Regarding Station licenses and protection from hostiles (MP and SP)

[ELiTe]

I think maybe the seasoned players might need to have a slight update to their "knowledgebase" on this

I've been observing that thus far, in both MP and SP, station licenses only function as "discount coupons" for you. No docking fees, lower prices for buying AND selling (ie you get less if you sell to a licensed station).

The station does not "actively engage incoming hostiles". You can be docked (but have not clicked "Enter Station" yet), a red ship can fly inside and still shoot you. I have had this happen many times in both licensed and unlicensed stations as well as in those I built.

This is only in reference to the "protection" part of the station. You're as much protected in a licensed station as in an unlicensed one as far as I can see.



[Edited on 19-6-2013 by ELiTe]

[Marvin]

That's pretty much been my experience too. Ususally, though, they will only follow you into the station if they're already within gun range.

[Maarschalk]

Yes, the docking has changed in the new version, in the old version you where protected once docked and paying the docking fee. Now you have to enter the station to be protected from hostiles. And about no docking fees, that is another spoiler!......and has nothing to do with owning a license!......

[Rubber Chicken]

Hmm.... I've had varied results. Sometimes I'll buy a license and the AI will park and wait for me to come out - no missiles or gunfire. Other times they will enter the dock area and not do anything. And occasionally they will attack.

I think it may have to do with the faction that owns the station, and the faction piloting the hostile AI. I'm not sure if the rep system is that detailed, but it would make sense that a Vonari fighter isn't going to care about a Human station and it's silly rules. Likewise if the AI hostile and the Station are both owned by the same faction, and you buy a license the AI might be a bit more respectful when the station says "You kids go outside if you're going to fight!". :P

[Marvin]

I find it to be a coin toss. I've had to dock at a hidden station in Vonari space at high speed because of the large number of Vons surrounding the station. Yet, after being tractored, not a single Von ship fired on me. Other times, I haven't been as lucky.

[Capt_Caveman]

I found the biggest factor in protection is your rating/rank.

[Busch]

All I said was that the station, where licensed, will actively engage incoming missile traffic. Yep - Yep - Yep! I also alluded to the hunting license, with your name on it (insert tag here), that the AI/NPC Bad Guys have had for at least the last three or four Mercs Part II roll-outs. What strategy and tactics they may employ is known only to one. Everyone else has to "test the waters", so to speak. Yes, the AI/NPC ROE's have changed significantly. Inclusive of the capital-class tonnage as well.
Sometimes, the station where licensed, will assume a more active roll with incoming missile interdiction, or so it seems. The more contracts/missions successfully completed at/for that station and surrounds, the more active is that station's engagement. The corresponding boost to your reputation among the factions may be a good thing for you; depending on the system location, system rep status, and faction(s) you're doing the most work for. The "bad-guy weather" changes with the cycle, or so it appears. One minute you're being ignored for the better, bigger "fish" (insert "easy target" here). The next, the Reds can't seem to get enough of you. Kinda like the overly-involved girlfriend.

For seasoning, I like Mont Real Steak. Or Lemon-Herb Chicken. (No excuses, RC) :P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P

[Rubber Chicken]

For seasoning, I like Mont Real Steak. Or Lemon-Herb Chicken. (No excuses, RC) :P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P:P

Both very tasty! I like Chicken Parmesan myself. :P

Marvin's observation is about as accurate as I can really relate from my own observations. I was kind of taking a bit of a stab at possible reasons. Maybe pinning the tail on this donkey should be left to the professionals! :P

[Marvin]

I considered rank as a mitigating factor until I remembered that I'm currently doing SeeJay's quest using a new profile ... and I don't see much difference.

[Busch]

I'm with Marv and the others on the rank thing. There are some significant milestones, on both the civ and mil-side rank-wise. The pay-per-contract(s)/mission(s) increases slightly, up to a certain point, with each rank/status promotion. The various benefits of Commander and Commodore mil ranks, and Legend civ status as well. But, I've not seen any of the rank/status "benefits" per se, have any impact upon the variable station protection energetics. They merely appear to be a bit more interested if one is actually conducting business with that station. (ie: actually performing the contracts offered on the boards there. [with the possible exception of the Rebel faction. I'll have to go totally rogue to truly test this one. Haven't done that for a while... ])

[ELiTe]

On a related note... it seems that buying a license costs more than if you build a station.

Eg license costs 200 mill... building your own station in the same system 2 sectors away costs 10 mill. Maybe this might make sense if it's in a hostile system, but in a not-that-hostile one it's similar too (such as in Rucker/Lost Rucker), it's cheaper to build a station than to get a license from an existing one (both player-built and game stations).

Dunno if this is working as intended, or overlooked.

[Marvin]

One of Vice's ongoing adjustments to the game is in the area of money management. Whenever you see a possible imbalance, post it.

[ELiTe]

Heh yeah so far only the station license thing has struck me as a very significant difference in prices.

