Ok, I've been playing 'Dangerous for about a week now (yes, just one week!). So far, so good 
I understand that the insurance system works a bit like a save file, with a penalty. But I think it could be more sophisticated than that.
What seems odd (to me) is that the insurance sum is fixed at 5% no matter how I choose to play the game. Whether I'm a cautious trader or a gung-ho bounty hunter, I still pay the same 5%. This seems like a missed opportunity.
For instance: how about a system whereby the insurance % is linked to each individual player's behaviour. This needn't be complicated - simply staying alive would see the % decrease slowly over time; hence the more cautious and 'streetwise' you are, or the more skilled in combat, the less insurance you'll eventually pay. If you live long enough...
Conversely, racking up unpaid fines and bounties might see your insurance fee fixed at the upper 5% for longer periods (I wouldn't want to see the % increase beyond 5% as this would potentially nerf much of the fun to be had from the more risky career choices).
The % would reset back to the standard 5% each time your ship gets destroyed.
I think this could potentially help to strike a balance between those players who like to avoid combat and play cautiously (rewarding risk avoidance with lower insurance premiums), and those who like to run with their hard-points deployed 24/7 (recognizing that combat is a risky career).
It's not rocket science. This is how insurance works in meatspace. And I think it could be applied in a positive way to Elite Dangerous too.
Just an idea
I understand that the insurance system works a bit like a save file, with a penalty. But I think it could be more sophisticated than that.
What seems odd (to me) is that the insurance sum is fixed at 5% no matter how I choose to play the game. Whether I'm a cautious trader or a gung-ho bounty hunter, I still pay the same 5%. This seems like a missed opportunity.
For instance: how about a system whereby the insurance % is linked to each individual player's behaviour. This needn't be complicated - simply staying alive would see the % decrease slowly over time; hence the more cautious and 'streetwise' you are, or the more skilled in combat, the less insurance you'll eventually pay. If you live long enough...
Conversely, racking up unpaid fines and bounties might see your insurance fee fixed at the upper 5% for longer periods (I wouldn't want to see the % increase beyond 5% as this would potentially nerf much of the fun to be had from the more risky career choices).
The % would reset back to the standard 5% each time your ship gets destroyed.
I think this could potentially help to strike a balance between those players who like to avoid combat and play cautiously (rewarding risk avoidance with lower insurance premiums), and those who like to run with their hard-points deployed 24/7 (recognizing that combat is a risky career).
It's not rocket science. This is how insurance works in meatspace. And I think it could be applied in a positive way to Elite Dangerous too.
Just an idea