Bounty Hunter Archive
Thread: A Normal Player Bounty System without Griefing
Eleutherios wrote:OK, lots of us want to hunt some normal professions. The "classic" plan for this (as proposed by many people) is basically where someone posts a bounty up on a terminal, you take the bounty, then you kill the mark. This poses several problems.1) It can be used to extensively grief players you don't like.2) You could put up bounties for dancers, musicians, rangers, or any other profession that can't defend themselves.3) There is no forced PvP for normals because they're normal. While Jedi have the benefit of having a more powerful profession, it's offset by the bounty hunters. Since normals are... well, normal, there's no need for BHs.So the question is, how can you fix these problems and still have a player bounty system? You'd need to have a system where one person cannot grief another by placing them on the terminals over and over. It would also have to be scaled to strength -- that is, dancers and such cannot get bounties placed on them. You'd also need to have some benefit with BHs as the risk.I propose, then, a GCW bounty system. There would be a new rank called General. Anything below are just soldiers, and wouldn't be worth putting a bounty on, as the Officers are the leaders and are more important. The more you GCW PvP/PvE, the more vis you get. Naturally, PvP would generate more than PvE. This is fairly logical -- the opposing faction wants to assassinate the Officers who are doing the most damage. If an Imperial General goes and "makes a name for himself" by wiping out a squad of Rebels, the Rebellion is definitely going to take notice, for example.So what would the benefit be? As you attain the rank of General, the costs for bio-linking Factional Armor decrease signifigantly. For example, it currently takes roughly 8.5k for everyone to biolink. This would decrease that to 2k at General. Furthermore, you'd be given access to things that lower ranks cannot have (powerful faction pets, the ability to have more than one out at a time, etc.) There would need to be some more perks probably, but that's what I have right now off the top of my head.What do you guys think? I think it might make for an interesting player bounty system. As with Jedi, the name is hidden. The payout would probably be some randomized thing or a number based on the GCW Vis that the guy has.
Nice idea. I got one addition, though: Since you are hunting normal players, you dont get first strike. Both you and your mark get a TEF on each other as soon as you take the mission and that TEF stays as long as you hold the mission.
Would go hand in hand nicely with making faction ranks mean something - I think every faction pet should have a control level associated with it just like CH pets, and the higher in rank one is, the more control level he has available. So a Colonel might have the choice of calling 1 AT-ST or 5 stormies (just example, didnt put much thought into the numbers so far).
Message Edited by Eskie on 08-11-2005 11:20 AM
Since we are talking about "theory" and stuff that would be fun but will never be added to the game..
Here was my basic idea for player bounties.
1. Update smugglers to be able to purchase and delegate EVERY faction in the game.
2. Adjust the "cap" on current negative faction to 10,000 instead of 5,000. (This allows players a grace period for the new system before they are forced to adjust)
3. Every time you reach any faction at -10,000 points that faction puts a bounty on you. If you hunt Aa'kuan's for day's they will pay someone to kill you.
Doing things in this way would effect only combat people. There is little risk of a dancer ever reaching -10,000 faction to anyone. They would need to kill NPC's to do it. Same with crafters, etc.
The end results would be;
1. Fill the BH terms will all sorts of players, which will thin the listings of Jedi some. (no, I'm not a Jedi but maybe this would make them relax some)
2. Make NPC faction mean something. Currently it seems only the Rebel/Imperial NPC's will attack you based on faction. All others ignore you due to the new CON system.
3. Give smugglers some love, and god knows they could use that.. 
I'd like to see people finially pay attention to what questions/missions give faction and also like to see some negative effect for the senseless slaughter of NPC's in the galaxy. Killing critters happens, and nobody really turns their head much but killing NPC's by the dozens should make someone come after you. As a side not, this would also help decrease the number of AFK macro killers since they are trying to loot things from NPC's and doing so would put a bounty on them if they were there long enough.
Possible "exploits" to this system?
Since the bounties are generated by the system based off of the players own actions, I don't see any problem with people being termed if they don't consent.
This system makes sense to me. In a game system where we have player bounties already in place, why does Jabba not pay for hits on people that do him wrong? The system already protects people by hiding their name and allows you to take missions based on faction. I'd simply like to see the type of people on the terms vary some. To lessen the fight between BH/Jedi and to add some more realism to the system.
This would be sorta similar to the way the Jedi system works because BOTH system would allow you to avoid being termed if you so choose. (Before people complain, with no group vis you CAN avoid being termed as a Jedi, you just choose not to when you use your abilities in cities or to hunt NPC's and such. Progress might be slower when avoiding the terms, but it IS very possible to do.)
Again, I'm sure this will not only never be added but never even be considered by SOE due to the problems between Jedi and BH's, which are caused by people on BOTH sides.
I did not read through every idea or response, but it seems simple to me...a pain free method of introducting player bounties: MAKE IT CONSENSUAL!
It would be so easy that it actually hurts my brain that they haven't tried to implement it. Make it an option on the character screen (ctrl+P). Right there in between the "looking for group" checkbox and the "Newbie Helper" checkbox, add one that says "wants to be a player bounty". Give every character the option to activate it, even the dancers and novice scouts...I bet there are a lot of dancers that would find it immensely fun. Anyone with this selction activate can both hunt a fellow player, or be hunted.
