Secure Containers - No, it isn't about hatchets

Key Points (No Details)

• Secure Containers, as they exist now, create an "anti-hardcore" game mechanic 
• Secure Containers create a no-risk, "punishment-proof" way to generate mass wealth and progress a PMC through the game and make death/suicide beneficial 
• This anti-hardcore mechanic does not belong in EFT because EFT is a hardcore game
• This anti-hardcore mechanic should be changed because EFT is a hardcore game
• Changing the anti-hardcore mechanic will cause a difficulty increase in EFT 
• The difficulty increase can be offset by making changes to other areas of EFT 
• One way to change Secure Containers to eliminate the anti-hardcore mechanic
• Change Secure Containers to be "Stash items only" (cannot hold items found in-raid)
• Secure Containers are important to EFT and should remain in the game but should function in a way that is in line with EFT's hardcore nature

Full Outline

1. Secure Containers, as they exist now, create an "anti-hardcore" game mechanic
   
1. One of the most common triggers for punishment in video games is death
2. Typically death triggers a game's harshest punishments 
1. Significant loss of progress, loss of power ups, loss of "score", "rank", or "rating" 
2. The most classic example is the "Game Over" screen 
1. For decades in gaming dying a certain number of times would result in the player being forced to lose all game progress and completely start over 
3. In this sense, how severely a game punishes players for dying can be taken as one indicator of how hardcore a game is 
1. Diablo II "Hardcore" mode 
1. Dying a single time in this mode instantly ends the game and permanently deletes the character 
2. Super Mario Bros. (NES) 
1. Death comes easily (often a single touch from an enemy) 
2. Players are given nine lives 
3. Players can earn extra lives 
1. Earning enough points 
2. Collecting a certain power up 
4. Using up all your lives results in a full game restart 
3. Aside from one game (see the next point), I can't think of a single game that has claimed to be hardcore or has been labeled as hardcore in which dying is rewarded or causes players to advance
3. Secure Containers create a no-risk, "punishment-proof" way to generate mass wealth and progress a PMC through the game and make death/suicide beneficial 
1. No risk 
1. Players can choose to equip only a Secure Container which cannot be lost on-death
2. I will refer to such players as "Hatchlings" for simplicity sake 
1. This label is not entirely accurate but it is commonly used enough for people to recognize 
3. Hatchlings invests/risks nothing yet still has access to a raid 
2. "Punishment-proof" 
1. One of EFT's primary punishments is to cause a player to permanently loose any gear they take into a raid if they die, discard the gear, or fail to extract 
2. Secure Containers make an exception to this rule 
1. Any gear placed into the Container before the raid is protected from the death penalty as long as it remains in the Secure Container 
2. Any item found in a raid and placed into a Secure Container also becomes immune to EFT's death penalty 
3. "Insurance" creates another conditional exception to the death penalty but that is a separate topic and will not be discussed here 
3. Mass wealth generation 
1. Any item that is placed into a Secure Container by a Hatchling becomes pure profit 
2. A Hatchlings can never experience loss of resources
3. Hatchling runs are typically much shorter than geared runs
   
4. PMC progression 
1. Many PMC quests can be completed with no risk as a Hatchling 
2. Wealth gained at no risk can be used to fulfill Trader requirements 
3. Wealth gained at no risk can be used to purchase quest items from the Flea Market 
4. Wealth gained at no risk can be used to bypass Player Level and Trader restrictions via the Flea Market 
5. Low level players having access to gear far beyond their current level makes it easier to progress (if the player chooses to use gear) 
5. Death and suicide become more efficient than extracting (survival) 
1. Any item found in a raid and placed into a Secure Container also becomes immune to EFT's death penalty 
2. After in-raid items are placed into a Secure Container staying survival is no longer necessary in order to profit from the raid 
3. Instead of punishing a player, death becomes a time saving mechanic that allows players to end a raid faster than extracting in order to be rewarded with the loot gathered during the raid
   
4. Suicide (typically via grenade) is even more effective than searching for a way to die 
5. Disconnecting from the raid is also effective 
2. This anti-hardcore mechanic does not belong in EFT because EFT is advertised as a hardcore game 
1. It's not about players having fun with Hatchets 
2. It's not about dying to Hatchlings 
3. It's not about "different playstyles"
1. Playing using just a melee weapon should remain an option
4. It is not about a mechanic not being "hardcore enough"
1. A.K.A. "muh realism"
   
5. It is not about wanting the game to be grindy
1. It is not about "no-lifers" making it harder for people with less time to play
6. It is about a mechanic that is opposite of hardcore existing in a hardcore game 
3. This anti-hardcore mechanic should be changed because EFT is a hardcore game
4. Changing the anti-hardcore mechanic will cause a difficulty increase in EFT 
1. No more profiting from death 
2. Profit would only occur on successful extraction 
3. Survival rate would determine profitability 
4. Quests difficulty would increase drastically 
5. The difficulty increase can be offset by making changes to other areas of EFT
1. In-raid difficulty
1. Adjust A.I difficulty
2. Adjust number of A.I.
3. Adjust A.I. loadouts
4. Adjust A.I. spawn rate
5. Adjust A.I. spawn locations
6. Increase number of Extractions
2. Raid-generated loot
1. Adjust the number of loot spawn locations
2. Adjust the amount of loot per spawn location
3. Adjust key spawn rates and locations
3. Traders
1. Adjust the cost of gear
2. Adjust the sell value of loot/gear
3. Adjust the cost of barters
4. Quests
1. Adjust quest requirements
5. Secure Containers
1. Buff the size of all Secure Containers
1. Players will be able to protect more of the gear they bring into a raid
6. One way to change Secure Containers to eliminate the anti-hardcore mechanic
1. Change Secure Containers to "Stash items only".
1. Players would only be able to place items into a Secure Container before they start a raid
1. Only items already in a player's Stash
2. No items found in a raid can be placed into the Container during the raid
1. Keys, quest items, mods, cash, etc.

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