Stasis field as an alternative to a "PvP flag"?

[Nadreck]

It's often been suggested that FDev should implement an "Open PvE" mode or "PvP flag", so that players who want to be sociable can play in Open without volunteering to get blown up. Personally I'm not a fan, as this mysterious invulnerability to enemy weapons is too immersion-breaking for me.

But what about something resembling the Slaver stasis field from Larry Niven's "Known Space" series? It temporarily freezes time for the affected ship, making it invulnerable but unable to do anything. Nothing affects a ship in stasis, even light just bounces off the field, making it a perfect mirror (which could be represented in-game either by replacing external views of the ship with a reflective sphere, or by applying a chrome paintjob). It could be set to switch on whenever the ship takes a significant amount of hull or module damage. The ship keeps moving in a straight line during stasis, possibly hitting something, but taking no damage. Shields will not regenerate, and cooldowns and corrosive damage will be suspended.

Of course, one big difference is that the player would be conscious and aware of the passing of time. And he'd need to be able to at least initiate a menu-log, or risk being trapped in stasis indefinitely by opponents still shooting at the ship.

But this technology shouldn't be readily available. In Niven's books, the Slavers were wiped out more than a billion years ago, but the technology was re-engineered. Perhaps in ED it's too advanced to be re-engineered, the only way to get it is to fly tens of thousands of lightyears to scavenge individual stasis field generators from the ruins of an ancient civilisation.

 

[[VR] DDM_Reaper20]

One word: nope.

Open should be the one mode where players can come under attack by other players. Those who cannot handle that, such as I (not having the reflexes, the hand-to-eye coordination, nor the spatial awareness) can always switch to solo or PG.

 

[varonica]

But this technology shouldn't be readily available. In Niven's books, the Slavers were wiped out more than a billion years ago, but the technology was re-engineered. Perhaps in ED it's too advanced to be re-engineered, the only way to get it is to fly tens of thousands of lightyears to scavenge individual stasis field generators from the ruins of an ancient civilisation.

It's clear that it wasn't re-engineered, it was discovered contemporaneously by the current species in the galaxy, this was made clear by the discovery of the slaver in stasis during the events depicted in "World of Ptavs", this happened before the hyperdrive was purchased from the Puppeteers by the human colony of We Made It in the Procyon system, so well before the Slaver wars became part of galactic history.

And no, I also agree, Stasis Fields have no place in the ED universe.

The PvP flag is easily explainable by the fact that all players are member of the Pilots Federation and doesn't require magic at all, the computer system installed for galactic navigation by the Pilot's Federation will also contain information about which ships are not allowed to be attacked. NPC's of course, not being part of the Pilot's Federation, would not be restricted in any way. Problem solved!

Of course DDM_reaper20's position is also a perfectly valid argument for not having stasis fields.