Oolite Bulletins

Disembodied wrote: ↑Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:29 pm

That said, it might be worth flashing up a statement in-flight - maybe with an alert sound - when a player's legal status changes for the worse.

Definitely the player needs to be notified. Like this for example:

Disembodied wrote: ↑Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:40 pm

... take your medicine, gnash your teeth, and cough up the dough. It builds character!

<chortles> Yeah - all that 'cos a Viper decided to smear itself all over Spindrifter's underside. Made a frightful mess of the belly decal.
On your 50% fine guideline, that would've cost me over 17 million sobs - and I hadn't even fired a shot!

Cody wrote:

Yeah - all that 'cos a Viper decided to smear itself all over Spindrifter's underside. Made a frightful mess of the belly decal.
On your 50% fine guideline, that would've cost me over 17 million sobs - and I hadn't even fired a shot!

Hmm … becoming a Fugitive via a collision would be pretty unfortunate; I don't know what can be done about that, though. That said: what are you going to do with all that money anyway? Even after the fine you would still have been superlatively wealthy!

Time or money penalties probably don't mean much to a commander with an iron assed ship and a million credits. The only 'economic' penalty that is an actual punishment would be to 'take it all', i.e. leave you with an unequipped ship and 100Cr. But at that point, you might as well Press Space.

I don't think death is too harsh for docking immediately, without jumping out and back in, at the very station you were just firing at, and killing the vipers it was launching especially for you. This station was already trying to kill you. You just made it a lot easier.


I like the idea of higher resolution legal status. (As to "A bit harsh on commanders who accidentally pick up a fugitive tag", one would not accidentally kill vipers in the S-zone.) I also like the idea that the higher tiers could be specific to systems where offences were committed. If you're Kill-On-Sight at some system, docking there would mean death. In the manifest, it could show a list of which systems you are banned from. Bans could expire but not quickly.

Maybe if you're 'very fugitive', you can still dock at multi-gov and lower, but not use F4 or F8, as those are GalCop services. Jumping to the next galaxy might clear you, but good luck finding a galactic hyperdrive at a multi-gov or lower.

Disembodied wrote: ↑Sun Oct 15, 2017 1:43 pm

I don't know what the current system is for dealing with accidental friendly fire … would it be possible to let the player have 2 or 3 "free" hits on a friendly target before that target becomes hostile?

I've seen NPCs call each other out for "Hey that was me you just hit!" or "Watch where you're shooting!". I believe the same happens when you're part of a group, like in an RRS mission: you get a couple of warnings before you become 'hostile'.
Otherwise, I don't believe you get any free hits.

I've accidentally fired a missile at a station once. It just ECM'd it away and that was is. No warnings, no legal status, no revocation of docking clearance.

To me it would make sense that you get a few free hits, even on stations and vipers, but only under condition red.

hoqllnq wrote: ↑Sun Oct 15, 2017 4:01 pm

As to "A bit harsh on commanders who accidentally pick up a fugitive tag", one would not accidentally kill vipers in the S-zone.

It happens!

hoqllnq wrote:

o me it would make sense that you get a few free hits, even on stations and vipers, but only under condition red.

I think the AI does take into consideration shots intended for other targets that stray onto police/stations. In my experience though, I've still found them a little to ready to say I was shooting at them. I have to weigh up very carefully if I want to get involved in a battle in the station aegis.

phkb wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:07 pm

I have to weigh up very carefully if I want to get involved in a battle in the station aegis.

<nods> Firefights in the aegis can be dangerous! Even splashing witchspace lobster freaks has got me into trouble!

phkb wrote: ↑Mon Oct 16, 2017 10:07 pm

I have to weigh up very carefully if I want to get involved in a battle in the station aegis.

Heh.. I don't weigh it up.. I just jump right in to the furball.. but then, I'm too busy scooping escape capsules to bother with shooting at anyone. Lots of profits to be had, during a furball.