Dev/log 5

I’ve improved the “justice system” in the game by making safe sectors even more secure and adding “police”. It still has an MMO character but now with potential for development.

Justice System

Traditionally, the game includes three types of statuses:

• “White” - a law-abiding player who can count on police protection.

• “Purple” - a player with a minor infraction; the police do not protect them, nor do they attack. If “defenders” (large flying drones) are present in the sector, they can put the player into stasis until they become “white”.

• “Red” - a criminal, whom the police and defenders attack without warning.

Criminals now belong to a specific faction. For example, you can be a criminal for the greens, but not for the reds. In the wastelands, there is neither law nor criminals - all players are “white”.

If a player enters the territory of a hostile faction, they will receive a “red” status until relations improve.

Status Change / Strikes

For minor offenses, a “white” player receives a “purple” status and one strike. “Purple” players can be attacked and even destroyed, but the attacker will become “purple” themselves.

Minor offenses include:

• Attacking other players or bots.

• Obstructing the movement of other players or bots (e.g., setting a trap).

• Trading contraband at bases.

To receive a “red” status, one must kill a “white” bot or player in a safe sector or accumulate 10 strikes. If a “red” player accumulates another 10 strikes, the status timer resets.

The current number of strikes can be viewed next to the status panel. If you’re a pirate with 9 strikes, you might want to visit another faction. :)

Police

In safe sectors, bots and turrets act as police. The police do not obey the justice system, as they are the justice system. :)

The police are marked with an icon next to their nickname

The police patrol the sectors and attack aggressors who attack “white” players. However, they do not intervene in conflicts between “purple” players. If a player wants support, they should not attack in response and retreat to the police (to the turrets or bot).

The police do not attack “white” players. If a player becomes “white”, the defender stops pursuing them.

And they will even help if you get caught in a trap. :)

All police bots are in one group, so attacking one will likely attract reinforcements. However, they can be destroyed, as they are equal in strength to other bots.

Pirates

It has become harder to be a pirate, so I’ve reworked them, and they have become more cautious, which has increased their survivability. They now migrate around the world, including the wastelands, making the latter more dangerous.

Defenders

Defenders are not police, but the police and loyal bots/players see what the defenders see. The main task of the defenders is reconnaissance and destruction of dangerous pirates and enemy factions, as well as putting “purple” players into stasis upon detection.

Distress Beacons

This element is not a direct part of the justice system but can interact with it. After a character’s death, a beacon appears on the mini-map that remains there for a certain time. This serves as a signal to all players that a death has occurred in that location. The police, in turn, go to scout the area.

Conclusion

The new system turned out to be quite complicated, but I try to maintain a balance between “safety” and the ability to engage in caravan robberies.

Attacking white players has now become completely unprofitable in safe sectors because you can get a response from the police or even fly into a “red” status, although it is still possible. But only 33% of the sectors in the game are safe. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