Allow the * (asterisk) in player names so that players can create characters designed to impersonate npc characters.

+1

-1. Let's either make things more immersive by making everything the same, or let's not do it. Allowing people to impersonate bots will just confuse people, and is a poor user experience.

Allowing people to impersonate bots will just confuse people, and is a poor user experience.

They already have to fly with you and your ilk. I imagine this would have a negligible relative impact.

how mature.

Please keep the blatant trolling out of Suggestions.

-1

Agreed with diq. Atice, stop trolling. Either provide evidence one way or the other, or stay out of the way. Making comments about people's maturity is not helpful.

Also, +1 to the OP. There shouldn't be any absolute differentiation between players and NPC's

-1 The suggestion to simply remove the asterisk is much more immersive, and essentially accomplishes the exact same thing.

And honestly, why would you want to impersonate an NPC? I mean, fine if you want to, but NPC's are there to impersonate real players (with varying degrees of success).

hrmm, i think we used to be able to make character names with an asterisk a long time ago

And honestly, why would you want to impersonate an NPC?

Well, let's examine that for a moment. When *Asala Valeski kills Joe Trader, *Asala Valeski is part of the game and Joe Trader takes it as a learning experience. When Ardenus kills Joe Trader, Ardenus is a griefer. Do you understand now?

That being said, I would prefer removing the * from NPC names to having the option to add it to player names. I think.

When *Asala Valeski kills Joe Trader, *Asala Valeski is part of the game and Joe Trader takes it as a learning experience. When Ardenus kills Joe Trader, Ardenus is a griefer.

That's a fairly weak example. If either *Asala Valeski or Asala Valeski kills Joe Trader once, it might be taken as learning experience (hard to say with some people). And yes, if Asala Valeski kills Joe Trader repeatedly in the same day, he (she?) might very well be branded a griefer.

The flip side to this is what happens when *Asala Valeski kills Joe Trader over and over in the same day. Sure, Trader Joe might not think he's being griefed, but he sure as hell is going to think the game is broken.

Anyway, I guess it does illustrate why some people might want to impersonate an NPC. Fair enough. I think it's a horrible idea.

I think it's a horrible idea.

And the winning argument for implementation makes its appearance!

I have on multiple occasions convinced noobs that I was an NPC by sitting in one location for extended periods of time, saying exactly the same (NPC-sounding) things to them before and after killing them, and not answering any of their pm's. In those cases, the noobs took me as a challenge, and charged in to fight me over and over again, obviously having a great time. Eventually I even let one of them beat me, at which point he announced on 100 that he had beaten the 'pirate bot in H2', much to everyone's amusement.

On the converse, when I kill a noob without making any effort to appear to be an NPC, they almost invariably bitch and moan on 100 about how there are so many griefers in the game and how they're never going to play again, which prompts Atice and Strat to chime in about how everyone in the entire game except vpr and tgft is a griefer, etc.

So no, that isn't a fairly weak example. In fact, the principle has been tested numerous times and has been demonstrated to hold true.

Hearsay examples aside Ladron, the main issue isn't whether you would or wouldn't make a great pirate bot. The main issue is that it opens the game to abuse on a fundamental level. NPC's represent a direct connection with the developer's vision for the game. Asshole PC's who don't play along well with the rest of the community can easily be explained away as an enigma of online multiplayer games. Asshole NPC's on the other hand can't be. People will bitch about the game being broken, and what's the explanation? "Oh, it was probably actually a player." As far as I know there's no precedent for that, and it's going to cause undue confusion.

Not to mention the fact that the very concept would be a short lived novelty for all but the greenest of noobs.

I'll cede you the point that there could be some great things come of a mechanic like this. My point being that the possibility of abuse is too great for it to balance out.

Better yet, if you guys really, really want the ability to actually impersonate an NPC, then perhaps a better implementation would be something through the PCC. There could be a manner in which NPC characters could be assigned to certain accounts. That way, there would be a level of accountability, and the developers would have a way to revoke those privileges if abuse was reported.

Snax is completely right here.

Moreover, the devs know what their vision is, and won't do this.

As for Ladron's impersonation of a bot... well, you didn't give them the "shoulda paid" or "you dumb newb" talks on 100 that tend to follow your first kill. That might explain why they were less annoyed with you.

well, you didn't give them the "shoulda paid" or "you dumb newb" talks on 100 that tend to follow your first kill.

I have maintained absolute radio silence with my targets for months now. I do not hail, and I do not taunt (other than giving them a penny when they explode, of course. I have to stay in character ; ). The frequency of accusations has not decreased significantly.

well, at least give them the "stop or pay me" hail, or they'll just think you're a griefer. but noted.

Remind me again what's wrong with hunting for loot?

nothing's wrong with it. just saying that most newb ships don't have cargo when they first explore grey...