Player Features and Ideas Discussion

As we all know the current bounty system is a broken mechanic that allows a disturbing level of abuse due mostly impart to its simplicity. The bounty system originally meant as a means for someone to play out a role as a bounty hunter is undermined by the fact that the target has a to easy ability to ask a friend or even make an alt character to collect the bounty placed on them. This turns the current system into basically just a means of handing out free ISK. The system has also been turned into a means of making ones self feel more like a pirate by placing a bounty on their own head. This boils the system down to something that dose not resemble the original intent or purpose.

The simplicity of the current system works against the original intent.

I propose a new system that requires a person looking to be a bounty hunter to purchase a license from the bounty tab in station. The license would come in four grades (A,B,C,D) that are separated by cost and the required security lvl to use. All lvls of license will be good for a thirty day period and will allow the holder to enter five bounty targets into a list that will make those targets available for payout and be able to engage whether in High sec, Low sec, or Null/WH space. This list will be maintained server side allowing tranquility to update your list when a target is no longer available (bounty already taken).

*Note that if your security status dips below the required standing for the license you currently own the license will become null/void and a pop up or mail will appear to notify you.

For an example of the requirements of a license will take a look at the grade D Bounty license. As this is the lowest grade license you can purchase it has the lowest security lvl requirement of 1.0 but has the highest ISK cost of the four grades (possibly 500mil.). The purpose of the high ISK cost of the lowest grade bounty license is to help deter some one from just buying a low grade license and podding their friend for the ISK then splitting the reward. With each grade of license as you get closer to grade A, will require a slightly higher security status and reduced amount of ISK.

Two possible new skill books geared towards the bounty hunter crowd could be one that gives 25% reduction in the cost of a bounty license at lvl 5 and the other would give 25% of the bounty reward as a bonus from concord at lvl 5.

A new search function will also be available only to those who have a license that allows a player with a bounty license to search a list of available targets in their region and the bordering regions around the one the player is currently in when viewing the search window. This new list of available bounty targets would filter out any player that has not been active (logged in) for the past 7 days. This would be needed to reduce the number of bountys clogging the system on players that either don't play anymore or are taking a month or more break from eve. This is also needed so that those working as bounty hunters don't spend 5 hours loading targets onto their watch list before they find one thats online.

Again, the prices for the different lvls/grades of license will go from lowest security status highest cost to highest security status lowest cost. Please offer up your own ideas and what would be an appropriate amount for each lvl of license.

my ideas are
D: 500mil security status 1.0
C: 400mil security status 2.0
B: 300mil security status 3.0
A: 200mil security status 4.0

after possible 25% reduction from proposed skill book
D: 375mil
C: 300mil
B: 225mil
A: 150mil

These may need to be increased or reduced. Discuss

(no system will ever completely eliminate the problems plaguing the current one but a better thought out one can reduce it to a less abusive lvl.)

I like ideas that make bounty hunting more viable. But this seems a little overly complex to me. (Eve is already a steep learning curve for those trying to learn). Can it be made simpler?

yk