The C&P system still sucks. Sorry.
However, there are some great concepts in the current system that just need a little tweak or some fleshing out to make C&P work!
1. Notoriety
The Notoriety system doesn't quite work as implemented. It might be working as designed, I get that, but that's not the point.
For a start, it isn't consistent. If you get Noto for murdering people - NPCs and CMDRs alike - then you should get noto when you're doing "wet work" missions, too.
[side note: please fix massacre missions so that "mission targets" show up in the mission target signal sources... this has been a problem for a long time now - contact me for details of latest issue]
But really, getting notoriety for killing NPCs is silly. Notoriety should be reserved for those who murder CMDRs and capping it at 10... well, why? I'm no carebear, by any means, but I also believe that open mode =/= asking to be murdered mode. I have lots of positive interactions with other CMDRs in open that don't involve one of us having to shoot the other. Consensual PvP is great. Non-consensual PvP has its place, too, but the C&P system is supposed to give those actions consequences. If it doesn't, then what's the point?
2. ATR
ATR is something of a joke - at least until you've racked up 10 notoriety and hundreds-of-millions in bounties! This could be expanded on. With notoriety based on CMDR murders, ATR could be made increasingly deadly. Starts off with a combat-equipped Anaconda and a couple of Vipers, naturally. Get enough notoriety and/or kill enough of the ATR and they're showing up in 4-ship wings of fully-engineered Federal Corvettes, each with fighters! The only way to escape ATR should be to retreat to anarchy systems.
3. Notoriety cooldown
With notoriety only coming into play for CMDR murders, the cooldown mechanic could be tweaked, too. I think 2 hours of gameplay is still reasonable but being docked at a station should not count. Why? Because there's no risk that way. If the notorious player, then, decides to place his ship just outside the station (in an anarchy system, of course) and go AFK, an NPC or a CMDR could happen along, KWS him and collect the bounty - which notoriety should, by the way, automatically confer to the player, not just the ship. When our notorious CMDR returns, they might find that their ship was destroyed AND they're still notorious! The same kind of thing could happen if they put their ship in supercruise or just full-thrust in normal space - NPC bounty hunters don't mind anarchy systems!
4. Bounty-hunting - Fo' Realz!
While I don't have this fleshed out in my head quite yet, it would be interesting to introduce a mechanic to the game whereby CMDRs get a kill-order for a notorious CMDR via in-game message and/or mission boards - perhaps based on the location of the murder and/or if the victim was a member of a Squadron tied to that faction, whatever. CMDRs could accept the mission or not, and it would be a wing mission, so sharable. I would suggest the following parameters for when these missions appear:
So, in conclusion, the effect of these changes would be to make the C&P system work as advertised to create real consequences for actions. CMDRs would have to carefully consider their tactics, and overall strategies, in dealing with the system - instead of just leaving the game logged in overnight with them docked at a station out of reach. It would make the entire concept more realistic, while still allowing for all types of gameplay.
However, there are some great concepts in the current system that just need a little tweak or some fleshing out to make C&P work!
1. Notoriety
The Notoriety system doesn't quite work as implemented. It might be working as designed, I get that, but that's not the point.
For a start, it isn't consistent. If you get Noto for murdering people - NPCs and CMDRs alike - then you should get noto when you're doing "wet work" missions, too.
[side note: please fix massacre missions so that "mission targets" show up in the mission target signal sources... this has been a problem for a long time now - contact me for details of latest issue]
But really, getting notoriety for killing NPCs is silly. Notoriety should be reserved for those who murder CMDRs and capping it at 10... well, why? I'm no carebear, by any means, but I also believe that open mode =/= asking to be murdered mode. I have lots of positive interactions with other CMDRs in open that don't involve one of us having to shoot the other. Consensual PvP is great. Non-consensual PvP has its place, too, but the C&P system is supposed to give those actions consequences. If it doesn't, then what's the point?
2. ATR
ATR is something of a joke - at least until you've racked up 10 notoriety and hundreds-of-millions in bounties! This could be expanded on. With notoriety based on CMDR murders, ATR could be made increasingly deadly. Starts off with a combat-equipped Anaconda and a couple of Vipers, naturally. Get enough notoriety and/or kill enough of the ATR and they're showing up in 4-ship wings of fully-engineered Federal Corvettes, each with fighters! The only way to escape ATR should be to retreat to anarchy systems.
3. Notoriety cooldown
With notoriety only coming into play for CMDR murders, the cooldown mechanic could be tweaked, too. I think 2 hours of gameplay is still reasonable but being docked at a station should not count. Why? Because there's no risk that way. If the notorious player, then, decides to place his ship just outside the station (in an anarchy system, of course) and go AFK, an NPC or a CMDR could happen along, KWS him and collect the bounty - which notoriety should, by the way, automatically confer to the player, not just the ship. When our notorious CMDR returns, they might find that their ship was destroyed AND they're still notorious! The same kind of thing could happen if they put their ship in supercruise or just full-thrust in normal space - NPC bounty hunters don't mind anarchy systems!
4. Bounty-hunting - Fo' Realz!
While I don't have this fleshed out in my head quite yet, it would be interesting to introduce a mechanic to the game whereby CMDRs get a kill-order for a notorious CMDR via in-game message and/or mission boards - perhaps based on the location of the murder and/or if the victim was a member of a Squadron tied to that faction, whatever. CMDRs could accept the mission or not, and it would be a wing mission, so sharable. I would suggest the following parameters for when these missions appear:
- Notorious CMDR is in the same system, or within jump range. Mission is offered by the controlling faction of the current system (non-anarchy)
- You are in a [non-anarchy] system where a murder occurred within the previous hour & notorious CMDR is still in game and in open/same PG as you. Mission is offered by the controlling faction of the current system. (This could be affected by BGS security states.)
- You are in a system [anarchy-included] in which [non-anarchy] FactionX, which the victim (through a Squadron) was pledged to, has a presence. Mission is offered by FactionX.
So, in conclusion, the effect of these changes would be to make the C&P system work as advertised to create real consequences for actions. CMDRs would have to carefully consider their tactics, and overall strategies, in dealing with the system - instead of just leaving the game logged in overnight with them docked at a station out of reach. It would make the entire concept more realistic, while still allowing for all types of gameplay.