SpT was introduced it was one of the greatest advancements to this game because of the tedium of travel. Everyone forgets that it seems.

Also, all those who now want it changed because "we make millions of nic with missions on easy mode" ... How many of you have your 6.0 standings? Pretty much all of you, right? Because when you owned the Betas, you took advantage of the broken system. Now that you don't, to the forums! We have to change this great injustice! What a joke.

I spent all my gametime last night mining Titanium. What the hell!?! Shouldn't I be running missions for every single second of my gameplay?!??!??

I comment on stuff for the good of the game. I thought SpT was good for the game when it was introduced.
The limit of sparks means you have to choose which ones you have.
The mission system was designed pre-spark, its getting revamped and the advantage will disappear.
You have your opinion, I have mine. I respect yours. Stop telling me why I have mine. And I will do the same.

Gunner ... if it was up to me this game would have

... no orange bots anywhere whatsoever
... roaming observers on Alpha (one of the best early game moments for me was getting destroyed almost instantly by a Kain observer right outside ICS Alpha.)
... neuting and demobbing lvl2 npcs
... a cloaking nexus

I don't like games on easy mode.
SpT is not easy mode .... even now you have to carefully choose which sparks you set up and have the equipment there to use.

I suppose the same thoughts behind SpT should also be applied to mobile teles? because clearly they should not be used either, correct?

You are not really thinking ahead about this ... as long as players do not get more than the current 10 possible sparks plus their death spark, they will never have enough sparks to do what you all are suggesting. and if/when the game gets bigger and has more pop, the sparks will be even less of this "overwhelming broken mechanic" everyone is trying to make it out to be.

Regardless you guys have your opinion, I have mine ... It's not changing unless I see a reason it should ... and so far all I've heard is the same jack *** argument repeated endlessly on your side, as if repeating it makes it ... true.

I don't care if you agree with my opinion, but I do take exception to the idea I want things easy. That is not the case. Don't confuse the ability to do things easier because of time and effort invested into the game, and wanting the game to be easy.

Gunner, you are correct that with spark Teleport 20 people are able to control 10 outposts

So change the spark system because of that? Lol no. As you yourself point out, player population in the future will change the control. Your posts are bringing up far more basic issues with the game, and really they all point to the #1 issue. Population. All decent points. None of the decay in the game has its root causes in SpT, though. The population was shrinking long before it and Gamma were introduced.

Do you guys really think we at STC don't understand the factors that have lead to the current power structure within the game?

Lots of us love the game Gunner, not just you. On serious gameplay rules and balance, I never post politics I post with what I think will allow the game to grow.

Arga, I'm quoting EvE's system because other (not you) suggest it as an example (clone jump timers) why there should be a longer cooldown. EvE has the same issues, just on a larger scale.

Homie I am stealing that quote.

Again using the EvE "standard" Beta irrelevance has its equivalent in Low Sec space, and for muchly the same reasons .... Better resources and sov mechanics in 0.0 or Gamma. Better security elsewhere. etc.

I do not understand why Epi is not made a Beta only resource. This would solve 90% of the empty Beta problem. (And I have endorsed this long before everyone stopped playing and STC assimulated empty Beta outposts)
The only argument against this I heard was the disdain for artificial chokepoints, games a sandbox, etc. Well the game already has tonnes of artificial chokepoints, no Epi on Alpha, MPC only on Gamma, etc.

I have never had enough sparks ... I currently have lvl 7, and even before STC owned every Gamma, Beta, and Alpha terminal... As long as the amount of personal sparks do NOT increase, and lets pretend eventually this game survives and population and playing area increase, Spark Tele becomes no advantage whatsoever.

Currently, SpT favours Beta Outpost Defense, as a Outpost owner can spark in reinforcements if attacked where the attacker without access to the terminal cannot. In all other aspects of the game all sides have equal access to use of SpT. So the only possible negative is the advantage of Outpost owners. But Beta station ownership battles were never meant to be easy to change, or something that a small gang could simply hit and run and take over in one shot. Saps and sap loot can be hit and run by a trial account in a light bot, this is awesome. A new player can do something. Beta owneship is indeed worth something, if only as a safe teleport point.

Edit: a bit rambling but trying to make points in a thread that without politics, is a pretty good topic.
My basic points are some of the problems raised in game are not caused by the introduction of SpT

So the advantage the owner of the outpost has, the ability to step outside a locked station and get the time and return to safety, is not enough? Sorry Beast I have to disagree. If you can't afford a half mill, then you shouldn't own an outpost. I also think the loot drops are fine.

Never been butt hurt. Best of luck wherevrr you go Ville.

I suppose if Ludlow the stats guy in NeBs was bored we could ask him to complie a list of the 10 highest EP Veterans who have killed the most noobs. You know, Lemon, the very imbalance you are referring to.

I wonder who would top the list?

Burial, If I understand this, Ville used plasma bombs to destroy structures that were in reinforcement. You are trying to damage a terminal that is not in reinforcement. Also, could be that the bombs were broken when the Devs adjusted the killboard data so their effects are now properly shown, but thats a guess.

Making Epi a Beta only ore would force all mining of this mineral on to an open and accessible PVP area.

This means if you don't want to risk a bot you would have to buy it on market at a premium.
It means haulers and logistics for the impregnable Gamma bases need to traverse to open and accessible PVP areas more often than currently.

Ore prices increase and PVP opportunity increases, I fail to see the problem here.

Edit: This has nothing to do with current Beta ownership. That could change in an instant if people so chose.
I want to see the Game flourish so as such I suggest things that I think are good for the game, not me personally. The current politics don't mean anything in this regard.

Name one corp we have "ground out of the game".
Don't confuse it with corps who gave up on the game and went elsewhere.

The only time I've been in STC and felt like I've shot (or STC has) someone we shouldn't have was when we shot AIC when they were neutral. We ended up pushing them to your side, and they did and do pretty good at PVP now.

The game is about conflict.
The game needs conflict. Take 10 corps, at any time one will be the strongest, one will be the weakest. Its just the way things are.

Our Alliance is solid. We had a great run. We wiped whatever you had and in the process took Kara, took Hoop.
You guys brought CIR back, and turned the tables, won fights against us.

Did we take Dohm despite our best efforts? Nope. You guys defended well. We went there for pvp and we got it and our *** handed to us. Thanks for that and gf

Now people are drifting away and playing other things.  The islands are empty. Should I leave too, because you did? No, I do what I want because its my choice. If no one is here and bases are available we will take them. We take them because we can, we are not spewing crap about how leet our alliance is. We choose to keep playing. Thats it.

This is the state of the game now. 12 and 62nd and friends are great opponents and were great fun to fight. Even phm/cir/ chaos/ aic fights, both the ones we won and lost, we fun.

This is the truth of the politics now and the state of the game. Prove me wrong.