It really disturbs and saddens me a bit that most people's solution to poor player interaction on open is to punish yourself by playing solo or with a PVE group.
As a former EVE player, I equate that to staying docked during a war-dec/not logging in--Or buying a sports car and staying in the slow lane because you're worried you might get pulled over.
Open is going to have people who are out to grief or just plain dumb. It's something you have to live with on open and I think OP realizes that. It's also going to have people who are genuinely interested in interacting with other pilots and adding depth to their gameplay, and this is something that you will not find on solo, and in a private group it is less likely to be spontaneous.
CODE is one group I have already seen people band together to fight against. Why not suggest something like asking for an escort from anti-CODE groups? Make open more interesting, don't lock yourself away from social interaction.
IMO this game will live or die based on the multi-player aspect. If people can't find a way to live in open I don't think people are going to keep playing this game for years to come if they're playing alone or in a pure PVE/risk-free environment. Things get dull and repetitive in that environment. I played EVE for almost ten years and the main reason I stayed so long was because of the social aspect of it and the friends/enemies/stories that developed as a result of social interaction.
This people!! Please, we need to start embracing the 'bad' along with the good in this game. Stay in open, start interacting, make friends and make a stand if need be. This is what will truly make this game not good, but great.
Having problems with Code at Diso? Find a workaround, avoid, or team up with some of your new friends and make it work. I'll gladly wing up with anyone, and i've done enough grinding credits to not have to worry about losing my ship fending off pirates so that you maybe get through. Credits are *not* everything in this game y'know?!
Whilst i realise that there will always be certain commanders that maybe just take things too far and kill for no reason, destroying an hour of trading, or a new ship, just remember you can always then do something about it. Even if it's only indirectly through the help of others, revenge will be sweet and you'll be part of a living universe.
Seriously, please don't fly off into the dead world of solo or Mobius etc... Be angry if you need to, sure.. but make friends too and thrive in the end.
I'm so with Eran, and indeed with such a great post i'll be hitting you up with a friend request. It'll be a pleasure to play online (in OPEN) with you dude.
STRiPEALiPE