How to defeat a commander that tries to scan your ship while you're in the station

[WR3ND]

It has nothing really to do with the players and everything to do with the game and its poor mechanics in this regard. And for that matter, why would someone stick around for four hours to stack missions? The answer is most would not, of course; they only switch modes because they can to maximize profits per time. They only do it because they can, not because it's good nor most likely honestly even intentional game design.

I don't do it because it isn't fun for me, because it has nothing to do with playing an immersive sci-fi space pilot simulation. It is extremely unfortunate to think that some people do it because they feel they have to to advance enough in the game to be able to enjoy it. Is anyone honestly really having fun mode switching in this way? I don't want to punish you; I want to help you to have an enjoyable game to play.

Plain and simple, there need to be better alternatives. It is poor and unfortunate game design as it is.

 

[sqzbox1]

It's only immersion-breaking if you allow it to be so. I know I am "soap-boxing" here - but honestly, I truly believe that immersion is a matter of choice. Sometimes it takes a bit of effort. So many gamers today expect everything to be done for them. The thing is - it is a game and it is developed on an imperfect platform with limited resources and capabilities, about a fictional future that is created from one person's brain. Of course it is not perfect - it will never be perfect - and even if the platform and code is, the future encapsulated in the game will not suit everybody.

Why do we have insta-refuelling? Or what about insta-repairs? Do I hear the same complaint being loudly protested against these? Of course not - because even the dullest amongst us can see that hanging around for repairs or whatever is actually nothing more than a waste of time - unnecessarily. Is there some inconsistency here? Sure - but so what? If everything were to be entirely self-consistent in every aspect then I doubt that we would end up with a playable game.

Let it go folks - it just ain't a problem.

 

[Itaki]

Scanloggers. Scangankers. I'm setting up my reddit KOS list right now for those scan loggers.

Immersion breakers. I'm setting up a reddit KOS list right now for those who break muh immershun.

 

[WR3ND]

It's only immersion-breaking if you allow it to be so. I know I am "soap-boxing" here - but honestly, I truly believe that immersion is a matter of choice. Sometimes it takes a bit of effort. So many gamers today expect everything to be done for them. The thing is - it is a game and it is developed on an imperfect platform with limited resources and capabilities, about a fictional future that is created from one person's brain. Of course it is not perfect - it will never be perfect - and even if the platform and code is, the future encapsulated in the game will not suit everybody.

Why do we have insta-refuelling? Or what about insta-repairs? Do I hear the same complaint being loudly protested against these? Of course not - because even the dullest amongst us can see that hanging around for repairs or whatever is actually nothing more than a waste of time - unnecessarily. Is there some inconsistency here? Sure - but so what? If everything were to be entirely self-consistent in every aspect then I doubt that we would end up with a playable game.

Let it go folks - it just ain't a problem.

Of course it's a problem. One of the greatest problems with the game in some respects. It's wanton game design negligence that goes against the very principals of what makes the game good in the first place.

Your examples and counterpoints fail in proportional significance, and two wrongs don't make a right just because one jumped off a bridge...

Sure, you might not really see it as a significant problem. I do. We have a difference of opinion. Except that and move on.

 

[sqzbox1]

Yep - I accept that your opinion is rubbish, just like you think mine is. Fine. I ain't bovvered.

 

[Sup3rfluiD]

I think this as just another example of many people's misunderstanding of the games design.
Its a space sim, and like almost every other game ever invented it deals with creating interaction choices that result in content and play scenarios.
.
The basic social model is, and very likely always will be- . Ignore : Co-operate : Compete .
In a game that's very by-line is "Chart your own course" premised in a working model of real space reflecting real society,
I find it strange that anyone is surprised, offended, or shocked, in the actions performed by other players.
Angered or delighted are quite understandable, but the others, well, not so much.
.
Any ethic is purely contrived, by design or ethos of participants over time but is not really conferred by the game design itself.
It's more like a concept of community, but this has no baring on how new players will look apon the existing conduct meta.
The game design gives you two modes and three sandboxes for you to participate, in which each and all three choices are facilitated.
It then gives you free reign to act as you see fit within the available controls and options provided.
.
So where is the divide?
Why are there an endless stream of complaints about inappropriate actions?
Fix this it effects me, nurf that it's unbalanced, ban this other type of behavior cause I don't like it.
I mean really. if you don't want to compete with other people then a whole mode is made available for you to avoid them.
If you specifically enter the mode where each, any and every action are made by other players then just take it move on.
You RISKED, player interaction, including negative action, when you entered OPEN in the attempt to make more profit.
You got stung by some guy who, no doubt was being an ass-hat, but was legitimately doing what ever he saw fit for whatever
reasons suited him at the time- as is his right in OPEN.
.
I asked my son, who's a gaming guru like only a 12 1/2 yr old can be, what his thoughts were..
He carefully mulled it over for about .00001 of a second before answering ;
" If he didn't enter a hackers cheat code , and its possible IN the game, then it's not even an issue"
.
Buckle up ladies and gentleman, there's several whole generations out there who think "griefing" is just a term used by
dinosaurs.

