Newcomer / Intro How is it I am Wanted for killing a Pirate?

[RevLogos]

So I’m flying about a planet surface minding my own business, destroying skimmers. In the process I pick up some gold and platinum salvage (legal). The skimmers were all wanted, so no crimes. An NPC ship flies by, scans me and starts with the usual pirate trash talk. What cargo have you got, followed by the: I’m going to boil you up! (As a side note, I wish ED would hire a consultant specialist in trash talk, maybe spice up the conversation and add some variety).

I scan the pirate and it comes up clean, but that’s probably because I didn’t bring along a KWS. So I wait until the pirate fires on me, then we get into a good old fashioned dogfight a few km above the surface.

I destroy the ship and I get the message there is now a bounty against me for murder and I am now wanted in the system. This happened a second time, and more bounty against me. Third time I hyperjumped out so I could sell my cargo and go back to peaceably killing skimmers.

Later I discover that there is a bounty against me but there is also a bounty credit for me, both from the same faction in that system. I’m guessing that must be from killing the pirate.

So how is it I am fired upon by a pirate, I defend myself, and I end up wanted?

 

[flummer7]

If the NPC scans as clean, then the game does not consider it a pirate and you will always get wanted if you kill the NPC. It also does not matter if you scan the NPC with a KWS and it turns out the NPC in fact do have a bounty in another system. If the NPC is clean in the system you kill it in you will get wanted no matter how many other systems the NPC is wanted in.

I guess what happened here is that the NPC, while technically a pirate, was not wanted in the specific in the system just yet at the moment it started the trash talk. The NPC would normally become wanted the moment it hit you though, notice this does not happen when it opens fire, but only after it hits you. However it sounds like you shot back and landed at shot before the NPC did become wanted. This had the effect that you became wanted instead of the NPC. After that it was legal for the NPC to hit you without getting wanted too.

In essence you will always get wanted if you shoot at anything before you scan it and it is shown as wanted in the current system. Sadly enough this also includes fighters deployed by ships you already scanned as wanted as well as wingmates of wanted ships who are already firing on you. According to the game is illegal to defend yourself against criminals, even though they are already shooting at you. So until your scanner agrees they are in fact wanted they are a no go to fire back on. Stupid design yes, but unfortunately that is how it works

 

[Sapyx]

If you have "Report crimes against me" turned on, then any Clean ship that shoots at you first should become Wanted as soon as they do so. So, switch "Report Crimes" on, and always wait for your scan to finish and for them to shoot first, and you should always be in the clear.

Of course, if you have illegal cargo or passengers or otherwise do not want assistance from the local cops, then switching on "Report crimes" will not be a viable option.

 

[RevLogos]

I did have Report crimes against me" turned on. But this is a low security system and no one showed up. Probably just as well since security is run by the same people who owned the skimmers. And I am quite sure I was hit before I returned fire.

 

[Codger]

It occasionally takes more than one hit before they become wanted. If it doesn't absolutely say wanted in your target panel, hold fire until it does. I'm guessing that's what happened.

 

[StiTch]

I did have Report crimes against me" turned on. But this is a low security system and no one showed up. Probably just as well since security is run by the same people who owned the skimmers. And I am quite sure I was hit before I returned fire.

It can be as low security as it wants, it would not result in you getting a bounty. You getting a bounty=you did something naughty, not "the police are slow".

There's a pretty stringent correlation here though between posts that have no video and posts with an issue that mysteriously have no cause at all.

10 mill credits says that comprehensive vid footage of the event would reveal either Report Crimes turned off, you shooting first, or the likely one you were wanted when you first entered the system. If you were first wanted it's 100% acceptable for someone to open fire on you.

 

[Demonlord79]

So I’m flying about a planet surface minding my own business, destroying skimmers. In the process I pick up some gold and platinum salvage (legal). The skimmers were all wanted, so no crimes. An NPC ship flies by, scans me and starts with the usual pirate trash talk. What cargo have you got, followed by the: I’m going to boil you up! (As a side note, I wish ED would hire a consultant specialist in trash talk, maybe spice up the conversation and add some variety).

