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[kalaratiri]

Almost no actual details on these yet, but I will be using this thread to collect the writings of the wonderfully diligent CCP Affinity.

Greetings,

I'm CCP Affinity from Team Kuromaku and we have been working on Ghost Sites for Rubicon. I will use this thread to answer questions as they start to appear on SISI and reveal information as we get closer to release.


What are Ghost Sites?

Ghost sites are a new, rare type of cosmic anomaly. They will appear on your system scanner and will be a new style of exploration site featuring fast paced hacking and combat.

Where will they be located?

Ghost Sites will be in ALL areas of space - including WH

What loot can I get in Ghost Sites?

Sites in each area of space will drop slightly different items, including blueprints for the first ever implant set to be manufactured by players. The blueprints and one of the required materials will be sourced from the Ghost Sites.

What are the Implants?

The new set of player manufactured pirate implants, called 'Ascendancy' implants will vastly improve your warp speed



(From now, player questions in the thread)

What constitutes the "slightly different" items? Or they just specifically the stuff for making these implants.
Also, will the implants require a pos to build or can they be made in a station?

I don't want to go into specifics right now ... but the blueprints to complete the set will be spread around the various sites.. with the best blueprint only appearing in WH sites and manufacturing will work very similar to modules

While the sites sound cool, and the BPCs for the implants are going to be a neat step in the right direction for T2 implants, what other types of loot can we expect to see in these sites?

Loot tables aren't finalised yet but I will let you know as soon as I can

Have there been any changes to the hacking minigame?

Not for this release but we still have plans to iterate on this as soon as we can.

Affinity! Question for you! What's the total bonus from the full set?

54% but this is subject to change

a few questions:

define "fast paced hacking and combat"

is it tailored for big team of players

is it maybe for small group of 1-5 players?

will those sites scale with WH class (from 1 man sites in c1 to triage/dread fleet in c6)

how rare/abdundant You want those sites to make

will they appear in addition to existing sites or will they be just added to "spawn table" so overall sites in one WH system will be similar? I hope they are made as addition so we can have more things to do in WH

does all material needed for production of those impalnts be available in WH or do we need materials from diffrent types of space (i.e. can we produce them in WH or do we have to move stuff from hi sec into wh first)

It's tailored to be run solo if you want to but to allow for disruption gameplay. It may be beneficial to take a team with you, but there will be nothing in the site that forces you to take a group of be at a disadvantage.

Fast paced just means perhaps it is in your best interests to not stick around for too long...

The highest level of site will be in WH space, but they won't scale with class

The sites will be rare enough that if you happen to be lucky and spot one, it is worth your while to drop what you are doing and go to the site

They will be an addition

All materials needed for production will not be available in WH space - no single area of space will have everything they need without moving stuff

Freighter pilots, you don't have to be chronically lethargic any more.

[kalaratiri]

1) Why did you decide that EVE really needs this?

2) Why did you decide that EVE needs this more than complete PvE or mining redesign to make those activities interesting?

We are in the process of redesigning our 10 year old content/universe tools and we spent most of this release working on the redesign of the tools, which will be an ongoing process. Alongside that we decided to also release a small content site. Obviously there are many areas of EVE PvE that need an overhaul but trying to do a major system overhaul while updating tools would be terrible.

[Myyona]

We are in the process of redesigning our 10 year old content/universe tools and we spent most of this release working on the redesign of the tools, which will be an ongoing process. Alongside that we decided to also release a small content site. Obviously there are many areas of EVE PvE that need an overhaul but trying to do a major system overhaul while updating tools would be terrible.

Hm, that could explain what all those man hours went into. Rubicon did feel rather "easy" to implement, and I was getting depressed in the little effort that appeared to have been put into it.

Nice to see that they are following the SoE ships up with something new to use them for. This expansion appears to have passed my approval level now.

[Alain Colcer]

1) Why did you decide that EVE really needs this?

2) Why did you decide that EVE needs this more than complete PvE or mining redesign to make those activities interesting?

We are in the process of redesigning our 10 year old content/universe tools and we spent most of this release working on the redesign of the tools, which will be an ongoing process. Alongside that we decided to also release a small content site. Obviously there are many areas of EVE PvE that need an overhaul but trying to do a major system overhaul while updating tools would be terrible.

I really hope the re-work and redesign of "backend" tools allows non-programmers to do better/larger/prettier stuff.

[Myyona]

Nice to see that they are following the SoE ships up with something new to use them for. This expansion appears to have passed my approval level now.

