Should destroying thrusters count as a kill?

Should thrusters count as a critical component?

  • Yes

    Votes: 51 27.6%
  • No

    Votes: 134 72.4%

  • Total voters
    185
It's interesting that no is winning the vote. Is it down to people misunderstanding and thinking the thread is about stopping thrusters being shot? It's not, it's really about people not getting a murder charge for effectively murdering someone.

So are the people voting no people who like to murder and get away with it?

Someone who voted no want to explain?
It's because there is a better way that can be simply implemented, which alleviates the dead-thrusters-forces-self-destruct problem entirely:
For thrusters, I think that after ~5minutes of no combat, thrusters should emergency repair to 1%, so you can at least limp back into station. Just being left floating kinda sucks.
Later down the line FDev can implement a thruster-repair gameplay mechanism.
 
No, but there should be a way to recover from it also even without any repair modules. Perhaps some sort of emergency repair you can do to patch it up into a working state, takes a few minutes to complete and operates at half power or something like that.

Also bring back and flesh out the distress beacon so you can call for help.
 
It's because there is a better way that can be simply implemented, which alleviates the dead-thrusters-forces-self-destruct problem entirely:

Later down the line FDev can implement a thruster-repair gameplay mechanism.

Ah so really the poll question should have been 'with the current consequences, should...'

Otherwise looks like people are happy with the current setup.
 
Bit of an oversight by sounds of it.

IMO: Until other repair methods are available ( EVA, 'tow-truck', 'roadside mechanic' etc ) : 'destroyed' thrusters should leave you *just* enough forward speed to get into SC/HS with boost, terrible lateral movement and no flight assist.
 
Personally I'm happy with dead thrusters being death, although I'd also be happy with having to get out of my ship and fix them. Would force the attacker to finish me off and get a bounty for my murder.
 
IMO a 100% thruster kill should be impossible. It's bad game design to leave anybody completely helpless and unable to function. Either a ship should blow up at 0% engines, or they should be left with some level of degraded functionality when at 0%.

I like the humiliation aspect of it. Floating around without thrusters is undignified.

But it would be nice if there was a mechanic in place to be rescued by, well, a mechanic.
 
Bit of an oversight by sounds of it.

IMO: Until other repair methods are available ( EVA, 'tow-truck', 'roadside mechanic' etc ) : 'destroyed' thrusters should leave you *just* enough forward speed to get into SC/HS with boost, terrible lateral movement and no flight assist.

Actually the fact that the repair module will repair everything but thrusters and powerplant, arguably two of the most crucial systems, would suggest that, far from being an oversight, it is a conscious design decision.

If somebody can destroy your thrusters and leave you dead in space without destroying your ship in the process then you obviously didn't do enough to prevent it. Straight out killing you would be much easier to achieve. The extra effort is rewarded by the player not having the larger bounty that killing you would bring.
 
I like the humiliation aspect of it. Floating around without thrusters is undignified.

But it would be nice if there was a mechanic in place to be rescued by, well, a mechanic.

How about another commander stopping by and giving a "jump start" to get that 1% to get you on your way. The strain of which causes the benefactor's engines to degrade.

Would be an interesting social experiment if nothing else...
 
So in patch 1.04 they made the destruction of a critical system count as the killing blow, which makes sense - if I blow up the powerplant whilst you're shooting the hull, I should get the credit.

I've seen a fair few posts on this forum where in PvP people target the thrusters then leave their victim to self destruct, which avoids the murder charge. This doesn't seem right as they have effectively murdered them.

At the same time, I kill elite anacondas by first taking out their drives then when helpless I take out the powerplant. I wouldn't want it to count as a kill until I'd blown the sucker up.

It isn't a kill, so it can't be considered a critical component.

The main issue here is FD still didn't bring back the distress beacon that should bring an NPC vessel to refuel or repair the ship.
 
Ah so really the poll question should have been 'with the current consequences, should...'

Otherwise looks like people are happy with the current setup.
If there was an "other, please explain" poll option I think a few of us would have voted that instead of no. No harm done as it's created a great discussion of ideas :)
 
Actually the fact that the repair module will repair everything but thrusters and powerplant, arguably two of the most crucial systems, would suggest that, far from being an oversight, it is a conscious design decision.