Another one not-so-significant one is Repair Systems C3 vs Fulcrum Drive C5. Seemed kinda "wrong" to me. Taking into account the amount of "work" required to make either of these 2 items, it takes more steps to make a Fulcrum Drive C5 than a Repair System C3, yet the Repair System C3 sells for (and conversely, costs you) a lot more... maybe 1.5 to 2 times the value of a Fulcrum Drive C5 (or more, in the right system).

[Rubber Chicken]

On a related note... it seems that buying a license costs more than if you build a station.

Eg license costs 200 mill... building your own station in the same system 2 sectors away costs 10 mill. Maybe this might make sense if it's in a hostile system, but in a not-that-hostile one it's similar too (such as in Rucker/Lost Rucker), it's cheaper to build a station than to get a license from an existing one (both player-built and game stations).

Dunno if this is working as intended, or overlooked.

It's cheaper to just build a station, but licenses from game-generated stations are guaranteed to be permanent - at least in MP where other players do occasionally renovate.

[ELiTe]

It's cheaper to just build a station, but licenses from game-generated stations are guaranteed to be permanent - at least in MP where other players do occasionally renovate.

Yeah but the same "rules" apply to SP too And in SP, I'm not gonna renovate, hence it's "permanent" to me if I build a station.

[Marvin]

... it takes more steps to make a Fulcrum Drive C5 than a Repair System C3, yet the Repair System C3 sells for (and conversely, costs you) a lot more....

I can live without a C5 Fulcrum ... but not without a C3 repair system. Without auto-repair, combat would be far too expensive.

[Rubber Chicken]

^^^^^

Hence: I always have my C3 Repair, but my Jump drive only when the contract would go smoother with it. Visual inspection containers can get pretty far away from the waypoint if you cruise there at 3500/mps! ;)

[Rubber Chicken]

It's cheaper to just build a station, but licenses from game-generated stations are guaranteed to be permanent - at least in MP where other players do occasionally renovate.

Yeah but the same "rules" apply to SP too And in SP, I'm not gonna renovate, hence it's "permanent" to me if I build a station.

Sorry double post....

Yes, I was speaking strictly in terms of MP, in SP it is probably not only cheaper to build the station, it is also more profitable to sell to the game-built stations. In MP it can be quite the opposite, especially if you are selling to stations another player built.

But, yes in the strict sense of the SP game you do have a point.

[Marvin]

When I'm bored, I prefer to accept "satellite recovery" contracts. Which limits your speed to the maximum allowed in the atmosphere. I don't know when Vice changed the look of satellites but now I can recognize one easily enough from both the design and the fact they are hurtling at ever-increasing speed toward the planet. So cool.

[Marvin]

Heh yeah so far only the station license thing has struck me as a very significant difference in prices.

Evidently you haven't placed very many items in storage. Tractor beams are hard to find in some of IM's ungated systems so I store them. So far, a single tractor beam has cost me, in storage fees, about the same amount of credits it would take to buy a stealth generator.

[ELiTe]

@Marvin -

Hmm well yeah if you tag a price on "usefulness" vs "how hard it is to make" I can see what you're saying.

I was just thinking as a new player (which I still am) I would not know how "useful" something is until I've used it. As a new player with only 40,000 credits, it appears weird to have a "C3" (the number here is significant for a new player) to cost/sell more than a "C5". That's all I'm saying.

Also no I don't store many things in stations. Only 2 items actually, in Evochron Station in 0,0,0. Cost me 270K credits per cycle.

I found that if I stored only 1 item per station, and I have 5 or 6 stations each storing 1 item, the costs multiply. But if I move all the items to only 1 station, the costs remain the same even for 5 items.


@RubberChicken -

Heh yeah MP games are definitely different from SP. So are the number of enemies per contract in hostile systems but that's another topic.

I figure it's the way it is in MP cuz of the multitude of player-built stations and hence, altering the "vanilla" economy of the systems in question.


[Edited on 21-6-2013 by ELiTe]

[DaveK]

When I'm bored, I prefer to accept "satellite recovery" contracts. Which limits your speed to the maximum allowed in the atmosphere. I don't know when Vice changed the look of satellites but now I can recognize one easily enough from both the design and the fact they are hurtling at ever-increasing speed toward the planet. So cool.

I'm in the process of updating the H&TG - there is obviously much that has slipped past my radar since the Expansion was released!

[Marvin]

You might want to add that satellites don't show up on a sensor array. Your only means of spotting them is either visually or via radar.

[Maarschalk]

It is still Cheaper to built and or buy licenses to Stations early in the game. At my current rank and status a Station License cost me 1 billion credits and to build a station around 300 million credits!......:P

[ELiTe]

@Maarschalk -

LOL so the difference in prices get lesser the more money you have You can build about 3 stations for the price of 1 license. I can build 20 for the price of 1 license.