Considering how "populated" Open is, the pirate might be sitting for a LONG time. Anyway, not trying to convince anyone. Thanks for sharing your point of view. The big bonus for me is that it would be more immersive, but I can live with what we have.
The Hollow Box
- Thread starter Ozram
- Start date
Hollow icon and "CMDR"
Should both be on/off options on the Functions menu, just like Orbit Lines.
If this was the case, you'd probably see more players in Open.
Yes - it's a double edged sword, but at least a Pirate or PvP player would have to do more than go "ah! there's my target" like they can do now. There would actually be "some" effort needed.
Having such differences between NPC's and CMDR's in Elite is the worst part of the environment. Be it easily identifiable CMDR's or the super powers granted to NPC's, having these differences is the single most annoying thing in Elite. Right up there with having missions paint bullseyes on your ship for every "superpowered" NPC in the known Galaxy...
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While there are downsides to the hollow box identifying players (eg: greifers), the benefits outweigh them i think. Made a lot of in-game friends thanks to those hollow boxes, even when i was playing in Open. Now i'm totally in PvE groups only, there are not even any downsides to seeing the hollow boxes, only benefits.
So, i have to say no to this idea.
So, i have to say no to this idea.
How about creating a Cargo Jammer/Scrambler as a hardpoint to fit on Specific trading ships? T6/T7/T9/Keelback as these ships bark are worse than their bite and lets face it in a PVP fight you've got more chance of winning the lotto than wining a fight. This may be able to give traders a fighting chance that when ships scan the cargo it gives back a random cargo reading. You could make is that sometimes it tells the truth and other times it lies like a cheap gold Japanese watch of what cargo the ship is carrying. Because if a pilot is carrying say Gold but the reading from the jammer says Bio Fuel then a pirate may not be bothered to take a pop at the target. You could also make that when the ship is being scanned you can deploy the Jammer and it has to be timed right. So as the warning ship scan detected you have to activate the Jammer!
Another idea is that you carry drones that project an image of your ship and a radar reading and when you are interdicted they auto deploy and create several ships confusing the enemy by providing false radar echos and ship images possibly giving time for the ship to escape to SC or HS the drones would be programmed to mirror the movement of your ship but in different directions. You could also have fun with this as if you escape you could leave a message where the drones project another image of your choice (preferably a taunt)
Just a thought Cmdrs - Fly, Pirate, Trade, Bounty Hunt, Courier safely Cmdr's
Another idea is that you carry drones that project an image of your ship and a radar reading and when you are interdicted they auto deploy and create several ships confusing the enemy by providing false radar echos and ship images possibly giving time for the ship to escape to SC or HS the drones would be programmed to mirror the movement of your ship but in different directions. You could also have fun with this as if you escape you could leave a message where the drones project another image of your choice (preferably a taunt)
Just a thought Cmdrs - Fly, Pirate, Trade, Bounty Hunt, Courier safely Cmdr's
Begs the question...
Why would you or anyone oppose it being optional and under the PLAYER"S control rather than only having the option to choose between modes?
It should also be pretty easy to turn on the hollow icon/CMDR of a ship if it interdicts another ship, or commits any crime in the current system, or is wanted, etc. automatically. Conditions for forcing identity in open would be a whole nother topic for discussion, but certainly worth exploring.
The longer I think about this and the more I discuss it, the more convinced I become that there are really no good arguments against it. Consensus seems to favor getting more players to play in Open. How could this not be seen as a step in the right direction?
Everyone would have more options than they have now and might even try flying some different ships that are way too vulnerable in Open at present. You could still operate in classic Open mode if you wish or you could modify your level of visibility compared to an NPC and play in Open with a better chance of not being tagged immediately as a target.
PvP players would actually benefit if there were more players back in Open, but they might be a bit harder to identify unless someone wanted to be found by putting their flags up.
I see it as win/win for all.
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Hollow box means traders can see potential risks. This isn't a one-way street. Removing vision from the guy/ gal in a hurry to make it to the station, doesn't help them.
The shark patrolling in supercruise, with the guns, has all the time in the world to find a target; the trader no-longer has any warning or indication at all. A lack of player identification would just send most (remaining) people to solo.
In short, the idea sounds good, but in practice doesn't work as intended.
The shark patrolling in supercruise, with the guns, has all the time in the world to find a target; the trader no-longer has any warning or indication at all. A lack of player identification would just send most (remaining) people to solo.
In short, the idea sounds good, but in practice doesn't work as intended.
Well, that's your assumption, just as it is mine that you are mistaken. IN PRACTICE, we don't know who is right. Anywho, I see the fearful don't actually give enough of a fig about immersion to want an immersion ravaging element of the game changed so that's that.
Optional, fine by me. OP didn't specify optional.
