Give us Our Daily Bread... er Blocks

[Edymnion]

Okay, one of the biggest problems in the game right now is that it is possible for one player to effectively ban another player from a server by destroying everything they have to the point the other player no longer has the blocks or money to rebuild with.

The invincible faction homes help with this a great deal, but cause turtling to an undue degree because people know its possible to load up the game and find everything they own having been wiped out while they sleep with no way to rebuild.

Its also a problem for new players to a server that get their starter blocks destroyed by pirates/griefers/etc before they can get a faction home created for themselves.

So, what if we made it so that any NPC shopkeep can give a player an entirely new set of default starter blocks (for whatever that might be on the individual servers) once every given time period (such as once per day)?

You could be completely wiped out, but as long as you can get back to a shop you can get new blocks and start over without needing anyone to give you handouts.

Would need a time delay between requests simply to stop server hopping griefers from spamming the NPC for unlimited blocks to go on rampages with, but if its a once a day kind of thing I don't think the amount of blocks would be worth even harvesting for any half established player (if you've been there for more than a day odds are a few dozen basic hulls and a handful of cannon modules aren't going to mean anything to you anymore), but it would be a nice safety net for people to fall back on.

 

[Jake_Lancia]

Okay, one of the biggest problems in the game right now is that it is possible for one player to effectively ban another player from a server by destroying everything they have to the point the other player no longer has the blocks or money to rebuild with.

The invincible faction homes help with this a great deal, but cause turtling to an undue degree because people know its possible to load up the game and find everything they own having been wiped out while they sleep with no way to rebuild.

Its also a problem for new players to a server that get their starter blocks destroyed by pirates/griefers/etc before they can get a faction home created for themselves.

So, what if we made it so that any NPC shopkeep can give a player an entirely new set of default starter blocks (for whatever that might be on the individual servers) once every given time period (such as once per day)?

You could be completely wiped out, but as long as you can get back to a shop you can get new blocks and start over without needing anyone to give you handouts.

Would need a time delay between requests simply to stop server hopping griefers from spamming the NPC for unlimited blocks to go on rampages with, but if its a once a day kind of thing I don't think the amount of blocks would be worth even harvesting for any half established player (if you've been there for more than a day odds are a few dozen basic hulls and a handful of cannon modules aren't going to mean anything to you anymore), but it would be a nice safety net for people to fall back on.

So basically a 'care package' with a ship core or two, few blocks of basic hull, handful of power blocks, engines, some salvagers, etc? I can definitely get behind this, it'll keep people from quitting the server because of griefers.

 

[Edymnion]

So basically a 'care package' with a ship core or two, few blocks of basic hull, handful of power blocks, engines, some salvagers, etc? I can definitely get behind this, it'll keep people from quitting the server because of griefers.

Yup, same as the default blocks when you start a new game (which is as you said, a core, some hull, power, salvagers, thrusters, and cannons). Maybe even a few credits.

Basically enough that you can reset to being the same as you were when you first joined the server, so at worst a griefer can set you back to clean slate start instead of "You're boned, beg in open chat for handouts or GTFO".

 

[jayman38]

I don't think it needs to be a daily thing. I think it would only be needed if a player drops below the starting resource level. (For example, if they start out normally with about 400 thousand credits worth of blocks and credits, but arrives at a shop with less than 400 thousand credits of net worth, they receive a prompt along the lines of "The guild recognizes your poverty and is willing to advance you resources. Accept? Y/N".

Sure, a player can take advantage of this free source of blocks by simply depositing their resources elsewhere, and then showing up at a shop for free stuff, but the starting resources are so puny, compared to what an established faction can earn from simple mining or pirate hunting, that it should not be a big exploit problem. If it is exploited, it will only be exploited enough to kickstart the astronaut into a slightly bigger, better cruiser. In either case, the astronaut ends up independent, and never loses his will to respawn.

 

[Dr. Whammy]

Okay, one of the biggest problems in the game right now is that it is possible for one player to effectively ban another player from a server by destroying everything they have to the point the other player no longer has the blocks or money to rebuild with.

The invincible faction homes help with this a great deal, but cause turtling to an undue degree because people know its possible to load up the game and find everything they own having been wiped out while they sleep with no way to rebuild.

Its also a problem for new players to a server that get their starter blocks destroyed by pirates/griefers/etc before they can get a faction home created for themselves.

So, what if we made it so that any NPC shopkeep can give a player an entirely new set of default starter blocks (for whatever that might be on the individual servers) once every given time period (such as once per day)?

You could be completely wiped out, but as long as you can get back to a shop you can get new blocks and start over without needing anyone to give you handouts.

Would need a time delay between requests simply to stop server hopping griefers from spamming the NPC for unlimited blocks to go on rampages with, but if its a once a day kind of thing I don't think the amount of blocks would be worth even harvesting for any half established player (if you've been there for more than a day odds are a few dozen basic hulls and a handful of cannon modules aren't going to mean anything to you anymore), but it would be a nice safety net for people to fall back on.

You know, I was hesitant at first but now that I think about it, that's a damn good idea.

I don't play a lot of multi-player anymore but when I did, I kinda took up a humanitarian role due to the amount of newbies who either had a rough start, got pwned by NPCs or were left stranded somewhere. I even left emergency restart kits (cores, power, thrust, factories, faction block, etc) so that if someone got blasted near my system, they could land and get free emergency supplies. Unfortunately, I couldn't be everywhere at once and there would be people stranded over 300km away in the middle of open space (with no core!) sending 'distress calls' while I was in the middle of battle.

If nothing else, this idea might cut down on rage quits and make the game a little more forgiving to new comers.

