I must admit I am very frustrated with the direction this scenario is headed.
In the past I admired how the larger players in AG spent considerable time and resources in helping the smaller players learn and grow. It was a real community, and numerous times I and others remarked that it would be great if in real life the 'large players' would be as much into helping the smaller players as the players in AG were.
Now it appears that it is us, looking at the recent examples provided by the 'large players' in real life and emulating them.
As per the comments from NoBrain - here are my thoughts:
1. "All I see is just bend for SPQNR.. and recive payment to look the other way.."
I don't understand what you think we are asking you to 'bend' or 'look the other way' for. The COM strategy we are using now was introduced to SPQNR by Stargazer almost 2 years ago prior to the split off of LOEP. He even assigned anyone in spqnr who asked, several COMs that he had initiated himself, just before they were due, so that we could fight the coms and have an idea if how simple and profitable it was. I don't ever recall anyone saying, at that time, that it was an exploit that was against any AstroGalaxy rules. Although numerous spqnr members were content to mine rather than do COMs at that time, Cakers ocasional attacks pushed more of us to use that COM strategy over time rather than risking the loss of expensive mining assetts.
The only practice that I recall having had numerous discussion in spqnr as being 'not permitted in AG' was the use of automation scripts. If anyone was/is 'looking the other way' it was/is all us non-scripters. Many of us including Gildavinor (now in LOEP) openly stated that we would not get into scripting because we felt it was either not permitted, or at the very least not fair to other players. Admitedly, we were more than willing to 'look the other way' in regards to the PT hunting scripts because, when there was a universal database available for the sale and purchase of mining claims, we could all truly say it was a win/win benefit for ALL players, including those outside spqnr. I admired the considerable energy/effort that NoBrain put into developing the PT collecting and listing efforts, and that was one of those very helpful things that I mentioned in the intro above.
2. "We can't make any treaties as we a(re) pirates in a pirate corp.."
Just because you are 'pirates' does not mean you cant have a treaty. look up 'Treaty of Tripoli 1796'. If fact 'privateers' were basically just pirates that were commisioned by a country, and had made agreements to only attack specific targets, or to not attack specific targets. The normal aim of piracy is to make quick riches with minimal effort. Yet when offered a way to make an easy 1000 QP per month with little to no effort on your part, you turn that down. That does not sound like what a pirate or privateer would do...
Yes, I admit we were also willing to overlook all the automated hunting/killing scripts that NoBrain made to protect players against pirates. Similar to the PT hunting scripts mentioned above, I considered it as something that would allow players both inside and outside spqnr to be able to enjoy the game more by not loseing as much of their mining equipment to persistant pirates like Caker and other players at the time. Before the split, we had lobbied for SirEmi to implement some changes that would at least make it possible for a player to counter attack or track an attacker, to at least have some balance in the odds against fighting a pirate; but to no avail.
The actions of Caker (in piracy and also in hacking into inactive player accounts), as well as the lack of development interest by Sir Emi were the main reasons LOEP formed. There were several objectives of LOEP. One was to fight Caker, and give him a taste of his own medicine without being encumbered by the diplomatic process of SPQNR. Another objective was to attract the attention of Sir-Emi in the hopes of him making changes to Astro Galaxy that many players had been asking for. To do this NoBrain wanted to make AG unplayable by newer players and thus reduce the potential for income to Sri Emi from players purchasing QP to get VIP status. Although the majority in spqnr did agree with the goals that NB (and others) had; we did not agree with the method that was being proposed, and voted against such a move; causing NB and others who agreed with his proposed tactics to split off from spqnr to form loep.
In regards to those LOEP objectives: It appears from comments/proposals made on the AG board that Caker has seen the light and now realizes that piracy by large players against smaller players detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game by the majority of players. That is one positive accomplishment that I give full credit to NoBrain in accomplishing. Unfortunately, it also appears that NB is now intending to take over Cakers role and detract from the gameplay of the majority of other players by, among other things, dumping large coms indiscriminantly throughout the galaxy, especially in places where other players already have COMs in progress.
As for the the objective of inspiring Sir-Emi to do some game development; I did not agree on the tactic but I did have some small hope that it might work. After almost 2 years with loep working on that strategy with no disernable result, I have given up on that hope.
I expect that if we all want to continue to enjoy playing AG we will all need to work together and come up with an agreement that is acceptable to the majority within the current AG implementation without the expectation that we will ever see enhancements made. Maybe after 2 years, it is time for us all to 'let it go' and return at least somewhat to how things were pre Caker/LOEP.
3. Choice is still up SPQNR..
What 'choice' are you talking about? So far the only choices I see is to either quit playing AG or put up with your ever increasing use of scripting which over time continues to expand and make the playing of Astro Galaxy more and more difficult by anyone other than those who are willing to bend/bow to wishes of the biggest bully. Although an spqnr member has offered significant financial incentive to NB to allow the game to remain playable to no avail, I have not seen any other choices offered by NB/loep.
If we continue down this path, at some point the only player that will be active is NoBrain. It will not really even be him playing, it will just be his robo scripts. Will anyone be willing or even able to save mankind from extinction by a hostile artificial intelligence in a post-apocalyptic future? (Terminator - Rise of the Machines).
The choice is to leave a free Station slot or not...Quite simple..
If all station slots are blocked With COMs, I Just add one the the stack.. (If I have one)
I also want to play the game you know.. or I had stopped a long time ago..
But SPQNR have blocked more and more system with Unmatted COM's (Dark COMs)
I had to leave SPQNR, because the proposed solution to a problem also had a ultimatum.
It was not supported by the Senate and our path had to end..
