The hive is neat, and other cool adjectives to describe them, but they could be neater. I suggest that the hive can attack any station at any given time. When that happens a mission will be posted at that station, the strike force goes out in, well, force and convoys and afk mining players get all fussed up and pissy. Something will have to be done with the NFZ. I suggest removing it during the time of the attack, so the SF doesn't target you for killing the hive. RP reason is, things are so chaotic that flight control in the station can't keep up. If timed right, rats can use this to their advantage.

Maybe this should not be allowed to happen in capital systems. I mean they are already magical places with no friendly fire and no ion storms, why not no attacking hive?

Discuss.

+100!

Also, when the hive attacks, have a mission show up at that station that says "Help defend against the attacking hive!" that works like a hive skirmish and gives XP and improves standing with that station's faction.

For bonus points this adds to the image that the hive is a horrible scourge and needs to be eradicated which isn't immediately apparent in the early game as you heartlessly slaughter hundreds of helpless collector bots.

+1 to OP
+1 to remove Hive and Storm restricton on grayspace station sectors.

--/--

It was allways funny when both Ion Storms and the Hive strike at conquerable stations sectors.

My vote also goes to all grayspace stations become subject to eventual Ion Storms and the Hive. That would give a meaning to why the nations don't expand into grayspace... that is not safe enough for a serious nation station due Storms, Hive and Rats!

When a grayspace station is under Storm or the Hive, it emits periodic alerts on SYSTEM channel, and when both strike at once, the station should broadcast help requests on /100, and reward whoever docks and take defense mission.

Not new ideas, but remain good ones.

AND helps bring LIFE to VO universe... random periodic events FTW!

+1

I suggest hive override turret control in station sector and they turn off, so hive could easily destroy them.

+1

I forgot that the dynamic hive exists within the Serco and Itani nation spaces. In the UIT we only have the static ones within our borders. We have to travel out to Grey before we encounter dynamic hive.

I think the hive should also try to invade capital systems and the UIT, but they should have to try to make it through the turreted borders first. This would greatly thin out their forces, if not completely eliminate them, before they could reach a station, making them a much lighter threat in the capitals.

+1.

Pirren, the turrets are there for a reason.

+1, nice suggestion.

Nahin, the turrets'll kill even the biggest hive fleet in couple of minutes. Even levi won't stay long against turrets.

I bet a Levi and all of it's bots could take out a station's turret defenses. That would be awesome to see!

I'll wager a queen with supercharged shields would be a big problem for even the most heavily defended stations.

Back on topic, this is an old suggestion and it's been around as long as I can remember. (The thread I've linked to is one of many)

I imagine the three conquerable stations already in game would be the likeliest place to experiment with this sort of thing, at least initially. However, the three conquerable stations are on the very fringe of the galaxy, out of the way, and easily ignored.

The problem with having the Hive come to the front door is that it would look neat but that's just the surface of the issue. There are many, many things this suggestion would require thinking out before becoming reality. Such as what happens if the Hive "wins"? Presumably, the Hive isn't picking a station sector to occupy for the asteroids as this would be a losing gesture unless all other asteroid sectors in the system are saturated. Rather, the Hive is there for the station, gaining some benefit from it. Does the Hive have the ability to "take over" the station just as players are able to conquer some stations in greyspace? What are the mechanics of this? What happens to the station and all players that are homed there?

Picture the Hive infesting a station within nation space and pumping out all sorts of scary new bots. The powers that be would send Heavy Assault Cruisers and swarms of fighters to battle and cleanse the robotic infection. It is of no avail; A cascading phenomenon has been set in motion that is unstoppable, and the galaxy becomes a wasteland dominated by killer robots. There would have to be some feedback mechanisms or limitations preventing this, much as the current dynamic Hive cannot expand past systems adjacent to the Leviathan. What would these be?

The list goes on and on.

The way I see, the hive is simply expanding to next sector, and that sector already homes a station...

The hive attack bots should ignore the station, but attack any player/NPC in sector, while their collectiors mine.

And remain there until PLAYERS, real players, clear the area with npc help... simply disturbing the passage.

Same applies to WH sectors. The hive keeps expanding...

Rin, I think that if players do not take action to stop the hive, then all but the capital systems should be infected in such a way. Newbs could be quickly trained and thrown into the battle, which I think might be fun and get some more newbies to stick. They're always complaining about lack of action in nation space. For now, though, while we have such a small playerbase, it should be restricted to greyspace, imo.

How do border/station turrets respawn? Full health, or gradual ala conquerable stations? I've killed them before, but never hung around in the sector long enough to witness a respawning.

Also, for those who don't know this, turrets in normal station sectors will return to the station for repairs when sufficiently damaged. I have tested that in both the training sector and in the Ukari border to Helios.

For now, though, while we have such a small playerbase, it should be restricted to greyspace, imo.

Player database is ok for VO 'verse. Space isn't overpopulated chinatown.

Please try to make your sentences coherent.

Are you trying to say VO's population is fine as it is? If so, you're dumber than I thought... I didn't think that was possible. Well, we're all proven wrong every once in a while, though some more than others..

Not quite tarenty. I believe what he was trying to say is that the population density is fine. Subtle but important difference.

(I don't agree. Some places should be pretty empty, but others should be quite busy. Currently, neither are as dense as they should be (we will need additional grey systems that are even more remote and empty)).

Not quite tarenty. I believe what he was trying to say is that the population density is fine. Subtle but important difference.

Aye!