Incompetence in game design

[grammatonfeather]

STUPID DOCKING COMPUTER was too slow and got me killed!

If I play this game for the next 10 years, I am guessing this same silly post about getting killed for shooting the cops/innocent bystander will still be a daily event.

LOL....

I've never used docking computer.

Why do you use it?

I shot cops twice last week by accident. One crossed in front of my path when I was shooting a pirate. The cops turned on me so fast I had no chance to get away. Lost ship. Insurance covered it. Went straight back out there with same cops and continued taking out wanteds. Then I found myself under attack again and I think I may have been flying away from a cop while they were scanning me.

I'm very careful in combat now. If any cop is anywhere near a pirate I stop shooting until it's out of the way. When I'm scanned I stop flying until scan over.

 

[Jypson]

You must either have had a weak ship with no protection or took an hour to dock.

I have docked with a WANTED tag on me after destroying authority vessel by accident. I docked in the same system.

If you don't get scanned, you don't get shot. Sounds like OP was just very unlucky with the scans.

 

[Ian Skippy]

In fairness try finding the thing. Where is it?

I've been through the site I can't seem to see it, for me it should be right there under "downloads"?

In the launcher click 'manual', top right.

 

[MottiKhan]

While there are issues with the game, it certainly doesn't go all the way to incompetence in design. The game is very well designed. programmed and implemented. There are a few bugs and a lot of idiosyncrasies that we as players must adapt to. Some are more difficult to deal with than others, but the actual game breaking bugs are being taken care of as they show up.

I think FD are doing a good job there. Communication could be improved, but I think they're understaffed for P.R. The meat and potatoes of the game are solid.

 

[bitstorm]

In the launcher click 'manual', top right.

doh cheers.

 

[TomP]

I wonder if the OP ever played [84] Elite? That would have been a fun thing to watch through your fingers.

Admittedly, there was a tiered wanted system, but those Vipers were vicious. Vicious, I tells ya.

 

[Crank Larson]

The meat and potatoes of the game are solid.

And the sprouts. Never forget the sprouts.

 

[bitstorm]

Just been mooching through the manual..

The crimes of transporting stolen or illegal goods will only be detected by a successful
cargo scan, carried out, by an authority vessel; you will receive a fine or bounty immediately.
Commanders may perform cargo scans and see that you are carrying stolen goods, but it
does not log a crime.

Can't believe they changed that, that was such a great feature.

As I remember it... As a player you used to be able to cargo scan another player, if they were carrying illegal goods and if you had "report crimes" turned on they'd become wanted and therefore fair game. (to security forces and you)

Surely this change now means if you catch a player smuggling you're unable to do anything? =(

Potential for sneaky PvP fun and/or emergent gameplay out the window?

 

[Stigbob]

So what do you say, Frontier?

Check your targets.

 

[Crank Larson]

Surely this change now means if you catch a player smuggling you're unable to do anything?

Smuggling doesn't necessarily involve stolen cargo. Usually it is just illegal wherever you are taking it. Not sure what that means with regards to the player scans though (i.e. if you scan and find illicit cargo for that system, does that log as a crime?).

 

[MottiKhan]

And the sprouts. Never forget the sprouts.

My bad. I should have included bananas too. They're good for you.

 

[Para Handy]

While chasing a wanted ship in the Eravate system some authority vessel flew between my turrets and my target, and I got a 400 credit fine.

I managed to escape and flew to the space station where the fine was to be payed (Ackerman Market) but got my ship destroyed by the authority vessels before I could enter the station.

You didn't get a fine - you incurred a bounty. You became wanted - "wanted" shows above your fuel gauge - and big info text came up to tell you. So work out where the "Incompetence" belongs.

If you had been playing before the 1.3 update, yes you would have been able to pay off a bounty - not now. Bounties stay in force for as long as the timer in your transaction screen says (10 min to 7 days).

Personally I think accidental fire should not be a bounty but instead be a fine - but then I'm just a user not a developer.

 

[bitstorm]

Smuggling doesn't necessarily involve stolen cargo. Usually it is just illegal wherever you are taking it. Not sure what that means with regards to the player scans though (i.e. if you scan and find illicit cargo for that system, does that log as a crime?).

WEll according to this no..

