How do you protect the little guy?

[Matt_Bradock]

Maybe we can copy a page from the EVE playbook and have high-sec systems, where weapons aren't allowed to work, and if fired from outside the zone, do no damage inside. (no damage in or out) A safe haven for any player, regardless of their normal tendencies. These zones could be "enforced" around spawn, and found randomly in the universe. Randomly-placed no-fire zones would encourage builders to go out exploring. So maybe increase the chance of an asteroid spawn in these areas, to give resources to occupants. Various in-game mechanics could be developed to give a reason why these zones don't allow weapons file (E.g. maybe instead of disabling shields and scanners, nebulas or the outer layers of a gas giant or "liquid space" areas don't allow lasers, explosions, high-energy impacts, etc.)

Now this is an idea. NPC (Trading Guild) warp gate stations that also serve as trade hubs generating with the galaxy, randomly connected to each other using the same algorhytm used for the black holes/wormholes, and the system they spawn in is considered "Hi-sec" with no pirates or pirate stations spawning and the 3x3x3 sector zone around the warp gate protected. It's not hard to code in, but it's definitely a good way to let newbies mine and explore the galaxy in relative safety, without fear of getting wiped out. Even the whole warpgate system can be protected, if sector protection is changed to exclude salvage beams.

 

[Mortiferum]

Hmmmm, how about no magical safe zones. Homebase is enough.

 

[Batavium]

Hmmmm, how about no magical safe zones. Homebase is enough.

Most people take it for granted that they have a safe spot in the universe. But i played servers where the admin took a way more radical approach.

Where Home Base protection was turned off. Where if you died you lost ALL the credits and ALL the blocks you had on you as a person. The universe did not even had any shops. Not even at spawn! You needed to make everything yourself as you went a long.

People do not understand how good they have it.

You have responsibilities in Star Made. Keeping your stuff safe from others is one of them. You can only blame yourself or sometimes just plain bad luck if hardship should come to you. Should you get wrecked soon after leaving spawn then most admins will quietly give you a ship or even a little starter base. "So you do not end up on an evil lag Planet" To help you out. Provided you keep your mouth shut that you got it to prevent the whole server demanding free stuff. I did this countless of times while being Admin. You do not blame the attacker you quietly help out the guy that got shot.

If offcourse the circumstance calls for it. If you asked for it with high and mighty talk in chat then you got what was coming to you.

 

[NaStral]

Yeah, if the player base grew large enough, most likely many servers would tighten up on some of the more obviously generous perks of one server or another. Right now, the player-base is so contracted that you have certain players walking into a server and making demands like they are a bad customer at McDonalds and it's definitely led to a culture of certain players putting pressure on admins and unfortunately, many admins caving to that pressure to appease and keep these players, degenerates they may be. This can often lead to an endless cycle of dependency and players not progressing in any way because they have everything taken care of for them, since there is no need to better one's self.

 

[kulbolen]

Most people take it for granted that they have a safe spot in the universe. But i played servers where the admin took a way more radical approach.

Where Home Base protection was turned off. Where if you died you lost ALL the credits and ALL the blocks you had on you as a person. The universe did not even had any shops. Not even at spawn! You needed to make everything yourself as you went a long.

People do not understand how good they have it.

i find these servers quite fun. =p

 

[Matt_Bradock]

Most people take it for granted that they have a safe spot in the universe. But i played servers where the admin took a way more radical approach.

Where Home Base protection was turned off. Where if you died you lost ALL the credits and ALL the blocks you had on you as a person. The universe did not even had any shops. Not even at spawn! You needed to make everything yourself as you went a long.

People do not understand how good they have it.

I'd rather not turn Starmade into ARK. I know what it's like to be the little guy in a game where it's full PvP with no safe zones. Hell, ARK didn't even secure your personal inventory, as upon logout your unconscious body stayed ingame lootable and killable. Just like Starmade, it took a lot of time to grind yourself to anything remotely good, but if you didn't find a good server, every day you logged on you were stark naked, with everything you have built gone, only your XP which you used to unlock better construction and tools, stayed.
There is no impenetrable base, thanks to the cannons that outrange the defensive turrets, so the server's strongest tribe(faction) usually just annihilated anyone coming close to that resource/tech level pre-emptively, and made/enforced rules that made sure they stay on top.
I'd rather not see Starmade becoming such an anarchy sim. The protected homebase is a must.

