PvP and the law between pilots
What happens when you attack another pilot online: fines, wanted status, police, notoriety, bounties and newcomer protection.
Online, you can fire on anyone, but the server records every hit. The consequences depend on who started it and on the system’s security. Jurisdiction belongs to the faction that controls the system.
Who is the aggressor
Whoever opens fire on a “clean” pilot first is flagged as an aggressor against them for 60 seconds. Every new shot extends the flag. The victim and their wing may return fire lawfully. A pilot wanted in this jurisdiction may be fired on by anyone.
Labels above ships:
- blue — a neutral pilot;
- orange — an aggressor against you;
- red — a wanted pilot or a “Frontier outlaw”;
- green — your wing.
Consequences by system security
| Security | Attacking a clean pilot | Destroying a clean pilot | Police |
|---|---|---|---|
| High (Kyrin, Ilex) | 300 CR fine, −5 reputation | 2,000 CR bounty, −20 | ~20 s |
| Moderate (Vesper, Tarn, Morrow) | 150 CR fine, −3 | 1,000 CR bounty, −12 | ~60 s |
| Lawless (Sable) | — | — | none |
- Fines are paid automatically when you dock at a station of that faction. A fine left unpaid for 10 minutes becomes a wanted status.
- A wanted status applies first in the system of the crime, and after 2 minutes in all of the faction’s systems.
- Stations of the faction that wants you refuse you service.
- There are two ways to clear a wanted status:
- pay your own bounty at a station of another faction;
- get destroyed by a bounty hunter.
Destroying police is a crime too, and it raises your bounty.
Killer and accomplices
The killer is the pilot who did the last damage. Accomplices are everyone who damaged the victim in the last 30 seconds. The crime and the bounty go to everyone who attacked unlawfully. You cannot let police or pirates finish the job for you: the last pilot who attacked the victim counts as the killer.
Notoriety
Every unlawful pilot kill adds +1 notoriety. It fades by 1 for every 2 hours played without a new kill.
| Notoriety | Effects |
|---|---|
| 3+ | bounty on you ×1.5, insurance ×2 |
| 6+ | high-security stations deny docking; police attack as soon as you enter a high-security system |
| 10+ | marked “Frontier outlaw” on every radar, bounty ×3, −1 reputation with every lawful faction per new kill |
Destroying the same pilot again within an hour doubles the consequences.
Protection and rewards
- Newcomers: for a pilot’s first 10 hours of online play, attacking them costs double. Within 5 km of stations in high- and moderate-security systems, weapons do not fire at them.
- Bounty hunters: destroying a wanted pilot pays the bounty on them. No second bounty is paid for the same victim within an hour.
- Cargo: a destroyed ship leaves its cargo in containers for 5 minutes. Anyone can scoop them by flying within 40 m.
- Combat logging: closing the tab mid-fight does not help; the ship stays in space for another 30 seconds.