Then you can set up the terms any way you like...limit them to one mission per player, base them on faction, whatever. As long as they make it transparent and consensual, with limited payout (next to none) and zero penalties on death, no one can utter the G word or complain about it in any way. Ridiculously simple, and people would love it.
Eleutherios wrote:
OK, lots of us want to hunt some normal professions. The "classic" plan for this (as proposed by many people) is basically where someone posts a bounty up on a terminal, you take the bounty, then you kill the mark. This poses several problems.
1) It can be used to extensively grief players you don't like.
2) You could put up bounties for dancers, musicians, rangers, or any other profession that can't defend themselves.
3) There is no forced PvP for normals because they're normal. While Jedi have the benefit of having a more powerful profession, it's offset by the bounty hunters. Since normals are... well, normal, there's no need for BHs.
So the question is, how can you fix these problems and still have a player bounty system? You'd need to have a system where one person cannot grief another by placing them on the terminals over and over. It would also have to be scaled to strength -- that is, dancers and such cannot get bounties placed on them. You'd also need to have some benefit with BHs as the risk.
I propose, then, a GCW bounty system.There would be a new rank called General.Anything below are just soldiers, and wouldn't be worth putting a bounty on, as the Officers are the leaders and are more important. The more you GCW PvP/PvE, the more vis you get. Naturally, PvP would generate more than PvE.This is fairly logical -- the opposing faction wants to assassinate the Officers who are doing the most damage. If an ImperialGeneral goes and "makes a name for himself" by wiping out a squad of Rebels, the Rebellion is definitely going to take notice, for example.
So what would the benefit be? As you attain the rank of General, the costs for bio-linking Factional Armor decrease signifigantly. For example, it currently takes roughly 8.5k for everyone to biolink. This would decrease that to 2k at General.Furthermore, you'd be given access to things that lower ranks cannot have (powerful faction pets, the ability to have more than one out at a time, etc.) There would need to be some more perks probably, but that's what I have right now off the top of my head.
What do you guys think? I think it might make for an interesting player bounty system. As with Jedi, the name is hidden. The payout would probably be some randomized thing or a number based on the GCW Vis that the guy has.
Interesting idea, but it will never happen.
Eleutherios wrote:
The problem with a consensual system is that so few people would sign up for it... plus, it doesn't fit within Star Wars very well.
"Hey, Boba Fett! PLEASE hunt me!!"
The problem with a consensual system (like the one I proposed) is it works a lot like the one we already have.
People do not understand or refuse to play by the rules of the system and then scream when they get hunted. If you do no use your powers in public, meaning around other players or npc's and do not walk around with robes on and such you will not get termed.
Jedi choose to use their powers in public places, so they choose to be hunted. They don't like to hear that, because they WANT to be able to use their powers in the public eye and get no ill effect from it. Just because they don't like the system does not mean that it doesn't work.
I personally logged in a Jedi lately and hunted for two weeks and never got hunted and I could not personally find the Jedi on the terms. Because I didn't wear robes when I pulled missions and I didn't let players or NPC's see me using a saber. It works, just not the way some people want it to work.
TheRealXur wrote:
Eleutherios wrote:
The problem with a consensual system is that so few people would sign up for it... plus, it doesn't fit within Star Wars very well.
"Hey, Boba Fett! PLEASE hunt me!!"
The problem with a consensual system (like the one I proposed) is it works a lot like the one we already have.
People do not understand or refuse to play by the rules of the system and then scream when they get hunted. If you do no use your powers in public, meaning around other players or npc's and do not walk around with robes on and such you will not get termed.
Jedi choose to use their powers in public places, so they choose to be hunted. They don't like to hear that, because they WANT to be able to use their powers in the public eye and get no ill effect from it. Just because they don't like the system does not mean that it doesn't work.
I personally logged in a Jedi lately and hunted for two weeks and never got hunted and I could not personally find the Jedi on the terms. Because I didn't wear robes when I pulled missions and I didn't let players or NPC's see me using a saber. It works, just not the way some people want it to work.
I don't think this discussion meant to include Jedi hunting...I believe the intent was for looking at a player bounty system for all other players, excluding the Jedi.
And to Eleutherios: I think you are wrong...if the system could be implemented so that it was grief proof, people would love it. Also, the system has to be consensual. There is no other way that SOE will do PvP, and I think they have made it rather clear. Any system you discuss has to revolve around players giving consent in some form. I didn't mean to imply that anyone consenting to be hunted would automatically show up on some mission term...someone (a player) would have to "report" them and front the bounty money.
Star Warsy? I'm not sure why it wouldn't be. You may have a point there, but we can probably both agree that this game is full of stuff that has little to do with SW.
BH have nothing to lose, jedi have lots to lose.
If we are willing to take the prof then we should be willing to take the risks that comee with it.
At least in the old days if u got killed u had to get another buff and pay for it now there is nothing at all.