Suggestion] Personal Transponder Codes (PTCs) – Custom Ship ID System for Roleplay

[Deity]

Summary:

I suggest the addition of a Personal Transponder Code (PTC) mechanic a customizable ship identifier that players can set, spoof, or encrypt for the purposes of in-depth roleplay. This system would create opportunities for intelligence operations, smuggling, impersonation, and identification-related RP, especially for covert or law-enforcement factions.

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Core Mechanic:

• Players can use a command such as /transponder set <code> to assign a visible Transponder ID to their ship.
  
• This ID would be shown when scanned by other players:
  

  Transponder ID: ALG-Transport-922

  or
  

  Transponder ID: [CLASSIFIED]

  
  
• Optional variants:
  • [+] Spoofed Transponders: Pretend to be a different faction (e.g., pirate pretending to be ALG).
    [+] Encrypted Transponders: ID hidden from regular players, but visible to certain factions (e.g., LSF, Order).
    [+] Default Civilian Transponder: Always shows real ID, cannot be altered.
    
  
  
• Players could use /transponder hide or /transponder reset to manage visibility or remove it.
  

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Game Mechanics:

• Spoofed or encrypted transponders are purchased as RP Items (like cloaks/scanners).
  
• Changing or activating them would have a cooldown (e.g., 1 hour) to prevent abuse.
  
• Destruction of the ship reveals the true identity in the kill message.
  
• Advanced scanners or specific faction gear can "break" the encryption and expose the real ID.
  

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Roleplay Benefits:

• Enables covert ops and false flag missions for factions like LSF, MND, Order, GC, etc.
  
• Supports RP scenarios like bounty hunting, tracking smugglers, or setting traps.
  
• Creates narrative tension between law enforcement and criminal elements.
  
• Adds depth to intel-gathering gameplay without impacting core combat mechanics.
  

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Balance and Safeguards:

• Abuse prevention: Faked IDs would not change actual character name, so sanctions can still apply.
  
• Spoof items are limited and have strict cooldowns to avoid meta gaming.
  
• Only one active transponder per ship at a time.
  
• Possibly restricted to official/unofficial factions with RP justification.
  

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Captain Echo
“Flying free between the stars. No flag, no chains.”

Independent | Smuggler | Explorer

[Ashyur]

probably not possible?
it would probably be a character rename command

[Deity]

probably not possible?
it would probably be a character rename command

You're right that it might resemble a rename on the surface, but the idea isn't to replace the character name — just to add an extra displayed layer of identification (like a "fake callsign" shown in scan data or chat, not in the actual character name).

It wouldn’t need to change the actual character name at all — that’s important for sanctions and tracking. Technically, this could be handled similarly to how cloaks, cargo scanners, or nomad cloaks already alter what you see during scans, but without affecting the base mechanics. Just a cosmetic + RP feature.

If a rename-level change were required, then yeah — it would be too heavy-handed. But as a temporary override or display tag, especially through a custom item or scan message tweak, it should be feasible within FLHook or plugin logic.

Would love to hear from someone on the dev team if that’s within the mod’s current limits.

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Captain Echo
“Flying free between the stars. No flag, no chains.”

Independent | Smuggler | Explorer