Traffic Reputation Concepts

[GrandpaTrout]

Unstable Space has a reputation system similar to Freelancer. Attacking people lowers your reputation, and paying bribes raises it. The reputation system and trade system are connected to make the path to wealth and good equipment dependent on having good faction relations.

The major goal in Unstable Space is to get wealthy. Traffic has a new top end player goal, and that is to help a faction achieve the factions Grand Design. A Grand Design might be the conquest of a system (Leung taking back The Dead Reaches), the destruction of an opposing faction (Gargoyles wiping out Pimentel), or starting a new government (Fonsenka Foundation forming an independent state in Akra). A faction achieving its goal will change the cluster in a profound way.

The reputation system needs to entice the player into participating. It already encourages taking sides by making it hard to earn a living without good relations to a faction. Here are a bunch more ideas to make the bond between player and faction even stronger.

Actions Increase Reputation

The first major change is that the player increases reputation by working with a faction. A player increases reputation by trading with a faction or by helping a faction in combat. Refueling stranded ships, running courier datascans, rescuing refugees are all kinds of things that increase reputation. Basically, all actions that move a faction toward its goals should give the player a reputation boost.

Actions that hinder a faction will carry a reputation penalty, even if those actions are not direct combat. (In Traffic spying will become another career).

Reputation changes by bribery will be removed. This was a shortcut feature, and removes the connection between the player and the stations.

Stations and Fleets Track Reputation

The second major change is that fleets and stations track faction standing independently of the main faction. A player can form friendships and alliances with individual fleets and stations. Faction standing with fleets and stations changes much faster than with the overall faction. This allows a player to quickly start earning bonuses when working with the same stations and fleets. It is important that the player be able to earn a living.

Negative reputation changes with fleets and stations are also very quick. It is possible to have some stations hate you while the owning faction does not.

There are many reasons for this change. One is to make the world filled with individuals. These are not just canon fodder ships, but fleets of people. These people know and recognize the player. It would be hard to have the player feel an attachment to a “faction� abstract entity. But the player could easily have an attachment to a fleet that has helped out on many occasions. Or a station that welcomes the player’s return and gives great trade bonuses. An attachment can be made to a fence where the player always sells cargo.

These attachments make it possible for the player to want to protect these individuals and assist them. When they ask for help the player is inclined to agree.

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