Open Play griefers

[Bantha]

For the last two years, since Gamma, I have played exclusively in Open Play, but with a heavy heart I have now decided to switch to Solo. Playing in Open doesn't bring me anything but trouble anymore. It doesn't add anything to my enjoyment, and unfortunately a lot of players I see now who are still left playing the game are just griefers.

I am constantly being interdicted by Commanders with the sole intention of destroying my ship, and for no other reason than just to destroy it. No chit chat, no piracy, just open fire, death! I'm not even carrying any cargo most of the time. Piracy I get, indeed I enjoy a human pirate trying to steal my wares. This is a fun and legitimate part of the game. But griefers are no fun - it takes hours to recover from it, and is simply not a good use of my limited game time.

I am wondering whether other Commanders have noticed a trend in increasing griefers?

It is a real shame to go from Open to Solo. The more people who play Solo it makes the game poorer for everyone, but until something is done to stop the increase in griefing, I am afraid I have little choice. My game time is limited, and I am no longer prepared to spend it recovering from some tool destroying my ship for no reason.

It's a sad day...

 

[space pilot]

I've thought about what could fix this issue, and trying to make people good is a fool's errand.

What just came to me is NPC bounty hunter "gank squads" who pop in with say, four corvettes, mass lock, and attack wanted players/NPCs under special circumstances. Serious troublemakers, like.

 

[AutoMechancal]

I've thought about what could fix this issue, and trying to make people good is a fool's errand.

What just came to me is NPC bounty hunter "gank squads" who pop in with say, four corvettes, mass lock, and attack wanted players/NPCs under special circumstances. Serious troublemakers, like.

I can kill four vette NPCs like nothing in my clipper if need be. This wouldn't solve anything as PvP ships are so overpowered with engineer mods compared to vanilla ships. If you are unaware NPCs do not use mods.

 

[Gunnet]

How about a middle ground? Come over to Mobius (or one of the smaller PvE groups) and have all the positive player interaction without any of the brats.

 

[space pilot]

I can kill four vette NPCs like nothing in my clipper if need be. This wouldn't solve anything as PvP ships are so overpowered with engineer mods compared to vanilla ships. If you are unaware NPCs do not use mods.

I thought I'd heard they did, but I suppose they should. There's no good reason they couldn't.

 

[ethelred]

Good luck in solo, friend.

I will keep the dream alive in Open, always.*















*except vs pad blockers obvs

 

[S~P]

It's a trend that's been around since engineers, most of them are out to try out their new toys at your expense. But they are predictable, just avoid hot spots i.e engineers, founders world, CGs etc. You can always exit to menu when they attack you, it's a legitimate means to avoid griefers.

 

[fennster]

I can kill four vette NPCs like nothing in my clipper if need be. This wouldn't solve anything as PvP ships are so overpowered with engineer mods compared to vanilla ships. If you are unaware NPCs do not use mods.

Higher ranked NPCs do use mods, including offensive.

 

[Morbad]

I am wondering whether other Commanders have noticed a trend in increasing griefers?

Not really.

 

[AutoMechancal]

I thought I'd heard they did, but I suppose they should. There's no good reason they couldn't.

It broke their weapon tables so we had plasma multicannon and other silly stuff, also many lesser skilled players complained a lot about the difficulty curve. Basically the people being ganked nerfed the only deterrent because it made the game to hard for them.

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Higher ranked NPCs do use mods, including offensive.

I can tell you for a fact they do not.

 

[Macy]

I use Mobius mostly now. It is a shame because i enjoyed it when real Human pirates interacted with me. I see plenty of other players in Mobius especially at CG's or interesting sites. I'm not a care bear, I'm not scared of a fight, but i can't be bothered with gangs of thugs that just want to ruin other people's day.

 

[stormyuk]

For the last two years, since Gamma, I have played exclusively in Open Play, but with a heavy heart I have now decided to switch to Solo. Playing in Open doesn't bring me anything but trouble anymore. It doesn't add anything to my enjoyment, and unfortunately a lot of players I see now who are still left playing the game are just griefers.