 

[smiths121]

Obviously I do not know the context of the player scanning the OP. There are legit mechanical reasons outside of role-playing to repeatedly scan a player docked.

I would do it, and repeatedly in the following conditions - I would not consider myself a ganker - I would comms the player and let them know how they are helping me so they can avoid the interaction if they wish. MY goal would be to get rid of the smuggler.

1) I wished to increase the influence of the faction controlling the station - maybe I'm trying to match influence to start a conflict or some other BGS reason.
2) One or more minor factions in the system give out smuggling missions at the station.

I sna with enough time to pick up a mission. If the player went and came back (i.e. possible instance hopping) I would increase my rate. Ideally I want to scan for each new mission that adds illegal to maximise the infleunce change.
I believe there is a player minor faction around those parts.

My point is - it could be someone being annoying, roleplaying a cop or there could be a BGS reason for it. I personally would find someone leaving and coming back as they mode switch for missions pretty immersion breaking but I would use my observation and other players behaviour to maximise the influence change - looks like ganking in the OPs terms - fair game as far as I am converned. I certainly would not let the smuggler be, as the behaviour is likely to lead to negative influence For positive influence gain you actually want crap smugglers that get caught, for negative influence you need to let them be or murder them after they have dropped off any illegal cargo they are fulfilling there.

Cheers
Simon

 

[Goose4291]

Generally speaking, the few of us who play occasionally as Robigo Mines PD operate under one simple rule, which was to only scan players who were spawning on the pads (so mission hopping) and only then, scanning them once per appearance.

If someone flew into Robigo, docked and left in the same instance we mostly left them alone.

 

[snadge]

I never knew my parents, I was raised by my grandparents and on his deathbed my grandfather gave me a key and instructions on how to open a hidden area of one of the barns on their farm which I had never left in my 32 years of life.

Inside I found a diamondback scout and a dusty ledger which I read.

The contents shocked me, my mother and father had been abducted from the hospital in lave where I was born, hours after my birth, they were taken by the monster of laves' henchmen (walden) and used as clone templates, they died in agony due to genetic degredadation ( an unfortunate side effect of using the original to clone thousands of copies).

These clones were transported to Robigo to be transported around the galaxy like cattle to the highest bidder.

My life changed forever as I closed that ledger, I taught myself to fly the DBS and obtained my pilot fed license, I flew to Robigo and scan lawbreakers who still deal in this abhorrent business, looking for my parents clones, I inform the authorities when I get a positive hit but it is hard, these scumbags have exotic technology fitted where they can phase in and out of several dimensions maximising their profit in the trade of pain, I have to be quick, of course these lawbreakers are also cowards, none of them have the fortitude to actually engage me, they just phase shift into a parallel dimension leaving a sheen of salty tears.

 

[Tuub t Tute]

snip

Constructing an RP narrative to describe reasons for anti-social behaviour doesn't make it any less anti-social. Also, you gave yourself away by using the sodium chloride analogy.
You get a kick out of messing with other people in a computer game. Embrace it, don't hide yourself away behind a fake back story.

 

[Noob]

Oh now I know why you looked familiar...

 

[snadge]

Constructing an RP narrative to describe reasons for anti-social behaviour doesn't make it any less anti-social. Also, you gave yourself away by using the sodium chloride analogy.

You get a kick out of messing with other people in a computer game. Embrace it, don't hide yourself away behind a fake back story.

