Ship encounter behaviour/hostility

[Terrikk]

The way other ships react to you - and the options available to the player - often rubs me the wrong way and seems  unfair or non-intuitive.

For example, a couple observations:

1) I encountered a pirate from my own faction (which I had around +60 rep with I think) and the pirate is hostile. Like hey buddy, we're on the same team here... And then you have to fight them or let them loot you or something like that which again feels strange given that you're both in a faction that you have high standing with. Maybe they don't have high standing, but then wouldn't your faction side with you and thus not incur rep loss?

2) I encounter a smuggler from an opposing faction. The smuggler is in a much inferior ship, and the text indicates they are in the process of retreating. My options are to fight, retreat (and suffer rep loss), or bribe them to avoid rep loss.

1. I don't want to fight them, because I am not interested in further rep loss, and they are trying to retreat anyway
2. Why should I retreat and suffer rep loss? They are already trying to retreat. And shouldn't they be grateful for letting them retreat? If I let them retreat, it's like nothing happened. Why the rep loss? It feels like an insulting choice to be given.
3. Again, having to bribe them to avoid rep loss? An even more insulting choice. They are no match and are attempting to retreat anyway. I don't understand why they would "badmouth" the player for simply ignoring them and letting them go on their way. If anything, I might expect the opposite (+1 rep as a thanks for not blowing us up even though we're hostile smugglers maybe?)

Those are the main things I can think of offhand. Situations like #2 are the main gripe I have. It feels insulting to the player to have to retreat with rep loss or bribe to avoid rep loss when you a) didn't care to fight them in the first place, b) they may have been no match anyway, and c) they may have been trying to retreat anyway. And it is annoying to have to deal with the rep loss (or credit loss by bribing them to avoid rep loss) in these situations.

I feel like a more realistic set of options and outcomes would feel more natural and be less annoying.

Ex.

• You encounter any ship that is actively trying to retreat themselves - You have an option to "retreat" (a misnomer here - really just ignore them and let them be on their way), no rep loss. Or you fight them, and receive any rep loss as usual, since it makes sense in that case.
• You encounter a ship that is closing to attack you - you have a option to retreat, which may incur rep loss justified as them viewing you as a coward - extra rep loss if the enemy ship was "inferior" to yours. In this case a bribe to avoid rep loss makes sense. Or you can fight them and incur usual rep loss from ship combat.
• You encounter any ship from your own faction - there should never be any option that results in rep loss, unless they are trying to "retreat" and you actively engage them. The only exception would be if your rep was less than some minimum, in which case one could view attacks from MO's/BH's as legal/warranted, and you'd basically have to bribe them to avoid any rep loss.

Some modifications to that behaviour in contexts like orbital operations (as opposed to floating through the void) might make sense (ex. if you Blockade your own faction, might make sense if there is rep loss involved in encountering your own Faction's ships).

[fallen]

Sorry that you dislike STF's reputation system. It is the nasty state of affairs in Star Traders politics and retribution justice. It's neo-feudal, its catty, its petty -- it is their way. They have built a society around avoiding excessive violence or any form of large scale warfare, and so the little things are watched, monitored and judged harshly.

1. If you want to be in good with Pirates, get permits.
2. There are a wealth of Talents that can help you avoid Rep loss during ship encounters or end the encounter on good terms that avoid Rep/money costs altogether.

[Cory Trese]

I'd also like to chime and apologize that you found so little to like in Star Traders: Frontiers.

We will keep working to improve and the next game is likely to have a different (although no less complex) Reputation and Renown system.

If there is anything we can do to help (refund, etc) just let us know. Again, very sorry

[terrikk]

...apparently this come across more negatively than I intended, so my apologies if I worded it poorly. It was meant as constructive criticism about a specific part in a game I otherwise enjoy. And it's not the reputation system as a whole, just the behaviour/options during ship encounters I was focusing on. I get the lore explanation, though some of the interactions still feel a bit counterintuitive.
ex. I could see bribe being an option when encountering a hostile ship that is moving to attack you. Makes sense lore-wise - catty, feudal, pay up or fight kind of deal. But having to bribe a little smuggler ship that you could otherwise squash, just so they don't talk smack about you to their people, feels weird. They are a smuggler probably involved in illicit activities. I feel like if anything they'd be bribing you to look the other way, esp if you are a more powerful ship or some "authoritative" captain like a Commander or MO.

Granted I know there are gameplay considerations too, such as not wanting folks to rack up free credits by flying around extorting smugglers. And forcing rep loss into things like these encounters helps force the larger reputation system and the player having to engage in enconomy, politics, talents, etc to deal with those reputation factors. Like yes, I find it weird/annoying having to bribe or suffer rep loss vs a passing smuggler I care nothing about, but it does force me to take those things into consideration as opposed to a zero-rep-change "Wave in a friendly manner to the passing ship and both be on your merry ways" option .
Anyway, just food for thought.