Please Explain the Reputation System to this PhD Candidate
Ok, first let me explain: Around here, you need a good title for a thread to get noticed, hence the whole PhD thing -- but fwiw it's true, I am defending my PhD dissertation in computer science in a few months (that's more about hard work than about intelligence though).
So why did I start this thread? Well, I find the rep system too black-boxy. Every time I think I understand it, a new exception, corner case, or bug crops ups. I'd like someone to set me straight as far as the rep system goes.
So here is what I currently understand:
- Kill a wanted target, and the aligned factions get upset
- That is, of course, unless they are the ones who placed the bounty
Great. That makes sense. Cool.
Now my questions:
- Where do the major factions fit in?
- How can I tell if killing a target wanted by a minor faction will impact my rep with a major faction?
- What happens in conflict zones when two minor factions are in civil war, but are both aligned to the same major faction?
I would test this all myself, but testing is tedious. The main issues are that feedback is not instant -- changes take a while to show up. And, cashing in combat bonds etc., may also influence rep?
Thanks,
I appreciate straightforward answers.
--
And for what it's worth, I'd vote for a "what would happen if I kill this sucker" panel in the systems menu. A feed-forward (as opposed to feedback) interface if you will. If it takes me 10 extra seconds to consult, I'll use it sparingly to learn the rules and resolve uncertainties, and it won't get in the way too much.