I know, I know. We have enough threads about open vs. solo but I just have to share my thoughts on this issue. I really think that we have an issue because in my opinion more and more commanders are going solo or pve every day (I hope that I am wrong about this).
PROBLEM No.1 - DOING PIRATING RIGHT.
1. The victims.
If they are interdicted by a human player there are probability that the player is not interested in their cargo, just want to blow them up for fun. Even if it is a pirate who wants some cargo, and you drop some, there is a chance you will be killed anyway. What the victim could lose? He could lose everything, his ship and his cargo. There are not that kind of NPC behavior in the game (thank you FD for this). So that is why most of the (clever) traders and Non-A-Class-Warrior-Ship-Owner commanders are going solo. If they want some “thrill” of pvp, they would jump in their viper/cobra and look for some fight. There is no thrill in fight between harmless loaded with gold hauler trader vs. military grade viper pirate.
2. The pirates.
The clever ones will always pick up weaker than them. What they could lose? They could get some (calculated) bounty and almost no other risk.
THE CONSEQUENCE.
We got pirating broken. The traders are going solo for less risk, and the pirates don’t have rich ‘victims’. All they could get are no experienced ones who go to solo after the first attack on them.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION
If we want the traders back in open we should deal with ‘unethical’ pirates.
So maybe there should be a code for “doing pirating right”. I would try to explain my idea thru 3 simple scenarios?
The pre-requirements for this solution is that the victims has some cargo onboard.
Scenario a)
1. The pirate communicate to the victim and ask for cargo
2. The victim don’t want to give cargo
3. They have a fight
4. The consequences for both stays as they are now.
Scenario b)
1. The pirate communicate to the victim and ask for cargo
2. The victim drop the cargo of the quantity the attacker could take or it is at least 1/3 of the victims cargo value.
3. Both goes their ways, no consequences to the pirate.
Scenario c)
1. The pirate communicate to the victim and ask for cargo
2. The victim drop the cargo of the quantity the attacker could take or it is at least 1/3 of the victims cargo value.
3. The attacker still kills the victim.
4. The consequences for the attacker are huge. 10x current bounty and if the authorities got him, he should additionally pay to the victim all the damage he has done, (plus 20%?).
PROBLEM No.2 - KILLING PLAYERS FOR NO REASON.
I will share what I had experienced a week ago.
I wanted to test some weapon load outs, so I went to the anarchy nav point. There was another human player doing some bounty hunting. After some time the wanted npc anaconda came and we both get on her. Unfortunately I had the final shot. Even that I am pretty sure I was the first to engage, the another player was not happy that I got the prize. He immediately, without warning started shooting at me. I instantly knew that my current weapons are no match to his. I run away, he followed me and tried to interdict me, but he did not succeed on that. I came back to the nav point and had few npcs down, but obviously he was on to me so he keep going on me over and over. I was not in the mood for pvp, (I still wish I have had my usual weapons onboard). After a 3 or 4 times I got bored and went to solo.
It is important that I had no bounty on me and also no cargo at all. He just wanted to kill me for ‘stilling his kill’. And he was very persistent to do that.
I could jump to another system or I could block him. But it was most convenient at that time just to switch to solo.
Few hours before that, at the same location I experienced similar situation, where 3 commanders were continuously attacking me as soon they spotted me. I got killed and had to pay 300k of insurance. There were few other npcs, not wanted just as myself, but they wanted to take me, just because I was human.
Apparently ED community have a lot of ... I would say ‘not mature’ players (by mind, not by age). I love the open and I always play that way, but this time I have chosen to go solo and I am happy about that.
POSSIBLE SOLUTION
If we want more people come back to open, we should deal with this ‘psycho-kill-all-humans-just-for-fun’ commanders.
The pre-requirements for this solution is that the victims has no cargo onboard.
So if the human kills another not wanted human, even if they are at anarchy system, he should get enormous bounty and if the authorities got him, he should additionally pay to the victim all the damage he has done, (plus 20%?). Maybe that should be only for killing, not for shooting at.
Sorry my fellow commanders, I did a lot of talking. I would like to hear some other points of few.
CMDR Dark Jedi