Merit Awards: The Fuel Rats and Others

[DragonIan]

Hi,

After being rescued by the Fuel Rats who selflessly give of their time and resources i thought it would be helpful if we as players could figure out a Merit Award system for those who contribute in this way.

After all the Fuel Rats could be seen as our growing ED Universe equivalent of brave fire fighters and or rescue crews. At present they receive no payment for giving you fuel and the risk of finding you. (None that i am aware of).

I believe 'voluntary' services should not receive rewards such as group credits or gifts but should receive proportional Merit Recognition for substantial efforts and input and at the very least the return of equivalent material resources
they have given at own cost to rescue you.

Perhaps we could:

• Give the Fuel Rats their own bases
• Let them have there own special colors for there ships
• That they are universally seen as part of some sort of 'friends group' so they cannot be accidentally attacked
• At there bases there is an option for anyone to add fuel to a tank so that only they can use it for rescue trips
• The founder(s) have a planet named after them (i have no idea who this is).
• After x hours in the service of the Fuel Rats members could get some sort of ED type designation such as FR (fuel rat) after there name so they would be know as CMR XXXX (F.R.)
• That ships lost in service be replaced without insurance and upgrade costs

[/LIST]


The suggestions for Merit Awards for the above is open for discussion and i am sure there will be more individuals and groups that should be given recognition which i have not included here.

Perhaps we could have a Merit Awards Poll every three months or so?

Many Thanks for reading this post.

 

[Orzhov]

This kind of special rewards for fuel rats has been discussed before. Here is a quote from Alex Traut that basically sums up the mischief's feelings.

As nice as all of these ideas are about special rewards and what-not we might earn, or things that FDev might decide to do if they like what we're doing, they all run into the same basic issues--most notable of which is that it is fundamentally unfair for one player group to get preferential treatment over another. If we get something, everyone's going to want it, and rightly so.

Even assuming you found a way to make it fair, there still remains one huge problem: regardless of whatever hoops you have to jump through or rescues you have to get to earn a perk, it creates a powerful incentive to join for the sole purpose of getting that perk. If it's a decal or paint job, you can be 520% certain that players will join just to get it. And if it's a monetary benefit like insurance reduction? Even moreso.

I would be very wary of putting my fate in the hands of someone who's only in it to grind for a reward. If the only thing you stand to gain from Ratting is the satisfaction and coop gameplay that comes from rescuing someone, it acts as an effective filter to weed out players with selfish motives who may not have a client's best interests in mind.

 

[DragonIan]

Many thanks for pointing this out to me

Alex raises many pertinent points regarding fairness.

However i still feel there should be Merit Awards, lets call it acknowledgement for altruism.

Perhaps Merit Awards should not have any material gains but the Award itself is for the actions them self.

I see ED did acknowledge the work of the fuel rats, perhaps this is enough?

What about the wonderful people who have developed Third Party tools we all use. They should also be acknowledged. And the people who make great efforts on the forums to patiently answer questions.

If we believe these people should be acknowledged then we should work out a Merit Reward system.

Apologies if this is in the wrong place again

 

[Kerenn]

Well well well, what do we have here ?

I stand by your second Point, tho, because guys like Thrudds and the whole team of radiosidewinder do amazing things. I'd be against in-game recognition as it challenges the gameplay, but the Dev could send them, I dunno, a bumper sticker. Just an Idea.

 

[Psycho Romeo]

I feel any kind of player run merit system is going to turn into that thing that maplestory (pardon my language) has, in that it's completely meaningless.
.
Fuel rats are being recognized in game and I think that's more than enough.

 

[Kerenn]

Fuel rats are being recognized EVERYWHERE enough.

We be famous enough already, yo !
But we don't let it get to our head and keep on refuelin' like we always did, since three or so month ago.

Kerenn "always two jumps away"
since 1.3 patched.