What is the benefit/advantage of being a law abiding citizen?

[SkipRat]

Simple question really. What is What is the benefit/advantage of being a law abiding citizen? What rewards/encouragement is there for not breaking the law and become a murdering scumbag, a smuggler, a pirate etc?

Seeing that other than financial consequences (Which really isn't significant as it is too easy to make vast amounts of money), there is no meaningful or negative consequences to being a criminal, especially now that all you have to do is swap your ship and you suddenly become a law abiding citizen again with access to all the best trade routes, best equipment from high tech systems, best stations, profitable missions, ranking with factions that would instantly attack/purse criminals on sight etc.

So what is the point of law abiding game play with zero benefits or rewards or encouragement to remain within in the law?

 

[Marra Morgan]

A smug sense of sanctimonious self-satisfaction?

 

[Shadowdancer]

You don't feel that permanent compulsion to come ranting to the forums because you failed to understand the consequences of your actions and are now stranded in your exploit system du jour

 

[SkipRat]

You don't feel that permanent compulsion to come ranting to the forums because you failed to understand the consequences of your actions and are now stranded in your exploit system du jour

Poor game mechanics and that should never happen

But I do find that funny.

 

[Achilles7]

Lower blood pressure...due to never having to suffer the irritating & moronic C&P mechanics.

​

I shall give you an example: On Thurs, I was playing me some ED while my gf was having a shower (oh yeah...'got your attention now!), suddenly she screamed like a Premier league footballer being tackled - I jumped out of my seat like the kind of heroic dude I am & ran through to the bathroom to find her swearing like a trooper about freezing water. Meh...'back to CG bounty hunting...​

What the actual f ? 'Ship destroyed' & I am facing a rebuy screen with the detention centre dialogue box.

Obviously when I launched from the station, I must have been blocking a pad or something & this made me wanted - huh, surely a fine?...this is utter cow-poo! Now I'm many, many lys away from the CG system with an undersized FSD (not hyperspace-incapable, but to save weight it has a low range) hence, with no fuel scoop, I am forced to search for some stations en route to refuel.

'Probably wasted about 25-30 mins just returning to what I had been doing previously (before the girl who cried wolf). IRL, I would accept this as bad luck & one of the vagaries nay, capriciousness of life, but this is a game...you know...for "fun"! This is the kind of inconvenience & time-wasting that I would expect getting my passport renewed, not playing a vid game during my precious R&R!
​

Next time my gf lets out a blood-curdling scream, I'm going to make sure I'm clear of the station before I go to the rescue.​

 

[d8veh]

There's not really any downside to being a criminal as long as you understand how C&P works. I've noticed that I don't get too much trouble from bounty hunters as long as my bounty stays below 40K. That's without notoriety. When I get to 40k, I go and visit the ISF guy to clear it, then carry on being naughty.

 

[Brrokk]

Less hassle.

Good roleplay.

 

[SkipRat]

Lower blood pressure...due to never having to suffer the irritating & moronic C&P mechanics.

​

I shall give you an example: On Thurs, I was playing me some ED while my gf was having a shower (oh yeah...'got your attention now!), suddenly she screamed like a Premier league footballer being tackled - I jumped out of my seat like the kind of heroic dude I am & ran through to the bathroom to find her swearing like a trooper about freezing water. Meh...'back to CG bounty hunting...​

What the actual f ? 'Ship destroyed' & I am facing a rebuy screen with the detention centre dialogue box.

Obviously when I launched from the station, I must have been blocking a pad or something & this made me wanted - huh, surely a fine?...this is utter cow-poo! Now I'm many, many lys away from the CG system with an undersized FSD (not hyperspace-incapable, but to save weight it has a low range) hence, with no fuel scoop, I am forced to search for some stations en route to refuel.

'Probably wasted about 25-30 mins just returning to what I had been doing previously (before the girl who cried wolf). IRL, I would accept this as bad luck & one of the vagaries nay, capriciousness of life, but this is a game...you know...for "fun"! This is the kind of inconvenience & time-wasting that I would expect getting my passport renewed, not playing a vid game during my precious R&R!
​

Next time my gf lets out a blood-curdling scream, I'm going to make sure I'm clear of the station before I go to the rescue.​

Well, I am all for better core game play mechanics, such as better bounty hunting, pirating trading etc.

But so far, not a single people has said (despite being very people so far) anything in game to justify being a law abiding citizen. It's just sloppy programming/bugs etc... But exactly anything anything from an actually reward point of view though.

Which says a lot more about this game.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

…
But so far, not a single people has said (despite being very people so far) anything in game to justify being a law abiding citizen. It's just sloppy programming/bugs etc... But exactly anything anything from an actually reward point of view though.
…

And yet people demand more rewards for criminal gameplay. Even in the short time since the introduction of 3.0 the consequences of the new C&P system got watered down.

