Bounties

[Jackie Silver]

What level of bounty would people consider a reasonable threshold before the commander with the bounty becomes a valid target for attack?

I ask because it's easy to pick up small fines here and there through accident, or while defending oneself, or otherwise.
(As an example, I was interdicted by an NPC earlier who demanded my cargo - so I gave 'em a faceful of multicannon slugs and was promptly charged with assault and murder...)

So I've been flying around looking for players with bounties - I've seen quite a few people blithely going about their business with low bounties. (i.e. I waited outside a station on patrol, saw more than one ship leave, go and do whatever trading they were up to, I saw them again coming back and they still had the same bounty...) I always clear bounties ASAP. Anyway... so I could go zapping Sidewinders for 400 credits or whatever, but it wouldn't exactly be just when I know that level of fine can be picked up accidentally.

I destroyed a Cobra earlier with a 5k bounty, and then I started worrying whether I'd done the right thing. I reckoned you don't accidentally get a 5k bounty, and if you do you should bloody well get rid of it, and even if you don't get rid of it you should fly carefully knowing there's a price on your head.

Was that a fair call? :S

 

[SeraphymC]

What level of bounty would people consider a reasonable threshold before the commander with the bounty becomes a valid target for attack?

I ask because it's easy to pick up small fines here and there through accident, or while defending oneself, or otherwise.
(As an example, I was interdicted by an NPC earlier who demanded my cargo - so I gave 'em a faceful of multicannon slugs and was promptly charged with assault and murder...)

So you got charged for killing that guy? Weird... I did the same thing and they paid me for my trouble.

 

[Robert Maynard]

What level of bounty would people consider a reasonable threshold before the commander with the bounty becomes a valid target for attack?

I ask because it's easy to pick up small fines here and there through accident, or while defending oneself, or otherwise.
(As an example, I was interdicted by an NPC earlier who demanded my cargo - so I gave 'em a faceful of multicannon slugs and was promptly charged with assault and murder...)

So you got charged for killing that guy? Weird... I did the same thing and they paid me for my trouble.

If the interdictor has no bounty then it depends on who fires the first shot that hits the target - you cannot simply open fire on a "clean" ship without incurring a bounty yourself (although, interdiction should be an offence that incurs a bounty, in my opinion).

 

[Fenris Wolf]

20c

 

[insanephoton]

It's down to the individual what their threshold level is, but flying around with a 5k bounty is asking for trouble. It's kind of just in the sweet spot that even non combat orientated pilots might think it's worth the risk. It's the kind of thing, if you saw someone with a 100k bounty, you'd assume that they've got a bit of skill and might be too dangerous to take on but 5k says nothing.

As far as lore and in game law are concerned, even a 50Cr bounty is a legitimate target. So if they've docked and left the station and still have a bounty, you'd be well within your rights.

The biggest bounty that I've picked up accidently is 550 Cr. So maybe a reasonable threshold would be 1k.

 

[zenoic]

If the interdictor has no bounty then it depends on who fires the first shot that hits the target - you cannot simply open fire on a "clean" ship without incurring a bounty yourself (although, interdiction should be an offence that incurs a bounty, in my opinion).

This happened to me, I guess it was a pirate who cleared his bounty and then came back to find some more loot. I now wait until they have landed their first shot, then retaliate. Might be a good ploy when playing a pirate, jump someone, demand the loot but don't open fire, if they shoot first then you don't get the bounty for assault on your head.

 

[insanephoton]

If the interdictor has no bounty then it depends on who fires the first shot that hits the target - you cannot simply open fire on a "clean" ship without incurring a bounty yourself (although, interdiction should be an offence that incurs a bounty, in my opinion).

That should be fixed some time, maybe even in the next build. Interdiction by it's nature is a hostile act.

 

[Mobius]

once you have any bounty your fair game, to get a bounty you must have done seriously wrong in the first place.

 

[Commander Edison]

once you have any bounty your fair game, to get a bounty you must have done seriously wrong in the first place.

I dunno, I seem to remember picking up an assault bounty of a couple of hundred for a friendly fire incident in a ln extraction zone.

Dependent on circumstances, I'll have a pop at people carrying 500c plus around on their head. One of these days I'm going to get the drop on a certain Eagle pilot who had 20k plus outstanding the last time I saw him.

But I can't say I have a problem with others taking a zero tolerance approach.

 

[Hamerstein]

It might depend what weapons I'm toting.

If I have cannons, it may cost me more to attack a fugitive than I'll garner from the bounty, so that would be the defining point for engagement. Likewise, I'd have to bear in mind how difficult the encounter would be against the reward, there is little mileage in losing half your hull to kill a 100cr bounty. Bounty is not necessarily a reflection of player skill - it's fairly easy to pick up minor bounties and a normally clean hot-shot pilot would prove a real handful.

 

[metatheurgist]

1CR. A bounty is a bounty. It'll be measured against the effort required to claim that bounty of course. Criminals should not expect mercy, to throw a oft used argument: "It's not Elite: Safe"

 

[OldSalt]

I tend not to bother with anything under 200c unless I am getting shot at.

 

[wstephenson]

1000Cr, since anything below that could be picked up accidentally or by smuggling, and killing them would feel like bottom-feeding.

Although I did notice a sidewinder with a 200Cr bounty on him outside of the station as I undocked, and thought "I'll keep my eye on him", then watched another, Clean, CMDR in a Cobra exit the station before me, immediately attack the Wanted sidewinder for his bounty, forgetting to leave the no-fire zone before he started shooting and attracting a bounty himself, so I lit up the dangerous risk to traffic (after leaving the zone myself, mind) so the young delinquent could get away .

 

[Robert Maynard]

I would prefer to see the "Fine" mechanic put in place for civil infractions. Any criminal infractions would, necessarily and correctly, incur a bounty on the commander - and, of course, bountied commanders are fair game for anyone (not just predominant-role Bounty Hunters)....

 

[Steve_T]

If anyone has a bounty and if you think you're good enough, then I say go for it.

I've occasionally had a bounty for friendly fire. As I'm not that great a pilot and don't want to be hampered by other pilots trying to claim that bounty, I've immediately flown to the nearest station to clear the bounty. (Did I say bounty enough times?)

 

[Tacheel]

once you have any bounty your fair game, to get a bounty you must have done seriously wrong in the first place.

I dunno, I seem to remember picking up an assault bounty of a couple of hundred for a friendly fire incident in a ln extraction zone.

Dependent on circumstances, I'll have a pop at people carrying 500c plus around on their head. One of these days I'm going to get the drop on a certain Eagle pilot who had 20k plus outstanding the last time I saw him.

But I can't say I have a problem with others taking a zero tolerance approach.

There will be a distinction later on between fines and bounties, some things attract a fine, some things a bounty, not paying your fines can eventually turn into a bounty being placed.

Once implemented i would consider a 20credit bounty fair game as they've done something to deserve being hunted rather than parked badly/forgotten to ask for landing permission. Of course a 20 credit bounty is less worth chasing than a 5k one but still fair game.