Solving the Population Density Problem with Space Stations

[Droideka]

The space stations would be listed under normal astros in the same orbit slot. That way, nobody has their coordinates changed. There's just new coordinates for the space station.

How about they don't figure into your base count, are destructible, and cost as much as your most recent base? A new account could build 10 space stations for 100 credits each, then still get up to 9 normal bases on normal astros. This would make early development really fast. And every space station can be destroyed. A higher level player, with many normal bases, would have to spend many thousands of credits for one space station.

[Wlerin]

Concept proposal:

Destroying a Space Station:
Space Stations are built to last. Simply knocking down its defenses isn't enough to destroy it. Instead, the occupier must leave fleet (perhaps a minimum size?) in orbit for 34 days in order to fully dismantle the space station. The wreck of the space station remains for another 34 days before disappearing, preventing a new space station from filling that spot. More specifically, each day that the base remains occupied, it loses 3% durability (1% per 8 hours). When durability reaches 0, it becomes a wreck. The wreck also has durability, however it does not need to remain occupied (nor can it be occupied) for durability to decrease. The wreck is a valid travel destination as long as it remains. The space station creator does not have visibility of the wreck.

If the base is freed, it begins regaining durability at the same rate (3% per day) until full.

[Alternatively, 1% per 6 hours, or 4% per day, for a lifespan under occupation of 25 days.]

For this to work, the base cost of a space station must be high. It cannot simply scale with the cost of bases, else you'll have single base players popping them up almost for free every 68/50 days. Each player can only support a certain number of space stations (based on base count? A tech? Weekly maintenance cost?), and the cost of each additional space station after the first increases.

Either the wreck or the station might leave behind debris once finally destroyed.

[Droideka]

Proposal:
cost/counting system is same as bases, but separate; free accounts get 9 bases and 9 space stations, but space stations cost 2x that of normal bases
Area 50
Solar (normal)
Fertility 4
Metal 3
Gas 0
Crystals 0
space ports don't need area
50% speed bonus (works like a JG)
occupation decreases durability/stability by 3% per day; once at 00%, it becomes a wreck; if liberated before that, it regenerates at 3% per day
wreck loses durability/stability at 4% per day and gets deleted at zero; wreck has no owner/income/etc., but ships can land there

[Avaqian]

How about drekons have a chance to take up residence in a wreck? Now I don't know if drekon bases work the same as UC in the area of degeneration, but nevertheless, it would go down as this idea proposes (4%/day) and stop at 4% until pillaged (and pillage bonus obtained) and then it would die, fleet would be transported to the celestial body the station was orbiting.

[Winchester]

Quick question. How is the current population density a problem?

[Wlerin]

Some of the more recent servers have been stretched thin due to stream pushing and other tactics, so there are way fewer players per galaxy than back in the early days of say, Fenix or Gamma. Also lots of level 0.0 and multis. Fewer targets == less interesting game. As I said initially, it's a lack of players, not a lack of bases, that's the real problem.

[Droideka]

Any problems with my last proposal?

[Wlerin]

Way too many stations per account.

[Droideka]

5?

[redphienix]

5?

Throwing numbers won't get us anywhere really.

If you want to defend the idea you'll need to put some work into each part, in this case the amount of space stations.

Don't JUST tell us "5" say why 5.

Does it work for early server, mid server, and late server?

Will "5" be dead-set for all accounts, or will upgrades get more?

Will this break the early game but be useless late game?

Will this multiply both economy and prod cap of late game accounts by 1.25 due to accounts essentially having 5 extra bases( even if they are small bases) ?

[Droideka]

9 was considered "way too many" so I went half way with 5. I don't have infinite experience/wisdom. I do have confidence in others' contributions to the idea, and my hope is that openness to suggestions will lead to something better than thinking alone. I think AE would be better with space stations. But the exact details of how the game mechanics should work are far from set in stone. What do you think is wrong (and right) with my space station idea?

[Winchester]

Some of the more recent servers have been stretched thin due to stream pushing and other tactics, so there are way fewer players per galaxy than back in the early days of say, Fenix or Gamma. Also lots of level 0.0 and multis. Fewer targets == less interesting game. As I said initially, it's a lack of players, not a lack of bases, that's the real problem.

Which means that the easiest solution is to reduce the stream's expansion rate on new servers, yes? As for existing servers, it seems to me like the fact of pre-planned fortress galaxies makes a lack of nearby targets inevitable.

[Droideka]

Proposal:
cost/counting system is similar to bases, but separate;
free accounts get 9 bases and 5 space stations, but space stations cost 2x that of normal bases
Area 50
Solar (normal)
Fertility 4
Metal 3
Gas 0
Crystals 0
space ports don't need area
50% speed bonus (works like a JG)
occupation decreases durability/stability by 3% per day; once at 00%, it becomes a wreck;
if liberated before that, it regenerates at 3% per day
wreck loses durability/stability at 4% per day and gets deleted at zero;
wreck has no owner/income/etc., but ships can land there

Anything wrong with this? What do you like about this?

[Dr Rush]

Do they have scanners?

[loshi1505]

also can you build large defences on it like p-rings and p-shields....

and if yes since this is a bit smaller than an asteroid is there a price reduction or bonus of a sort or something to similar effect?

and since we're on the topic of defences how about it has inherent defences when build to prevent a scout tap or something. heck maybe even a defensive structure unique to the station itself could be a possibility.