Suggestion for 4.86 or some other update

[markobgd]

This is my proposal how to solve lawfulls vs. unlawfulls balance. The problem you can read in this post:
Click here.
Please read it.

The reason for disbalance, according to some of the players, is:
- "There are waaay too many Lolcasts and Lolsairs, that's why."
- "Much easier to get credits and guns that way (pirating) than to actually have to work for it."
- "This issue have an easy answer... Lawfuls cant fight, unlawfulls sure know how to fight."
- "Joining the army, becoming a police officer, being a trucker, aren't exactly 'Exciting' things to do in real life."
- "Unlawful is just more attractive than lawful."


For solution I began with main idea which is that it would not be good to restrict number of players in unlawfull factions or to force players in any way to join lawfulls.
So what options do we have?
Someone said "Maybe allowing police/military more pay would increase the number of lawfuls on the server."
I don't agree. I don't think that money is primary motif for joining some faction. If someone wants money, he could always trade/powertrade.

There was idea of taxing pirates:
"What would of course, increase (i think that it should be 'decrease') the numbers of pirates, would be the ability for lawfuls to tax or fine pirates instead of blowing them up. Kinda like just charging them for assaulting someone, etc. Then instead of pirating traders, we would pirate pirates!"


So, how can we motivate players to join lawfulls? I think it's not possibile. If you want to be (un)lawfull, you will be (un)lawfull. Then, what can we do?
There are 3 options:
1 - Write here your ideas.
2 - Do nothing. Disco will stays like this. Problem stays or it would be resolved by it self.
3 - My idea:
Make "ultra strong" vessels for military and police. 5-6 time more powerfull than strongest unlawfull VHF/bomber. Why? This way you wouldn't have to motivate players to join lawwfull factions. You wouldn't have to restrict joining to unlawfull factions. This way, fair (not bad, but also not excellent) pilot would be able alone to defeat 3-4 pirates.
Why is this important?
1 - Because, this way players will feel "power of the state (houses)".
2 - Pirates will avoid confrotation with lawfulls, which is more RL.
3 - Lawfulls could bully unlawfulls (and force them to pay taxes) which is more RL.
4 - If pirates organise, 5-10 pirates could defeat 1-2 lawfulls, which is more RL.
5 - This will not have any effect on wars beetween houses, because military on both sides will be as strong as their rivals are.

But what if 10-15 pirates wants to attack some lawfull capital ship? They attacked it and 5-10 superstong lawfulls come and wil destroy all unlawfulls. To avoid this situation, i propose to make a "reinforcement rule". This rule will enable lawfull reinforcement only 5 minutes after attack has begun. After 5 minutes lawfulls who are not already in battle are not allowed to engage. This will enable more RP options, for example 2-3 pirates could make a diversion on other side of system which will attract some of the lawfulls, which wouldn't have time to come back to join the fight.

Someone will say that it's unfair but it's the only way as i see it. Of course, this is just experiment. If this way of balancing game doesn't work, we can (progammers can :-)) turn it back, like it was, like it is now.

Please, comment. I would like to know what are you thinking regarding this.
Thank you!

p.s. I think i wrote everything that was on my mind, but if i forgot something, i will add this later.

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We are all dying -- and we're gonna be dead for a long time...

[kikatsu]

People join different sides for different kinds of RP
people like the unlawfuls more because they are not as goverened by rules...but if you are in the BAF for instance, some more is expected in terms of proffessionalism

Right now things are rather well ballanced across the board.

If we buff lawful ships that much, it would screw up everything...
not to mention ruining the fun of unlawfuls...how could they stand a chance?
This is a Bloodhound VS a Guardian more or less by what you say

also
how many times were you in NY and a single pirate was there, and someone yelled out "OH NOEZ, OUTCAST IN C6"

Here come 12 indie navy ships to go and blow up that Sabre
maybe he downs one or something....the point is he needs to stand atleast a fair chance

and yes I know that this group attack (or gank) goes both ways.


A far simpler idea can be added to have more people join the lawfuls
weekly pay
every week you are in say the LPI, you get a million credits, it's not much but it is something

[Lance_Uppercut]

I would totally be down for a strengthened "power of the state" - - whether it be stronger vessels, better pay (?), or the ability for Houses to reach out more easily to other Houses (Bretonia reinforcing LN in cutting down Hackers in California... Kusari and Rheinland working together) but perhaps in that example the diplomacy should be worked out (wars ended, embargoes lifted).

