Player Features and Ideas Discussion

The current bounty system changes idea thread is locked, so I'm posting a new idea, and maybe the thread will be active after. My apologies.


Bounty System


Concept: To make the system feasible, we need to add a few key aspects that take advantage of functions already used in the game itself. The current system allows players to put bounties on other players, but the player with the bounty can easily avoid encounters by hiding in high sec. To remedy this issue, we can make it to where anyone with a bounty is instantly flagged red to certain players; in all space. To avoid various problems this could encounter, we make it to where only militia players can actually attack the player in any given space. All players will be able to acquire the bounty in 0.4 and lower, but militia pilots will be the only players that can attack without issues in high sec. (detailed information about this below).

Addition to Aggression - Judgment: Instead of being able to freely add a bounty to any player, we change the aggression mechanics slightly. To avoid any issues, allow players the option to report a player to concord, when an act of aggression is committed. When a pilot commits a crime, that would normally cause an aggression timer, the victim player would be presented with an aggression judgment window. The window will ask if you would like to report the offending player to concord, giving the option to report, or ignore. For the sake of many players, and their ship, the aggression judgment can be done any time after the aggression, and no timer will be set for such. Let the judgment window stay open until someone answers the judgment, or closes the window. With this, bounties cannot be randomly added to players, allowing anyone to make any pilot red to players. Just like canister aggression, corporation, alliance, or players with good/excellent standings are ignored.

Conditions of Judgment: To keep players from taking advantage of the system, a player cannot cast judgment on someone in their corporation, alliance, or with good/excellent standing. If a player negates one of these conditions, they must wait at least 24 hours to have the ability to "cast judgment". Players with bounties, or offenses are also restricted from the ability to "cast judgment".

Overview Placement: Just like the overview setup now, the bounty player will show the mini-icon for having a bounty on their capsuleer, but the overview row color will stay the color of the standing you have towards that character. For instance, a corporation member will still show a green row, but with a red mini-icon for the bounty. For militia members, they will show flashing red row, with the red mini-icon, while non-militia players will see the color for general standing as the row color, but the red mini-icon. With this setup, players will not become confused of the status of the character, and how they can react. Of course, those who wish to "suicide gank", may do so, if they feel they can do so.

Placing Bounties: Instead of using purely player money to create the bounty, we allow a victim player to add a bounty, and the system add a percentage to the total, depending on the number of offenses on their record. For instance, a victim player puts a bounty of 10 million ISK on an offending player, who has 4 negative judgments on their record. The system adds an additional 10 million to the bounty. Roughly, the system will work under the following:

bounty + (offensive_acts * (bounty * 0.25 ))

For every act an offending player has on their record; the system will pay 25% more, per every act. In order to get the bonus from the system, the bounty must be placed in high-sec empire space (Caldari, Minmater, Amarr, Galante). The bonus will not exceed 100%. Low-sec, and null-sec bounties will only be for the amount placed by the victim player. With this, the player is paying a substantial amount, and the system adds a bit more to bring more incentive to the bounty hunters in high-sec.

Bounty Collection: Just like the system now, anyone can collect the bounty, shortly after killing the offending party. The offenses on the record will also be removed after apprehension. Only militia members of a high sec region, may kill the pilot with the bounty, in high sec space lawfully. Not only does this keep the new system from turning into a high-sec bloodbath, but also gives the militia portion of the game more depth, and much more appeal. With such, the actual "bounty hunting", could be a feasible profession in time. Too add a bit more, players with a bounty can race to the border, where militias may be wary crossing (rival faction space).

Collection Limits: A pilot may collect the bounty for themselves, or for their fleet. Just like a mission, they are presented by the option to split, or take the entire bounty. If the pilot is in a corporation with a tax rate, the corporation does take the tax out of the bounty. This will also allow for bounty hunting corporations, allowing them to thrive on the taxes for their corporations. That being said, using the corporation timer, people cannot drop corporation, and then kill someone with a bounty, without waiting at least 24 hours. With this, we avoid people trying to exploit the system by getting quick rewards.

