[PHC] Pilot's Honour Code

[Oblivion Wolf]

This is an evolution of the original Armistice Server Agreement, but the focus has been shifted from the server admins, to us, the pilots who fly the verse.

This document is meant to serve as a guide to pilots who are looking to play the game in a more structured manner. Where a certain level of behavior, etiquette and respect is expected and extended in the hope of creating an enjoyable environment for all involved. There are players that come onto the servers who have no intention of doing PVP or station busting, some people like to trade, mine, explore and socialise. The guidelines set down in this document aim to accommodate all types of players and play styles that can be experienced within Evochron Legacy, without sidelining or diminishing any of the others.

As a PHC pilot you hold yourself to a higher standard of care, you do not engage in petty and demeaning activities, and you respect the other pilots with whom you share the airspace, regardless of their faction. The best way to acknowledge this to fellow pilots is to broadcast a message containing the letters: PHC when you have joined a server. This lets your fellow pilots know that you fly by the “The Code� and it also lets you know if they fly by the “The Code� when they respond to your message with their own PHC broadcast. Being a PHC pilot does not mean you have to be everyone’s friend, that we are all one big happy family or that FDN and ALC allegiances no longer mean anything. Red means dead, but at least we can all be civil about it. If only we could all adopt the Golden Rule, but alas it is not enough. There is unfortunately some negative behavior in the EvoVerse, but as PHC pilots, we can choose to rise above it.

Admins who wish to run a server in this manner can place a PHC tag within their server name, or a PHC compliant tag in the server start up statement and that the rules of the PHC can be found in the following link. This indicates to any joining player that the admin expects you to comply with the points of the PHC. Players who join a PHC server know they can expect other players to honour the points of the PHC and what kind of response they can expect from opposing faction players when in certain star systems. PHC pilots also ask that action be taken by admins of servers where people are reported to be misusing the code. For instance misleading fellow pilots by representing yourself as a PHC pilot and then misusing that trust to gain advantage.

Point 1. Starting areas, including Arvoch and Sierra Warzones, are to be Treated as Sacred, these areas are Pearl and Sierra as well as Aries and Rucker, what this entails is the following.

No attacking of any players.
No destroying of stations.
No building of opposition stations or modules (gun turrets included) in these areas.

If you are flying in your opposition’s starting territory, treat it with respect and be aware you will be seen as a threat and fair game. Do not engage opposition players in these areas unless you are engaged first.

Use only enough force to either evade or destroy your attacker (Stealth Generators are wonderful devices). Enough force means: do not go on a rampage there after and destroy their stations, spawn kill them or harass them them in anyway.

New players that come on have no idea how to even fly or what to do, Legacy has a steep learning curve and it’s no fun being destroyed by other players this early in the game or not having a safe space to explore, trade and learn.

Please respect the starting systems!

Point 2. PVP engagements, this is considered separate from the combat in conflict zones and looks to address what can be considered as acceptable PVP behavior. If you are engaged by any pilot, you are free to send them to hell in a screaming fireball! Any pilot flying in opposition territory may be considered fair game. If FDN is in alliance space or ALC in federation space, expect to take fire without warning.

But if you are flying deep in the back systems of opposition space and you see an opposition pilot going about their own business and not directly engaging you, ask them first if they would like to engage in PVP seeing as they are in their own territory. If they are hanging around in these rearward systems, regardless of rank, good chance they are minding their own business and not in the mood for confrontation.

Point 3. Conflict Zones. In order to keep the environment pleasant for all involved, it is proposed that faction fighting over contested territory be contained to certain systems, as leaving a large number of star systems on the server desolate just spoils it for everyone. All conflict areas must center on Sapphire and radiate outwards up to a maximum of any systems two jump gates away from Sapphire (the term jump gate is used specifically, and does not include any other means of navigation). These areas and only these areas are considered conflict zones and any pilot flying in these systems is considered fair game to the opposing faction. Any stations built in these areas are at the players own risk.

These systems include.
1: Sapphire,
2: One Gate Away: Fauston, Olympus, Thuban, Lambda.
3: Two Gates Away: Emerald, Onyx, Cygnus, Talison, Virgo, Orion, Pices.

That is 12 systems to make blood and war in, TWELVE! That should be more than enough for even the most avid of combat pilots, so please be civil to your fellow players and leave the other systems alone. There is nothing more infantile than joining a server and seeing a number of rearward systems taken over and central systems have been left untouched, the only people that this effects is new pilots, so really what is the point?

There are two exceptions to Point 3, one is when specific servers have their own method or standard for dealing with conflict zones, and the other would be when there is a large number of players on a server and everyone is fighting in a massive conflict over a specific system, for instance Cerulean or Alpha Centauri. This implies there is a consensus on that sever that everyone at that moment is engaged in this process and that all is fair in love and war. What is not fair, is waiting for said players to log off and then going about converting said system, it’s just bad manners. Unfortunately this cannot be stopped, but as a PHC pilot you hold yourself to a higher standard of care and refrain from engaging in such activities.

Point 4. Attacking stations, this is only to be done as the opposing faction. In other words, ALC attacks FDN stations and FDN attacks ALC stations. What is not to be done is logging on as the same faction as the base you want to destroy, in hopes of avoiding defensive fire from said station, and then destroying that station with minimal resistance due to you being the same faction as it.