I scan the pirate and it comes up clean, but that’s probably because I didn’t bring along a KWS. So I wait until the pirate fires on me, then we get into a good old fashioned dogfight a few km above the surface.

I destroy the ship and I get the message there is now a bounty against me for murder and I am now wanted in the system. This happened a second time, and more bounty against me. Third time I hyperjumped out so I could sell my cargo and go back to peaceably killing skimmers.

Later I discover that there is a bounty against me but there is also a bounty credit for me, both from the same faction in that system. I’m guessing that must be from killing the pirate.

So how is it I am fired upon by a pirate, I defend myself, and I end up wanted?

I have been in this position several times, some by accident, but for the most part I've learned that a pirate can be ANY nps ship. Most likely just wanting your cargo, and they say clean because they are. The second the npc does damage to you or shields they will become wanted BUT if you are in the process of scanning the npc he is still considered clean until your scan is finished. Most times I become wanted because I shoot to soon. If they get hits off on you most of the time it doesn't matter the npc should become wanted immediately, but there are some cases that they don't.
Hope this helps... o7 commander

 

[RevLogos]

It occasionally takes more than one hit before they become wanted. If it doesn't absolutely say wanted in your target panel, hold fire until it does. I'm guessing that's what happened.

I think that's it. Looking through my EDD logs, there's only a 3 second gap between the "I'm gonna boil you up!" taunt and my assault charge. Either there's a delay, or the pirate missed, or didn't hit me enough to trigger a wanted status.

I'm sure if I had the video I could prove Greedo shot first.

The second pirate shot first also, but there's more time and I think he ends up wanted. But since I'm wanted too, when I killed that pirate I got a bounty claim but also another murder charge.

 

[vernonator]

So I’m flying about a planet surface minding my own business, destroying skimmers. In the process I pick up some gold and platinum salvage (legal). The skimmers were all wanted, so no crimes. An NPC ship flies by, scans me and starts with the usual pirate trash talk. What cargo have you got, followed by the: I’m going to boil you up! (As a side note, I wish ED would hire a consultant specialist in trash talk, maybe spice up the conversation and add some variety).

I scan the pirate and it comes up clean, but that’s probably because I didn’t bring along a KWS. So I wait until the pirate fires on me, then we get into a good old fashioned dogfight a few km above the surface.

I destroy the ship and I get the message there is now a bounty against me for murder and I am now wanted in the system. This happened a second time, and more bounty against me. Third time I hyperjumped out so I could sell my cargo and go back to peaceably killing skimmers.

Later I discover that there is a bounty against me but there is also a bounty credit for me, both from the same faction in that system. I’m guessing that must be from killing the pirate.

So how is it I am fired upon by a pirate, I defend myself, and I end up wanted?

Because...immersion...Braben....BGS.....git gud.....engineer's....That's all I got.

One more long-term bug that has yet to be addressd?

 

[d8veh]

Because...immersion...Braben....BGS.....git gud.....engineer's....That's all I got.

One more long-term bug that has yet to be addressd?

These things are very rarely bugs. There's nearly always a rational explanation for what happened. Video evidence would have shown it.

When you hunt skimmers on the surface, most are wanted, but occasionally, you come across a clean one. i nearly always shoot the clean ones without checking because I'm conditioned by the majority that are wanted. You never think to check first. If OP shot one without noticing, he would have become wanted, then a bounty hunter comes to sort him out.

 

[RevLogos]

I see I might have to adjust my playstyle for another 6 days until that bounty goes dormant. I've already had one interdiction attempt by an NPC bounty hunter.

Question: If I get scanned while docking at a starport, will the starport attack me? (Assuming I am not in the system that issued the bounty).

And after the 7 day timer runs out, the bounty becomes dormant? Then I could pay it off?