Currently, a smaller, more skilled group of combat pilots can seize control of a station from a larger group that's only combat "ability" lies in its greater number of online bodies at any given moment. However, because the larger group can constantly throw fresh, barely-trained rag pilots into the breach 24/7, the smaller band will either have to dedicate their life to defending a VO station or get very little for their efforts in seizing the station.

This has resulted in near-zero turn over: stations are in Grey, and Grey doesn't break down on relatively numbers-even nationalist lines - it breaks down between a mass of trader/anti-pirate bodies and maybe a dozen pirates/mercs, one to three of which may be on at any given time.

In order to give both long-term holders and short-term seizers a reason to do what they do, station owners should, within a 5 minute window after capture, have the option to "raze" the station they've just conquered.

"Razing" would have the following effects:

*All players' items left in station inventory deleted;
*Station inoperable for 12 hours, resets as unowned and must be reconquered thereafter;
*Station unable to offer free repairs for 24 hours after next reconquest;
*Station unable to contribute to unique missions/items/other ownership benefits for 36 hours after next reconquest.

The short time-window for the "Raze" option will prevent actual defenders from abusing it by enjoying the benefits of station ownership, only to raze when feeling threatened. A tactic we might see IRL, though probably not if the defenders had hopes of retaking in short order, but not one that would be a good game dynamic. Rather, station conquest will now be an either/or choice: an investment in your own operations, if you're confident you can hold it, or a blow against your more station-committed enemies, if you think you cannot hold it.

[VPR], [TGFT], and [PA] may now begin whining about the loss of their unchallenged access to free repairs. We all know, however, that this makes sense and would encourage more assaults on stations by pilots with more diverse interests, greater combat piloting skill, and fewer mindless drones at their disposal.

then I can throw out whimsical DS9 quotes before ONE retakes the m14 station like

"If dukat want's the station back" *stuff explodes and breaks* "he can have it"

and chuckle to myself silently

Negative - all chuckling, chortling, cackling, and other forms of maniacal laughter must be broadcast over sector chat and/or 100.

Bonus points for simultaneous taunting on 4357.

Sounds interesting. But probably not until you can do the opposite as well, that is buy/create options for the station. It should be possible for a station owner to "upgrade" the station with more turrets or even (gasp!!!!) production lines.

Hmm, that felt like a threadjack....

When those things are added, they too can be razed. As it stands now, however, the "opposite" can already be done - it is in fact the default for a station. Thus, this should be implemented for balance now.

+1

*All players' items left in station inventory deleted;

I'll disagree with this one. Make any stored items, exempting ships since they are currently non transferable (but they should be), whether trade or port items default into the inventory of the player to takes the station. That player can then re-distribute those items as he / she sees fit among those who helped take the station or whoever. This would make more sense for when the stations actually have value. Simply selling the goods for whatever the station offers should have the same affect as deleting the inventory.

I'd also cut the inoperable time to somewhere between two and six hours. Twelve just seems too long atm.

I would say a limit on any manufacturing the station does should take a while. Again, thirty-six hours seems a bit long to me. I think the station should start offering recovery type missions immediately. And trade type items become available at about half the production recovery time.

I agree on some nerfing of the time: since everything always gets mildly nerfed in this retard-fest that is msgboard/3, I purposely started a little high.

I could care less about the deletion/change in control dynamic, though I think an inventory reset is easier to implement, except for the fact that players should have to choose between razing the station and enjoying its fruits themselves. If the dynamic was Raze=all inventory deleted/Conquer and Keep=change in inventory control, then I think we'd have the best of both worlds.

Perhaps add more stations, hm? Since there seems to be 'too few' atm.

I think the number is about right, maybe one more in Odia. There's just not enough 'downside' to losing one.

Make three in Deneb

Better yet, turn the three Itani ones in Deneb into them. But that's a different thread.

+1 to the OP
+1 to Fluffer's inventory idea
-1 to nerfing the time. 12 hours is correct.

I find the premise here interesting. Counterpoint: M14 has seen pretty consistent turnover in the last few weeks.

Reasons for holding the station are in the works. I'd like to see that content before we start piling on top of it.

However, your idea does have some merit.

"Make three in Deneb" -1

Convert all stations in Deneb to conquerable stations.

+1 to OP

Reasons for holding stations already exist - the point is that not everyone wants to hold one, and there should be a conquest option to engage those who want to strike a blow rather than become station owners.

-1 to OP as things currently stand.

This would make stations completely worthless, might as well remove them from the game. It is absurdly easy to take a station, two or three mid level pilots can easily knock out the defenses when no defenders are present. I would not be suprised if a pilot of Dr. Lector's skill could do it solo. No sane guild would continue to invest time and money in something that can be completely lost in the wee hours when no one is visiting the station every ten minutes.

IMHO the game should encourage social activities, such as working together to take and hold a station, not discourage them in favor of a few anti-social individuals.

OTOH, if the defenses were tougher and in game notifications of 'attack in progress' were sent to keyholders *and* if successful razing required something like holding the station for eight hours (while charges are placed, etc), then I would not be opposed to it.

Omnivore, go suck eggs.

+1 to OP

IMHO the game should encourage social activities, such as working together to take and hold a station, not discourage them in favor of a few anti-social individuals.

Lols, do you consider whole vendetta's RP and RL community as "anti-social individuals"? :)) Do you have special criteria for anti-social, eh?

-1 to OP as things currently stand. This would make stations completely worthless

Why? Listen, omni-girl, don't keep stuff there, just enjoy free repairs and social activities (as you say btw).

And defend it from aggresors, not just talk, call for ya boyfriend, maybe he is more handy than you and will help.

Back to topic: more options for station conquest would be awesome anyways