Adding player distress signals

[Jade, the Redeemable]

I was reading the forums about potential for rescue missions when someone said something about players sending distress signals. And then I got thinking about some problems with players just easily killing anyone without consequence and how people want a change to the crime and punishment system. Then I wondered: why not let players send distress signals?

Like uss signals, it could come up on a passerby's feed. Then someone manages to come by to help enough to let the victim escape. Even if the ship gets destroyed, the signal might still be present creating a potential risk for pirates and killers.

I've read distress signals were even a part of the game before the devs somehow removed it with the introduction of fuel scoops.

[Jankules]

It can be used/abused for ambushes too...think about that.

[Agony_Aunt]

Originally posted by Jankules:

It can be used/abused for ambushes too...think about that.

Or as some might call it, emergent gameplay :D

Yeah, in Open, that would be a signal to "come gank me"

We've seen similar in the past, when certain people sat on the Fuel Rats IRC and went ganking those who called for help.

[Wylie28]

It would just be used for ganking, it was removed for a reason. Sometimes ideas seem good, but in practice they are stupid. This is one of them.

[quiescentCeez]

SC will be using distress beacons. Gonna be interesting to see how it turns out.
Credit reward would probably have to be good and ofcourse reputation system.

ED reputation system is still a beta at work and there are no money/items transactions between players(dont consider dumping cargo as payment (sounds like pirating no?)). The latter would definetly have to change to make distress signal 'mechanic' worth using.

[pyr0kid]

i'd love an sos system, would be a great chance to help people and gank the gankers

[Salt_Extractor]

Well... you know, report crimes agaisnt me is basicly that.
Now the problem is that NPCs never match the players, but I (and many others) dropped on my fair share of low wakes in a CG after seeing an interdiction happen.

[AISTHESIS]

Originally posted by Wylie28:

It would just be used for ganking, it was removed for a reason. Sometimes ideas seem good, but in practice they are stupid. This is one of them.

The idea is not stupid.
Ganking is stupid.

I would suggest a selectable beacon that signals only to select members like your friends list or your group. We have report crimes but we need report no fuel for systems with security. If we use our brains we can find ways to make things work for the better. That does not mean there is time and resources to make everything happen. It just means YES we could use personal distress beacons and even visible escape pods. If you can't use your brain at least use your manners. Some people are stupid. You are one of them.

[CrimsonGamer99]

Anyone who sends out a distress signal because of a ganker will never recieve help. They'll be dead in less than a minute anyway.

Anyone who sends out a distress signal needing fuel way out in the deepest parts of the galaxy will also never get their fuel. Nobody will find it. They are better off calling the rats.

And of course, people will fake an SOS call to trick people into dropping down into an ambush.

[malorob]

saw a youtube vid of people calling the fuel rats then next minute they ambused them.