I'm concerned – the direction of the game.

[Yaffle]

So if I have my transponder on only other people with their transponder on can immediately know I am a human player without a scan? Or can anyone with their transponder off know I am a human too?

edit: And whats to stop people using this as an in game advantage?

Just other transponder users:

Players who purport to want to have social/game play interaction will turn their transponder on. This doesn't paint a target on them, because only fellow transponder users will see them as human, and they will be visible as human in return.

Players that want to keep the mystery keep their transponder off. They will never know who's real beyond what they can discern from ship actions.

 

[Frobitz]

I think that is a sound proposal; however, how would a player then be displayed when targetted? Would all NPCs get the CMDR prefix then? Or only players you have identified (mutually) with the transponder?

And last but not least: What about players whose CMDR names are already known, through forum signatures, the current Alpha testing etc.? There is even a thread where people announced their CMDR names so that they can easily linked to forum accounts (I approve of this btw and participated). Those players would already be known, and have no way to "blend into the mass" any more.

I suspect once the game is fully released the small pool of 'us' will be lost in the ocean of players flooding in, so it'd be pretty rare to come across someone you remember the commander name of from this forum and the Alpha unless you're grouping intentionally.

 

[Cosmos]

Another thought.. would someone who was a criminal have their transponder automatically turned on?

 

[Crash_Happy]

I just want to say. Sandro.
That is all.

 

[Patrick_68000]

Anyway as said Sandro, the actions of spaceships should already allow to suspect a human activity. NPC will never be as intelligent

 

[Yaffle]

I suspect once the game is fully released the small pool of 'us' will be lost in the ocean of players flooding in, so it'd be pretty rare to come across someone you remember the commander name of from this forum and the Alpha unless you're grouping intentionally.

Personally I have no issue with being recognised in game, for me it's no different from being recognised in the street by someone. If I have caused offence here and the person recognising me wants a piece of me, well I should have been more polite.

Moreover if you spawn and there are ten contacts you'll need to target each one to see commander names. At Zelada I see a few PC ships, but don't bother to target them (too busy resending docking requests or fumbling about) so I have no idea who they are.

 

[Erimus Kamzel]

The win for me though is the fact that both sets of people are in the same space.

Sorry for cherry-picking a single line from your post, but its a line that perfectly sums this up for me (and I hope others). Transponders on or off doesn't make players physically vanish (like the *cough* groups mechanic *cough* - sorry couldn't resist ). Those players are still there, you just need to look a little closer.

Like I've mentioned, it adds tension to the most mundane of journeys - not knowing who or what you will encounter along the way. That's an important point I think some may have overlooked.

 

[AngryBob]

Thanks for the clarification Sandro, very interesting!

I know when we scan a ship we can see any bounty that's currently on the pilot. Will we also see the pilot's combat rating? If so, does that mean NPC ships will have combat ratings?

 

[Allen Stroud]

I think most people had their say when this was debated first time around.

I made my points then as did many other excellent people. I am not going to go back over them as I'm sure the design team have taken the views into account and will make the best decision they can. Whether that's in agreement with my views or not, doesn't matter so much in that I was listened to, the options discussed and intelligent people can make intelligent decisions.

I would suggest resurrecting the discussion doesn't necessarily mean all views will be explored or represented. Being heard does also not mean being agreed with. I was happy to state the case and respect whatever decision is made.

 

[Tinman]

Thanks Sandro for stopping by!

So you typed that up while having a "quick break" at this time in the evening, eh? Sleepover in the office is it!?

You guys certainly earn that pizza tomorrow!

 

[Frobitz]

Another thought.. would someone who was a criminal have their transponder automatically turned on?

Interesting question. If they didn't it'd be a nasty surprise to a bounty hunter thinking they were picking on an AI. But in my opinion I think them's the breaks for that profession.

If I was a criminal, I might turn on my transponder to try and frighten other players from attacking me, or I might leave it off to lure them in, depending on how I assessed the threat they posed to my ship.

Showing you're a player might intimidate a non-pvp style player with an otherwise Iron-ass ship who'd attack if they thought you were an NPC.

Makes for some fascinating strategies!

 

[Robert Maynard]

Another thought.. would someone who was a criminal have their transponder automatically turned on?

Why? The bounty should hopefully show up during a scan. No in-game reason to know whether the pilot is human or not.

 

[Cosmos]

Interesting question. If they didn't it'd be a nasty surprise to a bounty hunter thinking they were picking on an AI. But in my opinion I think them's the breaks for that profession.

If I was a criminal, I might turn on my transponder to try and frighten other players from attacking me, or I might leave it off to lure them in, depending on how I assessed the threat they posed to my ship.

Showing you're a player might intimidate a non-pvp style player with an otherwise Iron-ass ship who'd attack if they thought you were an NPC.

Makes for some fascinating strategies!

I was thinking for bounty hunting purposes. It was previously stated that criminal behaviour would result in people being put in the all-group but if they were otherwise hidden then what would be the point?

 

[Robert Maynard]

I was thinking for bounty hunting purposes. It was previously stated that criminal behaviour would result in people putting people in the all-group but if they were otherwise hidden then what would be the point?

The ship would not be hidden. The pilot would appear to be an NPC.

 

[deusx_ophc]

+1 sandro for stepping in and adding clarification looking already forward to the point when /group and /transponder will be added to beta!

off to get some drinks and have a final go at alpha 1.0. i think i am finallly seeting up trackIR now, too

btw you call that "typed up during a quick break..." *cough cough*

 

[Frobitz]

I was thinking for bounty hunting purposes. It was previously stated that criminal behaviour would result in people putting people in the all-group but if they were otherwise hidden then what would be the point?

Dunno. I think this stuff is clearly in a state of flux design-wise so we can't be sure what will pan out.

I do hope whatever systems are put in place are trialled in the Beta though.

 

[Cosmos]

The ship would not be hidden. The pilot would appear to be an NPC.

So the mechanic of moving people in to the all-group seems a bit redundant now..

 

[Patrick_68000]

Another thought.. would someone who was a criminal have their transponder automatically turned on?

Of course, a real criminal fears nothing

 

[Robert Maynard]

So the mechanic of moving people in to the all-group seems a bit redundant now..

Not exactly - a ship that has been involved in criminal activity is moved to the All Group. Bounty Hunters in the All Group (PC and NPC) can attempt to cash in on the bounty. Whether the ship has a PC or NPC pilot is, at this point, irrelevant.

 

[JeffRyan]

Having read Sandro's thread and the stance they do seem to be going in, this sorta backs up what I said earlier about yes... there will be players completely hidden.

My main concern now as someone who doesn't really favour PvP but was keen to have us all in the same boat is that NOW with the transponder thingy more or less confirmed, it will be favoured particularly by the PvP group.

Non PvPers like myself will (ironically considering my arguments) probably keep it off because the likelihood that any player that has it on will be seeking PvP (it might not start that way, but that will be the way it goes eventually).

So... whilst I'm grateful Sandro stepped in with an excellent post, it sort of confirms my worst fears.