The attached link is a copy of several larger scale rules and rule explanation changes that have passed discussion with the staff team. We're now currently accepting public comment via this thread for discussing the proposed changes - we hope that opening up feedback to a much larger pool of eyes will help us catch potential unintended and otherwise unforeseen issues. The document will be updated going forward based on good feedback until the staff team is satisfied that we can implement the changes.
Please don't use the term frowned upon for example two of 1.1
Either take a hardline stance on planet diving, sun diving, etc being against the rules or allow it, don't leave people guessing. There's enough animosity over ambiguity already.
The verbiage of 2.1 is fine but that long, winding explanation honestly makes me uncomfortable. There are plenty of scenarios where a minimum of written roleplay is the sensible course of action. The Navy shooting my faction, Gaians shooting Planetform, Outcasts shooting Corsairs, so on and so forth. Plenty of blood rivalries, and I don't think this ancient dogma of pvp being this different, separate entity from rp is really the horse we want to be beating in 2025.
Sanctions like the recent one against Mort are more than sufficient for correcting the behavior you're seeing an issue with. People who are sealclubbing, not actually interested in rp, etc are always going to make themselves known, and are an entirely separate entity from something like an [LN]- tag typing two lines before going in guns blazing at a TFP)- tagged ship.
1.1.2 - Roleplay needs to be plainly written to not count as stakes. That seems to be the intent here, so that's what needs to be said. Money, cargo, POB involved? Stakes. Roleplay? No stakes. I don't agree with it and would prefer to see the fair play requirements enforced across the board, but if you're going to do it this way, be clear.
2.4 - Why are pirates still allowed to pirate in cruisers?
(05-21-2025, 06:47 AM)Weapon Wrote: Either take a hardline stance on planet diving, sun diving, etc being against the rules or allow it, don't leave people guessing. There's enough animosity over ambiguity already.
I feel like this could be roleplayed well. "You'll never take me alive!" comes to mind as someone who won't go back to prison...but doing so to deny someone a kill is still pretty messed up. I think the reason why it was worded as it was, was to allow that RP to still happen if warranted and not be sanctionable if it did.
In terms of names, how far are we going to go with this? Sure, the obvious names should be prevented but I have had some amusing Junker and Rogue names over the years ("Not.in.my.backyard!" still makes me giggle), would these be caught in the net of more strict name enforcement? For the record, I whole-heartedly support this heavier enforcement of naming, just want to know what the line is.
On another note, I'd like to see some kind of rule changes in the future targeting silent power traders. I realize it would be difficult to enforce and would be a slippery slope but the amount of these silent power traders on the server nowadays is quite disheartening when trying to find someone to roleplay with while flying around. Many of these silent power traders are AFK trading, maybe something can be done about that?
You fear oblivion. Yet you forget. The universe remembers every atom of your being. Even dust hums your name in the dark. Roleplay is dead. Long live Powertraders and PvP I guess.
(05-21-2025, 06:47 AM)Weapon Wrote: Either take a hardline stance on planet diving, sun diving, etc being against the rules or allow it, don't leave people guessing. There's enough animosity over ambiguity already.
I feel like this could be roleplayed well. "You'll never take me alive!" comes to mind as someone who won't go back to prison...but doing so to deny someone a kill is still pretty messed up. I think the reason why it was worded as it was, was to allow that RP to still happen if warranted and not be sanctionable if it did.
To clarify, I think this is totally fine outside of combat or a scenario where combat is expected to happen. If somebody is roleplaying being sewerslidal and nobody expecting to shoot them or already shooting them is around, then by all means. I should've said a hardline stance against suiciding in/before combat.
(05-21-2025, 07:58 AM)HonourWolf Wrote: I want your official stance on this @EisenSeele if I have a joke name ship in conn and never bring it out, does this constitute it being in a roleplay setting and do I have to adhere by these naming conventions? (None of the ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN bullshit)
Apart from some of the names that forced us to reach out to you directly to have it changed - we have had a definite stance that Conn is exempt from 'immersion rules' because the system is explicitly out of roleplay. It would take a lot for me to be convinced to change that stance, and I haven't seen anyone argue for changing that stance. That's as good as you're going to get from me without us taking another vote.
Regarding suiciding - we obviously want everyone to play their characters as if they were living people that are capable of dying and understandably afraid to die. It's hard to make a "hardline" rule regarding this because how characters face death is as varied as there are attitudes towards dying (that is to say, a lot).
Is a buttmad capwhore flying into the sun because the PLAYER is furious about getting nibbled to death by snubs a sensible and believable action? I don't think so.
Is a Corsair elder seething impotently on his burning flagship in a doomed last stand against a hopelessly large Outcast fleet flying into the sun to avoid the ultimate insult of being captured alive a sensible and believable action? Definitely more than the first one.
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