Forums » Suggestions
Station Deputies
An idea occurred to me while on my 106th prospecting mission (I have lots of time to ponder things) regarding getting killed while in a station's no-fire zone. Griefers take advantage of the the non-discriminatory nature of this zone to make kills while their victims are helpless to fight back lest they lose faction standing.
I propose allowing players who have proven themselves to a faction (respected or admired) to be given the opportunity to become "deputies" for that faction. Becoming a deputy for a faction would remove the no-fire zone restriction at those faction's stations. The downside would be that if you are killed, your opponent doesn't lose any faction standing as they normally would since, as a deputy, you are volunteering to accept all consequences of your actions.
I understand the faction system is being worked on but this might be a short-term solution to what is a frustrating situation. Unfortunately, this doesn't really help the most prevalent victims of this tactic, newer players.
I propose allowing players who have proven themselves to a faction (respected or admired) to be given the opportunity to become "deputies" for that faction. Becoming a deputy for a faction would remove the no-fire zone restriction at those faction's stations. The downside would be that if you are killed, your opponent doesn't lose any faction standing as they normally would since, as a deputy, you are volunteering to accept all consequences of your actions.
I understand the faction system is being worked on but this might be a short-term solution to what is a frustrating situation. Unfortunately, this doesn't really help the most prevalent victims of this tactic, newer players.
Griefers take advantage of the the non-discriminatory nature of this zone to make kills while their victims are helpless to fight back lest they lose faction standing.
Please try thinking for a change: if Greifer ("G") has POS standing with Faction X, and fires on N00b ("N") within the No Fire Zone of a Faction X station, G will instantly be set to a KOS standing with with Faction X. Should N turn around after being shot by G, and kill G within the NFZ, there will be no standing penalty against N--all N did was kill a KOS pilot, G, inside the NFZ. All that will happen is a temp KOS standing being imposed against N and a strike force launched to kill N... which is, of course, the exact same thing that happened to G when G shot N.
Please try thinking for a change: if Greifer ("G") has POS standing with Faction X, and fires on N00b ("N") within the No Fire Zone of a Faction X station, G will instantly be set to a KOS standing with with Faction X. Should N turn around after being shot by G, and kill G within the NFZ, there will be no standing penalty against N--all N did was kill a KOS pilot, G, inside the NFZ. All that will happen is a temp KOS standing being imposed against N and a strike force launched to kill N... which is, of course, the exact same thing that happened to G when G shot N.
Daare - some pilots ALREADY have permanent KOS standing with some stations, but can manage to stay alive long enough, avoiding SF and such, whilst causing havoc at said station. The REAL difference is: They don't CARE about faction loss, and you DO.
Advantage: griefers.
Until strike forces start using things like ultra-fast swarms, or guided gauss bursts, or those insta-hit beam weapons the cappies used to have, then I think things will stay the way they are, regardless of any faction system tweaks.
This is a huge problem in UIT space, since many systems have stations from differing corporations. You can be UIT KOS, and yet still be admired by, say, Axia or Orion, and home in Dau. Then our UIT KOS person can expend some ships attempting to shut down a particular UIT station since they're nothing but a jump away.
This does not happen in Itani or Serco space. Too much hassle.
Overall, I like the "Station Deputy" idea, but more in regards to HUNTING DOWN some KOS person, like an old west "posse." Frontier Justice and all...
Advantage: griefers.
Until strike forces start using things like ultra-fast swarms, or guided gauss bursts, or those insta-hit beam weapons the cappies used to have, then I think things will stay the way they are, regardless of any faction system tweaks.
This is a huge problem in UIT space, since many systems have stations from differing corporations. You can be UIT KOS, and yet still be admired by, say, Axia or Orion, and home in Dau. Then our UIT KOS person can expend some ships attempting to shut down a particular UIT station since they're nothing but a jump away.
This does not happen in Itani or Serco space. Too much hassle.
Overall, I like the "Station Deputy" idea, but more in regards to HUNTING DOWN some KOS person, like an old west "posse." Frontier Justice and all...
Frontier Justice and all...
Ha. As assisted by automagical game intervention. Bullshit.
Ha. As assisted by automagical game intervention. Bullshit.
The SF has a perfectly in-game explanation.
Let's take it one thing at a time. I never questioned the existance of the SF. I don't even question it being a smarter and/or beefier force than it is now. It probably should be, at least at the more developed stations.
