What do you think: Is this way of stealing fun for you? If not, maybe it also is no fun for others, especially new players.
I agree: It makes more sense to shoot him if it is regarded by guards as weapon. But if it does not do any damage, only change of stats for a short period, than it could be regarded as non weapon, and tolerated. If somebody wants to steal, he has to see more than one hex. Just to be able to spot his victim. And besides, it's not a problem that is completely disables stealing, it just makes it tougher to perform multiple stealing, because people generally can not be quick enough to react to the first stealing attempt, if in a dialog box, but second is very unlikely to just pass. So stealing would not be disabled, but greatly disabled as a chain event. Presently organization of game, being able to kill a thief, is pushing into depths or really mean violence, that does not contribute to game FUN aspect, but does put an unnecessary portion of violence and vindictiveness through forcing on/off response. Between lethal response and just verbal response, there should be a non lethal defensive response, which serves as a price raiser for unprovoked attacks.
Conclusion: By creating pepper spray option game would gain an additional level of gradation between non responsive (or just verbal responsive) action and lethal response. We who play, are people that do have these distinctions already in place. Every one already knows basics of how it would/should work.
PS: Besides, those things were legal in those states before the war, and should be far easier to obtain from pre-war stockpiles than emphasised lethal weaponry.
PPS: I would rather NOT create a suicide bomber alt to solve these disputes. But a guy with traps and science who would just make grenades for my hunting. On an emotionaly charged problem people will in fact find solutions in present frame, but they may be further and further from having fun. To me it's no fun that somebody just takes away from me a product of my real effort and real time, and I will find way to prevent and avenge this. I am proposing a civilized (that is elegant) solution to this.
How about this?