Roaming Beach heads
Utilized in Invasion Chapters 1 & 2
Initial design by Dylan. Implemented by Gregor
The macro-structure of the Invasion content utilized a pre-existing content deployment system called “tales.” This system automatically progressed content linearly through a series of phases according to points accrued passively over time and actively via completing spawned content. Typically, this process took a few days. Gregor and I wanted something less linear, but this was the strongest option available within our tight deadline.
Following a series of selection criteria, a solar system was targeted for invasion content. As this content was completed, it progressed through a series of escalating phases. Each phase increased the intensity of content available, applied system-wide buffs and de-buffs to players, but also spread it to the target’s “neighbourhood” and “fringe” (solar systems one and two gate jumps away, respectively). At any given time, there were three active invasion instances, allowing the player community to engage in a sort of “whack-a-mole” as they pushed the beach heads across the New Eden star cluster.
Please note: prior to release, our Narrative team utilized in-world conventions to assign more narratively interesting names to any player-facing terminology. I have here stuck (generally) to the terminology we used in development, as these are likely much clearer to portfolio readers.
At the very beginning, a beach head would feature only the smallest amount of content - a select few “escaping content” scout parties. These were not standard-fare dungeons, but rather small fleets that would roam around the system, seeking out players to engage. The small size of these fleets meant that they effectively served as a warning to the residents of the incoming threat, and gave a taste of the new and unusual AI logic fueling the NPCs.
During this phase, players could still typically enjoy local content as per usual, but needed to keep an eye out in case things suddenly escalated. The exception to this were AFK and bot players - these low-interaction players often failed to react appropriately, and were the typically first casualties of a beach head.
The second phase of a beachhead increased the scouts number and reach - spawning them all the way out in fringe systems, where they greatly disrupted often-autopiloting merchant vessels - and introduced the core Invasion content. Vanguard fleets were significantly more formidable, featuring both crowd control and self-healing mechanics, and at this stage players found core invaded systems to be quite dangerous for the unprepared.
Stage two also introduced Rift dungeons. These were the Invasion’s version of more traditional EVE Online content - locations that players could warp to, with enemies to defeat and rewards to be gained upon completion. These were largely owned by Gregor, but were capable of spawning escaping content of their own depending on how players engaged the sites.
