Need advice, how to get around these player groups?

Jaeger · May 15, 2015

Valethar said:
Weight and mass are not the same thing. A ship can weight 300 tons, and not mass 300 tons.

but professor, in space without gravity can't we just assume an equivalence?

Joe Spivey · May 15, 2015

It is quite amusing that a pirate is complaining that his fun is being spoiled by being interdicted. Of course, it's perfectly fine for him to interdict the T6, the T6 pilot's fun being spoiled doesn't matter.

MrFahrenheit · May 15, 2015

CMDR Hagglebeard said:
I'm having yet another really frustrating problem. These various player groups are always swarming the Community Goals wherever they appear, and they make PvP piracy in the Cobra completely impossible. It's hard enough with the Cobra's prime piracy target, the T6, of lower weight than itself, having a magic mass-lock factor (I've assumed it's a bug), but trying to interdict them while player-group members are jumping in on your wakes is impossible. I'm trying to think of ways both I and the Devs could fix this, as it sucks the fun out of every Community Goal. That 1.2 Trailer video, it never happens. The trader runs for it usually, whether it makes sense or not, so dealing with an escort is currently out of the equation.

For now:
-The devs could create 2 versions of Open Play, one for player groups and all those willing to participate in that group, with special catering to those groups such as tags, while another could be create which is the same as today, perhaps with a way to discourage player groups. I don't know how, but it sounds like an idea.

For later:
-Introduce NPC escorts. If NPCs are getting tougher in 1.3 as SJA has pointed out, then they should make good escorts to fight off players, even if not destroying them. Then, the FSD Cooldown could be upped to, say, 50 seconds, perhaps 60 seconds, so that a fight could commence and with enough luck, end and allow the pirates to claim their prize.

Thoughts, and please, suggestions?

"Why you no submit T6......... why?...............Player group why you interdict me when I try to pirate another player.......QQ.....Devs why you no make an open play just for us pirates??????"

Rob_the_Sparky · May 15, 2015

CMDR Hagglebeard said:
No, they aren't in Wings, I would've noticed and would've had no problem. I stop lone traders, and the group players jump into my Low-energy FSD wakes that you can find in Supercruise.

Guys, stop bickering. Rall gave me a few good suggestion (Thank you sir, didn't know Wuthielo Ku had much, Peraesii is usually dry), but I'm not really looking for things that the devs can do, I'm looking for things I can do. Thanks

If your tactic isn't working then change it. CG pulls together all sorts of players and you are encountering the Bounty Hunters, I have considered doing this myself but yet to try it. It also clearly draws in traders and pirates. Don't expect the bounty hunters to leave you alone if you are pirating!

ianw · May 15, 2015

SteveLaw said:
Mass lock has nothing to do with mass, apparently. Each ship has a set mass lock value.

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=128416&p=1968902&viewfull=1#post1968902

It would appear it's not actually masslock at all but rather FSD lock..

https://forums.frontier.co.uk/showthread.php?t=145098&p=2234775&viewfull=1#post2234775

EUS · May 15, 2015

So you can hijack someone, but no one can hijack you?
This is PvP at its best.

Flyto · May 15, 2015

Valethar said:
Weight and mass are not the same thing. A ship can weight 300 tons, and not mass 300 tons.

That's true, but, there is no weight in this game. It's all about mass. (even if some people use the term "weight" some of the time)

Aidan Patrick said:
If you research what mass is it is plausible that in Elite that the standard "ton" is a measurement of mass, and not weight, as the weight changes based on the gravity you experience.

I don't remember whether E : D refers to tons or tonnes, but if it's the latter, that *is* a unit of mass already. (tons might be as well, I don't know - I don't understand Imperial units ;-))

HeavyGroovez · May 15, 2015

Welcome to the wonderful world of wake jacking.

Ive lost tons of goodies in the last few days to do-gooders who jump in and start blasting just as i start to scoop after a successful "negotiation".

Comes with the turf, doesnt matter what ship you are in you will get outnumbered and outgunned at some point.

Talarin · May 15, 2015

CMDR Hagglebeard said:
I'm having yet another really frustrating problem. These various player groups are always swarming the Community Goals wherever they appear, and they make PvP piracy in the Cobra completely impossible. It's hard enough with the Cobra's prime piracy target, the T6, of lower weight than itself, having a magic mass-lock factor (I've assumed it's a bug), but trying to interdict them while player-group members are jumping in on your wakes is impossible. I'm trying to think of ways both I and the Devs could fix this, as it sucks the fun out of every Community Goal. That 1.2 Trailer video, it never happens. The trader runs for it usually, whether it makes sense or not, so dealing with an escort is currently out of the equation.

For now:
-The devs could create 2 versions of Open Play, one for player groups and all those willing to participate in that group, with special catering to those groups such as tags, while another could be create which is the same as today, perhaps with a way to discourage player groups. I don't know how, but it sounds like an idea.

For later:
-Introduce NPC escorts. If NPCs are getting tougher in 1.3 as SJA has pointed out, then they should make good escorts to fight off players, even if not destroying them. Then, the FSD Cooldown could be upped to, say, 50 seconds, perhaps 60 seconds, so that a fight could commence and with enough luck, end and allow the pirates to claim their prize.

Thoughts, and please, suggestions?

In terms of thoughts:

Sorry, but I agree with other users - I think that other players defending traders from pirates is exactly what this game should be. (Note to FD: I'd really like a interdiction or crime-in-progress flag on the radar, so that do-gooders can help traders more often, or join in the pillaging as they see fit.) And thus, I see no need for devs to correct the game or introduce new modes.

I do like the idea of NPC escorts. Being able to hire NPCs to join your wing would be a lovely addition (but I'd imagine that the AI might struggle).

Midian27 · May 15, 2015

Get a better ship? Get a bigger group? Stop pirating other players? Nothing needs to change with the game here.

- - - Updated - - -

Aidan Patrick said:
That fit I linked is 295 tons. Ships that close in mass to each other have little to no effect on each others ability to jump regardless. Just, FYI.

Jesus why do people always confuse mass lock mechanics so bad. You're actual weight doesn't matter at all. Every ship has a base mass lock rating, if ship A has an equal or greater mass lock rating then ship B mass lock will occur. If not it won't. Your actual weight DOES NOT MATTER.

Flyto · May 15, 2015

Jesus why do people always confuse mass lock mechanics so bad.

Perhaps because they're not documented anywhere?

If it's called mass lock, it seems reasonable to assume that it's related to the masses of the ships concerned.

It's great that you're helping people understand how it works, but it'd be even better if you could do it without belittling them first.

Midian27 · May 15, 2015

Flyto said:
Perhaps because they're not documented anywhere?

If it's called mass lock, it seems reasonable to assume that it's related to the masses of the ships concerned.

It's great that you're helping people understand how it works, but it'd be even better if you could do it without belittling them first.

It's been posted so many times already though...