Admin Notice: Bounty System Overhaul

[Athenian]

Following discussion and review of recent events on the game-server, the Admin team proposes to implement several minor changes to the bounty system. These changes have been considered for some time now. Before full implementation, we are giving people some of the background behind this change.

The subject of bounties has always been, and most likely will always be, a subject of heated discussion on the forums. As with any intervention, the Admin team is keen to ensure the fair and smooth running of the server, allowing people to play as they see fit, but also ensuring that rules and Discovery's status as a role-playing server are respected.

Some of the issues that informed this debate:

Demands that people claim bounties which they kill other players for.

Bounty hunting is unique as a form of gameplay in that it requires a forum presence, until such time as a foolproof and complicated bounty system emerges for FLHook which would adequately cope with the complex roleplaying environment that Discovery has.
It has been said that it is only reasonable to expect that players engage in the required forum roleplay if they wish to destroy other players in the casual manner in which guns for hire can. This requirement should be to promote role-play.
There are plenty of incentives to get people posting on the forums which we are aware of. Interaction with a specific job can develop a character's roleplay. This should also be expected of factions who negotiate standing contracts. The limits to the bounty system are only limited by players' imaginations.

[color=#FF99FF]The establishment of centralised bounty boards.
The bounty forum is a large and unwieldy system. Some first steps have been taken towards creating centralised bounty systems to make the system more organised, as well as more user-friendly.

Reputation requirements.
Rule 6.10 states that player reputation and conduct must match player actions. This issue in particular was the subject of much debate on the forums, as well as several lengthy posts utilising Faction Right 5. Given that the requirement under 6.10 is a server rule, and given that players' are responsible for their own characters reputations, how this rule impacts on the bounty system needs to be clarified.

A joint Moderator/Admin/Player effort to promote the role-play aspect of the Bounty system.
For the bounty system to operate efficiently, a joint effort is required. In this respect, the Admin and Moderating team will endeavour to work closely with players.
We considered and have decided on appointing a Moderator to focus specifically on the Bounty Board.
All it needs now is help from the players.

The role of the Bounty Hunters Guild
On several occasions, proposals were put forward for some kind of change to the BHG ID to allow players to be excused from the same degree of forum gameplay as other IDs (such as mercenaries) have to meet.

Experience shows that this is not a feasible step. Players using the Bounty Hunter ID are bound by the same requirements rules-wise as other guns for hire. There are other advantages to the ID - the shipline, the wide z.o.i., the bases. However, considering the vanilla nature of the npc faction, police and corporate factions are asked to favour significantly organised groups and identified Guild players, whether faction or not.

Essentially, players will have to choose a role and play it. The BHG playerbase needs to accept that it is not above the demands we make of other players.

Admin review of current bounties
Many bounty threads are sorely neglected. Considering the license to impact gameplay these threads permit, such neglect cannot continue. Bounties that are too broad, it was proposed, should be removed or amended.

A satisfactory and more practical policy for this may be to deal with these issues as they arise. There are some that are current that are questionable for reasons that perhaps players are not aware of (such as multiple bounties on a particular ID that may in fact be discouraging people from playing certain factions.)

What are good bounties? What are bad ones?
Bounties at their best operate as a two-way roleplay street. The obligations on people posting bounties is often forgotten. Simple "Kill all them" bounties are fine, in moderation, but there are other potentialities.

Disrupting Gameplay
This is the general rule under which bounty board management is to be enforced. Killing other characters for money is not to be discouraged. This is a game set in a violent future. No one is safe or immune to the malign wishes of others.

However, bounties clearly intended to drive players off the server or serve as flimsy PvP excuses are not welcome here. This is a roleplaying server.

The intended changes will be added to the current set of pinned posting guidelines in the Bounty Board. These are not new rules.

Bounty-hunting, mercenary and freelance hire

1. All bounties must be posted on the forum. If you attack another player to claim a bounty and the bounty is not posted on the forum, you are open to a PvP abuse sanction.

Comment: This is already a rule.

2. Players are required to claim for kills made under a bounty contract within a reasonable period of time.

Comment: This, we believe, is a logical next step after 1. above. The time limit currently will be set at 72 hours.

3. Mercenaries, freelancers and bounty hunters may be hired on the spot in game to assist with a combat without a forum post. The other parties involved in the combat must be made aware of this.

Comment: This is already a rule.

4. The minimum acceptable bounty payment, including blanket bounties, will be 1 million Sirius credits. Bounties larger than this are acceptable. No bounties smaller than 1 million credits will be valid or acceptable for posting.

Comment: This is already a rule.

5. All bounties must identify a target and set the total amount to be paid out. Evidence that this amount has been set aside for payment is also required.

Comment: This, if you like, forms a sort of statement of intent on the part of the person posting the bounty.

6. All bounties must specify the persons hired to take the bounty before they can start collecting on it.

Comment: This is done by many players already. It is now a requirement before one can start collecting on a bounty.

7. Groups and factions may enter into contracts with governments or entities for flat rate fee payments instead of individual bounties. The flat rate shall be at least 30 million credits, and can be higher. Proof of this payment shall be posted prominently upon the forum, either on the bounty board or in a thread specifically regarding that contract. All acts under such contracts must be posted.

Comment: This is also already practised by many players.