Something like that would be nice... the prevailing attitude among just about everyone is that (and this is just one example) the LN and LPI and LSF are generally powerless to clean out New York space at any given time. A more powerful deterrent (ships/politics/taxes) would make one's 'home' system feel more like 'home' -- lawful and unlawful alike.

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::The Pennsylvania Liberation Force

[sempai17]

I would totally be down for a strengthened "power of the state" - - whether it be stronger vessels, better pay (?), or the ability for Houses to reach out more easily to other Houses (Bretonia reinforcing LN in cutting down Hackers in California...

that actualy happend (search "Treaty of Curacao") however, when war broke up between Kusari and Bretonia the Treaty virtually went null because Liberty didn't want to get too involved because they didn't want to start a two front war with Rheinland and Kusari.

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<Liberty Criminal Entry Form> <Liberty Criminal Log>

[underd0g]

Easy. Up tradelane cannons to some awfully scary number. Leads to not that many pirates at the lanes in supposedly 'safe' house systems. Add 'unsafe' routes, via jumpholes, that will attract the powertraders. Pirates will flock there. There will be more competition amongst the pirates there, and more competition equals less payoff.

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My characters on Disco:
[LN]-Andy.Doggett, The.Flying.Betty, Russ.Dalton, Harald.Treutiger

Stories:
The Shellback Identity
Trader Blues

[Banris]

In a more realistic situation ( I know, this is disco, not reality!) the lawful factions with government backing would be able to scramble massive fighter and bomber squadrons if any kind of unlawful presence threatened their trade lanes.

Instead of making house military, security and police ships more powerful (creating a huge imbalance) lawful faction officers should be able to call up and command a squadron of high level NPC fighters or bombers to patrol with them and do sweeps to meet the criminals in battle.

I haven't played freelancer SP for a while, but wasn't there a wingman comms command set that allowed you to order NPCs around?

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La vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid.

[Colonel.Tigh]

Pirating a pirat, now heres a thing, more then once a pirate (bomber) felt like pirating one of my corperate escorts (eagles with flashpoints).
And after giggleing into my fist, i blew them up.

Why would a pirate fighter or bomber...or Gunboat comply, when a lolful sais, "hey, here pay 1 mil fine", he gets a fight for free.

[Barrier]

I haven't played freelancer SP for a while, but wasn't there a wingman comms command set that allowed you to order NPCs around?

To answer this - no.

If it were my decision, I would create more NPC patrols, not necessarily bomber, but in high-level ships (Guardian, Wraith). That way the pirates would always have to keep on their toes.

[jxie93]

To answer this - no.

If it were my decision, I would create more NPC patrols, not necessarily bomber, but in high-level ships (Guardian, Wraith). That way the pirates would always have to keep on their toes.

Yes, no more camping Mahattan - Westpoint lane without being shot at!

I mean NY is a fricking capital system of Liberty for god sake, and you have tons of Lolcasts and Lolsairs hanging around like it's Alpha/Gamma.

Yes the idea of "fining" pirates is feasible, but my prediction is that most pirates would rather fight the police/navy rather than paying the fine.

Make "ultra strong" vessels for military and police. 5-6 time more powerfull than strongest unlawfull VHF/bomber. Why? This way you wouldn't have to motivate players to join lawwfull factions. You wouldn't have to restrict joining to unlawfull factions. This way, fair (not bad, but also not excellent) pilot would be able alone to defeat 3-4 pirates.

No, make them slightly stronger only. At the moment pirate vessels are just as strong as house ones. But pirates in RP sense are supposed to be poor and relying on hit & run tactics, so their ships should be fast and nimble.

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[CzeReptile]

Ideas are good.
And I agree. 50% of people on the server are in New YOrk, Gamma and Alpha or similar OC gathering point. Lots of people want only caps, good players fly usually only the unlawfuls and that way the police gets beaten badly. It is not really the only nerfing that is needed. More balance towards factions, specially houses, economy in general. Pirates shouldnt be uber high equipped while lawfuls have fighters only against tons of gunboats and ubercraft. Nor to mention the fact that alot of new players join lawfuls and they dont really know how to fly, making them really pitiful and useless policing force.

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