Oolite Bulletins

I have been accused (only accused mind you) of smuggling narcotics, shooting down a Galcop Viper, and shooting the main station a whole bunch in the process. I'd imagine that the bounty on my head for these crimes I didn't commit is around 300. After spending some 5 in-game days jumping around I still seem to be a fugitive (which is ridiculous, they can't prove I did anything).

This left me wondering: how exactly does time affect your legal status? Furthermore, what separates a fugitive from an offender? Is there some kind of "legal point" system? How long will it take me to get the Law Lizards off my back? Who is the best, cheapest lawyer in galaxy one? Or the most corrupt Galcop official?

And while answering these questions, please, don't panic.

Unless something has changed (it's been a while since I was a fugitive), each jump halves your bounty. If it's only 300, then 9 or 10 jumps should clear it.

Cody wrote:

Unless something has changed (it's been a while since I was a fugitive), each jump halves your bounty. If it's only 300, then 9 or 10 jumps should clear it.

Thanks for the answer, I always thought it was time and not jumps (I had no evidence, this is just what I thought).

Don't panic!

The other way to clear your record is to fight your way into the aegis, dock under fire, and pay a fine and/or get sent for 'attitude adjustment'.
The fine can be expensive (I've paid 6400 - possibly the max), and the AA will take plenty of in-game time (plus the cost of any ship repairs).

Cody wrote:

The other way to clear your record is to fight your way into the aegis, dock under fire, and pay a fine and/or get sent for 'attitude adjustment'.
The fine can be expensive (I've paid 6400 - possibly the max), and the AA will take plenty of in-game time (plus the cost of any ship repairs).

I've found that when I'm a fugitive, I don't get fines; every law lizard who sees me tries to kill me. I only get fines when I'm an offender, and even then only when a law lizard sees me and "issues" a fine. But yes, it takes either a few hours to a few days, and I've been fined between 50 and a few thousand credits. When I'm doing a timed contract as an offender, I've started shooting at bystanders when a
Galcop patrol passes by; this way try to kill me instead of issuing a fine.

I'm curious to see if a "turn yourself in" OXP could work in a balanced way. Maybe having the player spend a year or so in jail, on top of a huge fine (made even bigger with legal fees). Galcop's prisons would probably be pretty packed if they began taking prisoners. Furthermore, it would seem in "Oolite lore" lives are not highly valued in the spacefaring community, with bounty hunters out to kill pirates for a 5 credit bounty, and pirates killing for a some measly cargo and scrap metal. It's a big Ooniverse after all.

That's one of the strange things in the Ooniverse: If you're an offender, you'll get fined after docking. If you are fugitive, you will not (but you'll have to pay a fine for docking without clearance). And the Vipers will continue to try to kill you after re-launching.

An update: I forgot that the Anarchies OXZ makes it harder to clear your legal status. Whoops!