Whistler suggested I make a new thread.

Yoda expanded on my original post and I'm farther expanding on his idea.

Have the unrats come back randomly (they already do as proven by Inc. I just don't want this changed) and at an expanded time range. Yoda says 4-48. I think that makes sense.

In addition, the Odia unrats should be on a slightly different (more rapid) schedual than the bractus/sed ones. Because yarrrrr.

There are currently no "Odia" NPC pirates vs "Bractus / Sedina" NPC pirates, there are just pirates that may come from a Trident that may be spawned in one of several different systems.

What's important to determine here is why you want this changed. What is the goal?

If I implement your goal as-stated, the frequency of NPC pirate appearance (how often they are around) will decrease dramatically, because they will take far longer to re-spawn after being destroyed. Is that what you want?

What problem is trying to be solved, or what goal is being served to make things more fun, with this suggestion?

I have my own, unrelated goals for the NPC pirates, which I've briefly hinted or mentioned in previous newsposts and things, but all of "NPC pirate" forward development has been left dormant over summer, in the face of other pressing priorities with infrastructure.

Still, I'd like to know what your purpose is, so I can see whether my own goals will eventually serve that purpose anyway.

You know have you have a gradient of safety that gets lower the farther you get away from a starting capital sector. For those who have no idea what I’m talking about, I'll briefly explain.

Starting capital systems (Dau, Itan, Sol II) are fully monitored. This includes all empty sectors. If someone is killed in a monitored sector, their killer can lose standing depending on the circumstances of the encounter. In addition, non hated members of the same nation can not harm each other in these systems.

Once a pilot leaves the primary starting system the dangers increase. Capital systems such as Pyronis, Arta Caelestis, Eo and Divinia still have friendly fire protections BUT not all sectors are monitored. In my mind (which I know is irreverent, because only Inc and Rays minds matter) I see the gradient continuing downhill till it reaches the farthest reaches of the galaxy. Currently that is Odia/Bractus, which have 2-3 systems buffering them from primary nation space.

I think that there needs to be a level of uncertainty in these regions of the galaxy. Currently, if the unrats are killed, pilots know for sure that the unrats will be away for at least eight hours. With the exception of storms, and player aggressors, that makes that part of space somewhat safe and certain. I would like some degree of uncertainty in that region. To me that part of the charm of the unrats. You don’t know when they are going to pop up and descend on your ship. Except,currently, you kind of know when they won’t.

I know that the suggestion has the potential to decrease frequency of the unrats. But my end goal is to increase the uncertainty of the region.

I would like some degree of uncertainty in that region. To me that part of the charm of the unrats. You don’t know when they are going to pop up and descend on your ship. Except,currently, you kind of know when they won’t.

That's the part I don't really understand. The current randomness guarantees that there will frequently be "danger" in grayspace, at a bare minimum of every 16 hours.

What you are suggesting will decrease the commonality of that danger, and will probably not make it much more "unpredictable".

Case in point, people were recently making the argument for how pirate-spawning was running on a non-randomized, fixed schedule, even when it wasn't, simply because players were reacting quickly and taking out the Pirates whenever they show up.

Why would that change on a 4-48 hour schedule? The players will still take out the pirates just as quickly, but now they're going to come back less often.. perhaps for an entire day or two.

Basically, I think the "theory" of what your advocating (more uncertainty and risk in grayspace) runs contrary to the reality of what you're proposing. But, I'm open to continued clarification..

"In addition, the Odia unrats should be on a slightly different (more rapid) schedual than the bractus/sed ones. Because yarrrrr."

So let me tell you why hes asking for it incarnate , He and a few of his friends want unrats to do the dirty work for them. [Edited for appropriateness in the Suggestions forum. -W]

And hes specifically asking for odia because a few remaining players still do the odia- itan/sol trade route , thats why they suggested unrats to you in the first place.