The EVE model with high security sectors, is good because it works. It's proven, because it worked for a hella lot of time for millions of players. Obviously, the OP NPC ships wrecking your ass as punishment thing doesn't work in Starmade, not until AI is fixed and a mass limit is enforced to prevent players from using even the largest NPC ships as a farming opportunity. So a forced safety on weapons would suffice. It's not even big guy vs small guy, it's about some players not being able to invest as much time in the game as others. As weird as it sounds, there are people who study, work, or both, besides gaming, and have limited free time. Me being one of them. So I'd prefer some kinda chance to co-exist with the mad dude with nothing else to do, who can spend 10 hours a day on the server grinding up to get his megaship and then go on a rampage.

 

[Batavium]

The protected homebase is a must.

Yes i agree it is a must. But the quote is to show there are way less secure ways to play StarMade. Since this thread is about protecting the little guy. You need to point out that StarMade has options to safe guard one self. People need to use it and not dismiss it to get an all day free card.

An admin can set the spawn sector under protection using a command. But the silly thing is the game it self has an option to to do this from out of the box and that option is OFF by default!

server.cfg

PROTECT_STARTING_SECTOR = false //Protects the starting sector

This is why on so many servers the little NPC trader dude is missing from spawn. He got shot to pieces!

The thing that is currently missing is a safety net for when you luck out shortly after leaving spawn and end up with no ship, no blocks and no credits. There has to be a way to get some inventory contents after death when you respawn. And i am not saying start peddling in astronaut modus to the asteroid belt to hand pick ores. You need a basic inventory by default after death.

 

[Crashmaster]

You need a basic inventory by default after death.

What about a suit-based teleporter if the power supply beam gets integrated into the suit as well? The most important inventory items I carry are core, thrust, power and jump comp/module - all travel related.

 

[Batavium]

What about a suit-based teleporter if the power supply beam gets integrated into the suit as well?

Sure why not. On a server that has drop blocks on death on. You also drop your blaster and other hand tools. You can get these back from an advanced shop trader. But i much rather see them go in another pocket/suit that is not effected by this. Since we all know that this NPC Trader is often missing from spawn.

The most important inventory items I carry are core, thrust, power and jump comp/module - all travel related.

Yes and we need them in a small amount after you died. StarMade is one of those games where you can end up with truly nothing. It is unrealistic to demand from the average player that he then has to Astro peddle to the nearest asteroid where ever that might be. I am not worried about farming this with multiple suicides. The amounts are to small for that. Should someone really try doing this one thousand times well than he deserved it for all i care.

The average noob when they start in StarMade spends all his credits. Then flies off only to die at the very first Alpha Pirate Station they cross. Then they are back at spawn with nothing. This has to be fixed. Way to many people quit the game because of this. They are simply clueless on what to do next.

An option to disable Fog of War per system would also be great. System 0 0 0 should simple never have Fog of War.

 

[Matt_Bradock]

The average noob when they start in StarMade spends all his credits. Then flies off only to die at the very first Alpha Pirate Station they cross.

If I got a dollar every time I saw that happen, I'd be playing on a high-end gaming laptop now.

 

[El_Shanta]

Little guys should invest in some good guided warhead delivery, "griefer" types and their big ol' titans are way more vulnerable than they seem. They don't understand how much danger they are in just jumping around to random cul-de-sacs with hostile intentions. The larger they are, the more docked parts they rely on, the more such ships they deploy against you, can be easily turned into a travesty for them at an entirely negligible price for you personally. That is if they're not doing some basic recon, which a "griefer" probably skipped to go right to goddam titan deployment.

Of course those giant warhead screens have an easy counter themselves, more restrained enemies can be just as problematic for you to defend against, but likely won't have trouble with your warhead screen whether or not they scout it, they might not even recognize it as dangerous/useful at all and consider it trolling at best. In that case, hope that they get cocky and come back with something bigger.

 

[kulbolen]

honestly theres one really easy answer to the question this thread asks:

education. once educated, no one can hurt you unless you allow them to.

 

[terra mining corp.]

Maybe if the "big" players /factions remember they once were the noob,how a little help would have been welcome I myself was lucky in my noobness to find a benefactor to make me a protectorate. I built one of my stations in a protected sector with full public access and a storage locker with useful items and factories for their useage in honor of the help I received.

 

[kulbolen]

Maybe if the "big" players /factions remember they once were the noob,how a little help would have been welcome I myself was lucky in my noobness to find a benefactor to make me a protectorate. I built one of my stations in a protected sector with full public access and a storage locker with useful items and factories for their useage in honor of the help I received.

I have a free item box/ public docks in brie right now haha

 

[Nickizzy]

honestly theres one really easy answer to the question this thread asks:

education. once educated, no one can hurt you unless you allow them to.

he he, ever heard of the Cultural Revolution in China?

I get your point though. In game experience can usually trump all.