Forums » Suggestions
Distress Signal
It would be nice if we could have a distress signal of some sort. It could be as simple as binding a sector transmission to a key.
Sometimes it's hard to tell if someone is engaging consensual PvP combat or if they are being pirated. Nobody has time to call up sector chat and type a distress call when they are under attack.
This would only need to be a in-sector system because if you are in another sector you'll never make it in time anyway and if they are already destroyed or just need help making it through a certain sector that they're going to pass through, they'll have time to ask on /100 or any other channel.
This is mostly a problem when people are in Atlas's, Rags, or Centaurs. They are used as trade, mining, and combat ships. If a vult is attacked, you know he was probably looking for a fight, and if a Moth or EC-89 is attacked, you know he probably is being pirated. Some of the in between ships are tough calls.
Another solution could be having a way to set your status so people can see on their radar (or sensor log) if you are trading or fighting. Maybe hitting a certain key just sets your status to "Needs Assistance".
I know you can make your own bind that would send a sector chat message but most of the people who need help are noobs who probably don't know how to do that sort of stuff. This would be easy for noobs to do. The tutorial could put a big emphasis on it like mentioning "Press F5 if you are being attacked and need assistance" a few times. I could see it added as one of those screen hints you see when you jump. This would be a simple feature to implement and would really help anti-pirates or anybody who just likes to help out other players.
Sometimes it's hard to tell if someone is engaging consensual PvP combat or if they are being pirated. Nobody has time to call up sector chat and type a distress call when they are under attack.
This would only need to be a in-sector system because if you are in another sector you'll never make it in time anyway and if they are already destroyed or just need help making it through a certain sector that they're going to pass through, they'll have time to ask on /100 or any other channel.
This is mostly a problem when people are in Atlas's, Rags, or Centaurs. They are used as trade, mining, and combat ships. If a vult is attacked, you know he was probably looking for a fight, and if a Moth or EC-89 is attacked, you know he probably is being pirated. Some of the in between ships are tough calls.
Another solution could be having a way to set your status so people can see on their radar (or sensor log) if you are trading or fighting. Maybe hitting a certain key just sets your status to "Needs Assistance".
I know you can make your own bind that would send a sector chat message but most of the people who need help are noobs who probably don't know how to do that sort of stuff. This would be easy for noobs to do. The tutorial could put a big emphasis on it like mentioning "Press F5 if you are being attacked and need assistance" a few times. I could see it added as one of those screen hints you see when you jump. This would be a simple feature to implement and would really help anti-pirates or anybody who just likes to help out other players.
Maybe if it broadcast to your current sector and each adjacent sector, and the message is nation specific.
It wouldn't have to be nation-specific. A UIT player can help out an itani or serco. Also, I don't see how broadcasting to adjacent sectors would do any good. Adjacent sectors aren't any closer time-wise than a sector on the other side of the system or even an entirely different system (if you were in a WH sector).
Hehe, good point. Maybe every ship comes with a standard in-sector unscrambled distress call. You can upgrade to one that broadcasts to the entire system. This may be useful if you can dodge well, but can't manage to leave the sector.
Why I wanted a nation specific one, is that I don't want to be chased by someone, call for help, and the only ones who hear me are pirates hiding a couple sectors away. Maybe another upgrade that gives you the option to broadcast only to factions you have good standing with.
Why I wanted a nation specific one, is that I don't want to be chased by someone, call for help, and the only ones who hear me are pirates hiding a couple sectors away. Maybe another upgrade that gives you the option to broadcast only to factions you have good standing with.
Yeah, I see your point. It would just get complicated if you start trying to exclude people from hearing it depending on yours and their faction-standing.
I think a distress signal that broadcasts to the entire system is a good idea and it would separate it from any of the current capabilities of chat. However, I doubt any chase or fight would last long enough for anyone to jump into your sector and find you.
My original intention was just to give a way for me to tell if someone needed help in a sector I was monitoring. It's frustrating when I see someone being pirated, I go to help him, and then I get yelled at for interupting a fight. It's also frustrating when I see 2 people PvPing, I stand by and watch, only to get yelled at for watching somebody get pirated without trying to help. The way it is now, there's no way for me to tell the difference in most cases.
I think a distress signal that broadcasts to the entire system is a good idea and it would separate it from any of the current capabilities of chat. However, I doubt any chase or fight would last long enough for anyone to jump into your sector and find you.
My original intention was just to give a way for me to tell if someone needed help in a sector I was monitoring. It's frustrating when I see someone being pirated, I go to help him, and then I get yelled at for interupting a fight. It's also frustrating when I see 2 people PvPing, I stand by and watch, only to get yelled at for watching somebody get pirated without trying to help. The way it is now, there's no way for me to tell the difference in most cases.
I completely agree with the need. Plus the thing about not having time to type. There's also always that chance that you can last long enough to get help.
A sector-only distress signal would also prevent your problem of revealing yourself to other players who might attack or pirate you. Everyone who would hear your distress signal (only players in your sector) would already know you were there anyway. Now they would just also know if you needed help.
Even in an atlas, I've helped out a trader in need. On the run, I often find myself wondering if someone's being shot at on the other side of that wormhole.
Reminds me of ImaNewbie does Britannia... You know a distress signal could also be like spilling blood in shark infested waters :)
But I do think it's a cool idea.
Just like the hail, but directed to everyone in the sector... Maybe you can have the friendly npc respod to it too? if they are unfriendly to the agressor. hehehe
But I do think it's a cool idea.
