Attaining Emp should be about the determination, teamwork, and trust of the parties involved in getting their Emperor to Sol...Not who can throw the most bases in the way.

I'll see what I can whip up as a suggestion to the problem.

Teamwork and determination only go so far. After a certain point, it ceases being teamwork and just becomes addiction/you are dead, yet continue to play ss to spite reality.

Better be a damn good idea.

Though this will rather obviously seem biased, w/e.

I've never been a fan of fixing problems in a way that fucks with people's in-game investments. Non-critical stat adjustments on items that are used by many people are a good example, as well as things like adding the shortcut to Lyceum after someone (Traders, iirc?) took the gal outside it, at significant expense to themselves, to block a warred team. It should be changed at the uni reset, when it won't affect anyone. Changing it midway through, after we've fortified all around it and organized ourselves for the current layout, just because a few people whine about it is rather stupid imo. There will always be complainers, but you shouldn't harm others to make them happy.

I thought the crown ship couldn't go through juxtas. Even then...it's 10j to sol...unless Zephyr or Traders aggroes gals...and even then...SP will have a repeat performance. Thats the main problem with standing up to EF or SP taking emp. SP can go toe to toe with virtually any teams' gals with just players. Thats damn scary.

Cant go through a Juxta with the palace.

My proposition:

Move Anatolia to it's own layer past perilous space. If possible, you can only jump into this layer if you are in one of the top 3-5 teams. Anatolia will have 1 base slot. In order to lay a base in Anatolia (which owns immediately once you lay your kit), you must own 4 key galaxies.

4 key galaxies spread throughout wildspace, initially unownable. 1-2 base slots are granted to each of the top 3-5 teams, 5 perma drone slots per team (if possible). The galaxy automatically owns once your team has had a live kit in the galaxy for 72 consecutive hours, and if there are no other kits from any other team in the galaxy. Bases killed in these galaxies blow up like the old system. You must own all 4 key galaxies in order to progress.

If your team drops out of the top 3-5, the kit deteriorates into a destructed state. Kits that fall into this category decay after 12 hours.

I think the actual emp "Run" should stay the same, except you have to make it from the new layer, which is past perilous. Obviously open to heavy modifications, but i think it's a good start for a change.

Sorry, the key galaxies inherently have slots available for the top 3-5 teams, you don't have to own adjacent galaxies.

Only to to the top 3-5 teams

You can't fly through other peoples' galaxies? After all, running for emp is a contest. If it was ez mode and you never had to worry about losing gg, it wouldn't be worthy to call it an Emperor's Run.