Forums » Suggestions

Pirate Faction Exclusives

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Dec 31, 2015 Savet link
I do not see how this is beneficial to the game.

You need to consider alternate playstyles. Playing a pirate is no worse than playing a nationalist. Both kill people, but only one has a set of ships to call their own.
Dec 31, 2015 Dr. Lecter link
False. Getting tri-KOS is neither a significant requirement or significant penalty. The amount of effort required to build up nation standing and XP levels (and a mission, in the case of the X1) to get access to elite exclusive ships is VERY significant. The amount of effort to get tri-kos pales in comparison. How hard is it to fly into monitored nation space and shoot a ship a couple times? "Significant", please.

Yes...because the only requirement for these would be tri-KOS. Not. I think Combat 10 (maybe higher) would not be an unreasonable requirement for any of these, but frankly I don't care too much as long as it limits access to experienced pilots.

Your argument about ease of getting tri-KOS is either naive or deliberately deceptive. Becoming tri-KOS is easy; spending your whole in-game life as tri-KOS, as use of these ships and items would require is anything but easy.

First, you either have to never pass through most of the game's systems, or, handle the SF and turrets while there. Perhaps if one just wants to sit in B-8 and duel, that's not much of an issue...then again, these ships are not conducive to that play-style. They're for piracy, and nationspace is a fine place to pirate. These would be used there, making the KOS issue an actual penalty.

Second, you deny yourself all of the ships, items, missions, etc. that are exclusive to one or more of the three nations. That's not necessarily a difficulty, but it does make becoming tri-KOS a decision with serious consequences. Far more serious consequences than dedicating one's gameplay to a specific nation.

Finally, there's the somewhat annoying fact that Serco, Itani, and UIT NPCs try to kill you anytime they encounter you - even in greyspace. Try being tri-KOS for a significant period of time, and you'll get the definite sense that you're a hunted player. This will only increase as the number of trade convoys and other NPC presences in the VO universe increases.

Your suggestions would basically reward "bad" behavior in game (shooting nation ships in nationspace) with amazing ships at a very early point in the game. I do not see how this is beneficial to the game.

Shooting nation ships in nationspace is not "bad" behavior - it is behavior that nations frown upon, but that's an RP issue. Overall, piracy is a legitimate play-style and needed to keep everyone from being bored to tears as they haul crap everywhere in XCs. Stop interjecting your RP bullshit into Suggestions.

I'd offer suggestions to tweak your overpowered ships if I thought they'd actually be considered, which I don't.

I have no doubt you'd love to see anything related to play styles you don't like nerfed as much as you can get away with. I also see no reasoned explanation of how these ships are "overpowered" given their role, their requirements, and what would still be better at trade and combat than them. So, I suppose we'll see.
Dec 31, 2015 Hawkfeather link
And here's where my agreement with greenwall ends, because these ships are underpowered if anything. If we start with the hound as the base, some significant improvements would need to be made to make it a consideration (seeing as the greyhound is currently available to anyone who wants it for very little effort, and with the changes currently suggested don't do enough to distinguish the Direwolf from the hound). I'd suggest starting from the stats of a combat-capable ship (like the Valk) and make some balance tweaks - perhaps lower armor and one less port, but give it a cargo scanner, add on scanner, and turbo thrust closer to (but still less than) the hound. Then we'd have something unique that would actually be worth the penalties associated with it. Give it a new model, and we have ourselves a flagship for the nationless, and some really cool new content for VO.

Something along the lines of the "Pelican" suggested above should also be added, but it should have an extended storm radar instead of addon scanner, that way you can retrieve loot even if it's in an ion storm.

Also, Dr. Lecter is completely right - these ships would have to have similar license requirements to other endgame equipment, thus making your argument that they are "too easy to get" moot. If a player has 9/9/6/4/- they probably know their way around the game enough to be capable of making that decision.
Dec 31, 2015 Dr. Lecter link
Half the peanut gallery is upset because they're too OP, and half the peanut gallery is pissed that they're not good enough. At least for the two into which I put any thought (Direwolf and blaster), I think that's the sweet-spot for implementation once there's time to get a decent pirate station/alignment in the air, Devs. Please & thankee.
Dec 31, 2015 Growlor link
As another option (for the future since it would probably need development time): maybe have there be some other penalty to using them (either instead of or in addition to the tri-KOS one) such as random chance of explosion or crippling system failure and/or being instant KOS with ANY faction except Corvus when flying one of these.
My thought is that might mitigate some of the OP objections and also fit in with RP of flying a highly illegal and dangerous ship.
Dec 31, 2015 biretak link
Dr. Lector, that 2 large port hound would be the best bomber/defender in the game. Everyone interested in station battles would have to make a tri-KOS alt to obtain it. That's why it's game breaking. You would have to make a tri-kos alt to take/hold stations.
Dec 31, 2015 Dr. Lecter link
Fair enough on the bombing - I'll maintain support for the 2L version only on the proviso that it have a permanently-equipped enhanced MP. If that's not doable, just the 1s/1L version.
Jan 01, 2016 abortretryfail link
We get it, you want a ship with insane firepower and speed so you can effortlessly kill trade ships and nobody can catch you doing it.

The buffed hound was game-breaking already. Can we stop beating this dead horse?
Jan 01, 2016 tarenty link
Didn't read the thread, too much whiney BS, but +1 to OP. Tri-KOS displays determination to stay a pirate because it takes so much to get back to admired from there, so it makes sense as a prerequisite to me. The ships should be better than standard; balance will be found eventually.

Make pirates dangerous again. Make greyspace dangerous again.
Jan 01, 2016 greenwall link
Pirates and greyspace are already dangerous, wtf are you talking about?
Jan 01, 2016 csgno1 link
I think what pisses off the pirates is that the hound is used by all the nationalists, and they think it gives the un-aligned no technical niche. I agree with this.

I also agree that if a pirate specific ship is too powerful some nationalists will use pirate alts for their nationalist work, which is bad.

So my advise is don't get too focused on the specs of this new ship as GS will balance that over time, the mechanism of exclusivity is what needs to be worked out first.
Jan 05, 2016 Savet link
Chirp