Summary: The whole point of this concept is to not only fix the system, but to actually turn it into a profitable profession. Requiring the player to be in a militia to attack someone in high-sec, also brings more interest into the militia aspect of the game. With that said, players with a bounty will then group with gangs, or fleets, when running through high-sec; purely for security.

True, an alt could simply join FW and then collect the bounty. This is one of the major downfalls of the current bounty system as is, and many proposals to improve it. Making bounties claimable by FW characters goes some way to reducing the chance but alts can join quite easily.

Yes, our current system is flawed, but the point of this system is to keep people with bounties from being able to hide in high-sec. Right now the bounty system is almost worthless. There are lots of people with bounties, just floating around in high-sec, without a care in the world. The point of the bounty system, is to have someone killed who wronged you. With this, not only is the bounty justified, it also gives anyone a chance to claim the reward, where the person who has the bounty, is not safe from anything.

Yes, like the current system, there is nothing keeping an alt from collecting the bounty, but you would be lucky to be able to kill yourself with an alt. You don't know when the bounty is being placed, and when it is, you're red to everyone in the militia. The chance of someone actually being able to dock before getting killed, and then making sure their alt is in the militia to have the right to kill you, is a process that is far from easy.

I like the idea Tairon, a lot. The one part that sticks out the most, is the cumulative bounty in the EBP, and the slowly degrading bounty total.

Needless to say, I hope to see something change, since it's getting old seeing the same people in the bounty list, and never seeing them change.

"Allow players the option to report crimes to concord."
This is an excellent Idea.

"A crime can be reported any time after the offense."
This is good.

"The bounty must be placed in high-sec empire space (Caldari, Minmater, Amarr, Galante)."
If we can place a bounty whenever we can report a crime, and we can report a crime anywhere but null sec, then we should be able to place bounties anywhere but null sec.

"The victim would be presented with a criminal report window. The window will ask if you would like to press charges or let it go. The window will stay open until an answer is given."
A pop up window would be very annoying. Just make it a gadget on the Neocom.

"Cannot charge anyone in your corporation, alliance, or players with good/excellent standing."
Okay.

"Criminals are restricted from reporting crimes."
This makes sense.

"Allow a victim to add a bounty to a criminal, and concord will add a percentage to the total"
Sounds good to me. The math should be; bounty + (bounty *(crimes * 1.25))

"The bonus will not exceed 100%."
Why not?

"Criminal records are cleared after apprehension."
Then how is the bounty bonus supposed to work?
Apprehension? We don't apprehend criminals, we pod them.
Once a criminal has been podded, it should only clear their bounty and criminal flag, not their criminal history.

"Anyone with a bounty is instantly flagged red to certain players in all space"
Why only "certain players"?

"Anyone can collect the bounty, shortly after killing the offending party."
Concord should automatically pay it when the criminal is podded.

"If the bounty hunter is in a corporation with a tax rate, the corporate tax applies to the bounty.
Fine, whatever.

"All players will be able to acquire the bounty in 0.4 and lower."
We should be able to acquire a bounty anywhere in high or low sec.
Null sec has no police presence so, f a criminal dies in null sec,
it should do nothing to change their bounty in empire space.

"A pilot may collect the bounty for themselves, or for their fleet."
If a criminal is podded by anyone in a fleet, the bounty should
automatically be equally divided among all members of the fleet.

"Only militia pilots can actually attack the player in any given space. Only militia pilots can attack without issues in high sec. Only militia members of a high sec region, may kill the pilot with the bounty, in high sec space lawfully."
What?! No, this is wrong, makes no sense.

"If a player negates one of these conditions, they must wait at least 24 hours to have the ability to "cast judgment"."
The only way to negate anything is to cheat. If implemented right, cheating shouldn't be possible.