 

[Scypio]

Just one thing, finding that shop with a PNJ can be more painful than going to the nearest planet/asteroid in astronaut mode and restart again. With the average sector size in multiplayer being what it is, i feel that what we need the most is a way to travel when we got our pocket empty and nothing around to build a ship core.

 

[Dr. Whammy]

Did someone say jetpack!? ...or at the very least, you should be able to spawn one core when that happens so you're not totally stranded.

 

[Edymnion]

Just one thing, finding that shop with a PNJ can be more painful than going to the nearest planet/asteroid in astronaut mode and restart again. With the average sector size in multiplayer being what it is, i feel that what we need the most is a way to travel when we got our pocket empty and nothing around to build a ship core.

Hmmm... an option to be able to choose to respawn at your undeathinator or at the default server spawn point might be quite useful.

 

[Scypio]

And if the PNJ has been killed by some pirates or even swarm missiles ? To be safe in any cases, we should see it as another button that is "restart again" when we're dead. We would spawn at the spawn shop like we would for the first connexion, with a little cooldown on the button to prevent farming it at the spawn.

 

[Edymnion]

And if the PNJ has been killed by some pirates or even swarm missiles ?

Then you just click on the computer there in the shop and tell it to spawn a new one?

 

[Madman198237]

I think that this should be a built-in option not reliant on your reaching a shop. You should be given immediately a ship core, power block, and thruster, so long as you are missing at least one of those blocks from your inventory. 1 minute cooldown, prevents spamming (Even more than the tiny amount of blocks already does) and makes it generally unprofitable to farm. This will allow any player to go to a planet/shop/what-have-you to start again, whether or not there is a "care package" of sorts available daily at shops.

I would support the inclusion of the daily care package at shops as long as there is a deep-space rescue option for the stranded player, newbie or not.

 

[splatthecat]

I was once left with about 20 credits and a handful of utterly useless blocks. No core, no thrusters, no power, nothing. I floated nearly 2km to an asteroid and buried myself into it as I was under attack by pirates!

It was a long slog but I hand mined the asteroid and ended up with a large station, several ships, more resources than I knew what to do with and millions of credits.

It can be done without a rescue package, especially if you carry a few blocks in your pockets such as some cores, power, thrusters and maybe a faction block and build block or two.

 

[Edymnion]

It can be done without a rescue package, especially if you carry a few blocks in your pockets such as some cores, power, thrusters and maybe a faction block and build block or two.

Sure, it CAN be done, but most people aren't going to be willing to sit around for half an hour walking to the next sector. Would have to be one hell of a good server to justify that!

 

[Lukwan]

This would be a welcome improvement for new players and server admin alike. When new players had a bad go of it on my old MP server they were usually helped out by one of the friendly players or the admin themselves. Not everyone stuck around though. Some rage-quit, some were too impatient to wait for the 'coast guard' and I think some some were too proud or embarrassed to accept help. Having a build-in system that acknowledges the inevitable possibility of ship-wreck will preserve many newer player's interest in SM.

It should be said: if a game leaves a player no way forward but charity from other players...the game has failed not the player.

 

[splatthecat]

Sure, it CAN be done, but most people aren't going to be willing to sit around for half an hour walking to the next sector. Would have to be one hell of a good server to justify that!

I know it is horses for courses. Like the servers that give you a starter ship or several million credits. I avoid these as I find them utterly pointless. I want to do it "properly" but I know some people need more hand holding than others. I am still on the server so I guess I must be worth it.

 

[Dr. Whammy]

I was once left with about 20 credits and a handful of utterly useless blocks. No core, no thrusters, no power, nothing. I floated nearly 2km to an asteroid and buried myself into it as I was under attack by pirates!

It was a long slog but I hand mined the asteroid and ended up with a large station, several ships, more resources than I knew what to do with and millions of credits.

It can be done without a rescue package, especially if you carry a few blocks in your pockets such as some cores, power, thrusters and maybe a faction block and build block or two.

 

[Lone_Puppy]

You can request help from admins. I've found there are really helpful admins out there that can spawn basic materials for you, but a simple starter ship with mining capability would suffice.

You could jet to the nearest shop to sell off parts you don't need to make some quick cash. Or just get into mining to start building your new base with factory.

 

[Edymnion]

You can request help from admins. I've found there are really helpful admins out there that can spawn basic materials for you, but a simple starter ship with mining capability would suffice.

You could jet to the nearest shop to sell off parts you don't need to make some quick cash. Or just get into mining to start building your new base with factory.

1) If you have to ask for help just to be able to play at all, then the game has a serious design flaw. Your ability to play should never be 100% dependent on handouts from admin or other players.

2) The point here was that it is entirely possible to be blown up to the point you don't HAVE "parts you don't need", either because you lost everything in an attack, or even just because you forgot to set the undeathinator and wound up on the opposite side of the galaxy back at 2,2,2 with nothing on you (not even cash because you put in your shop module for safe keeping) because bam, surprise pirate attack while you were outside.

 

[Spoolooni]

Watch as some hardcore pvper enter this thread just to disagree with it.

Though honestly, I can see the issues with inactive factions getting members to log in once a day to collect their stipend which is a consistent issue with stipend systems to begin with. That being said, I am not opposed to getting handouts if it means solving the issue with disturbing pvp ethics.

 

[Edymnion]

Watch as some hardcore pvper enter this thread just to disagree with it.

I've been waiting for the "Well how are we supposed to completely win if the other guy can just go pick up new stuff and start over?" people for a while now, actually.

Because they always pop their heads up. Anything that would prevent someone from being completely erased off the face of the universe usually gets at least a few "hardcore pvp" types out saying how its an attack on their way of life or some such nonsense.