Please keep in mind that I'm not posting this to complain. If that was the case, I'd of posted this right after it happened with a level of disgust and anger. Since that is not the case, I'll continue on with my suggestions.

My first suggestion is to make the Strike Force within the immediate 500m vicinity of a station unbeatable. Outside of this vicinity, the level of the strike force would be equivalent to what it is currently.

Also, I would like to suggest that an automatic docking feature after a given amount of time be implemented. This was pointed out in another thread regarding CtC, a player had blocked the docking port with a Behemoth in order to prevent docking. Although this is one reason for implementing this, another is because KOS players are using the dock "area" as a place to "hide" from the Strike Force.

I found this out quite rudely as I jumped into Sedina L-2. I noticed a concentrated bubble of green blips, no apparent site of a red blip. I kept guard and proceeded to the dock, where I saw the strike force trying to fly into the docking bay, but not through the front, instead, from the top, bottom, left and right. I found this behavior odd... but I didn't really care, so I fly into the dock where I saw where the red blip was hiding. Now, I could have shot and killed this player, but that would have ruined my standing with that station, and then the strike force would be after me instead. So I paused and tried to dock. Suffice to say, I was subsequently killed by the KOS player.

To add to my suggestions, I'd like to propose that the "no fire" policy be lifted for shooting and killing KOS players. Several times I have gone to the dock and been attacked by a KOS player who is simply flying causally around the station with the strike force following behind him...

So, to recap, three suggestions:

1. Improve strike force capabilities, potentially make them "unbeatable" (although not unreasonably invicible). Just so it's not a piece of cake for one player, veteran or not, in an elite ship or not, to fly into a station and live.

2. Automatic dock after several seconds to prevent blockades, and prevent it from being a KOS hiding place (essentially he was blockading my right to dock too)

3. Lift the no fire policy for attacking KOS players. In fact, if you manage to kill a KOS player within the 'zone' you should receive a standing increase for that particular faction.

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kihjin

Automatic docking after a certain amount of time wouldn't work for KOS players, because anyone with less than -600 standing is denied docking privileges. But I do think it would still be a good idea for non-KOS players.

Also, in my understanding, you actually could have killed the KOS player with no permanent standing loss (probably with a gain, actually). You would have gotten the temporary KOS for violating the NFZ, but after the temporary KOS is removed when you die or leave the sector, you would have higher standing from killing the hated player (in fact, AFAIK this is currently the only way to get +1000 standing).

That said, I would like to agree that violating NFZ attacking a KOS ship should not trigger even the temporary KOS. And improved bot AI including the SF would be good, and I think is being worked on right now (from In Progress: "Andy's redoing some of the underpinnings of our AI, namely the pathfinding system.").

1) yeah, something should be done about strike forces. at least around stations. getting to an enemy station or into enemy terretory through a "guarded" WH is way too easy.

2) I'm not sure autodock is the solution, but something needs to be done, yes.

3) yes please, if someone is KOS (temp or not), killing the person should give a faction increase and some thanks.

Automatic docking after a certain amount of time wouldn't work for KOS players, because anyone with less than -600 standing is denied docking privileges. But I do think it would still be a good idea for non-KOS players. - Beolach

Oh well shoot. I completely forgot about that. Alright, I just rethought this. They shouldn't be allowed access to the docking bay at all. In fact, the docking bay could "shield" itself from access so a player incapable of docking can't even enter the bay either.

I suppose this raises possible weaknesses. In particular, a player that can dock could come along and open the shield for the player who can't dock. But once this player docks, the shield would be raised and any player who is within the bay that cannot dock will be subsequently destroyed by the shield.

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kihjin

This can be achieved quite simply with the addition of numerous stationary turrets around the station. Unfortunately, no matter how many times this has been suggested, it seems to have been ignored.

