A mechanic could be introduced to encourage co-operation within population clusters and allow them to provide their own security.
Think wild-west frontier towns with it's sherriff and deputies. Although far removed from any support, the sheriff would have some powers to assist in the day-to-day policing of his township and outlying homesteads. This would clearly be open to corruption, some communities might find themselves in the grip of a tyrannical gang, whilst others might have benevolent protectors. You never know, it might encourage a few poachers-turned-gamekeepers.
A New Skill
Skill: Local Law Enforcement
Description: The understanding, administration and enforcement of local laws.
4% per level increase to security status increase per pirate head.
4% per level decrease to security status per infraction.
Prerequisites: Social V
+ DED Connections IV
DED Licensing Agents
DED Licensing Agents have been positioned at various stations in low-security systems in order to facilitate the employment of local Law Enforcement Officers. DED personnel that have been assigned these undesirable posts realise applicants are not always of the highest calibre and their recruitment standards are varied, however the following criteria must be met by capsuleers seeking A DED Law Enforcement License.
Local Law Enforcement Skill: Level according to system security applied for.
Security Status: Minimum -5.00 (some agents may expect better)
System Security Level 0.1 : Min. Req. Sec. Status -5.00 : Local Law Enforcement IV
System Security Level 0.2 : Min. Req. Sec. Status -4.00 : Local Law Enforcement III
System Security Level 0.3 : Min. Req. Sec. Status -3.00 : Local Law Enforcement II
System Security Level 0.4 : Min. Req. Sec. Status -2.00 : Local Law Enforcement I
Faction Standing: Varies
Corporation Office: The applicant must be the member of a corporation currently renting an office in the system in question.
The Local Law Enforcement Licence
The holder of this licence has been recognised by CONCORD, DED and all associated organisations as an individual of good character capable of upholding the law within the boundaries of appropriate jurisdiction.
* Whilst operating within the bounds of jurisdiction (ie. the licence-holder's home system), gate and station weaponry will not fire upon any ship piloted by the individual. Furthermore, the license holder will incur no security status loss nor criminal countdowns for initiating combat within the system of jurisdiction (these bonuses are invalidated if fleeted with any unlicensed pilots).
* The license-holder will have access to a secure constellation-wide Law Enforcement channel to assist in communications between local LEOs.
* A LLE licence-holder with a Security Status of +4.5 or higher and Local Law Enforcement V can apply for an extended licence with constellation-wide jurisdiction.
The principle behind this mechanic is to provide some small advantage to local residents in combating the criminal element. It would allow the specialised use of frigates and cruisers at gates and stations. It also provides an additional mechanic to allow the recovery of security status for reforming criminals.
Comments (8)
I think this is a great idea; but I still object to the licensee being free to engage anybody in his jurisdiction. Specifically, I object to the licensee being able to freely engage positive security status pilots. Instead, the licensee should only be able to freely engage negative security status pilots.
At the very least, it should be restricted to engaging pilots no more than 5.0 points above the licensee's current security status. So, a -5.0 pilot could freely engage up to a 0.0 security status pilot, a -2.5 security status pilot could engage up to 2.5, and so on. And, any engagement of a positive security status pilot should cause a security status penalty even if no GCC is incurred to keep the naughty deputies at least a little bit honest.
Fundamentally a good idea.
-Promotes cooperation
-Creates functional RP (immersion)
-Relatively simple
-Gives the bad guys someone to fight
-Gives the local industrialists some hope
Not worried about the mechanics. CCP can figure that part out. IMO these are the kinds of ideas that have a chance of getting implemented. Simple and works on multiple levels.
That being said, I do agree that maybe a complete free pass to fire on anyone, without penalty, might need adjusting.
What parity said above, except it should be pilots engaging no one except five points BELOW the licensee's current security status. (i.e. Must be at least -4 to attack -9, 0 to attack up to -5, +5 to attack up to less than 0, no further licensing available.)
Since you can already freely engage anything at or below -5.0, [Community Member]'s suggestion makes this license really only applicable to positive security status pilots. That cuts out about half of the intended mechanics that Stan outlined.
I stick with my original statements.
Originally I was going to suggest that deputies should not be able to engage anybody with a security status above their own -- but it hit the same problem: there's no way to apply it to a reforming criminal which was part of Stan's intent (a part which I like, even if I'm not a criminal myself).
You've also got to allow for a little dishonesty; deputies in low-sec are not all the knight-in-shining-armor type.
Honestly, I'd totally pair this with my idea about CONCORD applied bounties for any time a pilot incurs a GCC; then just say that only pilots with bounties can be engaged under the law enforcement mechanics.
Mostly I rambled.
I really like it though i agree something has to be set in place so it isnt just used to camp the gate versus anybody.