8. Rule 6.10 states that player reputation and conduct must match player actions.
Players are responsible for their own reputation status.
Players must be at least neutral to their employer.
Players must be hostile to the faction they are targetting in a bounty. This does not apply to assassination missions where the target is a single character.
People posting bounties are obliged to ensure that the persons they are hiring have a suitable reputation. This means no hiring or paying people who would be hostile to you based on previous actions.

Comment: Playing both sides is a reasonable roleplay choice, and a complicated one. Players choosing a complicated form of roleplay will find they must take more care with their choices.

9. There are no anonymous bounties. Administrators may post bounties on behalf of people wishing to remain anonymous and may request that persons sponsoring bounties identify themselves to Administrators.

Comment: This is pretty straightforward.

10. Any player abusing the bounty system to drive players off the server or to further out-of-roleplay conflicts will face consequences for disrupting play.

Comment: This was issued as an Admin notice previously.

11. It is recommended that future bounties use a centralised system such as MercNet (for the hire of mercenaries for all manner of work) or the Sirius Crime Commission (for the hiring of lawful freelancers, members of the Bounty Hunters Guild and other contractors of a purely lawful disposition). Players registered with these boards are regarded as having fulfilled the requirements listed under 4,5,6 and 7 above.

Comment: These systems are closely monitored by the Admin and Moderating teams and come recommended.

12. You may only collect on a bounty which you have sponsored or funded (fully or partly) so long as it is open to others to collect.

Comment: Self-explanatory.


The Bounty system is not a satisfactory one by any means, nor will it ever be, most likely. That should not prevent our attempting to improve it. There were some other issues that arose in discussion but are not part of this overhaul, but may be discussed in the future. (such as rewards for bounties taking other forms, such as a reputation adjustment for factions, weapons, etc.; blanket bounties (bounties targetting everyone with a particular ID) possibly only being issued by official factions - one suggestion was that official factions may each bounty one or two ID's with a rp justification. House factions could combine their quota. (eg the BPA and BAF together could bounty four factions). This would form a faction right that would be suspended if the faction was warned for inactivity; allowing indiviudal players bounty members of one player faction, but not everyone with the same ID.)

Implementation:
It is intended to fully implement this in seven days.
Comments may posted in this thread.
The moderator for the Bounty Board is Dusty Lens.
All current bounties should be reviewed by their posters and amended where necessary.

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Former member of "the most paranoid group of people in the community"
Discovery Community Forum Rules

[JIVA]

way too complicated for such a trivial matter as a bounty. - bounty hunting becomes "work" - but whoever likes it can do it - so i guess there is a freedom of choice.

the problem is not the workload alone - its mostly the uncertainty. 12 subsections describing when bounty hunting is legal and when its sanctionable - additional to the public rules - additional to the roleplay rules of the faction / character - additional to the house laws that may or may not apply.

i don t like it, but then - i don t need to play a bounty hunter anymore.




no wonder that pirates are favoured as a character style - their legitimate reason for killing a target is : you are an enemy, i want you dead ( if its marked as an enemy on their ID ) or ... you have money, give me money or die. - simple, precise - and i risk almost no sanction at all - or violation of any rule being a pirate.

but as a hunter, i ll need to either memorize all that stuff above - or work through it point by point ... and take countless screens, cause - you never know when you make a wrong step. - ( recently directly compared playing a pirate vs. playing a BHG - the pirate really has a MUCh easier time - a carefree time )

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the [JIVA] group

[kikatsu]

Seems complicated, but not bad. This is very well thought out and does address many of the issues involved as of late.


However I do not believe that on my own I can successfully bounty hunt, and I would have to join back up with the BHG official faction and have them hold my hand until I can fully manage the system.



EDIT: I also want to make note that this is a good example of why people gravitate towards pirate groups.... far more laid back and carefree. BHG and lawfuls in general have to go through the red tape. Not that that is bad, just cumbersom, but part of their identity/

[sovereign]

We have to pledge intent before claiming stuff now? The larger boards- like the Liberty one- are about to see 300 posts saying "I'll work for you". Very useful, that... >.>

EDIT: On second thought, if groups can fulfill most of the requirements for all of their members, it would encourage people to band together rather than operating as a flock of vultures. Hrm. I'll reserve judgment on how much this will help for the time being.

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[NixOlympica]

Well ...

RP of my character is based on being able to be hired from everybody. She is ready to work for people who pay no matter the employer.

I agree with everything but a 8

"Players must be hostile to the faction they are targetting in a bounty. This does not apply to assassination missions where the target is a single character."

This is making it really hard.

[Alex.]

Sometimes mistakes are made. What if the player goes to claim a bounty and then can't find the screenshots? (S)he can't claim without them...

[NixOlympica]

Sometimes mistakes are made. What if the player goes to claim a bounty and then can't find the screenshots? (S)he can't claim without them...

that or he forgets to post it

[Lancelot9]

7. Groups and factions may enter into contracts with governments or entities for flat rate fee payments instead of individual bounties. The flat rate shall be at least 30 million credits, and can be higher. Proof of this payment shall be posted prominently upon the forum, either on the bounty board or in a thread specifically regarding that contract. All acts under such contracts must be posted.

I read that to say that the operative word is "may" (4th word) i.e. if they wish to issue individual bounties to a particular group they still can?

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[Doc Holliday]

[color=#33FF33]If you think about it, this system has little difference from what we have now. For those who claim that its too complicated, it's spelled out for a reason. We have a lot of folks here who are very good at finding loopholes and exploiting them so this just covers things a bit more. Overall, it's a good system but will never be a perfect one.

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