Um, how would turrets around the station help with a KOS ship parking inside the docking bay? Unless a turret was inside the docking bay, which IMO would be a little weird. And I wouldn't say the devs have been ignoring anything.

why would that be wierd Beo, a ring of 4 small turrets, one on each wall, JUST inside the bay would give good coverage inside the bay and a concentrated stream of fire at anyone "hostile" attempting to chase a ship into the bay.

I thinkt he turrets probably havent been added because the devs were, and still are, getting them set up for the capital ship and making them function correctly, somethign they still dont totally do.

Well a lot of problems with station guards and strikeforces could be alleviated with better pathfinding. The bots need to be able to recognize when something's in their way, be able to figure out how to get around it. In the case of the station entry dock, they need to know where the entry vector is and then they'd know that's the only way they can get to their target.

Whatever goes down with this, it needs to stay out of grey space.

Personably I think the nfz needs to be lifted for players that are hated by the station or the nation that the station is in completly. Any serco at an itani station should be able to be killed on site and the same goes for a serco at an itani station. They are at war here. As far as grey space goes I'm not sure there should be a nfz in grey space at all, however I do think you shouldn't be able to hide out in the docking bay anywhere..

hey, anyone remember Master of Orion 2? i thought you did.

you may recall the opening video, which involved a research station being destroyed by a swarm of little drones. for a while i've been thinking that those would be an excellent idea for station defense drones in VO. the model could be based on the observer bot, the things would have a non-turbo speed of 300, and they would act like moving lightning mines (except that they would, of course, target only perm or temp KOS players), i.e. once they're in range of their target, they start doing damage automatically.

the catch? they wouldn't be able to operate any further than, say, 2000 meters from a station. stations would keep a half dozen of these things flying around at all times, in addition to the existing station guards; once a player gets KOS, those go active immediately and the station launches a dozen more.

if people want to have fun by dodging strike forces, let them - but it's ridiculous that the automated defenses that are nominally supposed to protect against antisocial players are sufficiently toothless that bored vets can entertain themselves by fighting them. fighting station security drones should not be fun; it should be drastically unfair (as well as short-lived). as a side note, effective station security bots would eliminate at least one argument for nation-specific friendly fire protection. :)

i agree completely with tramshed, however, that grey space stations should NOT have these drones, and that grey space stations (or at least Corvus stations) should not have NFZs at all. i'd even be open to the idea of only Serco and Itani stations having these drones.

I would just like to point out that fighting strike forces is already rather on the side of being unfair. It's just that it's rather easy to run away from or hide from the strike force. Also, IMO it's because fighting the Strike Force is so unfair that it's fun. And, I disagree that "fighting station security drones should not be fun" - it's a game, the whole purpose is to be fun.

That said, at central nation stations (maybe only Capitals & Barraks), I think those mobile lightning-mine drones would be cool.

To Dave; yeah....turrets in the docking bay WALLS will do it.

by the way....I'm Back, you'v been Razorclaw'd!

Dave, Spellcast...... YES! :D

@Beolach: the problem is that if the in-game mechanics that are supposed to enforce standards of player behavior are sufficiently ineffective that it's fun or challenging to defy them, then they don't successfully enforce standards of behavior. as a result, the devs implement unrealistic fixes (things like rocket-ramming double-damage and nation-specific friendly fire protection).

here's an alternate suggestion: how about if as soon as someone gains temp KOS, or as soon as someone who is KOS enters a station sector, they automatically /explode? that strikes me as lame, and remarkably unfun, but that's the other end of the spectrum; it would certainly put an end to station camping. i don't think such an extreme solution would be appropriate or would improve the game, but i do think we need something better than what we have now.

also, i don't agree with the apparent philosophy behind "the whole purpose is to be fun" - is exploiting bugs fun? is spamming chat fun? is griefing newbies fun? just because some people might find these activities fun, should the devs and the players not act to curtail them?

there do need to be limits on certain types of behavior; either the devs can enforce these limits through unrealistic, jarring means, or they can enforce them through realistic, in-game means, or the players can enforce them.