The patch has seemed to demotivate a lot of newer players.   Several of them have logged in, found they weren't able to drive their mk2 bots anymore, and won't have the EP for the pre-req exts AND the high tech ext for a few days. They subsequently have just stopped playing now that they're forced to take a step backwards when they already felt behind in the first place. Mk2s are not cheap for new players both in terms of EP and NIC.

Basically my corp has been cut by 1/4 or so.  The more dedicated group is still playing but is discouraged by the increase in harvest/mining grind. Our most dedicated miner ran the numbers and found he won't be able to achieve his previous mining 'ability?' for several months due to prioritization of other needed new player skills. 

I'm hoping this is a temporary shock reaction and they'll be back.  It's a dangerous game to play though. Taking people's progress away from them is not a very good idea especially in a game where that progress relies on such heavy grind.  To make it worse, you did it to people who are still undecided on the game.

-2 points guys

Just did some brainstorming earlier on things that would make combat more interesting, both in PVP and PVE. I like it when tactics and skill can overcome brute numbers.

- Make movement drain accumulator.  Highways have special 'effects'. Possibly lower accumulator drain / possibly higher.  Give haulers and possibly arckhes bonuses to fit their 'move stuff' role.  This wouldn't be as annoying as you might think when outside of combat. It'd be a consideration but completely manageable.  In terms of combat it would add a ton of strategic possibilities. 

- Add friendly fire.

- Turn ECM into an AOE thing, a lot like EMP in the real world. You set it off and it has a chance to jam everybody within radius. Exponentially decaying the further out.  Add an item that can focus ECM into a direction so it's not a perfect circle but more oval shaped.

- Add a penalty to turn radius based on robot size. Light bots should be able to literally run circles around heavy mechs. Slow and strong vs fast and weak.

- Add temporary / deployable land mines and energy fences. Land mines harm the bots, energy fences demobilize and force shields to lower.  These can be PVP only. I can see it being OP for NPC spawns. 

- Add environmental AOE heat damage. In particular heat generated from multiple bots in a concentrated area firing together or being fired upon. Give 'thermal damage' some real meaning.  Bringing thermal lasers into a fight can have some unique effects.

- Fleet teleport beacons.  1 time use, the entire squad physically present in the radius of the beacon teleports together.

- Jet pack 'item' or module. Vertically scale terrain.  Adds heat. Disables all active modules jumping and has a cooldown after landing before modules can be used again.

- Make deployable walls block missiles when you're hiding behind them?  I just don't like how missiles can find you anywhere and have a long range.

Extra life is this weekend. Register, donate, and pvp for the kids!

http://www.extra-life.org/index.cfm?

/shameless but not so shameless spam

Make the corp that owns a Beta station actively participate in every SAP or else they lose station stability, and make the SAP's require more than 1 person in an Argano.   Destruction should be .. you know.. destructive. Active / Passive hacking should require a bit more effort than sitting there. As least put a puzzle up or something.  I suppose that could be addressed separately.

Quite frankly I find it ridiculous that once you own a station you never have to step ..foot?.. on the island again and you can keep it forever.  It's equivalent to a dog peeing on a fire hydrant right now. I peed on it first therefore it's mine. If you want my fire hydrant you have to come pee on it at least 5 - 10 times and then one more time after that.

- This prevents a corp from holding onto a station unless they 'deserve' it.  They should be active players, with proper resources, industrial backbone, and skill to maintain a station.
- It adds more PVE content to the game automatically because you have to do something about it.
- It gives more PVP opportunities automatically because we know *someone* is going to be at those saps.
- It doesn't make it impossible for a mega corp to hold all the stations but it certainly makes that corp work for it. As part of that corp I'm ok with having to work for it.

$0.02

...let the complaining commence..