EVE's Odyssey expansion will bring much requested Starbase improvements

EVE's Starbases (or Player Owned Stations) are supposed to be useful orbital structures that give corporations the ability to create a rest-stop in strategically important locations. Think motorway service station, but in space. Unfortunately, given that their acronym is POS, even CCP admit that the feature is "in need of several changes to bring them up to the usability standards of modern EVE". With that in mind, they're embarking on a series of improvements due to dock with the free Odyssey expansion in June.

"We're working hard to get as much of the backlog as possible done for the June 4th Odyssey release," writes 'CCP Fozzie' in a dev blog update.

Even so, he warns that not every planned feature will make the expansion's launch. "This is our educated estimate of what we think we can deliver based on this time period, but we cannot rule out roadblocks arising including but not limited to: unforeseen technical hurdles blocking a feature, the starbase code gaining self-awareness, seizing the building's climate control system and roasting us all alive, and/or emergency response tasks taking developer time from feature work." All seem like valid concerns.

CCP are giving the highest priority to the number one item on the CSM's list of requirements: private starbase hangers. Both an item storage and ship storage version of the structures are being developed, although CCP are currently unsure whether the ship storage will be ready in time for Odyssey. "We are aware that for wormhole residents especially the ship storage version of a personal hangar would be the most valuable addition, but we are starting with the simpler implementation task before tackling the more complicated personal version of the Ship Maintenance Array." Here's what they have planned:

• "Similar fittings to a Corporate Hangar Array, but higher build cost.
• "Normal members viewing the structure only see their own items, in the same way as when someone views the contents of a planetary customs office.
• "Corp directors have the ability to see what members have items in the hangar, but do not have the ability to take or place items from/in the hangars.
• "No limit on the number of characters that can use the structure, but storage is limited per character. The exact per-character volume is undecided but we are currently considering a range from 10,000m3 to 40,000m3.
• "If a member leaves the corp, his or her items are left in the structure but cannot be accessed unless the player rejoins.
• "If the structure is destroyed, it drops some but not all of the loot contained within.
• "If the structure is unanchored, all contents are destroyed. A confirmation box warns the player if the structure is not empty, and ensures that the items are not destroyed by accident."

Other changes include repackaging of undamaged modules and drones for stacking, the ability to swap and fit a Strategic Cruiser's subsystems, access to all Starbase structures from one location inside the shield, UI improvements, and the removal of the sovereignty requirement from Capital Ship Maintenance Arrays. As a non-EVE player, my face would struggle to look any blanker right now. Fortunately, EVE fans can get a detailed overview of what these changes will involve from the update post .

You can read more about Odyssey's planned features here .