A small update on the status of the DDF from FD

[CMDR Hagglebeard]

Over the past few days, I've been looking through the DDF, and it's amazing what the team has done so far. I love reading all the intelligent discussion, but as some may know, I'm a pirate, and so I constantly look over this thread.

The ideas are all great, but the absolute best is the declaration of piracy. I'm no developer and I can't estimate how long it would take, but I can imagine you would have to do the following:

- Create a GUI in which you can demand X amount of Y cargo, X amount of Z cargo, etc.
- Have the AI take into account your combat rating versus their own, your ship versus their own, and the local security level
- Have the AI deliver a string of text to local chat or directly to you which can either fool you enough to give them time to escape, or blatantly declare their intention to submit or escape
- Create a new form of bounty for piracy, with it's own credit amount varying from government to government, with a certain amount of rep loss.

And while you're at it, you might want to improve the current bounty amounts. Just a suggestion that I might pop in:

Murder bounty varies depending on Elite rank as well as government type. So, you murder a Type 6 in Lave. The standard murder bounty for Lave is 5,000 credits. Now we factor in your combat rank. (These aren't completely concrete and obviously aren't testable, just food for thought I guess)

- Harmless: 0.50x bounty = 2,500 credit bounty
- Mostly Harmless: 0.75x bounty = 3,750 credit bounty
- Novice = 1.00x bounty = 5,000 credit bounty
- Competent = 1.25x bounty = 6,250 credit bounty
- Expert = 1.75x bounty = 8,750 credit bounty
- Master = 2.25x bounty = 11,250 credit bounty
- Dangerous = 3.00x bounty = 15,000 credit bounty
- Deadly = 4.00x bounty = 20,000 credit bounty
- Elite = 8.00x bounty = 40,000 credit bounty

I tried to scale the bounty factors by the amount of time it takes to get from each rank to the next. it's easy to get from harmless to Mostly Harmless, so the bounty doesn't skyrocket. However, the progression from Harmless to Deadly is about the same as from Deadly to Elite, so the bounty on Elite is double that of Deadly. Obviously these bounties would be higher in tight-security systems, such as Aulin, where a dead police craft is an 8,930 credit bounty - or a 71,440 credit bounty on an Elite pilot. After all, you need to provide a good reason to try and face the best of the best, no?

So all in all, it's going to take a long time to get this done - this is a full day's work, if not more, I would think. however, if this can get implemented, not only do I think piracy will be a bit more popular with newer players unfamiliar with all of it's advanced procedures, but it will become much more fun for experienced players, and allow us to make more money using higher-end ships, as we will be able to get large amounts (50+) of cargo in a neat, orderly bunch.

Any criticisms? Also, FD, do you read these? I know it's a tough job to sort through all of the whining, and besides, Dangerous Discussion needs tending to, but I would like a little bit of confirmation that my posts are being read by the developers. From what I've seen in-game, they certainly are, but I've spent hours over the past few days thinking of ideas, so a bit more boost would be nice.

 

[Lestat]

I would say scale the bounty a little higher. At least 100k for Elite

 

[El Dragoon!]

Over the past few days, I've been looking through the DDF, and it's amazing what the team has done so far. I love reading all the intelligent discussion, but as some may know, I'm a pirate, and so I constantly look over this thread.

The ideas are all great, but the absolute best is the declaration of piracy. I'm no developer and I can't estimate how long it would take, but I can imagine you would have to do the following:

- Create a GUI in which you can demand X amount of Y cargo, X amount of Z cargo, etc.
- Have the AI take into account your combat rating versus their own, your ship versus their own, and the local security level
- Have the AI deliver a string of text to local chat or directly to you which can either fool you enough to give them time to escape, or blatantly declare their intention to submit or escape
- Create a new form of bounty for piracy, with it's own credit amount varying from government to government, with a certain amount of rep loss.

And while you're at it, you might want to improve the current bounty amounts. Just a suggestion that I might pop in:

Murder bounty varies depending on Elite rank as well as government type. So, you murder a Type 6 in Lave. The standard murder bounty for Lave is 5,000 credits. Now we factor in your combat rank. (These aren't completely concrete and obviously aren't testable, just food for thought I guess)

- Harmless: 0.50x bounty = 2,500 credit bounty
- Mostly Harmless: 0.75x bounty = 3,750 credit bounty
- Novice = 1.00x bounty = 5,000 credit bounty
- Competent = 1.25x bounty = 6,250 credit bounty
- Expert = 1.75x bounty = 8,750 credit bounty
- Master = 2.25x bounty = 11,250 credit bounty
- Dangerous = 3.00x bounty = 15,000 credit bounty
- Deadly = 4.00x bounty = 20,000 credit bounty
- Elite = 8.00x bounty = 40,000 credit bounty

I tried to scale the bounty factors by the amount of time it takes to get from each rank to the next. it's easy to get from harmless to Mostly Harmless, so the bounty doesn't skyrocket. However, the progression from Harmless to Deadly is about the same as from Deadly to Elite, so the bounty on Elite is double that of Deadly. Obviously these bounties would be higher in tight-security systems, such as Aulin, where a dead police craft is an 8,930 credit bounty - or a 71,440 credit bounty on an Elite pilot. After all, you need to provide a good reason to try and face the best of the best, no?