The crimes of transporting stolen or illegal goods will only be detected by a successful
cargo scan, carried out, by an authority vessel; you will receive a fine or bounty immediately.
Commanders may perform cargo scans and see that you are carrying stolen goods, but it
does not log a crime.

Hmm actually that's a bit vague, the first part talks about "illegal or stolen" then latter only "stolen", althought both parts are really trying to say the same thing?

 

[MacDoom]

What would have been a better way to implement this is to actually have options when you accidentally shoot someone and get a small fine. i.e. if you shoot someone such as the OP did and get a small 400cr fine and become wanted then pull up to a station to dock but get scanned by the coppers, rather than get insta-popped without any remorse you get dialogue from security saying something along the lines of hey your wanted for a small infraction, pay now or risk being destroyed, or maybe get a ticket with that dialogue saying you can enter the station but you must pay your fine before leaving or risk being destroyed.

Or just something less lazy than dumping minor infractions in the same bucket as the major villains.

 

[Ian Skippy]

What would have been a better way to implement this is to actually have options when you accidentally shoot someone and get a small fine. i.e. if you shoot someone such as the OP did and get a small 400cr fine and become wanted then pull up to a station to dock but get scanned by the coppers, rather than get insta-popped without any remorse you get dialogue from security saying something along the lines of hey your wanted for a small infraction, pay now or risk being destroyed, or maybe get a ticket with that dialogue saying you can enter the station but you must pay your fine before leaving or risk being destroyed.

Or just something less lazy than dumping minor infractions in the same bucket as the major villains.

Heres what you and others dont get: its not a minor infraction. if you shoot a cop, it counts as a major infraction, so a bounty and no negotion. What you suggest already exists as fines, which you can pay and become bounties if you dont.

 

[Gold Member]

Right or wrong, that's how the game IS right now. You had a notification telling you what was going on and either didn't understand it or chose to ignore it.

5 million is a lot of peanuts by the way. maybe an expensive lesson in learning game mechanics before you accuse anyone else of being incompetent.

 

[CMDR Byr Goefin]

LOL....

I've never used docking computer.

Why do you use it?

I don't, I was anticipating the OPs response in the most noobish way possible.


Actually I do use it on a few ships, but only when I need a few moments to talk to someone or make a quick phone call.

 

[robbyp]

This is how the game works. It's easy not to first hit another ship, in the first place, and secondly if you do avoid being killed for it.go to another system.

 

[Deleted member 38366]

Just to add an observation (as it happened to me a few Minutes ago) :

While Bounty-Hunting in a HazRES, I engaged a Wanted Target before scanning it - and incurred a 150Cr Fine.
And I became instantly Wanted.

Apart from a HazRES supposedly making any fines impossible, of course I knew I'd have to leave the System (10min Timer) which for some reason causes System Security "instant-Alzheimer" - they no longer want to kill me as soon as I pay my dues in form of a .... Hyperjump... yeah, whatever.

Just goes to tell that the Crime System is just... weird. Absolutely weird.

Either I'm Wanted or not.
No HyperJumping or Timer should change a thing about that (apart from it being nonsense being Wanted over a parking ticket like 150Cr).

For all I care, the still entirely nonsensical Crime System (which punishes only legit and clean Players - and affords Criminals to entirely ignore it) could be revoked entirely.
Either skip it alltogether or it's back to the drawing board - but this time please by someone who knows what he's doing.

Seriously, I'm convinced the cleaning maid in the Frontier Offices could easily come up with a more immersive, realistic and credible Crime system than what we got now - within 10 Minutes and using only common sense.
Given the state of things, it's not like it takes some Einstein to come up with a better solution... A smart 10yo child could do it and get it done right on 1st try.

 

[CMDR Byr Goefin]

Just goes to tell that the Crime System is just... weird. Absolutely weird.


Seriously, I'm convinced the cleaning maid in the Frontier Offices could easily come up with a more immersive, realistic and credible Crime system than what we got now - within 10 Minutes and using only common sense.

I am thinking, and this is only a sort of RetCon view, that with a total human population of 6 to 7 Trillion in the bubble....

no one really gives a crap about you, really. Easier to shoot criminals down than process them in the courts.

Why else would the only thing that submitting to the cops does is get you killed? If you stop you should be able to pay off the fine without being shot down.

Unless you are wanted for millions, or some major fraction of million.

But no....

No regard for human life.