Insurance : alternative to starting (again) with the Sidewinder

[Steve50]

Current model is very lenient. Why change a game to cater for a few idiots. I cant see why people cannot just accept the game as is.

This^^

Insurance is fine as it is, heck it's even been simplified several times by the loan amount added and then increased. Let's not change the game anymore just for the few rather silly people who take chances and then moan when they lose everything.

Yes, I've done it myself, I flew without insurance a dozen or so times and yes the last time I did it my ship was lost and I went back to a sidewinder but that was MY OWN FAULT for taking the risk. It was an important lesson learnt and since then I never fly without full insurance cover.

It's a hard lesson that some need to learn.

 

[dismoor]

When I started playing E : D I didn't knew how to land my ship. When I figgured it out the first thing i did was reading the manual and after reading it I never started my ship without insurance. The 600k dept is enough to learn your lesson. FD should build in a popup (like terms you have to agree) with the manual. Then nobody can say he/she didn't know about the insurance system.

 

[Myristyl]

I agree, the system works well as it is. There has to be some incentive to stay alive otherwise there would be no tension or drama.

 

[Zplintz]

They could add it to the initial flight checks that pop up the first time you play ED.

Really don't see the need to change the system any further.

The number of people who are Sidewindered because of no insurance is quite small and it is always their own responsibility.

It is probably time for a stickied thread where any post complaining about having had no insurance is merged.

 

[aTUNEd]

Hmm, I just thought of something. Wouldn't it be good if you had a timeframe where you could pay your insurance fee, instead of the current system where you have to decide right away if you want to pay?

This way you could take the free sidewinder if you can't afford the insurance at the moment, but still have the possibilty to claim back your ship later. =)

 

[Matnik]

You know what happens to people who rack up debts they can't pay?

They end up in a capsule, in my cargo hold, on their way to a 'new life'!

I personally think if you can't afford your insurance, and don't want to start again in a sidey, you should be given a spacesuit and made to work the mines until your debt is paid off.

 

[Lobstris]

Taking loans from less scrupulous insurers, and then getting locked into either paying up on time, performing missions you have to do as you 'owe' someone, or getting a constant stream of AI bounty hunters on your tail has been discussed previously. I think it would be a great idea. "Yeah, we'll get you your Python back, but there's a number of things we want you to do with it after you're back in the pilots seat..."

 

[StephenB]

"Obscure top gear reference"
"What's a top gear?"
"Oh god..."

I don't know what you're talking about

Spoiler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZD4ezDbbu4

"That's thunder and here comes the village"

I have always been sided with the idea that if you can't keep on top of your insurance then that's your fault. Though I have to say I have recently purchased a python and can understand the fears that not having enough for insurance would mean the end.

I do like your idea that you can keep your ship but you go into debt however how would you pay for fuel, ammo or repairs? How could you get yourself out of debt if you are in a trading vessel and can't purchase supplies? These are some of the issues with this idea.

Keeping your ship but having the insurance companies take huge bites out of your income for extended periods of time would be better. The insurance for a python is 3 million, if you can't pay that then you could select to have your ship payed for by whatever sub-faction is in the system you died in and you can work off your debt to them. It should also have extortionate amounts of interest added on so the 3 million becomes upwards of 7 million needed to be clear of debt. The insurance companies could take 70% off your profits or more or less with discount rates depending if you are friendly/allied with the sub faction who payed your insurance. If you die whilst still needing to pay off your debts and you again don't have enough to pay off the initial buyback costs you would lose the ship altogether.

I feel this would work better in my opinion.