Love the SG/VG & base side of the game, I just wanted to outline things I think might help SG/VG & bases. Some ideas are repeats other stuff might be new. Hopefully it's useful.
Not so quick & simple:
1. STOP punishing the higher levels. At lvl 25 it begins but making people choose between influence/infamy or prestige at 35 is just plain wrong. People worked hard to attain these levels and it is discouraging. They should not have to make this choice. In fact they should be able to earn more, call it the reward for getting to level 35. This would also take the burden off of higher levels to recruit lower levels into there groups. This is where bases just fall down for me personally. When I recruit it should NOT be based on there level or that I need them to grind prestige to either pay rent or buy new goodies. I want to recruit someone because they are looking for a home and they are a good fit into our group. What is the harm of 5 hardcore level 50's creating a giant base?
2. Let us get rid of the notion of the "Glass Ceiling". I understand the concern that larger groups will hit it and have nothing else to do after and might quit. That is where the developers need to step up and add new content for those that have "everything". Instead of creating a ceiling that is virtually unattainable and only frustrates rather then inspires people to attain. I will outline some ideas below.
3. Communication & Participation is everything in a group. Please help us do this with some much needed additions/changes.
a. Promoting/Demoting offline players, so basic yet we can not do it.
b. More space for "Message Of The Day".
c. E-Mail, that allows me to mass mail everyone in the SG with a one click.
d. Bulletin boards in the base. Sounds simple enough but we need permissions. So a board could be used by the leaders and another by everyone else. Better yet, another board for the Coalition. Where anyone from the Coalition may post announcements such as "TF This Saturday at 6" or "Group A is looking for specific salvage". You get the point.
4. I think the future will be smaller groups, The recent changes now makes a personal apartment attainable. I am bit confused why people are still looking for "apartments" when it seems to me this can now be done. So if that is the future you need fresh innovative ways to inspire people to join large groups or attain one.
a. The biggest carrot you could hold out is visual plot space. Weather it's an area in a zone or a new zone altogether. Give the top 50 or 100 SG/VG's there own physical plot space, maybe it's only the top 10. They can decorate the outside as well. Is this a technical nightmare? Probably, but this really gives people the incentive to aspire to be large SG/VG. Of course you need to be careful how you handle someone who looses there zone plot. The system needs to save there outdoor design so they don't have to start from scratch if they get there plot back.
b. Use the Mission Computer! Why are there not more missions in this thing? Or tailored on SG/VG size? How about missions that have members defending the base against a horde of NPC enemies? Think the community has given a lot of feed back on this item.
c. Multi level bases. If you're a big group you should be able to add levels.
d. Mascot/Temporary Pet. If your a big group you can attain a group pet or mascot. This little gem can hang around the base or better yet spawned into battle. As a member of a big group you can use this mascot as a temporary pet. Balance it though. Pet can not go into the PVP zones and can only be spawned once a week or month. Perfect world, the pet can be designed by the group. Pets to complex? Fine, how about a special weapon or both!
5. Create Incentives for people to use the base, not enough yet.
a. The long list, again plenty of ideas. Arena Terminal, better Med Bay, Training Rooms are some. My own thoughts, Enhancement store. Maybe not to buy anything but an Enhancement store to sell. Also to add a twist, a portion of the sell is donated back to the group in the form of prestige. Make the choice where someone could actually sell an Enhancement and donate the total proceeds in the form of prestige to the group. This would also help people contribute more and ease the burden of constant level grinding to assist there gorup. You could also apply the same to inspirations.
b. Personal Lockers. Yes, sometimes people want to store something and get it back. They have a locker & there name is on it! Store whatever they like in it.
c. Fix up the Empowerment Station and make it really useful for members to use. Maybe even add an element where the leaders of a group can create a buff/temp power that the WHOLE group gets for a period of time. I am not talking hours but more like days. It has to be balanced of course.
d. Global Storage. Exactly what the name implies, storage which is shared across your coalition. Each SG/VG determines who in rank has permission to use it. It would not be the same storage we have now. It would need to hold greater volumes of items. Also, consume more space & of course each group would have to buy one. Again, there is a way to balance this one.
e. Secured Rooms & Personal rooms. Rooms that we can lock up and only certain ranks may enter. Personal rooms are rooms that we designate to a member that THEY may decorate or lockup as they wish. However, they do not have global base editing rights. Only editing rights to that special room.
6. Changes & Fix.
a. A bug that boots people out of the base. How long has that one been around? COP Trials are offline. Some SG/VG emblems that don't display in the base. Plenty of others. When bugs go this long with little information or ETA on the fix it tends to turn people off to the development commitment of this side of the game. A little communication and acknowledgement go a long way.
b. Permissions. Mentioned in other threads. We need to assign access rights to the storage, this all or nothing solution leaves our bases open for theft. Now, I know that if someone wants to steal they are going to but this will cut down on the problem. We need to be able to open some storage to everyone and lockout others types. Such as inspiration access VS. salvage access.
c. Can I please have an option to TURN OFF the floor & ceiling trim. We should not have to move objects to make the trim go away.
d. BIG ONE! Personal Items. Sorry this is a very flawed system. All items which are crafted should go into a SG/VG inventory which the "base editor" can then place. This inventory MUST be accessible to everyone to view as to avoid crafting of things already built. Maybe even explore a way to create a global inventory which a Coalition may move crafted items into this system which base designers could access.
Lots of other ideas but my little brain hurts so I hope at least some of these things are useful. In closing, I like PVP and you guys have done great on all the PVP zones. My personal opinion is that PVP should get a break from new additions and a bit more love given to this side of the game.
