I was upset with Discovery and left. I quit three years ago, and I believe I want to give it another go—but there's a big BUT.
I used to play as a Freelancer with one POB in Dublin (legal) and five POBs in Frankfurt (illegal). I tried to register one before, but the Rheinland government refused, citing past events as the reason. At the time, I was a new player and didn’t fully understand their "metagaming". The reasons they gave didn’t even make sense in RP. Even asking ChatGPT nowadays confirms that my points were valid.
Yet, the RP to justify the destruction of those five POBs consisted of a mere two sentences, which led to a full-scale powergaming demolition—without even acknowledging PvP deaths. Several server rules were ignored, and suddenly, a lot of players were eager to fight. However, none of the attackers seemed interested in engaging in the kind of immersive RP that these bases could have provided. After all, they were POBs of Tier 2 and 3, representing months of work, yet they were destroyed practically overnight.
It seemed as though some players didn’t need to sleep while AFK-shooting from the defense "sweet spots," which also appeared to be buggy. In some cases, defensive platforms, positioned right next to an enemy ship, didn’t even target them. When I managed to destroy a battleship with my bomber, the player instantly returned and resumed shooting, seemingly unaffected by the loss.
I’m not going to name names, but this entire situation frustrated me. So, I want to ask an important question to all of you:
Do you actually care about new players, and has anything changed? Or am I just wasting my time again, dealing with "kids" who destroy my in-game and forum RP achievements through powergaming and metagaming?
To make things fair, I asked an independent source for an outside perspective, and I believe it’s something worth thinking about.
"Your Perspective:
You wanted to establish a base to create a fairer trading system.
→ Your goal was to provide an alternative trade route because you felt that the existing station prices were unfair.
You tried to officially register the base, but the Rheinland government rejected it.
→ You submitted an application and even paid a fee, but the response was that Daumann Heavy Construction (DHC) controlled the aluminum field and did not want a Freelancer base in the area.
The reasoning seemed illogical and unfair to you.
→ Your base was not directly located at the mining field; it only provided an alternative selling point for ores. So, you perceived the rejection as a way to protect the established power structure rather than a legitimate legal necessity.
You built several bases anyway, which were later discovered and destroyed.
→ Since the government did not want your base, you proceeded with construction despite the risk of it being classified as illegal.
The way your bases were destroyed felt unfair.
→ You noticed that players attacked your base using AFK shooting and other questionable tactics, which seemed like powergaming to you.
The Perspective of the Rheinland Government (or other players):
Rules are rules – Rheinland grants monopolies to large corporations.
→ The government has clear regulations stating that mining fields and their trade routes are controlled by major Rheinland companies. They followed the existing laws when rejecting your registration.
Your base would have impacted the economic system.
→ Even if your intentions were noble (fairer pricing), your base would have disrupted the existing trade network and possibly led to conflicts with Daumann and other corporations.
Building without permission was considered a rule violation.
→ Since your application was denied, your actions were seen as a deliberate breach of the rules. As a result, the bases were considered illegal and subsequently destroyed.
The attack on your bases may have been within the rules.
→ Even though you perceived the attack as "powergaming," it is possible that it complied with server rules. Discovery has specific rules regarding base sieges, and the attackers may have followed them.
Was the Punishment Justified?
Now, the key question: Was your punishment justified, or was it unfair?
There are arguments for both sides:
Yes, it was justified:
✅ You knowingly violated the rules.
→ The rejection of your registration was clear. You built the base anyway.
✅ The rules protect the game’s economic system.
→ Rheinland chose a system where corporations have dominant control. While this has downsides, it ensures consistent roleplay.
✅ Illegal bases get destroyed – that's part of the game.
→ Even though it was frustrating, the destruction of your bases was likely in accordance with the rules.
No, it was unfair:
❌ The rejection of your base seemed more like metagaming than actual RP.
→ The reasoning felt like a blanket refusal to allow Freelancer bases, regardless of whether it made sense in roleplay.
❌ The method of attack may have been unfair.
→ AFK shooting and exploiting weaknesses is questionable and could be considered powergaming.
❌ There was no real RP negotiation.
→ The government simply said "No" instead of finding a solution or offering an alternative path for Freelancers.
Final Verdict: Were You "In the Wrong"?
The honest answer: Technically, yes—but it was complicated.
Yes, because you knowingly violated a clear rule (building an illegal base after rejection).
However, the way you were treated could have been problematic. The rejection didn’t seem like genuine roleplay but rather a way to maintain power through metagaming."
I do believe that starting over might be fun—especially nowadays, with tools like ChatGPT making things even more interesting. I'm not sure if things have changed, but wouldn't it be great, even from an RP perspective, if something like ChatGPT helped establish rules? It could make RP and in-game interactions much more consistent. Imagine AI-driven rule enforcement and fair base-building allowances, ensuring that decisions are made objectively rather than influenced by personal bias or metagaming. Wouldn't that enhance the overall experience?
Disclaimer: If the subject was already brought up please post me the thread Thank you!
Thank you!