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[Thaago]

There used to also be random inspections of all fleets, transponder on or off, and shielded cargo holds was less prevalent/effective. Smuggling was a LOT harder in well patrolled areas when you actually needed to not be seen to get cargo through. Still easy in luddic space though (which makes sense).

[JUDGE! slowpersun]

There used to also be random inspections of all fleets, transponder on or off, and shielded cargo holds was less prevalent/effective. Smuggling was a LOT harder in well patrolled areas when you actually needed to not be seen to get cargo through. Still easy in luddic space though (which makes sense).

So basically what is being said is that much of the "debate" regarding the destabilizing nature of smuggling for gameplay loop (specifically referencing what went down on the suggestions forum, both recently locked threads to some degree) was entirely preventable?  Not pointing any fingers, but WTF, mate?  Why was this dropped?  This isn't just intended as a critique, legitimately curious why it got dropped...

[SCC]

iirc people complained about it being annoying

[JUDGE! slowpersun]

iirc people complained about it being annoying

ROFL.  Fate, it seems, is not without a sense of irony...

[Thaago]

It didn't actually help stop smuggling exploits because there were enough systems without patrols. It was very annoying for everyday moving around though: imagine for example that every time you fly through any space where AI cores are illegal, there was a decent chance that they either get seized or you go to hostile with that faction. Or returning from a salvage mission/bounty where you recovered heavy weapons, and they get taken when you go in to dock for supplies.

And it also just interrupting the player constantly: every time you visited a patrolled system at the very least, sometimes multiple times in fast succession by different fleets. It was obnoxious lol.

I think that proactive inspections could make a comeback, but would need to be a consequence of smuggling and less intrusive.

[JUDGE! slowpersun]

It didn't actually help stop smuggling exploits because there were enough systems without patrols. It was very annoying for everyday moving around though: imagine for example that every time you fly through any space where AI cores are illegal, there was a decent chance that they either get seized or you go to hostile with that faction. Or returning from a salvage mission/bounty where you recovered heavy weapons, and they get taken when you go in to dock for supplies.

And it also just interrupting the player constantly: every time you visited a patrolled system at the very least, sometimes multiple times in fast succession by different fleets. It was obnoxious lol.

I can see why that would be annoying with the transponder still being on.  But purely from a perspective of verisimilitude, why would a government assume they need to search peeps who are complying with the law (assuming not a totalitarian gov't, just a basic republic or democratic nation state)?  Customs happens at the border, not on the ocean... only makes sense to chase those narco-subs (which are obviously smuggling).  But this is a game, not real life, so some slack is cut.  But seems masochistic (if not schizophrenic) to develop whole systems in order to drop them since a few peeps complain... but at a minimum doesn't seem best practices.

[SCC]

I wouldn't say those were a few people. Closer to majority at the time, probably. Things sometimes don't work out and have to be abandoned, no matter how much work was spent on them.

[JUDGE! slowpersun]

I wouldn't say those were a few people. Closer to majority at the time, probably. Things sometimes don't work out and have to be abandoned, no matter how much work was spent on them.

I agree with that.  But how did this majority get measured?  This forum has polling for a reason...  Just seems like sometimes sentiment is measured by licking finger and putting it up to wind.  Probably the best recent example was the 0.95a change to skill system, much widespread dissent regarding that (myself included).  New system much better, but dunno why old system was dropped in the first place.  Same thing might happen to new Tempest ship system, I dunno.

[intrinsic_parity]

I mean, I think a lot of the time, Alex just plays the game, decides he doesn't like something and changes it. It's definitely not always a democratic process, and shouldn't be IMO.

Also, there are many many old threads on this forum going into great detail about the issues with the old skill system, and it was very much in need of significant changes IMO. Personally, I think 0.95 was an improvement regardless of its flaws, but the current system is by far the best so far.

[JUDGE! slowpersun]

I mean, I think a lot of the time, Alex just plays the game, decides he doesn't like something and changes it. It's definitely not always a democratic process, and shouldn't be IMO.

Perhaps I should clarify.  It doesn't have to be a democratic process.  In fact, it ain't.  But data driven would be nice.  Epistemological is the fancy word, if I'm remembering the definition correctly...

[intrinsic_parity]

I mean, polls are definitely not 'data driven'. They are people expressing their subjective opinions. There's not really a way to get community gameplay data for an offline game. I'm sure Alex bases his decisions on 'data' from his own gameplay, and I'm quite confident he always has concrete reasons for changes, and doesn't just look through the forum and change whatever people complain about.

[JUDGE! slowpersun]

I mean, polls are definitely not 'data driven'. They are people expressing their subjective opinions. There's not really a way to get community gameplay data for an offline game. I'm sure Alex bases his decisions on 'data' from his own gameplay, and I'm quite confident he always has concrete reasons for changes, and doesn't just look through the forum and change whatever people complain about.

I don't mean "data-driven" in the sense that Alexa (or in this case the game) is reporting statistic back to the mothership.  I mean polling sentiment in order to perhaps determine why something is so controversial, or at least unpopular.  To perhaps determine whether systems need tweaks before completely tossing them... but clearly devs aren't beholden to players' opinions/suggestions.  But nor should they necessarily implement them without clear reasoning.  In any case, I was mostly suggesting polling because when a player drops a poll, nobody could care (my one and only poll got like 200ish peeps, IIRC; but peanuts compared to entire size of forum).  If a dev drops a poll, people are more likely to pay attention...

[Alex]

Just in general, I'd take a well-reasoned post from one person over a poll with several thousand responses any day. As you're getting at, the "why" is what's most important - but polls are awful at conveying that.

[Grievous69]

Just in general, I'd take a well-reasoned post from one person over a poll with several thousand responses any day. As you're getting at, the "why" is what's most important - but polls are awful at conveying that.

Never change my good man, never change.