I have some CT's in the factory that I wanted to check on and to start up a new production run on another. I had to slog all the way out there just to click the button. Of course if I needed mats the new spark teleport wouldn't help, but if it works as it sounds, that in itself is going to make the whole game just that much more pleasant to play.

Also, there are times at the end of my play night, that I just want to get back to my home station. Being able to dock up at a remote station, teleport back to ICS-Alpha outpost, check the market and log out would fantastic.

I think a side-benefit to the market would be players buying additional bots to have placed around. So instead of just needing 1 sequar, maybe I'll have 5 or 6 spread around different outposts, and I can move them around logistcally at slower times but have one handy if I need to move something quickly.

Um.. ok, that could be a problem to balance now that I think about it.

So moving resources from the purchase station to the factory involves driving out there and coming back with an empty cargo, repeat as needed. With spark transfer, I could have 10 sequars at the station, fill one up and drive to the factory, then spark back and fill up the next, after 10 I could package them up and put them in 1 sequar for the drive back; cutting the transport time by 50%.

Does this seem like an issue? The same could be done with transport missions; 10 one way trips.

Or maybe if your willing to spend the extra on more bots it balances out?

I would mostly use the spark for moving between outposts

remember, the spark port would only work from beta outpost/terminal > alpha terminal.
to get anywhere you would have to have spare robots at those alpha terminals.

The teleport itself would have to cost at least as much as a crafted small bot, or it would be missused to mass-create cheap arkhes.

The rules for this are far from final yet, but we plan to give you an option to teleport your spark (yourself that is, without any robots or items) to alpha terminals. You will probably need to pay a fee for this, but we believe this will be a useful logistics tool.

MoBIoS wrote:

Myles Norvid wrote:

EP disadvantage is the biggest problem PO has. And it will grow expotentially bigger with every passing month. There are like ~150-200 people online, which doesn't make this game a MMO.

Yet you still want the gap to grow even bigger. Good luck with finding new players.

I don´t mean to be rude, but you Sir, seem to be playing the wrong game or just do not understand how the EP mechanics work. I suggest you go back to square 1 and start to read the post from the beginnig, for some further enlightenment.

I would really *LOVE* for some of you "EP makes no difference" people to explain how it's possible that someone who has 5x as much EP as you isn't stronger in spades.

Take a simple example, basic robotics.  All my characters are blue, my combat guy has basic robotics at lvl 5.  This gives him a 25% damage bonus with EM guns, 25% more armor repair, and 25% extended falloff.  Going over lvl 5 is prohibitively expensive especially for someone with only a months worth of EP. 

If I'm fighting against another guy with the same skills but he has more EP total and therefore higher basic robotics (and probably other combat skills as well) he could have as much as a 25% damage/repair/falloff bonus OVER AND ABOVE MINE.  That's just 1 skill.  Having more EP can and does give serious advantages not just small ones.

It's also a fact that people with more EP, having played the game longer, also are far more inclined to have the money and research tech to be running around in Tier 4 fittings of all kinds.  These give even more bonuses on top of their EP ones.

Once again, the only people I see defending the vast gap in advantages provided are the people who currently have them.  I will also point out, once again, I'm not arguing the mechanic I'm arguing the vastness of the curve.  It will likely take at least a year for someone starting now to have a chance in hell against someone from early access and only in the case that they super-specialize.

Considering that PvP is the clear focus and draw of this game it's important that there be balance on all sides AND that it be there early or people will leave or simply go inactive which kills the market (just look at all the economy threads) among other things.

It's not ready yet to be heavily advertised. We need more space badly. Personally I don't think what the Devs are adding is enough, since it's still going to be too easy for established corps to seriosuly mess any newb up that decides to try and stake a claim in beta.

Eve had steady growth because it had the space available (5000+ Star Systems)for even solo players to venture out into lawless space and try to make something of themselves. PO does not....5000 star systems vs 6 islands, where can you hide better?

Expand to 50ish islands for the start, add more later. It's like we're on a mini planet at the moment...

they could add one new feature

//add titanium X

x = amount