Breaking the chains of Sovereignty in EVE Online's Dominion expansion
by James Egan 
Sep 9th 2009 at 7:00PM
Filed under: Sci-fi, EVE Online, Expansions, Game mechanics, Guilds, PvP
We recently mentioned that the next expansion for EVE Online is called Dominion, and will focus on revamping the sovereignty game mechanics -- arguably one of the most crucial aspects of the game for the most hardcore players. So why, then, is sovereignty so important to the game's players?
EVE Online is a game where everything takes place in a single setting, the New Eden galaxy comprised of thousands of solar systems. While a large percentage of the game's playerbase remains in high security space controlled by NPC factions, for others it's 0.0 space (aka nullsec) where the real action is. In a nutshell, 0.0 is a lawless frontier where the rarest ores and minerals, the highest bounty NPCs, the most lucrative exploration content (in known space) is found. Of course, these regions are the most hotly contested territories in EVE Online and those resources found within are a driver for the continual conflict that engulfs New Eden.
For the most 'hardcore' of the game's subscribers, 0.0 is where the real game is played -- player corporations form alliances or even coalitions of alliances -- to carve out a foothold on the territory map. Establishing and building upon sovereignty gives an alliance the ability to build capital ships and establish outposts or 'true' space stations, which are (presently) indestructible.
Sovereignty also allows alliances to create networks of jump bridges (essentially teleportation) between controlled solar systems, while preventing others from jumping into your own (jammed) systems. The longer an alliance can maintain sovereignty, the more potent these benefits become.
Paradoxically, even though sovereignty is crucial to any space holding alliance, most EVE players operating in 0.0 will agree that sovereignty is a broken system... and has been for quite some time. For all this playstyle can (and should) offer, there are some major problems with how this aspect of the game works, namely that it's been tied to Player-Owned Starbases (POS).
That's going to change this winter with the Dominion expansion. According to CCP Games: "Sovereignty will no longer be tied directly to starbases."
While we don't have a clear picture of the specifics at this time, today's dev blog from CCP Abathur, "Sovereignty - Breaking the Chains", gives an overview of how dramatically the game is going to change in the months and years to come. He says,"What has emerged is a much leaner and infinitely more expandable system which we can continually evolve over time."
- No sovereignty levels. You either have sovereignty or you do not.
- A new module will be introduced that allows an alliance to 'plant a flag' in a system.
- "Infrastructure": This is going to be a major aspect of sovereignty moving forward. Alliances will need to keep stargates running in systems they hold. This means alliances will need to focus more on building up their infrastructure and really tapping the potential of their held space, rather than going Manifest Destiny on New Eden. There will be three broad types of infrastructure -- military, economic, and industrial.
- Dominion will balance out the relative 'value' of space, as the income alliances gain from sovereignty is less about having a much-coveted location and more about the investment of time, money, and effort to make that space lucrative.
- "Dominion Tools": EVE will get a Sovereignty Dashboard of sorts, which will give alliance directors up-to-the-minute information about what is happening in the solar systems claimed by the alliance. CCP also says that "you will be able to see where the efforts of your alliance are going, what areas of space are being developed and how you as a member, director, or executor might help."
The coming weeks and months will bring more news about the sovereignty revamp in Dominion and most likely how the console MMO Dust 514 will impact territorial control for the major alliances, and perhaps open up 0.0 expansion to some new groups of players.
What CCP is doing with Dominion isn't just about introducing new ships or missions, it's really about making radical and needed change to how alliances of EVE's players establish their empires. As Abathur puts it, "The sandbox is about to get bigger and badder than ever."
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Tony Schwab said on 7:45PM 9-09-2009
Even if you don't play EVE, you have to respect CCP for being able to accept a game mechanic is broken and then rip it apart and then go about rebuilding it from the ground up.
+1 Awesome point for CCP
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Lateris said on 8:31PM 9-09-2009
I am returning to Eve now because of the revamp.
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Anjohl said on 9:23PM 9-09-2009
Meh, spreadsheet game with a space theme pasted on to market it to people other than the real-world jackasses who enjoy Eve. ANY game whose sole premise is to destroy and ruin the gaming experience of others is a "pass" for me. Maybe Jumpgate Evolution can do right where EVE did wrong.
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GaaaaaH said on 9:31PM 9-09-2009
Looks like DUST will either use the planets to plant flags or something related to the upkeep (destroy/protect infrastructure).
Unfortunately any mention of DUST is likely to set the game forums on fire again :(
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DrewIW said on 10:02PM 9-09-2009
Looks promising, but I really hope they rebalance the moon minerals to help spread the wealth.
R64 moons are the biggest problem with sov imo
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deadlock said on 12:05PM 9-10-2009
"R64 moons are the biggest problem with sov imo"
R64 moons are an unrelated issue to sovereignty and can be solved without changing sovereingty. But both mechanics are kinda broken and needs to be changed though.
whowhat26 said on 2:43AM 9-10-2009
Hey James, tell me something since I never got out to 0.0 and only heard stories of the specifics of things out there. If outposts are indestructible, then what are dreadnoughts for? Can sieges not destroy outposts?
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Xennith said on 4:09AM 9-10-2009
You have POSes (player owned starbases) which the dreads are made to destroy, if you have enough POSes in a system for long enough to get sov level 3 you can deploy an outpost which functions like an npc station.
Psychotic Storm said on 3:59AM 9-10-2009
Will it make it viable for small corps or alliances to be part of that 0.0 fanfare?
Probably not.
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Swusn said on 6:59AM 9-10-2009
It is already viable for small alliances to carve out an existance in 0.0 you have to do some politicing, become someones pet ore move into providence (CVA Space) but you can do it.
The biggest advantage in Dominion for small alliances is the ability to increase the value of your space. so all the low quality systems small alliances get stuck with can become very profitable.
Also the treaty system they mentioned may make it even more likely for small alliances to become space holders.
GaaaaaH said on 8:22AM 9-10-2009
Also, the larger alliances may not be able to maintain their large control areas now that they're actually required to do something to hold it
Chris said on 8:46AM 9-10-2009
Gaaaaaah: EXACTLY!
Theirs many system in nullsec that is soverign to a big alliance, but in reality is held on a day to day basis by smaller non-affiliated corps or players... HubZero for instance a pain in Staind's a** but the fact that they sit their controlling a system even though its currently soverign to staind, with this change might just take soverignty from them, and with the ability to "upgrade" systems we might see systems like this even flourish.
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phillip said on 2:35PM 12-01-2009
nope due to the changes in rienforced mode changes it is actually easyer to defend due to up to 4 different large battles to take over space plus attackers have to hold the system for a solid 12 hours basicly now only alliences with either large numbers of members and allys can take over nullsec space now. jsut because normally the sov holders arent there they have like 3 days to respond it would be very easy for them to defend
John said on 1:46PM 9-10-2009
I like that term "going manifest destiny on New Eden".
Made me lawl.
This is going to be a great expansion
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phillip said on 2:30PM 12-01-2009
now it is even harder to take over space then it ever was 2x reinforced modes coming out at a time of defenders choosing. +1999999999 for this change. also the property value of 0.0 space is not unbalenced anymore feregel for evryone within about 6 months prices of t2 ships should be way down
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