The one exception to this is for builders of said station who wish to make alterations to their stations and need to destroy a module, only at their invitation can you logon as the same faction as the station to assist.

Good Hunting,
Oblivion Wolf.

[Edited on 3-5-2016 by Oblivion Wolf]

[Marvin]

This also pertains to systems that are joined to starting systems as often new players venture here to further themselves, these systems should also be treated with respect. It’s not fun pitching up in Rucker or Aries as a new player only to find it’s been converted to opposition territory, this is just bad manners and pointless, because only new players suffer.

Converting a star system to opposition territory does not also convert the cities or space stations. Nor does building an opposition station convert other stations ... but it does allow opposition pilots to take advantage of a high-tech system which otherwise might not be available in opposition territory.

[Oblivion Wolf]

Edited to reflect my specific thoughts on those systems, It's also a lot easier to build a secret station in Sapphire off the ecliptic and build that up if players are looking for specific tech. Or hike out into the boonies in one of the 100% tech regions and find a T planet and build something there. ALC did it with Eureka, and FDN with Tenaar Orbital. There are better systems to hit than Aries and Rucker.

[Oblivion Wolf]

Any chance of this getting pinned btw Marvin?

[Marvin]

Any chance if this getting pinned btw Marvin?

I've no idea. I don't decide what gets stickied. If I did, you'd find a lot of H2GE stuff at the top of many sections of the forum.

[CS-ACI-]

Hello,

I am going to be pedantic and overly critical. More so because the document needs to be both clear, usable and specific. Language is also going to be looked at.

First point, not all pilots will see this or any other document, before they join an online server. For this reason, any server which wants to use this document should have a link to it and server text explaining that the rules are contained in this document.

Second point, “Starting areas, including warzones� need to be named exactly. This is because if I log on to a server my starting position is where ever I saved last. There also need to be an exact definition. In this case, when you open the navigation console, you check too see if you are in one of the named sectors.

Third point, “No trolling the opposition with gun turrets in these areas.� This is incorrect for two reasons. First reason the language is not clear. Second, the previous line can be changed too cover this “No building of opposition modules in these areas.�

Fourth point, “Troll� needs to be defined for the purpose of Evochron usage.

Fifth point, this statement is not correct, not explaining why as it would contain spoilers.
“These systems include.
1: Sapphire,
2: One Gate Away: Fauston, Olympus, Thuban, Lambda.
3: Two Gates Away: Emerald, Onyx, Cygnus, Talison, Virgo, Orion, Pices.�
As such, the previous paragraph titled “Point 3. Conflict Zones.� needs to be clear that ONLY the listed systems are conflict systems.

Steve

[Oblivion Wolf]

Updated.

[Janus]

I don't want to be critical and if people want to abide by these rules as a matter of personal honor, I won't say boo. But for my server, Starport 6, PvP is encouraged. Now if someone is killing someone over and over and over or spawn camping, then there needs to be a U2U sent to me so I can issue the appropriate sanctions. But once or twice is just part of the game. I've had it happen to me and was told, that's just a welcome to the server. And he (at least I assume it was a he) didn't do it again.

So Starport 6 won't enforce this code, but you are welcome to abide by it if you want. Just know that it's not required.

[matchbox2022]

Would you be willing to host an "Arena" style pVp close combat and CTF area near a planet @ Sapphire?

I'd write the code for it to be uploaded / integrated into your server text file.

Look up the
"Hold onto your pants" thread on here.

[Oblivion Wolf]

Hi Janus, as well as any pilots reading this.

In no way does the PHC try to do away with PvP. I also do not expect any admins to enforce it. It's purely a code of honour by which some of us choose to fly. As a PHC pilot I will also know what to expect when any fellow pilot online does not respond to my PHC hail.

I would also like to state, without leaving any doubts in fellow pilots' minds, that I do not feel this is the only way the game must be played, or that it's my way or the highway. I created this document out of a need I felt was arising on some of the servers a few weeks ago, where things were getting really ugly and out of hand. My main intention is to create an environment where civility is the norm. The unpleasant multiplayer environment I mentioned above is a guaranteed way to force players to stop playing, both new and old, and that in turn is a guaranteed way to stop our community from growing.

So at the heart of the PHC is the greater good of the community, not some personal agenda I want to push on anyone.

Good Hunting, see you all in the Verse.

Matchbox, probably best to U2U Janus for a quicker response.

[Edited on 3-6-2016 by Oblivion Wolf]

[Marvin]

Some of us still fly as guilds (or squadrons). Most guilds post their own S.O.P. and R.O.E. ... some of which correspond to the above Honor Code. Others specifically state an opposition to what might be considered peace in our time. Admittedly, players who incessantly attack the same person over and over again rarely (if ever) declare their intention to do so at the forum ... and such behavior can drive new players away from the game.

Or it can do what being thrown into the river can do to kids who need to learn how to swim. Some swim on their own. Others need to be rescued.

[RavenFellBlade]

I'm in. I think a little honor goes a long way.
Do, however, remember that Klingons are all about honor, but that doesn't stop them from destroying every living thing they dislike or distrust. Some people define honor a bit differently.
Me? I'll fly PHC compliant.