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Fixing the Bounty System
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Evelgrivion
State War Academy
Caldari State
#1 - 2012-02-13 01:32:52 UTC
Cross-posted from my blog

It occurred to me the other day that everything that is wrong with the bounty system can be expressed in a single sentence:

"Bounties don't work because the payouts are worth more than the clones."

Now that implants are included in pod-mails, the market value of a destroyed clone is public knowledge; this has created an opportunity to implement a new bounty system. As the nature of the current problem is that a friend or an alt can claim an outstanding bounty, the fix is actually relatively straightforward; change the mechanics of bounty payment to only supply a portion of the value of each clone and treat the total bounty on a pilot's head as a payout pool.

With a proportional payout pool, pilots will no longer be able to take a bounty for themselves without suffering more in losses than payouts. By supplying small payments rather than a lump sum, a new incentive is created to keep podding a given pilot as long as there's money in the bounty pool.

Voila! The eternally broken bounty system is fixed!
Tidurious
Blatant Alt Corp
#2 - 2012-02-13 01:56:07 UTC
No. Since you don't know if someone has implants, AND since clones aren't worth that much, you lose the incentive to pod someone by not knowing how much you'll get.

This would not fix the problem, this would make bounties even MORE pointless. If I don't KNOW how much of the 240+ million bounty on Cannibal Kane that I'll get if I see him randomly buzzing through hisec in a pod (unlikely, I know) then I wouldn't waste sec status on a kill that might pay 240mil, but might only pay, say, 5mil.

What we need is transferable killrights that are on a contract system.
Evelgrivion
State War Academy
Caldari State
#3 - 2012-02-13 02:35:36 UTC  |  Edited by: Evelgrivion
Tidurious wrote:
No. Since you don't know if someone has implants, AND since clones aren't worth that much, you lose the incentive to pod someone by not knowing how much you'll get.

This would not fix the problem, this would make bounties even MORE pointless. If I don't KNOW how much of the 240+ million bounty on Cannibal Kane that I'll get if I see him randomly buzzing through hisec in a pod (unlikely, I know) then I wouldn't waste sec status on a kill that might pay 240mil, but might only pay, say, 5mil.

What we need is transferable killrights that are on a contract system.


I call shenanigans on this argument; how is there any incentive not to pod someone with a bounty on their head, regardless of how little it might pay out for any given kill? In your cited example, the 240 million ISK bounty might pay out 5 million, but another 235 million would still be up for grabs.

EDIT: It makes more sense a second time through. I don't agree with your counter-argument since it relies on pod-killing passerby pilots that are not -5.
Tchulen
Trumpets and Bookmarks
#4 - 2012-02-13 07:35:23 UTC
One small change would fix the bounty system. If the change was that a person with a bounty on their head had to pay the cost of the bounty for their next clone there would be no point in getting an alt/friend to shoot them to get the bounty as it would cancel out (short of just wanting to get rid of the bounty which most people with bounties wouldn't do as it's a badge of honour). It would also make having a huge bounty even more exciting as losing that clone doesn't just mean losing the bounty but the same again from your own wallet.
Nestara Aldent
Citimatics
#5 - 2012-02-13 08:35:09 UTC  |  Edited by: Nestara Aldent
What's wrong with a bounty system is bounty system itself.

How do we collect bounties on Jita scammer alts that never leave the station?
How do we collect bounties on those who put them to advertise their gambling establishment?

And transferable kill right system or contract kill system wont do anything to those who never leave the station.

Bounty system is broken, and can't be fixed because of the fact that there are safe areas in the game (stations) nobody is forced to leave. CCP should just remove it, so that we, at least, don't see gambling establishments advertised in CQ anymore.
ROCK MELTER
The Scope
Gallente Federation
#6 - 2012-04-23 23:18:56 UTC
Tidurious wrote:
What we need is transferable killrights that are on a contract system.


Signed!
Misanthra
Alternative Enterprises
#7 - 2012-04-24 03:46:47 UTC
this again.....

player who posts the bounty determines the value of the marks head, not the implants in it. those who shoot the mark down deserve full payment.

And as always, want something done right do it yourself. Don't like the fact that bounty could be claimed by an alt...take bounty money, buy ship and fit it, handle your own business.

Or let it go. If I bountied every cheap shot artist the pvp char has got sucker punched by I'd be broke.

Also some with bounties keep them till honestly taken by ship losses to actual enemies. Shooters got paid, you got your petty dose of vengeance....guy shoulld get his clean slate.