Too much NPCs

[Hubjump]

I think this would be best approached with some high-danger and low-danger zones. Every faction should have some dangerous NPCs to ward off foes from an area of interest, but also to give players some emergent PVE to do that doesn't involve starting a mission. Allowing opposing factions' high-danger areas to intersect would create little NPC fight arenas that wandering players could dip into for some credits, and carry on their way.

I think it's important to avoid putting all of the high-level NPCs near bases. Having a defense grid made up of VHFs with stupid-accurate shotguns would only encourage players to camp their bases (as we see with the already excruciatingly well-defended lawful house planets). Normal wimp NPCs should be in zones where player interaction is common and expected, while the beefcake murderhobo NPCs would be better off the trade lane grid, at points where the lines between jump holes or mining zones intersect.

This would emphasize the "space is dangerous" idea that the community likes to talk about without making a stray CD in a populated zone an instant death sentence for someone who fatfingers their keyboard while they're talking to another playet.

I like the idea but I would have planets and other "population centres" as high danger. Because you're not exactly meant to be safe in the most active and populated region of space which would obviously be protected and patrolled especially concerning NL and the story. Hell I even wish Cambridge had more life as there isn't much reason to go there considering Dublin cruise is faster than tradelanes to exeter atm but I digress.

You said it yourself what you did wrong - you tried to pirate a transport close to a station. These places are supposed to be dangerous for unlawfuls.

4.3 If a player combat docks in a transport they may remain in the system for the sole purpose of trading only.

Random stations shouldn't be too high danger unless maybe if it's a military spot away from any useful location long a trading route maybe but pirating next to a station is rather silly considering they can just dock and do something else to make money until it's safe again. Don't pirate next to stations.

Exactly.
Huge amount of NPCs favors only lawful side, creating 'blockade' like movable Weapon Platforms, and flipping capital ships in addition

Raiding stuttgart where? I remember Caps only used to spawn around planets before I wouldn't think this to be too much of a problem unless you're at the planet which again is a population center and would obviously be protected. it would generate activity if POB's were build in these areas and took more effort to take down (If the besiegers didn't siege on off times and the defenders actually existed looking at RM rn)

Just like a corporate ships would be blasted by Corsair NPCs outside of Crete.

I would agree that ideally it should be players doing that and not NPCs, but that's not possible with the minute server population that we have.

Yeah p much. There isn't anything stopping you from treating NPC's like players in an encounter other than the possibility that the other player just doesn't and ends up blowing them up without a second thought and all that. That circles back to it interrupts RP but all I can say is with what we got to work with we just have to try and RP away from places where your GB or cruiser might be ganked by a random cap patrol. Because it makes sense that it's there, it's just that it doesn't RP back before engaging as a military player would if they were present.

There is an underlying assumption in this statement that law enforcement patrols cover every portion of lawful space at any given time. Freelancer's distorted, unrealistically small scale compounds this issue. The orbits of planets are huge. Entire star systems are enormous. In the real world, it's impossible to thoroughly keep a city under watch in all places at all times. No Navy can see every square nautical mile of the ocean at once.

Space is far larger than a city or an ocean, and far more sparse. To say that NPCs are there to catch every smuggler or foolhardy pirate is nonsense, and is already contradicted by the fact that we have atmospheric entry points that allow factions hostile to the primary owners of a planet to land there.

Just because somebody can be there does not mean that someone will always be there.

Scanners my dude, I'm sure a planet could easily detect you and be like "HOSTILES! SEND OUT SHIPS TO INTERCEPT!" before the planet gets bombed like NL,Leeds or that snowy planet from the story whose name escapes me right now.

Well, atmospheric points to major planets are very good idea. That would allow for some nice smugging, and it would promote freighter's play.

Buff smuggling <3

But this is RP server and it's for RP and PvP...it isn't Discovery Freelancer 24/7 PvE server, come on guys be serious

Here, lets take some logic...imagine a real New York city that is guarded by tanks and armoured vehicles 24/7, no logic right, just like the New York planet. Area 51 is guarded and like that, Alaska and Zone 21 would be guarded in game.

There aren't foreign tanks pillaging in America but instead petty crime so bring a bomber or well armed fighter. The fact gunboats can get close to a capital planet is extraordinary to begin with.

When players are present, their power projection is felt. When they are absent, they have left a hole. NPCs do not have to fill that hole.

I mean they fill it pretty damn well... This game is nothing without missions to some of us and nothing without npc's when flying about. It's hollow and that hollowness does nothing for the mind you just begin to feel lonely doing what you'd prefer to be doing rather than going out of your way to take part in rp in a place and faction you don't care for or like. It's why not everyone who plays in the omicrons plays down around bretonia and why all brets don't all also play around the omicrons and other comparisons can be made but you should get my point. But this response to a quote has to be my most opinionated thus far because that hole might not feel has lonely when empty as other people might feel it. But I personally do far much prefer seeing NPC's derp about.

In saying this, you implied that I argued that my goal was to prevent any consequences at all from happening. I am not twisting your words. You handled them poorly yourself.

Hypocritical coming from me of all people but if the message has been completely misunderstood and they can't see what you meant it might be best to give up trying to convince these people.

Woah thats one big wall to a single reply. I've kept mine to certain parts. I couldn't possibly write an essay about a rock like he could. Also I'm surprised this even became a multi page thread as it doesn't seem like that much of a complex issue. The only things to be considered are RP encounters in certain orbits/areas and grinding which well... Missions are great now so there isn't really reason to openly farm unless we got like... Hampshire and Dundee on steroids. That would be cool. Oh and also not having the server feel completely empty when you're doing what you'd prefer to do. That too.