NPC's in my firing solution and the (op) benefits of npc cult worship

[lyte]

Enter engagement > Find bounty presenting > Target subsystems > Weapons free.
.
Engagement Range: 400-1.5k.
Weapon Loadout: Full rack of MC's.
System/Faction Standings: All very positive
Wanted Status: None
.
Now say Richard "it's all about me" Jakovski, npc'ing it up in his suicidewinder, wants in on bounty too.
As my fully spec’d bird is currently dictating the prey's movements (usually scrambling to exit gimbal scope), Jakovski's irrational attempt to keep up inevitably lands him directly in the continuous river of lead being applied to the target, if but for only a split second.
.
Not only does this gen a bounty on my head after just one round connects, and not only does this put my expensive hunting rig at risk from any local fuzz because Captain Jakovski won’t turn off his snitcher, but occasionally it is revealed that the 'unhelpful' -no dps having “mostly harmless” irritant is actually the Cthulhu incarnate and immediately switches focus - sending me to the insurance screen so fast it could only be measured if time were moving backwards while observing it.
.
Why.
.
.
Alternately, Captain Jakovski can fall behind me and tag me with his light balls & twinklers in a futile effort to hit the target....over..and over....and over........ But he don't get no bounty. I don't get to turn and lean into him for being a noob.
Why.
.
Why.
.
.
Q: Should there be an 'accidental friendly-fire status', one that only generates a fine in lieu of a wanted status that would apply if your rounds hit a ship that you are not targeting when you fired? Something resulting still in damage to the ship hit and loss of income for the player, but not a kill order for everyone to jump on?
.
If not - should NPC get wanted status for landing shots in kind?
.
Side note: Should standings play a role in how the fuzz for that system responds to bounties on your head (should police destroy you because of a 300 credit ‘accident’ if you have very good standing with the system factions)?
.
Discuss

 

[Tiamat]

Q: Should there be an 'accidental friendly-fire status', one that only generates a fine in lieu of a wanted status that would apply if your rounds hit a ship that you are not targeting when you fired? Something resulting still in damage to the ship hit and loss of income for the player, but not a kill order for everyone to jump on?
.
If not - should NPC get wanted status for landing shots in kind?
.
Side note: Should standings play a role in how the fuzz for that system responds to bounties on your head (should police destroy you because of a 300 credit ‘accident’ if you have very good standing with the system factions)?

This is annoying and gets discussed a lot but given the "last shot gets the kill" mechanic changing it could lead to abuse if it is loosened up as you would be free to murder non-wanted targets if they won't survive a single shot. I believe NPCs do get a wanted status if they land shots on you but their faction mates won't open fire on them. I have seen a lot of system authority vessel groups containing wanted ships that get ignored but they will turn on you if you go for that bounty. You can turn off "report crimes against me" in your right UI and that will stop SA ships coming to your "aid" when bounty hunting.

Rep added for the Star Wreck references

 

[lyte]

You can turn off "report crimes against me" in your right UI and that will stop SA ships coming to your "aid" when bounty hunting.

Yeah, I only have this turned on when I interdict wanted drop ships or annies in my Eagle (the extra field 'noise' is needed to keep em busy while I erode away it's hull from max range - I need every round to land or I won't make it to the kill shot). But the daft NPC that finds himself in my bowl of cheerios seems to always have the snitcher on...
.
Since Gamma 2.0, I have had them go hostile on me ('clean' status npc's as well as fuzz), turning red on the hud, but still not having a 'wanted' status. Standings UI shows nothing in red/negative - with system standing currently at 55% and no bounties anywhere in the galaxy. This generally seems to happen after they land an accidental shot on me while we are engaging the communal target. Once the target is destroyed, they train their undivided attention on me. What's weird though, both for fuzz and npc alike - sometimes they seem to 'toy' with me first - buzzing me within feet of impact a few times. I've actually entertained this jousting/peacocking foreplay, including getting into formation with them and slamming into them with vertical thrust in an attempt to change either my status or theirs. Sometimes that makes them spool up the FSD, other times it has no effect.
.
Regardless of my actions, I have found that they can shoot me, retaining a clean status, and if I fire back I get wanted status and all of hell breaks for my ship. Either way, that instance is ruined. Before, I could collect bounties till ammo depletion forced a landing. Now, it seems like (for example, at a nav beacon) I can only get a couple kills in before I'm the 'hot topic' of the instance and the issue begins to surface. I am not sure if I am missing a new 'feature' here...
.
I do agree there should not be a loophole where you can murder someone w/o catching a status, but this seems really one-sided at the moment - no matter what, the player takes the short stick.