' Wrote:Screw them! They don't even know I'm insulting them because they haven't found this yet!
Srsly though, Angels aren't quite enough.
We keep getting more and more 'Silent Traders' and 'Lolcaps'.
It's not funny anymore.

' Wrote:My two cents, with teh caveat that I tend to fly indie caps (and will once again when I have the cash to rebuy em), and that I havent played for a few months due to PC issues (but hey, how much could things have changed ?)

Now, to start, lolcaps, lolboats, and lolbombers are all equaly an issue in my eyes (bombers only because of the power they represent to easily kill anything big)

The best way I can think of to do it would make gunboat and larger, and heavy faction based fighter weaponry (INCLUDING the SNAC) heavily restricted. In a Bastille like system with no access to anywere unless an admin moves you there.

To get access you must have

A: the cash
B: the propper rep/ID
C: be able to get on the forums and post in an intelligent fashion. Someone who writes like a lolcap person can easily be screened out if they seem to lack knowledge of what is required to have the heavy kit.

Once that is done, you request it in a thread for such requests (or prehaps a new forum section, 1 thread per person), and the admin moves you to the base for your factions restricted equiptment. If you end up playing PM tag trying to get an admin you just buy the stuff, and post again that you're ready to be moved back (or just get immeditly moved back if an admin is online).
Now, yes this would mean a LOT more work for admins, however TBH it wouldnt be THAT much more, just check the thread/forum a few times a day, mass move folks either way.

Suddenly, all caps are IMPOSSIBLE to get w/o having shown SOME base intelligence. The lolcaps currently in circulation will quickly get some sense, or get banned.

Now for weapons that raises a seperate issue, as they can just be unmounted and sold. However, if they were treated the same as caps (you have to register to get the launcher/gun) it would over time take the more powerful weapons out of the hands of the lolwuters. And from a RP prespective this makes sense too, as even the pirates wouldnt just sell their best kit to some idiot who will draw attention to them, theyd shoot em, take his ship, and give sell it to someone with some sense.

And yeah this will mean more hoops to jump thru, but srsly if you cant wait a few extra days, you proably dont deserve to have it.
As for non-cap restricted hardware, Id suggest primarily the SNAC, restrict it the same as caps. Most allready have one anyway if they're gona want it. And it'll mean that the new players wont just power trade and get a bomber to kill traders. Yes, weapons merchants will have a LOT of SNACs, that said they'll HOPEFULLY be intersted in NOT selling to lolwuters (assuming lolwuters have the ability to interact enough to even buy one).

Past that, if it's observed that the lolwuters are overusing a certain weapon in abundence, next update move that item to the restricted location so that they cant get it as easily.
Note: Yes, I primarily use caps to RP, however my reason for suggesting adding the SNAC is not due to 'oh noes I got SNACd' but rather that quite often you will see newer players who just PvP with minimal RP swarm in bombers with a SNAC. Yes the SNAC was powerd down a tad in the recent update, however the fact is that a swarm is a swarm. And with the novatorp STILL avalible new players will have a decent weapon for their bomber w/o being TOO over powerd.
Even if folks dont agree on the SNAC, Im sure y'all will agree that if caps themselves (including gunboats) were all restricted so that you HAVE to use the forums (or PM an admin ingame) to get one the lolwuters would VERY quickly die down, as they would have to appear intelligent when conversing with an admin to get one. And if they fake it, get the cap, then lolwut, they would have NO leg to stand on and be more easily dealt with.

Tho I must say, I'll miss SOME LOLCAPS players. Best fun Ive EVER had ingame was sitting in Z21 in my lib cruiser with another lib cruiser, repeatedly killing this huntress with cap8 armor that kept coming out of Alaska, attacking us on sight, dying, then returning right away and giving us many many rude and hilarious messages, only to eventualy run us out of bots/bats, and sneak by as we re-supplied to head to manhattan and randomly blow up starfleas, then dock @ manhat, and undock only to find an admin (hoodlum IIRC) who quickly banned em for good.
EDIT: Also, prehaps further establish system by system (or system type by system type) requirements for the use of caps for roleplay. IE: Unlawful caps (over GB size) should almost NEVER be seen ANYWERE at all near the trade lanes in core lawful space (especily nowere near the core planets). BHG should never approach malta/crete, and (execpt for hte purpose of primary wars) heavy caps should NEVER enter their primary enemies capital system, execpt for RP events coordinated with the other side (IE: RM/LN in newberlin/NY with caps only when coordinated, otehrwise stay out of the capital, you aint safe there). For lawfuls their primary job with a cap is fighting a war, and generaly just sitting back and waiting for lolwuters or pirate caps to zergrush them. For unlawfuls, their job is to HIDE, and sit back and escort the smaller more expendable bombers/GBs as they 'aquire' items from traders, and only pounce if the enemy brings a heavy in. I hate to sound like Im trying to tell folks how to RP, but lets face it the pirate packs with a heavy cap escorting them sitting right on the lane are kinda a joke.