I have never scanned anyone at Robigo, I was making light of you, I gave you a solution to your problem but you are too much of a coward to enact it.

 

[Tuub t Tute]

I have never scanned anyone at Robigo, I was making light of you, I gave you a solution to your problem but you are too much of a coward to enact it.

Well sunshine. Can you find a post where I said I had been to Robigo, or was unhappy about being scanned in the hangar? No, you can't.
Nest time you want to engage in ad hominem, get the right person or your post comes across as very silly indeed.

 

[Weps]

I hate Robigo missions with a vengeance, but being able to scan a ship inside the hangar is just stupid. Fish for smugglers, yes, wait for them to pop-out their heads from the hangar, yes, wait for them at around the corner at the nearest star, yes, blockade the system, yes, fire first, yes... Find the station and scan fish in a barrel, NO!

Someone please start a bug report on this - I think this should be considered as such. In the same manner you cannot shoot a ship in the hangar, the ship should not be susceptible to a scan either.

 

[Sir.Tj]

No need for name calling folks.

 

[Jack Schitt]

There are quite a few cmdr's that are anti slavery, Robigo seems like the perfect place to target slave runners in Open.

Slaves? I thought I was shipping salves. Rare and expensive unguents for the decadent Imperial pharmaceutical market. I blame my damned dyslexia, the result of a substandard Federal education. Rest assured now I know the truth I feel absolutely mortified at what I've done, and it's only the comfort I derive from my huge fleet of spaceships and my millions of credits that helps me sleep at night.

I remember the word "gank" being used as far back as the early '90s, where it meant to snatch away or forcibly take without permission, so in my mind, it doesn't mean the same thing as griefing, even though it could be a form of griefing.

It might have had earlier definitions but as an online gaming term it began life as a shortened form of "gang kill", so the notion of labelling a solo individual's behaviour as "ganking" was a contradiction. But I guess the problem with language -- especially online -- is that people see a word in a particular context and slightly misinterpret it, use it incorrectly, then someone else sees it and misinterprets it again etc. More so with this particular word, if it was already in use as a synonym for robbery.

I've seen it used interchangeably with "griefer" countless times on this and other forums. I suspect the battle to maintain its uniqueness is lost.

 

[glynie]

Just stay in solo.

 

[Altair8800]

Constructing an RP narrative to describe reasons for anti-social behaviour doesn't make it any less anti-social. Also, you gave yourself away by using the sodium chloride analogy.
You get a kick out of messing with other people in a computer game. Embrace it, don't hide yourself away behind a fake back story.

The first problem is, that scanning another ship for whatever reasons suddently is called anti-social behaviour. That is the same nonsense than ramming is anti-social behaviour, or mind you even shooting at other ships. This are all game mechanics put into the game to be used. It is a sandbox and you can all the time use all this mechanics how you like, nothing wrong with it.

Funny it is only anti-social behaviour if players do these things, the NPCs are not accused for doing the same. Yeah, well
at least they won't scan you inside the hanger, but hey, that could be changed, problem solved [yesnod]

 

[777Driver]

Just stay in solo.

Yeah, but then they cant mode switch to maximise profits The whole situation in Robigo is bizarre, hence why I do find find it a little amusing when some people complain about cheating NPC's or alleged griefers, fact is we get a ridiculously easy ride when out there.

Anyway, the coding behind the shadow mission system is as simplistic as it get's, player scans should only fail a mission if an authority ship is within range and in an area where the cargo is illicit, or if at a station where the goods are illegal.

As it stands it is perfectly legal to have slaves/drug's/weapons onboard whilst at Robigo mines, the station is Anarchy & no cops patrol the area.

Also don't understand why we can't purchase dedicated smuggling bay's Han solo style, goods can only be detected by authorities or players with the correct scanning equipment, players can tell the difference between someone scanning out of curiosity or just for lolz, or someone who is dedicated to catching slavers/drug runners.

 

[Kazacy]

I asked my son, who's a gaming guru like only a 12 1/2 yr old can be, what his thoughts were..
He carefully mulled it over for about .00001 of a second before answering ;
" If he didn't enter a hackers cheat code , and its possible IN the game, then it's not even an issue"
.
Buckle up ladies and gentleman, there's several whole generations out there who think "griefing" is just a term used by
dinosaurs.

Your son.............. the online gaming is strong with him.