And hes specifically asking for odia because a few remaining players still do the odia- itan/sol trade route , thats why they suggested unrats to you in the first place.

Circumventing a forum mute is grounds for banning, especially when someone has been warned several times NOT to do that, and to NOT bother the developers with direct opinionated tickets about particular Suggestions topics, because the individual in question has lost their privilege of being involved in the discussion.

Specifically, you lost your privilege in the first place because your contributions were too pointless, inflammatory, self-interested and generally a giant waste of my and everyone else's time.

This is another example. You've explicitly broken the rules, despite warnings, all to post your personal conspiracy-theory about a topic, which is completely wrong as any player who pays any attention at all (like say, Yoda, above) can attest.

This has to be the single dumbest and most-pointless way to get yourself banned from VO, ever.

Back on topic:

Hmm, not sure what else to suggest really. I am of the opinion that they are not dangerous enough (or are too easy to wipe out), but nothing I can immediately think of would make them more dangerous without also being too OP (or just adding more grind to the situation).

Well, that information.. not being dangerous-enough and too easy to wipe out, is of value to me, which is why I was pushing for the "why" at the beginning.

I agree, fundamentally. The current "unrats" were really just a test to see how the player base reacted to them and was able to manage them. The intent has always been to create a more diverse and reactive system, that's also able to escalate in relative strength over time (kind of like Hive growth).

I think there are a lot of small things we can do tactically to make the pirates more complex to battle, and fundamentally more interesting to battle, without having to just make them OP and obnoxious (which I'm not going to get into right now). Of course, opinions on that last bit will vary, but as we've established.. I intend to make grayspace an even more uncertain, sometimes more-challenging (and yet, potentially rewarding) place to travel.

".. I intend to make grayspace an even more uncertain, sometimes more-challenging (and yet, potentially rewarding) place to travel."

That's all i wanted. More uncertainty. And since it is in your plan to make grey more uncertain (and rewarding), then I will not push for it via the unrats. I will instead eagerly await to see what you have in store for us.

Thanks Inc.

-waf

And since it is in your plan to make grey more uncertain (and rewarding), then I will not push for it via the unrats. I will instead eagerly await to see what you have in store for us.

Fair enough. Understand though, that I always consider Suggestions input to be independent from my own personal direction for the game.. and helpful in that it gives me the benefit of other perspectives and reasoning for relative development priority, design-goals and the like.

So, I'm always fine with hearing about some other particular improvement you'd like to see. In this case, I don't think your actual Suggestion itself would yield what you want, but I totally agree with the goal you're trying to serve.

I am headed in that direction, in my own way (that I'm not going to detail due to limitations on time), but I'm still going to be continue to be open on other ways to tweak and improve things (along with the all-important reasons why) as we progress.

I am Galactica Actual, a LT in TGFT. While I do not really enjoy pvp, I really do love killing botts and unrats. I can solo the unrats, without using an Avalon, in about an hour or less. This includes the time used to locate the *undent. (With Avalons the time is faster, but less sporting.)

When I kill the unrats I know I have approximately 8 hours before I need to worry about their return. Me and a few others (from other guilds) PM regularly when we log in and try to determine when the unrats were last killed. (We all enjoy killing them, separately or collectively).

I want to kill unrats more often, and so I would really like to see them re-spawn more frequently.
PS: if your driving your capship into GREY without scouting first, you deserve to meet the unrats!

More Unrats, not less!!!

Changing the spawn frequency to a 4-48hr parameter may seem to offer more of a random occurrence, but as Inc has stated several times, it would only make them show up less overall.

I think it should be pushed the other way-- how about this: when the unrats are eliminated in one sector, then they just immediately re-spawn in a different system.

...or, when the trident is eliminated, any leftover WTDs/Raptors make a break for it and run to another system: if you catch and kill them before they do, then greyspace is devoid of unrats for a random amount of time, but not very long (1-4hrs). However, if they escape the system, then they immediately re-spawn in a new random greyspace system.