It strikes me that when under attack, from an AI or from a player, there is no easy and clear way to surrender, nor a good mechanism to support that. You might try to send a text message to a human, but in the heat of battle, it is unlikely to be noticed. Certainly, I barely notice any of the text chat in that upper-left window, even outside combat.
So how about a mechanism that is both logical within the Elite universe, and clear and obvious?
Introducing: Galactic Escrow Services' "PARLAY" system!
If a vessel fitted with the PARLAY system comes under attack, and the the commander finds they need to surrender, they can hit the big red "YIELD" button on the PARLAY control panel. This will immediately deactivate their weapon systems and cut speed to zero (assuming the drive systems are still functional), and lock out the Frameshift drive. Note that Shield systems will also be locked "on", as a safety measure for the yielding ship, and power automatically diverted to 'systems'. The system will also transmit a "Yield" message to all hostile vessels in the area, causing their flight computers to flag the yielding vessel as "Yielded" on their HUD and sensor displays. The yielding ship's systems will remain locked out until the yielding ship is released - as described next.
The yielding ship will be "bound" to the last attacker that fired on it (implementation note: preferring players over AI, if a player fired on it in the previous 60 seconds and hasn't fired on anything else, even if an AI was actually 'last'). The yielding ship and the ship it is 'bound' to can then negotiate the yielding ships' release.
The yielding ship is released (weapon and drive systems unlocked) when either:
(a) The yielding ship is fired upon (or damaged in any way, e.g. ramming, collision) - though there is a 3-second "grace" period when the PARLAY is first activated, during which damage is not counted.
(b) The bound ship moves out of the yielding ship's sensor range (including into Frameshift)
(c) The bound ship releases it (via menu item on Contacts panel, or a hotkey)
Players can negotiate what they like as parole. It doesn't stop homicidal maniac pirates attacking immediately, or after cargo has been dropped, but that will release the yielding ship, and in the mean time shields would still have been regenerating, and auto-repair systems repairing.
AI's will demand cargo based on an algorithm:
Thus a novice AI pirate facing a fully-intact target might only demand one tonne of cargo. A deadly pirate facing a badly battered victim might demand all their cargo.
AI ships should also be programmed to yield if appropriate, and offer suitable payment from their cargo.
Other AI ships would also be programmed to respect Yielded ships, and not deliberately attack it (though accidental hits might still occur, which would release the yielded ship). Player ships could do what they liked.
Eventually, this mechanism might also incorporate taking yielding AI pilots captive, to be delivered to justice, in return for bounties (maybe bringing higher bounties than just killing them) - if players have suitably equipped ship, e.g. with "holding cells" fitted to a compartment. A bit like the Cartography mechanic. I don't think taking players captive would be a good idea, unless done 'virtually' (i.e. player gets to respawn or just depart with a penalty - e.g. paying the bounty cost - while the other player takes a 'virtual copy' of the player 'captive' to cash in later).
The idea behind all this is to encourage piracy that behaves more like piracy - stealing cargo and letting victims go (to earn more cargo to be stolen) - by providing a mechanism that encourages the sort of behavior we are after, but not forcing players to conform to that behavior.
So how about a mechanism that is both logical within the Elite universe, and clear and obvious?
Introducing: Galactic Escrow Services' "PARLAY" system!
If a vessel fitted with the PARLAY system comes under attack, and the the commander finds they need to surrender, they can hit the big red "YIELD" button on the PARLAY control panel. This will immediately deactivate their weapon systems and cut speed to zero (assuming the drive systems are still functional), and lock out the Frameshift drive. Note that Shield systems will also be locked "on", as a safety measure for the yielding ship, and power automatically diverted to 'systems'. The system will also transmit a "Yield" message to all hostile vessels in the area, causing their flight computers to flag the yielding vessel as "Yielded" on their HUD and sensor displays. The yielding ship's systems will remain locked out until the yielding ship is released - as described next.
The yielding ship will be "bound" to the last attacker that fired on it (implementation note: preferring players over AI, if a player fired on it in the previous 60 seconds and hasn't fired on anything else, even if an AI was actually 'last'). The yielding ship and the ship it is 'bound' to can then negotiate the yielding ships' release.
The yielding ship is released (weapon and drive systems unlocked) when either:
(a) The yielding ship is fired upon (or damaged in any way, e.g. ramming, collision) - though there is a 3-second "grace" period when the PARLAY is first activated, during which damage is not counted.
(b) The bound ship moves out of the yielding ship's sensor range (including into Frameshift)
(c) The bound ship releases it (via menu item on Contacts panel, or a hotkey)
Players can negotiate what they like as parole. It doesn't stop homicidal maniac pirates attacking immediately, or after cargo has been dropped, but that will release the yielding ship, and in the mean time shields would still have been regenerating, and auto-repair systems repairing.
AI's will demand cargo based on an algorithm:
- AI will never demand more cargo than they can carry.
- AI will never demand more cargo than the player is carrying.
- If the player isn't carrying any cargo, tough luck for the AI (until cash transfers are possible)!
- The higher the AI skill (threat) level, the more cargo they will demand.
- The more intact the player's ship, the less cargo they will demand (the more you fight, or weaker you are, the more they demand).
Thus a novice AI pirate facing a fully-intact target might only demand one tonne of cargo. A deadly pirate facing a badly battered victim might demand all their cargo.
AI ships should also be programmed to yield if appropriate, and offer suitable payment from their cargo.
Other AI ships would also be programmed to respect Yielded ships, and not deliberately attack it (though accidental hits might still occur, which would release the yielded ship). Player ships could do what they liked.
Eventually, this mechanism might also incorporate taking yielding AI pilots captive, to be delivered to justice, in return for bounties (maybe bringing higher bounties than just killing them) - if players have suitably equipped ship, e.g. with "holding cells" fitted to a compartment. A bit like the Cartography mechanic. I don't think taking players captive would be a good idea, unless done 'virtually' (i.e. player gets to respawn or just depart with a penalty - e.g. paying the bounty cost - while the other player takes a 'virtual copy' of the player 'captive' to cash in later).
The idea behind all this is to encourage piracy that behaves more like piracy - stealing cargo and letting victims go (to earn more cargo to be stolen) - by providing a mechanism that encourages the sort of behavior we are after, but not forcing players to conform to that behavior.
