Note: This thread is not about why you have Anonymous Access. It is about improving the mechanics of Anonymous Access.
Anonymous Access (AA) becomes Restricted Access
I understand and support the sentiment behind AA because it makes sense to withhold station services from a Commander who has committed crimes in a particular jurisdiction. But in its application AA has thrown up many issues that have varied in severity from simply frustrating to game-breaking.
Potential fixes allow for access to some services but not others. To me this is plainly a sticky-plaster over AA’s shortcomings and is immersion breaking. In the context of various patches such fixes have no lore or logic to them other than “it needed fixing quickly”.
What we need is a few basic changes to the AA mechanic backed up with plausible lore & logic to support the new implementation.
While I was pondering this I recalled my favourite war film: The Battle for the River Plate. In the film the German pocket Battleship Admiral Graf Spee is caught by cruisers of the Royal Navy off the coast of Uruguay (South America) and is severely damaged in the engagement. The German ship escapes and seeks refuge in the neutral harbour of Montevideo in the country of Uruguay. She seeks to refit so she can escape and/or re-join the battle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_the_River_Plate_(film)
However according to international law, the ship may remain at neutral harbour only long enough to make repairs for seaworthiness, not to refit her for battle.
Back to ED…
This is the key to successfully configuring Anonymous Access so that it will be fair to all parties.
The Lore and Logic:
Under Galactic law and convention all ports must offer the ability to refuel, refit and repair non-offensive modules and equipment to any docked ship.
In addition Stations must also allow outfitting and transfer access to all non-offensive modules and all ships that do not contain offensive modules.
If we want to debate what defines seaworthiness we could place an arbitrary cap on the repair limit and say it’s 85% i.e. enough to prevent module malfunction.
[You may also want to add an additional caveat that in order to be granted such access - all offensive modules must be placed in the custody of the station until all fines and bounties related to the jurisdiction are cleared. This would include FSDI in addition to hardpoints.]
Other services excepting Authority are inaccessible.
Accessing Authority will either enable the Commander to pay their fine or be provided information as to where else this may be done i.e. at an out-system Interstellar Factor.
TL;DR
Anonymous Access: Allows access to Authority contact, allows refuel, but repair and outfitting/transfer to non-offensive modules only
Access to all other services restricted.
--------------------------
Added: You could add a time limit for the Commander to complete repairs and any outfitting. Perhaps 24 hrs real-time starting from when the ship docks, after which all access is locked out. Obviously this would need to be very clearly indicated.
Anonymous Access (AA) becomes Restricted Access
I understand and support the sentiment behind AA because it makes sense to withhold station services from a Commander who has committed crimes in a particular jurisdiction. But in its application AA has thrown up many issues that have varied in severity from simply frustrating to game-breaking.
Potential fixes allow for access to some services but not others. To me this is plainly a sticky-plaster over AA’s shortcomings and is immersion breaking. In the context of various patches such fixes have no lore or logic to them other than “it needed fixing quickly”.
What we need is a few basic changes to the AA mechanic backed up with plausible lore & logic to support the new implementation.
While I was pondering this I recalled my favourite war film: The Battle for the River Plate. In the film the German pocket Battleship Admiral Graf Spee is caught by cruisers of the Royal Navy off the coast of Uruguay (South America) and is severely damaged in the engagement. The German ship escapes and seeks refuge in the neutral harbour of Montevideo in the country of Uruguay. She seeks to refit so she can escape and/or re-join the battle.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_the_River_Plate_(film)
However according to international law, the ship may remain at neutral harbour only long enough to make repairs for seaworthiness, not to refit her for battle.
Back to ED…
This is the key to successfully configuring Anonymous Access so that it will be fair to all parties.
The Lore and Logic:
Under Galactic law and convention all ports must offer the ability to refuel, refit and repair non-offensive modules and equipment to any docked ship.
In addition Stations must also allow outfitting and transfer access to all non-offensive modules and all ships that do not contain offensive modules.
If we want to debate what defines seaworthiness we could place an arbitrary cap on the repair limit and say it’s 85% i.e. enough to prevent module malfunction.
[You may also want to add an additional caveat that in order to be granted such access - all offensive modules must be placed in the custody of the station until all fines and bounties related to the jurisdiction are cleared. This would include FSDI in addition to hardpoints.]
Other services excepting Authority are inaccessible.
Accessing Authority will either enable the Commander to pay their fine or be provided information as to where else this may be done i.e. at an out-system Interstellar Factor.
TL;DR
Anonymous Access: Allows access to Authority contact, allows refuel, but repair and outfitting/transfer to non-offensive modules only
Access to all other services restricted.
--------------------------
Added: You could add a time limit for the Commander to complete repairs and any outfitting. Perhaps 24 hrs real-time starting from when the ship docks, after which all access is locked out. Obviously this would need to be very clearly indicated.
Last edited:
