Heavyporker
22-05-05, 19:08
Lately I've been wondering about the LE, or Law Enforcer.
Nifty little thing, isn't it?
No one can deny it's power over the general populace - near-immunity to criminals, far greater security against loss of personal possessions.
I wanted to raise a few things to talk about...
- Why does the Dome of York have so many of its runners outfitted with Law Enforcers? One would think that the Dome would reject CityAdmin technology. Not to mention the CityMercs themselves - a whole faction that prides itself on its distance from any faction in philosophy, not merely physical location.
Perhaps we should consider *NOT* making a LE the default implant for new DoY/CM runners. Yes, this greatly raises their risk, but then again, DoY/CM isn't really for *new* runners. Plus, it creates some actual demand for the Law Enforcer implants sold in the CA fsm.
If this is a bit much for many of us, potentially, the FAs could create a LE-imitation, crappy quality, of course, that'd function the same way as a LE. After all, after coming out of MC5 and disavowing CityAdmin would propel that facility to turn off the LE in one's head, right?
- This no-belt-drop thing, while very nice, certainly, seems a bit much. I know that there was a experience-gain, requirements-increase, and cash-gain penalty for the LE in the past. All of these combined was too much, certainly, I don't think anyone would argue against this. But...
Perhaps CityAdmin could place a cash-tax upon LE-d runners. Just a cash-gain tax, so if they go hunting or take missions, they get just a bit less. Say, 10%. This sounds extremely reasonable to me. KK and the Neocron Economy gets an extra point of cash-sinking, and the LE gains some depth in the issue of Pro/Con to its use.
- There's the /30 no-reimplant thing. There's also the further ramifications of high-level LE'd runner content.
While I applaud this /30 thing, the LE was far too abused back in the day, I have to assert that it's almost ridiculous to see capped 80/60 runners with LEs in. On the flip side, I have to say that it's terrible if someone high-level, down the road, wants to get the LE in for legitmate reasons.
I want to discuss this - it's entirely reasonable that a runner can choose to disavow PvP in the most part (They still have the NeoFrag - acceptable to me). There are some fairly reasonable, but not crippling, disadvantages to having LE in - no clan, no outpost ownership.
However, the LE can be abused to the point of complete lameness. Stealing hacks, seizing control of certain hunting locations, gaining intelligence on the movements of enemies without the pretense of stealthiness or skill.
Could the possibility of having a runner hit /30 automatically pop the LE out, and the CityAdmin coming out with a second type of LE with a higher tolerance for character rank, albeit with different penalties and functions, be feasible?
This second-level LE would only be sold from CA fsm, could have a 25% cash-tax, deactivate in a war-zone (OP-whoring thing, you see), and the NCPD list is closed to them (so someone can't call a LE'd runner in the city and ask them to keep tabs on some criminal), plus something else to make this second-level LE really sting.
You see, the LE has its place, but it needs some real depth to it so it's not so.... skewed and screwed up in it's current application.
Nifty little thing, isn't it?
No one can deny it's power over the general populace - near-immunity to criminals, far greater security against loss of personal possessions.
I wanted to raise a few things to talk about...
- Why does the Dome of York have so many of its runners outfitted with Law Enforcers? One would think that the Dome would reject CityAdmin technology. Not to mention the CityMercs themselves - a whole faction that prides itself on its distance from any faction in philosophy, not merely physical location.
Perhaps we should consider *NOT* making a LE the default implant for new DoY/CM runners. Yes, this greatly raises their risk, but then again, DoY/CM isn't really for *new* runners. Plus, it creates some actual demand for the Law Enforcer implants sold in the CA fsm.
If this is a bit much for many of us, potentially, the FAs could create a LE-imitation, crappy quality, of course, that'd function the same way as a LE. After all, after coming out of MC5 and disavowing CityAdmin would propel that facility to turn off the LE in one's head, right?
- This no-belt-drop thing, while very nice, certainly, seems a bit much. I know that there was a experience-gain, requirements-increase, and cash-gain penalty for the LE in the past. All of these combined was too much, certainly, I don't think anyone would argue against this. But...
Perhaps CityAdmin could place a cash-tax upon LE-d runners. Just a cash-gain tax, so if they go hunting or take missions, they get just a bit less. Say, 10%. This sounds extremely reasonable to me. KK and the Neocron Economy gets an extra point of cash-sinking, and the LE gains some depth in the issue of Pro/Con to its use.
- There's the /30 no-reimplant thing. There's also the further ramifications of high-level LE'd runner content.
While I applaud this /30 thing, the LE was far too abused back in the day, I have to assert that it's almost ridiculous to see capped 80/60 runners with LEs in. On the flip side, I have to say that it's terrible if someone high-level, down the road, wants to get the LE in for legitmate reasons.
I want to discuss this - it's entirely reasonable that a runner can choose to disavow PvP in the most part (They still have the NeoFrag - acceptable to me). There are some fairly reasonable, but not crippling, disadvantages to having LE in - no clan, no outpost ownership.
However, the LE can be abused to the point of complete lameness. Stealing hacks, seizing control of certain hunting locations, gaining intelligence on the movements of enemies without the pretense of stealthiness or skill.
Could the possibility of having a runner hit /30 automatically pop the LE out, and the CityAdmin coming out with a second type of LE with a higher tolerance for character rank, albeit with different penalties and functions, be feasible?
This second-level LE would only be sold from CA fsm, could have a 25% cash-tax, deactivate in a war-zone (OP-whoring thing, you see), and the NCPD list is closed to them (so someone can't call a LE'd runner in the city and ask them to keep tabs on some criminal), plus something else to make this second-level LE really sting.
You see, the LE has its place, but it needs some real depth to it so it's not so.... skewed and screwed up in it's current application.