So all in all, it's going to take a long time to get this done - this is a full day's work, if not more, I would think. however, if this can get implemented, not only do I think piracy will be a bit more popular with newer players unfamiliar with all of it's advanced procedures, but it will become much more fun for experienced players, and allow us to make more money using higher-end ships, as we will be able to get large amounts (50+) of cargo in a neat, orderly bunch.

Any criticisms? Also, FD, do you read these? I know it's a tough job to sort through all of the whining, and besides, Dangerous Discussion needs tending to, but I would like a little bit of confirmation that my posts are being read by the developers. From what I've seen in-game, they certainly are, but I've spent hours over the past few days thinking of ideas, so a bit more boost would be nice.

good ideas,i would like to see them, doubt they will even be looked at tho

 

[CMDR Hagglebeard]

I would say scale the bounty a little higher. At least 100k for Elite

I honestly would too, but do remember, FD is scared that gold-farming and bounty-selling will become a thing. I don't know much, but I do think I heard that criminal groups can launder money through a game which could end up with the game being shut down.

- - - - - Additional Content Posted / Auto Merge - - - - -

good ideas,i would like to see them, doubt they will even be looked at tho

No, I think they will. The DDF is very important to FD, I think. They're very ambitious, and I do believe it will be coming.

Soon™.

 

[mossfoot]

Any kind of easy UI means to communicate with CMDRs and NPCs alike would be great. Not everyone has the time to type out what they want (and in a crisis situation every second counts). And a lot of your ideas could apply to other classes as well with some modifications.

 

[Lestat]

Ya I was part of the DDF. If they decide on bounty selling. I hope they would cut the cost for the buyer.

 

[aspiringexpatriate]

The problem with bounty scaling like this is that minor faction issued bounties max out at 1 million credits. That change came in with v1.3.

I'm also not sure that punishment should be impacted by your combat rating. Maybe by your past history or your level of reputation with the minor faction, but by combat ranking? It doesn't make sense unless you're speaking as a bounty hunter. In which case go back to your magically spawning RXS-credit farm.

 

[CMDR Hagglebeard]

The problem with bounty scaling like this is that minor faction issued bounties max out at 1 million credits. That change came in with v1.3.

I'm also not sure that punishment should be impacted by your combat rating. Maybe by your past history or your level of reputation with the minor faction, but by combat ranking? It doesn't make sense unless you're speaking as a bounty hunter. In which case go back to your magically spawning RXS-credit farm.

Well, combat ranking is important IMO because it allows you to judge the threat of the enemy. If you put a 50,000 credit bounty on a harmless guy, everyone would dogpile on it, but if you put that on an Elite, no one would touch it.

I think reputation is another topic, as currently it's too hard to get on someone's bad side. I'm a pirate, and my last save had me friendly and allied with the supewrpowers constantly. May I ask, how? I think all crimes should be taken far more seriously by the factions.

 

[aspiringexpatriate]

Well, combat ranking is important IMO because it allows you to judge the threat of the enemy. If you put a 50,000 credit bounty on a harmless guy, everyone would dogpile on it, but if you put that on an Elite, no one would touch it.

I think reputation is another topic, as currently it's too hard to get on someone's bad side. I'm a pirate, and my last save had me friendly and allied with the supewrpowers constantly. May I ask, how? I think all crimes should be taken far more seriously by the factions.

I'm pretty sure higher ranked NPCs do have higher bounties, even if they're in Eagles.

Not every faction frowns on piracy, especially if it's not against their vessels. Hell, half of the missions are piracy missions. There's plenty of opportunity for unfriendliness, and massive benefits to good pirates if you present your tale correctly. (The right missions for the right faction. Selling goods at the right station. Not getting caught smuggling.)

 

[CMDR Hagglebeard]

I'm pretty sure higher ranked NPCs do have higher bounties, even if they're in Eagles.

Not every faction frowns on piracy, especially if it's not against their vessels. Hell, half of the missions are piracy missions. There's plenty of opportunity for unfriendliness, and massive benefits to good pirates if you present your tale correctly. (The right missions for the right faction. Selling goods at the right station. Not getting caught smuggling.)

Sorry, I didn't specify. I murder a lot. I murder just about every target I pirate, as long as it isn't human.