I agree that not all law enforcement will be 'shining knights in armor' types.
SECRET POLICE:
In fact, I was going to suggest something like a 'Secret Police' force. This would be a company of Political police in Empire like the KGB or Gestapo, whose job it is to ensure that everyone in Empire 'obeys the rules'. They are charged with routing out the spies and saboteurs amongst their own people.
Needless to say, they are a 'law unto themselves'.
The 'secret police' are a role-playing corporation. They are actually 'role playing police'.
It's not just a license to shoot everything that moves and get away with it. The real OOC reason for getting popped by the secret police would be BAD ROLEPLAY.
I don't just mean not roleplaying at all, or saying things that make no sense, but saying something that is contradictory to your character.
Amarrians who insult the Empress in Militia chat for example, would in the EVE world be immediately executed by the secret police.
This IC reason, would be an in-game roleplay reason. 'Impure thoughts', or 'Heresy' or 'Treason'. This might even show up as a decoration on your character sheet, a permanent mark in the 'Hall of shame'.
You could even have Secret police in high sec acting as can flipping 'pirates'. When you steal from their ship, they pop you, then say 'Theft is a venal sin.'
Ideally, if the secret police pop your ship, they should send you an EVE mail explaining the roleplaying in character reason why they did so.
In Amarrian space, (40% of the Eve universe) the Secret police could be working for the Theological council. They would have access to brain-scans used to make new clones, and essentially 'know what you are thinking'. This gives them an excuse to come along and pop your ship because your character has had 'impure thoughts' detected.
This is fine for the Totalitarian theocratic Amarr state, but what about the other races?
Well, the Brutors in Minmatar high-sec might form an internal organization to route out the spies from their own ranks. Ditto for the Caldarians and Gallente.
There's also the possibility that the Amarrian empire has their 'secret police agents' in every state in high-sec, as well as low-sec of course. This does not give Amarrian players any more power, but does make the Amarrian Empire seem even more powerful and dangerous, giving the other races an even greater incentive to fight or side with them.
Roleplay police in the Pirate sects?
Ideally yes. Each of the pirate states would have at least one or two enforcer 'bad ass' pirates at the top of the chain...looking after the interests of their particular NPC organization.
Blood Pirates, Guristas, Sansha's nation, etc. would interact with other player pirate corporations to enforce their own policies. A roleplay cop from the Blood Raiders would roleplay as a fanatical Amarrian heretic interested in collecting and consuming blood. A roleplay cop from Sansha's nation would talk about the 'promised land', and so forth.
The difference here is that the Pirate 'roleplay police' would really have to be given uber (but destructible) ships. Player pirates would have to consider them as enough of a threat to want to take them seriously. Ideally the player pirate corps would want to side with one of the more powerful in story NPC pirate groups such as the Blood Raiders, Guristas, etc.
This would be a departure from thinking of all NPC pirates as 'rats', regardless of affiliation.
Also, the 'roleplay police' Pirates would be restricted from shooting everyone else except for their own Pirates.
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How to limit the powers of the 'roleplay police'?
Simple. Only CCP staff, or story developer volunteers may join or appoint others into the secret police. Yes these characters will have 'special issue' yet destructible ships.
Yes at present, there are no 'in game' advantages to being a volunteer. This can change however. Not only does it reward volunteers, but in encourages them to work harder, and encourages others to take their roleplay more seriously in the world of EVE.
My prior post from work in a hurry. I agree with the rebuttal that what I am proposing is only applicable to positive security standing pilots. That's how I meant it. I, too, stand by that.
In the past, law and order was maintained in small towns by the MILITIA. This was a well-drilled group of combat aged males in the town, all carrying weapons.
When a problem arose, you shouted 'Murder!' or 'Theft' or 'Fire' or 'Rape!' An alarm was raised and the MILITIA was called into action to deal with whatever problem was at hand.
This is before the Police were invented in London, England in 1812, to serve as a 'permanent, professional Militia'.
Take a look at the second Amendment to the United States constitution.
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed."
What the phrase 'A well regulated militia' refers to is what we would call the POLICE. In other countries, the word for POLICE is the same as the word for MILITIA.
So really, it should be the MILITIA that act as the Police force in low-sec. The main problem here is that the Militia are only interested in shooting the enemy Militia, and pretty much leave Pirates alone as 'neutrals'.
This could be solved merely by removing the penalty for Militia to shoot at pirates. Also, with an understanding that it is the job of the Militia not only to shoot the enemy Militia, but also to maintain law and order by shooting Pirates.
One obstacle to this? A lot of the Militia are pirates themselves.
Solution: Redefine the Pirates that are in the Militia as 'Privateers'. This gives the Pirates some amount of amnesty at least within their own Militia.