I've just recently come up with a possible solution that may solve some of the problems with ctc. Essentially it is a single unaligned convoy passing from Latos to Odia, perhaps between Latos C2 and Odia M14. Any nation can kill this convoy and return the cargo to their own nation space. Each week the nation with the highest amount of cargo wins access to a special weapon (maybe something other than the Neut mkIII) for the following week. However, if the winning nation does not surpass the amount of unaligned cargo delivered to Odia M14, all corvus stations will have access to Neut mkIIIs. This will encourage all nations to participate in ctc, even pirates who want Corvus to win.

-Nautargos

that's the least of ctc problems really.

first, there's the unrats hindering the whole gameplay.

second, there's a lack of any good itani interceptor (bring back the rune dangit!)

third, we have to get rid of the enzo-ferrari-transport-from-hell that's just way too fast.

fourth, we need to have a faster way to complete the safeguard and make the trip "worth it". going all the way back to divinia (or you favorite hell hole) is way too boring when you're dealing with 4cus.

picture this scenario: an itani zoinks a serco transport; instead of going alllll the way back to divinia, he opts to bring it back to bractus instead, cutting his route 2/3 (or so).
the next itani convoy that leaves will be augmented by that much cus, making it even more worthwhile for serco to attack, and more worthwhile for itani to attack. everything is cumulative until, in the end, a possible ubber-large convoy heads for it's respective capital (mud pit).

with decent interceptor (8cu rune), this will still require a transport (a player moth for example) to bring back the loot for the week's win.

imo, this would revive ctc, make it fun again and give an incentive for users to play together again.

but that's been suggested before.

to make it real fun i would suggest this.

--Backstory--
Purified xith ore is mined by using high impulse mining beams combined with high frequency radiation to even set the ore particles free. this setting them free is possible because you put them on a very high energy level, so purified xith ore is considered instable radioactive material untill it burns out with some big boom when the maximum radiation level is reached in the surrounding...
--end--

you shoot a convoy, you pick up the ore, and a counter starts you have 1h:30min to deliver it untill it just goes boom. you can't take new missions your mission log is blocked by a deliver the ore mission.
and according to the minutes left you get 5cr per ore.
starting at 450cr ending with boom at 0.

you enter any station (yes you are allowed to do so).
The station will charge you 2cr for every ore and minute and the station will call a special transport at countdown 0:30 to deliver the ore, on your charge, about 10k before the ore goes boom in the station.

This transport will cost 10k but will take all the ore with it accumulated untill that point. this transport also will be announced in 201 and 202 like

"Special Xith transport prepared to leave station xy at galaxy z + sector i in 15/10/5 minutes"

heading for the closest (wh count) route to get rid of it.
so itanis bunkering the xith in latos and not delivering it will be charged for the ore being delivered to the sercos.
sercos bunkering the ore in edras will be charged for the ore being delivered to the itani because it is the shortest way for a station located in edras to get rid of it.

so yes the players have more freedom being able to dock for repairs or for waiting for a real transport and stuff but not taking care of the ore will hurt, your purse and your nation including faction loss of course, because the delivered ore is still yours but delivered to the wrong faction, for you did not take care of it.
The transports are unaligned means you could also kill the transport with your ore before it being delivered to perhaps the wrong place but then you still need to hurry.

This i think would really increase the fun because you are given much more options and failing to deliver it should hurt. so by announcing early that special transports are going to be deployed any enemy will know wait if a transport is going to be deployed soon this mean that might be the ore of the last 3 losses of our convoy... -> much ore faction and money.

uc: The Itani need a better interceptor? They have the best interceptor ship there is already, ffs.

I suppose this is beating a dead horse and devs have their plans anyway, but simply slowing down the end-of-the-week convoys and increasing the rewards (like creating a CtC badge, possibly as a condition for N3) would be enough to revive interest.

toshiro, the valk can not fight, intercept and bring back anything.

the rune used to do that. but now, the transport is faster than the valk (it has infini boost). just trying to catch it up and firing *one* round is enough to loose sight of the damn thing.

and no one (no, one) is willing to deal with that crap if it means being able to bring back only two measly crates. the 8cu rune was meant for ctc and killing the rune basically killed ctc.

the valk/rune cripple is high on the list why i'm not a paying member anymore.

That is a strange point because the vast majority of Serco had not access to the Rune. In effect they did not use it (except Ruby IIRC) and yet played CtC.

I honestly think CTC should die. Backstory wise, it has frail support (Why the hell would the Itani purify their most precious substance in Bractus and the Serco in Sedina? IN THE MIDDLE OF PIRATE SPACE!)

Gameplay wise, let's be realistic. Without advertising, there is an influx of new players but by and large it's the same people week in and week out. Thus the same thing, while new to the new players, is old to everyone else. There are only so many times one can find entertainment in doing the same repetitious thing.

that's because the sero could intercept with proms and take the loot.

besides, many serco also use the valk. the whole point of holding ctc in grey space is to avoid smashing faction standing.

--uc
(/me will relogin when i'm not lazy)

Huh? Revive the CtC? Get your arses to the game, theorycrafters, and help your nation!

Aleksey, your post is kinda funney :D

Bojan, I did not see this before (yeah, who cares, just hope the Dev did :D) but it looks like the good way. People get badges to kill a handful of Oruns so it would be only justice to give them to CtCers. You can be more radical and reserve N3's to those with a badge.

Well, if you would not spend your life in XC, you knew that CtC is active these days, especially with yoda reforming SAF

Wait, we're complaining about the ITANI not having an adequate interceptor?

Are you on crack?

The valk is THE FASTEST SHIP IN THE GAME. PERIOD. Now, if you're too lazy to get your ass into another ship for hauling, or have someone else take it away, that's your problem.

'cause, y'know, if you're really that displeased with your CtC performance, you could always try flying a Serco ship... you know, the ones that top out at 200, or drain way too much battery to chase anything.