Nope, scratch that. These are not sites were you would want to take a SoE ship. A tech 1 scout ship would be better or perhaps a newly rewamped interceptor for zero sec.

[Katrina Oniseki]

Nice to see that they are following the SoE ships up with something new to use them for. This expansion appears to have passed my approval level now.

Nope, scratch that. These are not sites were you would want to take a SoE ship. A tech 1 scout ship would be better or perhaps a newly rewamped interceptor for zero sec.

Why?

[Myyona]

Because, if I understand the design concept correct, you should rather expect to be ganked at these sites either by players or NPCs, so a high value covert ship is too high cost. These sites will be 'anomalies', not 'signatures', as such you need no probes to locate them. It has even been stated they will have their own color marking (not red or green) so you know immediately one is present when you enter a system. And time is of the essence here; you only got 5-20 (so expect 5) minutes to clear the site after the first person enter before the hackable containers explode (maybe damaging you) and a gank squad of NPCs appear. These have no bounties, probably no loot either but capable of dishing out a lot of damage.

As I think you can see, there is not much gained from using a SoE ship except for the added bonus to Analyzers. But you can get that from a tech 1 explorer ship too. I would prefer the speed and ability to get out of a hot place fast of the scout ship though.

I find the mechanic instersting and I expect both explores and lurking pirates to become victims of those NPC gank squads.

ADD: Oh, and of course; a scout ship has better combat capabilities to handle people in explore ships that might have arrived to the site before you or after.

[Ollie]

I thought Affinity was being deliberately (and decidedly) vague with reference to what the 'threat' in these sites are.

I think capsuleers are likely to be the major threat - they're anoms as Myyona noted, not sigs, and Odyssey should have already taught low and null-sec explorers what that means.

So yeah, other capsuleers are a clear threat as they always should be.

But the statements quoted below, compared next to each other, make me less certain about the possibility of NPC squads spawning:

It's tailored to be run solo if you want to but to allow for disruption gameplay. It may be beneficial to take a team with you, but there will be nothing in the site that forces you to take a group of be at a disadvantage.

Fast paced just means perhaps it is in your best interests to not stick around for too long...

Emphasis obviously mine.

If there's nothing in the site that forces one to take a fleet or be at a disadvantage that seems to go against NPC squads spawning in on timer? But then does the second statement only imply capsuleers as a threat or is it suggesting NPC squads or just that the cans (and site) will explode/despawn spontaneously and all the potential for nice loot will be lost?

[Myyona]

Initially there will be no NPCs at the site so the hacking is easily something you can handle solo. But you have to be quick, because when time is up and the NPCs appear the show is over and you better get out.

True, other capsuleers pose a danger but if you are in the quieter parts of low sec, in zero sec or w-space chances are good that nobody will appear before the timer is up. Also, some pirates will hesitate engaging you at these sites as they might just warp into the NPC spawn and get wasted themselves.

[Morwen Lagann]

Yeah, what Myyona said. The idea is if you want to not get blapped by the NPCs, you get in, hack the shit, and GTFO.

I like the concept, really - what makes it funnier is how the NPC AI goes "hey, look at that person using EWAR, primary his/her ass RIGHT THE FUCK NOW" which is likely to result in players hunting the exploration folks getting engaged by the rats.

NPCs are to PVPers as PVPers are to PVEers. It's glorious.

[Myyona]

Of course, as a lore fanatic, the real question to me is 'who are those NPCs?' CCP Affinity has called them 'pirates'. But, normal rats in w-space? Hm, pondering.

[Saede Riordan]

Very interesting. I await more details.

[Streya]

I love this! Extra warp speed is amazing, and handing implant manufacturing over to players (even if it's just a single set) is a good step in the right direction IMO.

+1 if they actually do this. I look forward to the metagame that will crop up around these sites.

[kalaratiri]

Actual details.

GHASTLY HOTBED OF SPACESHIP TRAUMA - GHOST SITES IN RUBICON



They aren't afraid of what might happen; they relish the thought, dream of it, fantasize that they will be the ones standing there at the cusp of something wonderful and terrifying.

Well, here it is.

(From "The Only Way Out is Through", the upcoming Rubicon chronicle)


Greetings Capsuleers! I am CCP Affinity from Team Kuromaku, here to talk to you about going dangerously fast.

The recurring themes for EVE Online: Rubicon’s Nov 19th release are the ideas of speed and going places you aren't meant to be. This ties in with the concept behind this particular expansion: capsuleers are about to take the first step in a journey which will have lasting consequences. From now on there is no turning back and events and consequences will only accelerate.