Just like the hail, but directed to everyone in the sector... Maybe you can have the friendly npc respod to it too? if they are unfriendly to the agressor. hehehe
"a distress signal could also be like spilling blood in shark infested waters"
Exactly. That's why the upgrade (not too expensive) that encrypts the signal so that only your friends get the signal. It could have a little screen on the PDA where you click check boxes for who gets to hear your distress signal. Options could include all three nations, any guild you belong to, lesser factions, and maybe a box to type in a few specific names of friends who may come to your aid.
As for the range, it's true that if no one is in the sector to help you, they probably won't make it in time. But then there's always that one time when you'll be glad your signal reached across the system. It doesn't take that long (unless there's a storm) to get across a system. If you're good with your distress signal, and anticipate that within the next few seconds you will be in a bad situation, you can hit that button. If you abuse the button, though, it's like crying wolf.... in shark infested waters....
Exactly. That's why the upgrade (not too expensive) that encrypts the signal so that only your friends get the signal. It could have a little screen on the PDA where you click check boxes for who gets to hear your distress signal. Options could include all three nations, any guild you belong to, lesser factions, and maybe a box to type in a few specific names of friends who may come to your aid.
As for the range, it's true that if no one is in the sector to help you, they probably won't make it in time. But then there's always that one time when you'll be glad your signal reached across the system. It doesn't take that long (unless there's a storm) to get across a system. If you're good with your distress signal, and anticipate that within the next few seconds you will be in a bad situation, you can hit that button. If you abuse the button, though, it's like crying wolf.... in shark infested waters....
What about when you click the button to send a distress signal, everyone in the sector or wormhole going to sector, except the attacker(s), will see a message that says,"player's name is sending out a distress signal, answer it?" Then they type /help player's name . Then they will recieve the exact location of the player. When they arrive in the area, the distresse will have a mark over them and an arrow on your screem porting to them. Then you can help them. If the player that answer the distress call kills the distresse, then they will lose 20-50 points in every faction standing.
Since there is the problem that you might accidently shoot the person your helping once while fighting off the pirate and the pirate eventually kills him. After the person dies everyone that said they would help them will have an open chat with them the distresse. The defender can ask him to type /thank defenders name . If the distresse does this, then the defender will not lose any faction for an accidental shot. Also there could be some point that determence the difference between an accidental shot and a attack. If the distresse doesn't die, then their will not be any lost since they didn't die.
Since there is the problem that you might accidently shoot the person your helping once while fighting off the pirate and the pirate eventually kills him. After the person dies everyone that said they would help them will have an open chat with them the distresse. The defender can ask him to type /thank defenders name . If the distresse does this, then the defender will not lose any faction for an accidental shot. Also there could be some point that determence the difference between an accidental shot and a attack. If the distresse doesn't die, then their will not be any lost since they didn't die.
i think the distress call should simultaniously broadcast on guild and sector chat, as well as a global distress channel (along with location and nation afiliation tags for the distress chanell). that way your guild knows about the call no mater where they are relative to you, and interested parties will also hear it, but the nation chanel wouldn't be constantly spammed with distress calls.
it would definately be cool if nearby NPCs would respond to distress calls provided the sender had apropriate faction standing, but other than that i don't think there should be any diference between a distress call and a normal chat message. any game mechanics to enforce responces to distress calls would just seem artaficial and cheep in my opinion. besides if local NPCs (posibly even the SF) come to answere the call, that might make for some interesting battles between the pirates who heard the call and the SF who came for the same reason.
it would definately be cool if nearby NPCs would respond to distress calls provided the sender had apropriate faction standing, but other than that i don't think there should be any diference between a distress call and a normal chat message. any game mechanics to enforce responces to distress calls would just seem artaficial and cheep in my opinion. besides if local NPCs (posibly even the SF) come to answere the call, that might make for some interesting battles between the pirates who heard the call and the SF who came for the same reason.
This would help out newbies like me :) !
As far as shark infested waters. It only adds to the gameplay that the player has to decide whether using the distress signal is worth it or not. I really like the idea about the upgrade, too.
As far as shark infested waters. It only adds to the gameplay that the player has to decide whether using the distress signal is worth it or not. I really like the idea about the upgrade, too.
/alias signalSOS "say_sector -insert witty distress signal here-"
/bind ) signalSOS
/alias signalSafe "say_guild -insert functional distress signal here-"
/bind 0 signalSafe
pick your poison.
I'd list one for the VPR channel too, but I'm sure that at any given moment, there are more pirates than VPR listening on it anyway; same goes for TGFT.
"My original intention was just to give a way for me to tell if someone needed help in a sector I was monitoring. It's frustrating when I see someone being pirated, I go to help him, and then I get yelled at for interupting a fight. It's also frustrating when I see 2 people PvPing, I stand by and watch, only to get yelled at for watching somebody get pirated without trying to help. The way it is now, there's no way for me to tell the difference in most cases."
You could always hail them and ask if they need assistance. I do this every time I encounter a player who looks to be in over their head. You could even make it easy for them and have them simply hail back if they want help.
/bind ) signalSOS
/alias signalSafe "say_guild -insert functional distress signal here-"
/bind 0 signalSafe
pick your poison.
I'd list one for the VPR channel too, but I'm sure that at any given moment, there are more pirates than VPR listening on it anyway; same goes for TGFT.
"My original intention was just to give a way for me to tell if someone needed help in a sector I was monitoring. It's frustrating when I see someone being pirated, I go to help him, and then I get yelled at for interupting a fight. It's also frustrating when I see 2 people PvPing, I stand by and watch, only to get yelled at for watching somebody get pirated without trying to help. The way it is now, there's no way for me to tell the difference in most cases."
You could always hail them and ask if they need assistance. I do this every time I encounter a player who looks to be in over their head. You could even make it easy for them and have them simply hail back if they want help.