rep loss from other factions during encounter?

[daveal]

I know lots of people are complaining of pain with rep loss, and I haven't been (much).  I am in a cadar sector, high positive rep with cadar, and I retreated from a cadar military officer. For that, two other factions dinged me rep?  Why is this?

[Bariel]

Those 2 factions are both in conflict with Cedar so, by acknowledging the Cedar ship, you have said that you are at least on nodding terms with a faction they are currently actively working against, so they knock your rep with them down a notch or two.

[daveal]

I guess, but this type of thing is why many people are complaining that rep loss is painful and unavoidable. This was unavoidable, it was a random encounter and it ended peacefully.

I also started a new game and my starting faction was in a trade ban at the start of the game. So basically, if I sell anything in my starting quadrant, the other faction hates me. It's too early to have to abandon this sector and trade in another one, all my contacts are here. I survived, but new players would get frustrated. For this, I suggest that the game initialization should check and avoid a trade ban against the player's faction at time 0. At least at lower difficulty levels. Players who get turned off in the first few hours will leave negative reviews.

[drspendlove]

Nah it wasn't unavoidable, you need to demand tribute until the other ship just wants to retreat (1 encounter response, not 2+). Still awkward though.

[Cory Trese]

The Trade Ban is present in every single game. The code not only doesn't prevent a Trade Ban between the player's starting friendly and starting enemy Faction -- it actually guarantees it.

It has been this way since the alpha test. I don't think that information will be helpful -- if someone is dead set on hating STF, then they're gonna hate it!

[daveal]

May 21, 2018 5:49:15 GMT -5 drspendlove said:

Nah it wasn't unavoidable, you need to demand tribute until the other ship just wants to retreat (1 encounter response, not 2+). Still awkward though.

Nice trick!  I will try that.  I always assumed demanding tribute would be even worse for rep than surrendering.

May 21, 2018 6:54:54 GMT -5 Cory Trese said:

The Trade Ban is present in every single game. The code not only doesn't prevent a Trade Ban between the player's starting friendly and starting enemy Faction -- it actually guarantees it. It has been this way since the alpha test. I don't think that information will be helpful -- if someone is dead set on hating STF, then they're gonna hate it!

I hadn't realized this happens at the start of every game. This just seems like such a painful and hard to understand "new player experience". But if you feel it is so critical, of course it is your decision.