The suggestion with which I have a severe problem is that the SF should have the ability to do what no player available equipment can--"ultra-fast swarms" or "guided gauss bursts" (beyond the Gauss Mk II) or "insta-hit beam weapons." The SF should have player available ships, weapons, and power cells. That's it, that's all. No modified stats. I don't even agree with the idea of the LENB, but seeing as how it's basically an N3 and you can get it by killing SF/station guards, that's cool.
If even a whole slew of SF ships and seekers can't entirely prevent PC pilots from penetrating "protected" space, attacking targets there, and then getting out alive... who cares?
Ask yourself this: could a group of PC pilots playing the role of the SF do it? No, they couldn't--it's just too easy to run in, run around, shoot at people, and run away in VO. That's apparently by design.
The SF should not do what PC pilots cannot do. End of discussion.
The suggestion with which I have a severe problem is that the SF should have the ability to do what no player available equipment can--"ultra-fast swarms" or "guided gauss bursts" (beyond the Gauss Mk II) or "insta-hit beam weapons." The SF should have player available ships, weapons, and power cells. That's it, that's all. No modified stats. I don't even agree with the idea of the LENB, but seeing as how it's basically an N3 and you can get it by killing SF/station guards, that's cool.
If even a whole slew of SF ships and seekers can't entirely prevent PC pilots from penetrating "protected" space, attacking targets there, and then getting out alive... who cares?
Ask yourself this: could a group of PC pilots playing the role of the SF do it? No, they couldn't--it's just too easy to run in, run around, shoot at people, and run away in VO. That's apparently by design.
The SF should not do what PC pilots cannot do. End of discussion.
The turrets they have at some capital stations are quite effective. If you see a pirate in Dau (for instance) warp to the UiT capital, they will think twice before warping there...
...Maybe the turrets should be like more used, because at least they are permanent, unlike the Strike Forces.
...Maybe the turrets should be like more used, because at least they are permanent, unlike the Strike Forces.
Maybe we could just have a magic field around certain sectors, so that any bad people who warp in are instantly exploded? The field generators could be turret-based!
Oh yeah?!? Well.. well... I have a Cloak of Magic-Field-Cancelling +12
Didn't read any of the replies, but here's an expansion on your idea:
I don't think it should be considered a "relief from griefers". Good luck with that if that's all you're looking for. I've seen pirates shoot down traders while getting shot at by bots and station guard and they still get away.
BUT I like your idea because it gives one more thing you can do in the game. For example as a faction deputy (as opposed to a marshal), you can get calls when you're not on a mission to help with random pirate activity, find a rogue player that's running through the territory, and so-on. If, for example, you're a Serco Deputy you could get updates of an Itani that's trying to run through and terrorize Serco space including latest known position. Or you could be a Corvus Deputy being given information about a possible cargo run through a nearby sector that you could grab for them.
Now comes the hard part: You can only choose ONE faction (as opposed the [ONE] guild :-D) to be a deputy in. You must be a Pillar of Society with that faction. See also the forum post I'll be writing in just a sec about Pillar of Society.
I don't think it should be considered a "relief from griefers". Good luck with that if that's all you're looking for. I've seen pirates shoot down traders while getting shot at by bots and station guard and they still get away.
BUT I like your idea because it gives one more thing you can do in the game. For example as a faction deputy (as opposed to a marshal), you can get calls when you're not on a mission to help with random pirate activity, find a rogue player that's running through the territory, and so-on. If, for example, you're a Serco Deputy you could get updates of an Itani that's trying to run through and terrorize Serco space including latest known position. Or you could be a Corvus Deputy being given information about a possible cargo run through a nearby sector that you could grab for them.
Now comes the hard part: You can only choose ONE faction (as opposed the [ONE] guild :-D) to be a deputy in. You must be a Pillar of Society with that faction. See also the forum post I'll be writing in just a sec about Pillar of Society.
mpescador: Well, I only mentioned griefers because they are the only ones I know of that bother with station killing but the idea of being deputized could easily be expanded as you suggest. A bounty system would be a nice addition to being a deputy as well.
Dr. Lecter: Not completely familiar with how the faction system works so thanks for the info. In any case, I don't really care about the faction penalty, truthfully - what I was shooting for was an RP way to give players the ability to fight back near stations without having to worry about such things as their standing or getting jumped by strike forces.
Dr. Lecter: Not completely familiar with how the faction system works so thanks for the info. In any case, I don't really care about the faction penalty, truthfully - what I was shooting for was an RP way to give players the ability to fight back near stations without having to worry about such things as their standing or getting jumped by strike forces.