Apparently the advice of the day is "git gud" or yeh go Solo. Sad state of affairs imo but it is unlikely to change anytime soon it seems.

 

[Riverside]

I've been out on a grand tour of the galaxy for the past few months & needless to say have no reason not to continue in open out here, but when I eventually return to 'civilisation' I'll face this dilemma too.

I'm a member of the Mobius group but have rarely used it. Are there other loose groups of a similar vein (with or without the PvE rule) that could offer an alternative to Open?

 

[Arindor]

When I played in open, the most I experienced were people breaking immersion by asking for consensual PvP and hardly any role-playing. Added to that was my poor internet connection, lag, and long transition times (etc.). Solo, I found, was the place to be if I wanted to enjoy ED as I enjoyed Elite way back in the 80s. IMO, FD have miscalculated ED as an online game big time. If anything, ED should be a co-op MMO, not a pew pew pew one.

 

[fennster]

I can tell you for a fact they do not.

I'm just repeating what support said....

"Deadly and Elite NPCs can have modified equipment outside of combat zones, and modifications on these ships are not limited to passive modules.

Elite NPCs will have more modified equipment then Deadly.

Being Deadly yourself you will be interdicted by Deadly and Elite NPCs often so have a high chance of facing off against engineered NPCs.

Best regards,

CMDR Ares
Customer Support Wing"

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showt...ssues-Result?p=5220036&viewfull=1#post5220036

 

[space pilot]

It broke their weapon tables so we had plasma multicannon and other silly stuff, also many lesser skilled players complained a lot about the difficulty curve. Basically the people being ganked nerfed the only deterrent because it made the game to hard for them.

That's unfortunate.

 

[AutoMechancal]

IMO, FD have miscalculated ED as an online game big time. If anything, ED should be a co-op MMO, not a pew pew pew one.

Not really it's just a vocal minority here on the fourms that after 2 years still can't handle that they may be exploded by other plays in a multiplayer game. Not sure why they struggle with this concept but I do enjoy their reactions to my own.

- - - Updated - - -

That's unfortunate.

It is because I really liked the challenges they gave. Now NPC combat is boring and skill less grind.

 

[Stealthie]

I can kill four vette NPCs like nothing in my clipper if need be. This wouldn't solve anything as PvP ships are so overpowered with engineer mods compared to vanilla ships. If you are unaware NPCs do not use mods.

See, I don't really see the problem there.

The issue is that griefers harass player who aren't interested in PvP.
If they're kept busy fighting with NPC police ships, so what?
The griefers get something to keep them occupied and the other players aren't forced to become an object for their amusement.
Win/win.

And, of course, if FDev ever got the incentive to create a way for the game to detect griefers and send a hit-squad of ships after them, I'm sure they'd also be able to "adjust" the ships' effectiveness specifically for that task.

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Sadly, nearly all CGs are overrun with murderers these days.
I play at fairly "off peak" times, weekdays during the day. It can be very quiet, unless i go to a CG in Open.
Then there's always someone trying to ruin it, somehow. Luckily I'm a master as escape or avoidance.

I hate to imagine how they are at peak times!

That said, I've only died to a PvP attack once in 18ish months, and I've never been attacked outside of a CG or newbie system.

Still, C&P needs a good kick to become effective, but without harming legitimate gameplay, like PowerPlay and whatnot.

 

[DragonIV]

Seen the same thing. I don't see human pilots much at all, but in the first year and even up through Powerplay, all my interdictions but one were pirates, which was cool. The one who attacked me from silent running with no comms I dispatched with a bit o' ramming.

Since then, I've seen a number of idiots who will start shadowing you and text all sorts of pleasant things. I simply drop to Mobius rather than even let them start on an interdiction, because in every case I'm usually flying a non-combat ship and they're flying an uber-player-killer platform. I've seen exactly 0 pirates. And that's unfortunate.