Gladiators of Eve & Arena Warfare

There has been a bit of buzz over the past week or so about finding good fights and the idea of arenas in Eve. One of the first things that struck me was a series of tweets by the Mittani:

"I withdraw any support for 'arenas' or 'battlegrounds' in #eveonline, it already exists in RvB. Holy shit this owns. #tweetfleet"

"Red vs Blue is one of the coolest things in #eveonline, holy shit. Been riftering all day, can't stop. #tweetfleet"

I think its cool that Mittani is checking out RvB. Its a great corp, and for the amount of play time I have right now, I think its an awesome place for some quick, fun pvp. The topic of getting good fights continued though. Over at Scram Web, Toterra wrote about the existing "arenas" in Eve, and its actually a nice little guide detailing some of the places you can get guaranteed fights against some pilots who really know their stuff. We're talking Amamake, Tama, Hevrice, the Syndicate region, etc. Its a pretty handy little run down.

The next day, there was a mini-guide posted over at Rifter Drifter on finding good fights. It actually mentions a lot of the same information, but Wensley also throws in some tactical information such as how to use the in-game and Dotlan maps among other things. Between the two of these articles, one would think you've got everything you need to find some combat, and you definitely can.

My argument is this: Eve is a great game as it stands, but I think there could definitely be an arena style of play that would be both incredibly fun and not detrimental to the rest of the game at large. Taking a look at the current Eve, there is nothing like this. In looking for a fair fight, you never know if that one pilot really is just one. Does he have friends? Is there a Loki booster alt around the corner? Is he packing a cyno for that Nyx in a Pos a few systems over? For the most part, this is what makes the game great. Every fight could escalate, and someone can always tip the scales in their favor via support or tactics. Wouldn't it be nice though if once in a while you could ensure a fair fight?

Right now, there is no mechanic to get a legitimately fair battle. Low/Null sec both always have the possibility of someone else lurking around you. RvB is perhaps close at times, especially when FC's arrange fights. The problem here is that you get yelled at for bringing anything bigger than a cruiser, and there is no strategy to the gangs. Its a bunch of Rifters, Punishers and Merlins versus another blob of Rifters, Punishers and Merlins. FC's pick targets at random, or at best they pick the more well known RvBers, and ships blow up. Approach, Orbit, Scram, Web, Guns, Overheat. Repeat til you blow up or they do. Its either that or the typical asymmetric warfare characterized by typical Eve combat. Don't get me wrong, I love RvB. Its just that its not the "arena" that Mittens and others claim it to be.

What I want is a mechanic that provides a system akin to the Alliance Tournament. Set up a few "stadiums" across New Eden (maybe 2-3 in each region). Once you get to a stadium, you can register your fleet (or open it to corp/alliance), and set your Rules of Engagement. If you want 5v5, any fleet composition, then you've got it. If you want 10v10 with full Alliance Tournament balancing rules, its yours. Once you set the preferences, you lock your ships in. Then, the contract for this fight is either open to the public or you can make it private in order to get a fight with a specific opposition. There could even be betting on the fight. The two entities could put up isk and pimped out ships and modules for prizes. Other pilots can see a beacon on the overview akin to a cyno when the fight begins, but they are not able to attack, repair, or pass bonuses to anyone in the fight.

I know a lot of people will flame because they say a mechanic like this will ruin Eve. But let's look at the facts. For one, some alliances in the Syndicate region already ran their own little Alliance Tournament, which shows some interest to begin with. Congratulations to Rote Kappelle on the victory for that one by the way. Details and a few great videos are available on Jester's Trek, of course. We have a chance to create the coliseum of New Eden, where each one of us is a gladiator to take part. No neutral boosting, repping or station games. Just a fair fight, rules laid out, and everyone is watching. I'm on board.