My idea is to introduce karma and permadeath in a way that could perhaps be acceptable by most players and that would reduce a bit the number of trolls and douchebags (it would be still possible to be one, but now it would also be a real risk - IMHO making the game more interesting for EVERYONE, also for those who want to play some "psychopaths") while keeping more mature PvP (TC battles) intact.
1. Introduce karma.
2. The karma would drop in every location when you shoot (-30), kill (-90), successful steal (-stolen item base price/100) or do other "bad" things to players, UNLESS:
a) the person you attacked is on "permadeath" timeout
b) the person has "unprotected" flag (like a thief who failed stealing and was spotted by guards)
c) the location you are in is a war arena (there is Town Control timeout in the location).
d) the person you attacked has very low karma (I don't know, something like -2000)
3. Every time your karma drops, you enter permadeath timeout for N seconds/turns where N = karma drop. If you die during the timeout it's equal to permanent death of the character. It would reduce "shot first, ask later" attitude which is unrealistic and unfalloutish IMHO, even if it's wasteland most people aren't psychos shooting everything that moves.
4. Suiciders who will manage to kill someone are automatically permadead. Make sure there are proper checks to prevent causing permadeath by planting explosive on dead body etc exploits.
5. Add some way to turn off peramdeath timeout during events in specific locations.
6. Perhaps there should be some skull icon over a head of people on permadeath timeout, blinking during the last 5 seconds / last turn of the timeout.
Hahahahahahahaha. Thanks Jovanka for making my day, this is the best joke in last month.
Simply, what you will get is:
- list of totally useless skills made longer by 2 items (Traps skill and Steal)
- list of people who ragequit 2238 getting longer and longer, due to your not-so-obvious and in fact, STUPID, permadeath rules
- TC PWNED by your permadeath rules (if you ever played PvP, you would know that sometimes there is a lot of action when the TC timer is not active - as well before taking the town, as after taking it
- PvP not happening or just a tool for griefers, due to everyone wanting score "permakills" (imagine those sneakers in towns waiting for someone to attack someone else)
- your "karma" doesn't make any sense, as it can't get higher, just gets lower and lower... so after killing particular number of people, you would have to make another alt (yay more alts!) or be shot without any consequences
- I can go anywhere in a bluesuit with LSW or minigun in second active slot, then call the first encountered person a dick, asshole, douchebag, stupid fucker, moron and such, then when he's angry and attacks me, I kill him and YAY! He's raging more, because his character is wasted. And I laugh more. He couldn't know I had all of my drugs active, so he couldn't kill me so easily ;]
I generally agree with what was said by Lordus.
The most funny is the fact that this suggestion is made by a person who should (as a GM) know a lot about game-mechanics and "methods" used by "fonline community", then Izual (another GM) says this suggestion is almost wonderful... Seriously, if you have thought about your suggestion more than just 5 minutes, you would find it very shitty, but well..
After you implement this "permadeath system", change Server status checker to (for example):
"282 players... and counting"
instead of
"282 players"