Give 1-3 warnings for new accounts (tracked on the account, not just the first character) when their characters do something that would have resulted in massive faction loss, like killing the POS pirate that just shot them a few times. Prevent new players from getting trolled and destroying their characters' only good standing before they even reach combat 3.

+1

+1, but it may be a good thing to limit how many times this happens, or people are just going to exploit it by just staying under combat 3.

Just do it three times, and if they haven't figured it out by then... fuck 'em.

-1

I only had to learn the lesson a single time. I say let the newbs learn it. Experience is a good teacher. This reminds me of my daughter's school where they hate to have competitions where some kids "lose."

Space ain't safe. The name of the game implies revenge happens.... otherwise we might all be playing Carebear Online.

Please, please do this. So deliciously exploitable.

The game already pops up a big yellow notice when you shoot somebody who is admired, which says something like "Joe McLamePirate is under our protection! Don't kill him or you'll be punished!"

If the newbs ignore that, they'll just ignore this as well. So I don't see how this would help.

A better idea would be to take that warning message we already have, and send a copy to chat (in addition to the one that hovers in the middle of the screen temporarily). That would give them more time to actually read it.

Anyway, the real problem isn't that pirates can exploit the faction system. The real problem is that we don't have any incentive to leave our faction standing at KOS. Currently, the game's mindset is this: Pirates are bad, so they should be denied stuff as punishment.

But that is bogus since piracy is a valid way to play the game. Yes, there should be consequences and the good areas should shun us. But it poor standing should also grant us access to other parts of the game which the good people can't have either. Mutual exclusion. Becoming an evildoer needs to open up more gameplay even as it closes down other gameplay. The fact that it currently does not do so is the reason pirates end up "exploiting" the faction system.

So what we need are things like that Viking suggestion I made, having Corvus and UIT being mutually exclusive, and more pirate/outlaw type gameplay in general. (Note: I'm not saying this should be a priority. IMO bugs and military should be priority, followed by dynamic economy (which could itself improve piracy), and then piracy stuff. Though a UIT/Corvus mutual exclusion would be fairly simple to do quickly.)

The possibility for playing with the faction system would still exist, and it should exist. If you want a game that promotes playing as an evildoer, you need the ability to do evil. You need fallible systems that can be exploited by those willing to do so. But increasing the number of alternative activities you can do while KOS (while keeping them different from those you do while POS so that there is variety) would go a long way toward reducing it and causing the faction system to actually make sense.

Simple...neuter the newbies.

If combat <= 3 and target > admire local faction, newbie cannot damage target

Nah, just figure out how to create privateers. Let's say for a sum of money, all kills against those considered enemies of the state are forgiven.

Similarly, for a very large sum of money in border areas, you can bribe local officials to ignore your presence. After all, you're likely to bring in lots of money and stuff; all good for the local economy. Makes sense that the local station governor would let it be known that your "activities" can be ignored...providing you continue to make timely bribes.