If somebody can destroy your thrusters and leave you dead in space without destroying your ship in the process then you obviously didn't do enough to prevent it. Straight out killing you would be much easier to achieve. The extra effort is rewarded by the player not having the larger bounty that killing you would bring.

How on earth is it a reward for extra effort? Destroying thrusters is generally the easiest way to kill. I thought we'd actually managed a thread on this forum for once where someone didn't come along and say 'because dangerous!!'

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If there was an "other, please explain" poll option I think a few of us would have voted that instead of no. No harm done as it's created a great discussion of ideas :)

+Rep

Shame I can't add another poll option though...
 

Robert Maynard

Volunteer Moderator
It isn't a kill, so it can't be considered a critical component.

The main issue here is FD still didn't bring back the distress beacon that should bring an NPC vessel to refuel or repair the ship.

Currently, while it is not a kill, it necessitates the self-destruction of the ship (as the ship is totally unable to move).

While a distress beacon might work for refuelling, repairing a "destroyed" thruster system seems to be a bit of an ask from the equivalent of the AA/RAC/Triple-A in space. As the FSD and thrusters are critical to ship operations and as onboard repair tech for other modules can be added by buying a module, it is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to envisage the thruster and FSD systems to have a built-in self-repair system.
 
Currently, while it is not a kill, it necessitates the self-destruction of the ship (as the ship is totally unable to move).

While a distress beacon might work for refuelling, repairing a "destroyed" thruster system seems to be a bit of an ask from the equivalent of the AA/RAC/Triple-A in space. As the FSD and thrusters are critical to ship operations and as onboard repair tech for other modules can be added by buying a module, it is not too much of a stretch of the imagination to envisage the thruster and FSD systems to have a built-in self-repair system.

How about a tow, mate? Nearest repairing outpost will do. How much? Crikey!!!
 
To answer the original question, yes i think thrusters should count as a critical component.

Without them you can't accelerate to engage your FSD and are stuck. It makes perfect sense to me.

Is it good or bad game design though ?

It's absolutely brilliant game design in my opinion.

Apart from the tactical possibilities sub-system targeting offers, it introduces a rarely (if ever) seen form of gaming death.

Not blown up into a million particles or butchered into a pulpy mass (and the instant realization that comes with that). No, the game gives you time to realize that you lost, and on top of that

forces YOU to put an end to yourself.....in a "well, how badazz are you NOW, Commander ?" way.

That is a truly cynical and brave design choice as far as i'm concerned.
 
IMO a 100% thruster kill should be impossible. It's bad game design to leave anybody completely helpless and unable to function. Either a ship should blow up at 0% engines, or they should be left with some level of degraded functionality when at 0%.

Or a game mechanic to call for a tow from the space equivalent of the Roadside Assist Agency, you then get a charged according to your distance from the nearest habitable system port with a repair station!
 
Maybe a proper Escape Capsule is needed as boundary between self-destruct and disabled ship? Penalties could be intermediate too, and the possibility of a Nostromo salvage ship coming to pick up your pieces somewhere down the line?

I'd like that... :)
 
Maybe a proper Escape Capsule is needed as boundary between self-destruct and disabled ship? Penalties could be intermediate too, and the possibility of a Nostromo salvage ship coming to pick up your pieces somewhere down the line?

I'd like that... :)

You do eject though don't you? I'm sure in the ironman mode discussions you also needed to manually eject before being destroyed.
 
[video=youtube;D67kmFzSh_o]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D67kmFzSh_o[/video]

I think this needs to be playing in the background while reading this thread.
 
How on earth is it a reward for extra effort? Destroying thrusters is generally the easiest way to kill. I thought we'd actually managed a thread on this forum for once where someone didn't come along and say 'because dangerous!!'

Read again what I wrote.

So you are refuting my comment "If somebody can destroy your thrusters and leave you dead in space without destroying your ship.....[snip].... Straight out killing you would be much easier to achieve. The extra effort is rewarded...."

with

"Destroying thrusters is generally the easiest way to kill."?

I have bolded the relevant parts that show your post to be nonsensical. You are saying I am wrong and then refuting it by stating exactly the same thing as me. Looks like somebody is just in a hurry to be argumentative.
 
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