Scrapping radio distress would harm the possibility of teamwork in 2238, which is already low. We can level up on our own, we can hunt on our own, craft on our own... "Factions" and "gangs" exist only on the battlefield: the only real teamplay in 2238 is the fight during TC, making it even more that way would, again, harm the game seriously.
OK but was this idea made as a loophole for encounter scaling and to abuse...
...farming...
As T-888 said, at the cost of a smaller reward, or maybe more exactly a lower loot rate. I don't see anything wrong with using distress for this: weaker characters can hunt in a group and kill smaller NPC groups, while more powerful characters are able to solo huge "vs encounters". Removing distress would just make it harder for the less experienced players and/or players with the weakest builds: players would pretty much be forced (or at least encouraged) to only hunt with minimaxed super-laser-fastshooters or unstoppable BG tanks. I am aware such builds are aready used, but right now radio distress allows you to join your Mad Max Wannabe pals with your own Mad Max Wannabe build and defeat a Unity or NCR Army patrol.
Again: teamwork would be harmed because we'd have less lowlevel characters hunting together, and more level 24 ultra energy warriors and human tanks choked up on their ten drugs killing all NPCs in the enc and then looting them with their packrat alt which can't join through distress anymore but can lead the other alt into the encounter via duallogging
...xping...
There is really no fun way to level up quickly, in a game where you're encouraged to level up your character(s) before playing "serious". So the problem is not exactly in the radio distress feature.
...tb pvp...
TB PvP is like a whole separated minigame played by some dedicated guys. I would like to know what those experienced ones think about distressing for TB PvP. I do remember a player made a TB PvP "event" of sorts which was started by distressing in a specific radio channel (not 0) so anyone interested could join.
If you farm with a friend and some of you die it doesn't work that great because the person has to get a radio.
But deleting the whole distress system would make it even more difficult to rejoin.
I think it would be better if you could see encounter that still exists after death and make it disappear if you
visit public location/base/tent/car.
Just wanted to say I agree with this idea.
I get you probably have a base full of items on each respawn but not everyone is in such comfortable situation.
Deleting radio distress would only make it harder for the players that have less while annoying experienced players and metagamers.