A very vocal group wants crime to be rewarding and consequences free.

 

[Ziljan]

And yet people demand more rewards for criminal gameplay. Even in the short time since the introduction of 3.0 the consequences of the new C&P system got watered down.

A very vocal group wants crime to be rewarding and consequences free.

Those are two different groups.

Group A: wants the "gankers" to be raked over hot coals before being drawn and quartered, but considers their own crime of shooting a cop in the face (because they can't aim when it matters) to be a peccadillo, and forgiven automatically the first 1000 times every hour.

Group B: is Ok with harsher penalties (because they add realism and challenge) but think there should be incentives to crime, otherwise why would any pirates (NPC or Player) exist in the Elite universe if there was no reward consistent with the risk?

 

[DaveB]

Even in RL the "reward for being law-abiding" is that you DON'T get the consequences of not being. it's the same in ED.

Not pledged to a power, Legally clean.. otherwise known as "effective carte blanche to return any incoming fire"

Now, if you're actually thinking of PAYING me to break the law, then if you're going to be paying enough and I think I can manage not to get caught then let's talk

 

[Sylow]

And yet people demand more rewards for criminal gameplay. Even in the short time since the introduction of 3.0 the consequences of the new C&P system got watered down.

A very vocal group wants crime to be rewarding and consequences free.

.
Yea. I guess there's a genetical connection to strong tear glands and criminal activity...
.
I mean, i also say that having a criminal record should not only remove options but also provide some new options. But all the "it's too harsh, it's so unfair, mommyyyyyyy" i read all over the forums, especially by some people who for so long acted as if they were the toughest people ever is amusing. Especially since it's not hard to avoid most drawbacks of C&P if you have just half a brain...
.

 

[SkipRat]

And yet people demand more rewards for criminal gameplay. Even in the short time since the introduction of 3.0 the consequences of the new C&P system got watered down.

A very vocal group wants crime to be rewarding and consequences free.

Rewards should come because of the consequences. I.e. hidden criminal bases, criminal engineers, specialist equipment, missions etc as you lose access to the best trade routes, the best high tech systems etc etc.... Not mention the financial cost as well.

I mean it the other way too.... The self entitled arrogance of some explorers too... "I am an explorer, I spent x, y and z exploring, I should be exempt from being pirated and threatened"... We no actually, you should be subject to piracy/criminal behaviour too because you care vast amounts of digital wealth... Hence my idea of a "virus injection limpet" that puts a virus on an explorers ship that steals some of the data when he sells it a station...

But I agree with you, this game is being undermined by very selfish vocal minority who's only interest is themselves.

 

[CMDR Zadian Lichtfrost]

Rewards should come because of the consequences. I.e. hidden criminal bases, criminal engineers, specialist equipment, missions etc as you lose access to the best trade routes, the best high tech systems etc etc.... Not mention the financial cost as well.
…

That's mostly just removing consequences.
Criminal gameplay needs to be much worse than law abiding gameplay to prevent too many players playing criminals. If the sum of consequences and rewards is zero or positive, then the game encourages criminal gameplay and gets out of balance (even without taking direct PvP into account).

 

[verminstar]

Its weird fer me because up until 3.0 landed, I was a model citizen, never broke a single law or rule.

Since 3.0 landed, Ive been a very naughty boy indeed and am lovin it...fer me, this is what was missing from the game as in real actual consequences. Its no fun being bad if there are no consequences.

So by being good and law abiding, ye bypass the consequences...simple.

Im not moaning about the consequences because this is the gameplay I had always hoped to see...this is why I now play in open because now I have a reason to whereas before, there was no motivation, no reason, no purpose.

Id actually like to see even tougher penalties...I view what we have now as nothing more than baby steps and still some peeple are complaining?

Wow...I got nothin left to explain that...so Ill just keep enjoying what Im doing and let the tears flow regardless ^

 

[CMDR Cosmic Spacehead]

Outfitting.

 

[mbar]

I was in a save reset binge where I tried to have zero fines paid. In the ED universe where loitering is punishable by death it's best not to worry about being "moral."

 

[GG7]

You are pretty much immune from the bulk of the C&P system. Aside from having to travel to an Interstellar Factor to remove low level bounties leveled as the result of doing missions such as Planetary Scans.

 

[Eloy]

Fines and bounties should be a percentage of the personal cash. Same goes for RL.

 

[dekot]

What exactly do you think the consequences are for being a criminal in real life? Unless you are the active target of a manhunt or something, you are living a pretty ordinary life like everyone else. You seem to think being a criminal should mean living like a fugitive 24/7 and that just doesn't make sense.