Crime and punishment, A response to Sandro Sammarco.
I considered creating a new thread for this. but I will post here for what it is worth.
Law and order vs Bounties.
Initially, bounties need to be separated from bounties. Bounties are paid out to players for "killing" a wanted player, and that is fine. They, however should not be used for the purpose of punishment. For that we need a separate law and order system.
Criminal actions and consequences.
I have in the past proposed a points based system. Points are given on the basis of the criminal actions of players. Higher values of points increase the penalties applied to the player in terms of system responses. I proposed a 12 point framework. 1-3 points would have the local system or faction frowning upon you, it would increase the likelihood of you being scanned at stations and being pulled out of supercruise. 3-6 points. These would remove your ability to dock at stations where the points were issued. 7-9 points would extend the docking restrictions to all minor faction controlled stations in all systems controlled by the faction. 10-12 would remove the ability to dock in stations controlled by the major faction that the issuing parties are affiliated with. Independent systems would only apply the restrictions up to 9 points. The points would be removed over time, and encourage players to minimise random player killing. Points could not be accrued for player kills in Combat zones. Points would be allocated along these lines. Docking and other minor infractions would be exempt. Smuggling, firing upon a "clean" player, or interdicting a clean player would garner 1 point. Player killing (Clean) would get 3 points.
System security levels.
Security levels should mean something. High security systems should have massively lethal responses for "criminal" players. The response should be swift, to the point of only having "fuel scoop and jump" amounts of time before the player is interdicted, there may be an “escape option” through bribery however. Players interdicting other "clean" players will face an almost immediate security response, The security forces will know as soon as they drop in who is "most wanted" and initiate an attack immediately. In medium security systems will have a commensurately lower response, where the security forces will randomly scan players based upon suspect behaviour and “gathered intelligence”, once detected you will have a short period of grace to escape the system, or possibly pay a bribe. Interdiction of "clean" players will elicit a slower response and the security forces will scan players to determine levels of criminality. Low security systems will have little or no security response. Even with maximum points only specific stations may refuse a player's docking request based upon the controlling faction, the reputation of the player and whether the points have been issued by the station.
Encouraging players in open to venture into hostile space.
Alongside these changes I suggest a new set of missions for traders. High value, High Risk, haulage missions into low security systems and high reward smuggling missions issued in low-security, anarchy systems. These would be along the lines of "Deliver 100 tonnes of Platinum to Station X in this Anarchy system" the reward would be perhaps 2, 3 or 5 times the normal profit for a similar, low risk mission. To add spice, pirate factions would be able to post similar missions, under pseudonyms, on bulletin boards, then ambush the player when they attempt to complete the mission. The reward might also encourage traders to employ wings to assist with the missions, or they might try to slip in without being intercepted. They might view submitting to the pirates when caught and complying with their demands as the cost of doing business. This structure could also add to the role of bounty-hunters, by taking a mission to a high-risk system to try and engage pirates, or signing up into a wing to provide security for a trader in the same hope. Even having bounty-hunters hanging out, cold, looking for high-value targets.
Bribery, corruption and reputation.
A new facet to the game. Adding the possibility of paying bribes to security ships in order to reduce, temporarily, your wanted status could be added. The availability of this would be tied to the stability and security level of a system. Highly contested systems, even with high security levels could provide access to stations provided your wanted status is low enough and you are willing to pay a sufficient bribe. Your reputation as pirate could provide you with access to stations or facilities that are otherwise nor accessible. Such stations might designate "clean" players as hostile and not provide docking rights or reduce access to station facilities.
The real key to this system is that your criminal record is persistent. Dying may remove your bounties, but will have no effect upon how many points you have gained in your career as a miscreant only time will remove your criminal history.
![[VR] Mad Mike](https://forums-cdn.zaonce.net/data/avatars/m/27/27910.jpg?1553527108){kind=avatar}
