Forums » Suggestions
Wormhole Activation
DekuDekuplex Ornitier's post here: http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/12071?page=5#147748 suggested a Behemoth variant that was limited to Nation space. My objection to that is that it doesn't make sense with the way wormholes work right now: all the wormholes are essentially the same, a gravitational anomaly that can be manipulated to "warp" objects to a far distant location. So if a ship can activate wormholes in Nation Space, there's no reason it wouldn't be able to activate wormholes in Grey space. But as I thought about it, a number of different things that have been suggested clicked together.
So here's what I think would be cool: currently, every ship in the game has the ability to activate wormholes. I'd like to see that ability removed from the majority of the current ships in the game (not all, but most). This is something that I've suggested before, in conjunction with Carrier Capital Ships: http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/10545 and has also been implied by the suggestion for batteries designed for carrier based ships here: http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/11794
The additional suggestion I'm making here is that at most wormholes in nation space, and possibly some wormholes in grey space, there be a stationary "Wormhole Activator" deployed at the center of the wormhole sphere. These would be non-movable devices designed to activate the wormhole on behalf of other ships. In order for a ship without its own wormhole activator to get through the wormhole, it would hail the stationary wormhole activator in the center of the wormhole, and if it met certain requirements, the stationary wormhole activator would open the wormhole for the ship.
The really cool thing is that this allows for a wide range of requirements for traveling inside a faction's space. The faction's wormhole activators won't open wormholes for you, unless you meet the requirements the faction has set. Usually these would include at a minimum a basic fee for activating the wormhole, and a faction standing requirement. But it could also have other requirements: wormholes at the borders of nation space might require that your ship be scanned, and require that you pay an import/export tariff based on your cargo, or limit the types of cargo you can be carrying, or the ship & equipment you can be using.
Which brings me to something I've found rather funny: the largest trade guild in VO is TGFT, "The Guild of Free Traders" - historically, "Free Trader" was an euphemism for a smuggler: a trader who refused to pay the taxes & tariffs on their trade goods. But there is no smuggling in VO, only 100% legitimate trade, so while our Guild of "Free Traders" technically fits the definition (they don't pay taxes or tariffs), it's only because taxes & tariffs don't even EXIST, not because they actively circumvent the taxes & tariffs. But since these stationary wormhole activators could require taxes & tariffs, it would also allow for bypassing them - smuggling. Most ships wouldn't have their own wormhole activator, but some would - and those that do would be capable of warping without paying the tariffs on the trade goods they're carrying, or carrying contraband goods. Of course, running through the checkpoint without letting yourself be scanned would result in a faction standing penalty - but you can get that back by coming back and pleading "extenuating circumstances" ("There was a pirate after me! I didn't dare stop!") and letting them scan you (after hiding your contraband, or selling the goods you didn't want to pay the tariff on). But be careful! Do that too often, and they'll get suspicious of you!
So here's what I think would be cool: currently, every ship in the game has the ability to activate wormholes. I'd like to see that ability removed from the majority of the current ships in the game (not all, but most). This is something that I've suggested before, in conjunction with Carrier Capital Ships: http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/10545 and has also been implied by the suggestion for batteries designed for carrier based ships here: http://www.vendetta-online.com/x/msgboard/3/11794
The additional suggestion I'm making here is that at most wormholes in nation space, and possibly some wormholes in grey space, there be a stationary "Wormhole Activator" deployed at the center of the wormhole sphere. These would be non-movable devices designed to activate the wormhole on behalf of other ships. In order for a ship without its own wormhole activator to get through the wormhole, it would hail the stationary wormhole activator in the center of the wormhole, and if it met certain requirements, the stationary wormhole activator would open the wormhole for the ship.
The really cool thing is that this allows for a wide range of requirements for traveling inside a faction's space. The faction's wormhole activators won't open wormholes for you, unless you meet the requirements the faction has set. Usually these would include at a minimum a basic fee for activating the wormhole, and a faction standing requirement. But it could also have other requirements: wormholes at the borders of nation space might require that your ship be scanned, and require that you pay an import/export tariff based on your cargo, or limit the types of cargo you can be carrying, or the ship & equipment you can be using.
Which brings me to something I've found rather funny: the largest trade guild in VO is TGFT, "The Guild of Free Traders" - historically, "Free Trader" was an euphemism for a smuggler: a trader who refused to pay the taxes & tariffs on their trade goods. But there is no smuggling in VO, only 100% legitimate trade, so while our Guild of "Free Traders" technically fits the definition (they don't pay taxes or tariffs), it's only because taxes & tariffs don't even EXIST, not because they actively circumvent the taxes & tariffs. But since these stationary wormhole activators could require taxes & tariffs, it would also allow for bypassing them - smuggling. Most ships wouldn't have their own wormhole activator, but some would - and those that do would be capable of warping without paying the tariffs on the trade goods they're carrying, or carrying contraband goods. Of course, running through the checkpoint without letting yourself be scanned would result in a faction standing penalty - but you can get that back by coming back and pleading "extenuating circumstances" ("There was a pirate after me! I didn't dare stop!") and letting them scan you (after hiding your contraband, or selling the goods you didn't want to pay the tariff on). But be careful! Do that too often, and they'll get suspicious of you!
...I don't like this idea...
Umm... yeah. How about not. Or make an activator available on the black market. I like the fact that I can travel where I want, when I want, regardless of how much any given faction (5 total at this point, so most of space) may hate me.
i like this idea, it goes a long way towards adding much more interesting RP aspects to the game.
i'd recomend that the facton specific ships have built in activators (why is the maud better than a 'moth? you ask, because it can go where it pleases.) whereas the non faction ships have to equip an "activation battery" that allows them to activate wormeholes, but has a pitiful recharge rate and a low capacity (say: 100, and a recharge of 5/s). and requires very high faction standing and a lisence requiernment.
I'd also like to perpose that the border wormeholes have a continious patrole that attacks any ship that aproaches within 1km of the WH without hailing the activator, unless they haf pillier of society standing.
i'd recomend that the facton specific ships have built in activators (why is the maud better than a 'moth? you ask, because it can go where it pleases.) whereas the non faction ships have to equip an "activation battery" that allows them to activate wormeholes, but has a pitiful recharge rate and a low capacity (say: 100, and a recharge of 5/s). and requires very high faction standing and a lisence requiernment.
I'd also like to perpose that the border wormeholes have a continious patrole that attacks any ship that aproaches within 1km of the WH without hailing the activator, unless they haf pillier of society standing.
Or not. No activators...
Instead of having certain ships with the worm activation ability, what about having devices in space that jam your ability to go through a wormhole. Only certain spots would have this device. If you want to go through, you have to talk it. Smugglers would have a wormhole jammer jammer(Or just the device up). Around the device will be an NPC force to attack rule breakers, or KOS(depending on who controls that worm hole).If you go through the worm hole illegally, then you will be followed by part of the force.
or you could have it that only someone in a bus can activate the wh for everyone
exDragon, your idea sounds okay, as long as the wormhole jammer devices were VERY rare, like 7 in the universe (2 Itani, 2 Serco, 3 UIT) to better maintain borders with. A short-term simulation would be to simply have SFs patrol in force MUCH closer to wormholes...