Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Nerf Awoxing in Highsec

Evidently CCP has discussed nerfing highsec awoxing with the CSM.  This is in the recent CSM minutes.  So, what do I think about it?

Generally, I agree with the plan.  Awoxing is horribly unintuitive for naive players, enough so to break their willing suspension of disbelief in a very negative way.  Also the violation of trust is considerable, and not something we want to promote in a game that is trying to get people to work together.

The ability to shoot corpmates does have some utility.  The CSM reps bring this up quite effectively.  (I.e.: webbing freighters, logi support, playing around, testing fits.)  After considering this a bit, I think that it should be kept.  However, 99% of the time, it is not needed.  So, make it possible but never by default.  Limit the scope as much as possible.  Move it to a fleet setting.  Corpmates in the same fleet can shoot each other if and only if the fleet commander has set a "free to shoot" flag for that fleet.  When you join a fleet, you already get a warning saying you can't shoot people.  You'd need a new warning for this.  Also, players should be warned whenever their fleet commander turns on "free to shoot".

Note that this idea does leave open a small window for awoxing.  Get in a corp, lead a fleet or sucker the command into turning on "free to shoot".  Now you can awox everyone.  I am OK with that.

There are arguments out there (i.e. James 315) that awoxing is needed to break up bad highsec corps.  Well, it's colorable at least.  But I think that the number of such incidents is quite low compared to the total awoxing that people do to corps that are good or indifferent.  I also don't think that people who get awoxed even though in a bad corp necessarily learn the "right" lesson from it, as opposed to the lesson "EVE players are assholes".  And finally, most players in a bad corp will leave of their own volition.  Indeed, James has a posting up recently detailing just such a player.

3 comments:

  1. I like it, I like it a lot... but, Also, players should be warned whenever their fleet commander turns on "free to shoot". ...

    Why not make so that when you get a fleet invite, if the fleet was started as OE (Open Engagement), then in order to join, you simply press the "OE" button signifying you understand and accept that you can openly engage and be engaged by your fleetmates...

    However if the fleet is started as RE (Restricted Engagement) then pressing the "RE" button signifies normal ROE ally for both in and out of fleet ships/players.

    Another variant would be a vote... someone adverts a Fleet, each player selects OE or RE and is tagged as such (by color mebbe, Red for OE, Blue for RE for example or some such indicator...) in the Fleet Window... Everyone would know that In Fleet only you would be free to openly engage anyone who is RED (in the Fleet window or Watchlist) but you will get CONCORDED for shewting a BLUE...

    This I am liking very muchly...

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  2. Freighter webbing can be solved by opening a duel so a workaround is available.
    EVE uni and other organizations using training fleets could definately use a fleet free for all setting. Their other option is to take their fleets out of high sec.

    I wonder when high sec wardecs will be taken under the loop.. While I am not in favor of a safe high sec I also want to make player corporations a better option as the NPC corp.

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  3. just to close one hole, if the fleet commander takes the fleet free to shoot there should be a timer (allow them to form the fleet as free to avoid this) that is ~ 3 min and a popup for current members. If you don't agree you are thrown out of the fleet. that way A bad actor in a corp cant get a bunch of (or one) noob into fleet and then switch it when they say "brb bio" or some such feeling relatively safe, and come back to a blown up ship. Today it doesn't seem like such a big thing, but if you have new players that didn't grow up with this then it will be even worse.

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