Of course, with some CMDR names, it would still be obvious they are not NPCs. I would also have to say that if you have it enabled, so you are masking that you are a player, that you would be blocked from engaging in PvP as well (timer on changing to stop people interdicting or approaching then opening fire, and weapons won't work against Player targets for 30 seconds after changing). There is a large disparity in challenge between a PC and an NPC, and it could be used to get an initial upper hand against another player.
EDIT: Unless the proposal is that if you mask yourself, everyone else is automatically masked to you as well.
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It's not about being fearful. And I have no idea what you are on about. If we cannot identify commanders, this will have exactly zero impact on people who want to shoot other people. They will keep doing that; everyone having a solid square won't stop it or make it better. It's just slightly increasing the challenge of the hunt.
Go right ahead making commanders the same as NPCs. I'm not sure that's going to make much difference. People will simply work out any 'tell' that betrays a commander, and we are back to square one.
For the record I spend my life in open. I am not particularly afraid of people, or being shot at. So how about we play the ball, and not the commander. People don't fly the same as NPCs. Unless we all start crashing in to planets and doing the same derpy crap they do, it's going to be a tad obvious.
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You are correct, I was not suggesting it be optional. Judging by the responses (and votes) I'm starting to come to the point of view that immersive elements such as the one I'm suggesting are shunned because of the ongoing dispute between PVP players and the PVE crowd. I'm a PVA player myself. Most of the content I encounter is PVE and when I do run into another player, if we do interact at all it's a hello and chance for cooperative play. On the rare occasion it's a fight, or an assault (if I'm in a ship that can't effectively defend or run away) or the even rarer and so illusive piracy (happened once... Good fun). Frankly, I think the issue is there is no Open PVE server. Clearly there is an interest in such (going by the size of Möbius). Perhaps the game would be (ironically) less divisive if there were a PVE mode added in. With that we wouldn't have a need for catering to one over the other so much. I understand that there are loads of players who want to be able to interact with each other sans the chance of conflict. A PVE mode would be their "open". For the rest of us PVA players, the hollow box is somewhat immersion breaking. I'd love to not know if the FDL flying up behind me in my trade python is a player or NPC. Anywho, hope this clarifies my standpoint a bit.
That would deny the option of a player who wanted to be attacked by a masked player. That's why I proposed that if you do get interdicted or fired upon by a masked player. or otherwise had a crime committed against you, it would then auto activate his identity (hollow icon activated/CMDR visible). If you get interdicted, as soon as that is initiated a masked player would be exposed as a PC and likewise if not in SC the same would happen at any time someone fired upon you.
Ah, well, if that's your problem, there is a thing that can help with that if you want. Look at it like this:
You see, all us players, we are all part of the "Elite", members of the Elite Federation of Pilots. Yes, even the n00bz. NPCs are not as awesome as we members are. The EFoP don't lay down too many rules, its mainly a rating agency and social club combined, although we are all meant to be superb pilots, much better than the hoi polloi.
Our scanners are capable of identifying other members of the EFoP for us. Letting us know we might be attacking one of our own - although the EFoP, while frowning upon this sort of activity, does not actively punish it. After all, its a dog eat dog galaxy out there.
How's that? Immersion restored?
Robert Maynard
Volunteer Moderator
.... not yet anyway....
Achilles7
Banned
Tough one this!..'cos I love non-consensual PvP, but currently wings of 4 FDLs/FASs cruising around with full PvP loadout is a pathetic part of the game for general players trading, smuggling etc in multipurpose ships! I've been ganked numerous times and while it doesn't matter at all in the scheme of things, it is irritating! Recently I was attacked by a DBS in a HazRES while flying my DBS (one of the few equal fights I've ever had!..usually I like the odds stacked against me in 1v1!).
Things had gone mammaries up for this cmdr..having started with the advantage, he was at 40% hull, when suddenly my hull began plummeting from 95 to 50% in a few seconds..you guessed it - a Python and 2 others (never got to find out which other ships!!) had arrived on the scene!
To whoever it was who said this idea would cause a problem for traders..with the size of space (I believe it's quite big!) scanning all ships in the vicinity would get old fast! One area it would affect is the well known sites for certain activities eg Robigo etc. You would find these would become off limits faster than Trump would deport a Mexican - which you could argue is a good thing..that is, stopping cash printing exploits, not deporting Mexicans!
Overall I still can't decide, but if Crimson Kaim (yawn!) doesn't want it...erm then, on that basis..I do!
Not remotely, but I appreciate the effort and still enjoy the game immensely
Dagnamit! Well, i tried.
I voted no, because I think they should have done all they could to make the AI and players similar so that there wasn't a major reason to distinguish between them. So many problems are caused by being able to easily identify players at the moment it makes it easy to focus a particular group, which of course reduces the "rare" pvp, rare pvp is what I actually wanted even as someone whose done more than most!
Its not griefing if the makers of the game put it in as legit ingame tool.
and i voted no , maybe it was one server game i would have voted yes.
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