One major part of this turning point is the Rubicon feature we're calling “Ghost Sites”. These are a new type of PvE (Player versus Environment) content that, in EVE’s universe of New Eden, are the stages for some very dangerous and clandestine experiments that the pirate factions engage in despite the express disapproval of the four empires. These experiments aren't just going to end quietly - they are tied in with both ongoing lore and actual gameplay.

 On the lore side, we employed several resources to help underline how things are going way too fast: There will be events, news pieces, and even a new chronicle, that all tie in with the idea of Ghost Sites, what they're for and why they are causing serious concern in high levels of empire governments.

On the gameplay side, the sites are designed for fast-paced, often dangerous action, and may reward you (if you are quick and lucky) with items that either complement the speed of your vessel or assist in claiming your own area of space while trying very hard to avoid detection.

So what are these Ghost Sites?

They are pirate faction anomalies that will crop up in all parts of space. If you're lucky enough to come across one, it'll automatically appear on your system scanner. The moment that the first player enters a Ghost Site, an invisible and random timer will start ticking. You will never know how long until the traps laid by the pirates might explode, shredding your bulkheads and leaving you adrift in your pod.

Your objective, if you wish to risk life and limb (well ... your crew's lives and limbs) is to hack your way into the sites 4 research facilities, grab whatever you find, and get out as fast as you can. At the moment, hacking is only found in exploration-style environments, so we decided it would be fun to shake that up and see how it works under pressure-cooker circumstances.  You will only have one chance to hack, if you fail you will set off the containers security and they will explode. While Ghost Sites are not exploration sites, you'll still need to use either a data or relic analyzer to access the vaults. If you're successful in hacking, you'll be given loot (which won't be scattered), but if you take too long, the pirates will be alerted to your presence and will warp in to attack you.  The pirates are there just to protect their loot and will not be carrying any items in their cargo or have a bounty on their heads. As I mentioned, these sites are related to dangerous experiments, and the pirates desperately do not want the capsuleers to steal the fruit of their labors. When they realize that they have an intruder in their midst, they will blow up the research facilities, causing damage to everyone in the vicinity.

Where will the Ghost Sites appear?

They will be quite a rare distribution in all areas of space, including wormhole (WH) space

What about the loot?

Within the Ghost Sites, we will introduce blueprints for the first-ever player-manufactured implant set along with materials to build the implants. I will go into a bit more detail on some of the unique loot found in the various areas of space (however, not the full loot tables).

Hi-Sec Loot :

• Shattered Villard Wheels, the new material required to build all of the ‘Ascendancy’ implant set
• Low-grade Ascendancy Alpha Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Beta Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Delta Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Epsilon Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Gamma Blueprint Copy

Low-Sec Loot:

• Low-grade Ascendancy Delta Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Epsilon Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Gamma Blueprint Copy
• ‘Wetu’ Mobile Depot Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Alpha Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Beta Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Omega Blueprint Copy

Null Sec Loot:

• ‘Wetu’ Mobile Depot Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Alpha Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Beta Blueprint Copy
• Low-grade Ascendancy Omega Blueprint Copy
• ‘Yurt’ Mobile Depot Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Delta Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Epsilon Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Gamma Blueprint Copy

Wormhole Loot:

• ‘Wetu’ Mobile Depot Blueprint Copy
• ‘Yurt’ Mobile Depot Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Delta Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Epsilon Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Gamma Blueprint Copy
• Ascendancy Omega Blueprint Copy

What are the Implants?

The Ascendancy implants are available in a set of two, high and low grades. Each of the implants offer a direct bonus to warp speed as well as a multiplicative set bonus which increases the overall power of them, the more of the set you have. They are manufactured using various Planetary Interaction materials and small amount of tritanium is used as a catalyst.

The power of them is as such;

                     High Grade                                Low Grade

          W. Bonus       Set Bonus         W. Bonus          Set Bonus

Alpha     1%               1.15                   1%                    1.1

Beta      2%               1.15                   2%                     1.1

Gamma 3%               1.15                   3%                     1.1

Delta    4%               1.15                   4%                     1.1

Epsilon 5%               1.15                   5%                     1.1

Omega                     1.8                                               1.4

I hope you are as excited as I am about Rubicon I would love to know what you think about the Ghost Sites in the feedback thread

- CCP Affinity // @CCP_Affinity

Comment thread.

[Caellach Marellus]

The concept of random unknown bomb timers (according to the thread is roughly 5k damage per can when you fail) is glorious. I await the many tears from this