The way I saw it :
- Pre-Release Beta
Players note that Crime carries no punishment nor deterrent whatsoever, advise that this will become a severe issue if not addressed.
FDev : No Comment, No Action
- Pre-Release Gamma
Players note again that Crime carries no punishment nor deterrent, advise that time is running up fast. If unfixed before Release, this will become a severe issue.
Alternatively, some protection area around the Starter Region is strongly recommended to be implemented to afford at least brand new starters some level of safety.
FDev : No Comment, No Action
- Release V1.0
No C&P System is in place.
(notable odd exception : Smuggling. Getting caught smuggling carried instant death penalty and (for its time) extreme Credit amounts going into the Millions, making it the only capital crime in existence. A Murder Crime? A harmless fixed 6400cr total, which could be paid off at anytime, anywhere, regardless of criminal Status. Anyone could go on a killing spree, pay those few Credits and be clean like a Saint in a heartbeat. Or Suicidewinder of course.)
- V1.1
As predicted, crime is already beginning to explode. The old worlds are found infested with Criminals. The now-infamous Lave Cluster has become a System-wide Anarchy Conflict Zone.
The new Community Goals are increasingly found overrun with Criminals, becoming temporary Anarchy Hotspots.
Even Pirates and Pirate Groups are beginning to fight against Gankers, as they undermine their operations and cause Traders to become increasingly uncooperative to any Interdiction attempts.
After hundreds of complaints and increasing public pressure, around March 2015 the Lead Designer is forced to publicly address the issue for the first time :
"It was a Design Decision"
However, instead of recognizing the capital mistake, no further comment is given. No changes planned. Be it incompetence, a false sense of personal pride or ego - or any combination. But at least it's official now.
On this day, the term ELITE : Toxic was born, denouncing Open Play for the increasingly toxic and hostile Gameplay it offers. DAY-Z in space.
The game's on-paper C&P System is publicly exposed for the pathetic fake it was (now officially) designed to be. It's a total design failure, an absolute beginner-level mistake for any MMO Game.
- V1.2 through V2.3
Open Play increasingly attracts Gankers and Griefers like light attracts moths, over time increasingly discrediting legit PvP Players and Groups, as well as undermining legitimate Piracy.
Ever since it was officially acknowledged that the "Game is designed to protect Criminals and permit limitless Ganking/Griefing", the seeds for the presence of better-organized Groups flourished.
In combination with an openly demonstrated inability and/or unwillingness to deal with Cheaters/Hackers, the floodgates were open for the Player archetypes long banned from other MultiPlayer Games.
Even repeated and public clear TOS violations went unsanctioned, with only isolated extreme events (sniping of Cancer Charity livestream) creating a massive backlash against FDev - eventually forcing their hands.
Notably, the biggest Ganker Groups gain VIP Status with FDev "Triple-ELITE", further manifesting that their presence is not only tolerated but highly welcome, adding highly volatile fuel to the fire.
- V2.1 RNGineers
Creating the single most unbalanced power Creep in ELITE's history, it's a Ganker's/Griefer's wildest Dreams come true.
As a Result, the already existing severe C&P issues are multiplied. Ganking and Griefing has never been easier and faster.
Almost all related Beta-Test results (some of which were downright ludicrous, highlighting some massively OP blueprints and Special Effects) are entirely ignored.
After several months, even Ganker Groups openly demonstrate against some insane still-unfixed Weapon special effects.
As a result, even Stations - at the time by far the most heavily Weaponized assets in the entire Galaxy - had to receive not one but two massive buffs... While entirely forgetting System Authority and Defense Forces suffering from the same problem.
Some Weapons and their Special Effects are eventually downright ousted by the Community, causing anyone to utilize them in Combat to instantly end up on public KOS lists.
- V2.4
Open Play participation continually declining, Mobius PvE Group repeatedly bursting game limitations and general attitude towards Open Play being now negative by the majority of total Players.
The majority of Players is now found in other modes.
FDev after years of passiveness and having a new Executive Producer takes baby-steps to correct one of the most damaging and toxic design flaws of ELITE Dangerous.
Small C&P amendments are made, but quickly proven way too little and way too late. However, the key takeaway is that the problem is publicly acknowledged for the first time. A huge step forward.
- V3.0
With all trends unbroken, a newly designed C&P System is presented - and instantly proven utterly awkward, inconsistent, unreliable and ineffective.
It is implemented despite all valid critique, naturally applauded by most experienced Gankers - fully knowing it's a swiss cheese with plenty of loopholes by virtue of its deep and illogical design flaws.
On top, more Ganker toys are implemented, nicely supplementing the existing huge arsenal of unbalanced and power-creep Weapons.
By now, the term "Balancing" has virtually ceased to be used - since simply none exists. At least not in Open Play. That wrecked condition becomes the unique second nature of Open Play.
===============================================
As it stands now, many years after release :
- there's absolutely no risk for Criminals/Gankers/Griefers for as long as they at least have a little clue what they're doing
- Piracy has become a tiny RP niche and effectively ceased being a profession
- many previous Credit Exploits have rendered the purely Credit-based Punishment fundamentally irrelevant anyway
- the biggest punishment? It hits the clean/unprepared guys the hardest
- no improvement or fix is in sight, as FDev - reasons unknown, discussed ad infinitum in the past - doesn't seem to comprehend the magnitude and how much damage has already been done
Hate to say that.... But all it'd take would be :
1) Common Sense
2) someone with in-game experience
Difficult times though, with only a skeleton team remaining and Resources for Development being minimal at best.
Fixing C&P and Engineers together, revamping and entirely redesigning System Security, Permit Systems and its effects... By now that's no small feat anymore. IMHO there's no Quckfix for that, it's too late.
I'd say biting the sour apple and splitting up into two official Modes (Open PvP, Open PvE) by now would be - by far - the easiest way. I'd know of no cheaper solution than this.
Still, despite all its issues, Open Play with its C&P issues has earned its unique reputation and holds that as a quality of its own. It just isn't for everybody and rather extreme at times - which is kind of a problem and unfortunate.
